Archive for gastroenterology
‘The reason I became a nurse’: Maeve’s memories of laryngeal cleft repair
Being a gastroenterology nurse is more than a profession for Maeve Lee. When she cares for patients with feeding tubes, she’s also paying it forward. More than two decades ago, Maeve experienced many of the same challenges her patients face today. Medical mystery At first, Maeve seemed like a perfectly healthy newborn, but then she ... Read More about ‘The reason I became a nurse’: Maeve’s memories of laryngeal cleft repair
A journey through the intestine during colitis, cell by cell
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), causing devastating abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and rectal bleeding, is hard to control with current treatments. Children often experience malnutrition and impaired growth. To get a better handle on IBD, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital decided to eavesdrop on happenings in the colon. In the first ... Read More about A journey through the intestine during colitis, cell by cell
‘Everything fell into place’: Innovative POEM procedure lets Peyton eat without pain
Peyton Reed, 14, is a typical teenage boy: He enjoys tennis, video games — and food. So when eating became so painful for him that he started losing weight, his parents knew it was time to get him help. The problem began gradually enough five years ago, with bouts of what seemed liked heartburn. Because ... Read More about ‘Everything fell into place’: Innovative POEM procedure lets Peyton eat without pain
Microvillus inclusion disease: From organoids to new treatments
Microvillus inclusion disease (MVID) is a rare type of congenital enteropathy in infants that causes devastating diarrhea and an inability to absorb food. Infants can lose liters of fluid a day, become severely dehydrated, and stop growing. There is no specific treatment. “Until about 10 years ago, 50 percent of kids with MVID would die ... Read More about Microvillus inclusion disease: From organoids to new treatments
An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency
It was a late Friday afternoon in April when the call came: A young boy was being transferred to Boston Children’s emergency department after swallowing a button battery. Although his mother had previously taken him to another local hospital when she noticed he wasn’t eating or drinking much, the battery ingestion had been missed until ... Read More about An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency
Don’t forget the cheese, please! Rachel’s EoE journey
Like many teens, Rachel loves cheese and other dairy foods. “Cheese sticks, yogurt, and especially pizza,” Chellie, her mom, shares. Rachel agrees: She would eat cheese every day if she could. Up until this past spring, Rachel, who also has autism spectrum disorder, was unable to enjoy her favorite foods due to incredible pain in ... Read More about Don’t forget the cheese, please! Rachel’s EoE journey
How one diagnosis brought together three best friends: Allyson, Maddy, and Caiya’s journey with pancreatitis
Allyson, Maddy, and Caiya are your typical tween best friends — sharing inside jokes and constantly chatting about everything and anything. “They’re always on FaceTime talking and laughing,” shares Kim, Maddy’s mom. “They just love each other.” You’d never guess that these three girls didn’t meet at recess, but rather through Dr. Amit Grover, director ... Read More about How one diagnosis brought together three best friends: Allyson, Maddy, and Caiya’s journey with pancreatitis
A new approach to C. diff? Targeting the inflammation, not the bacteria
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) intestinal infections can cause severe, debilitating diarrhea in patients who are hospitalized or on immunosuppressive therapies. The infections can be very hard to eradicate, roaring back when patients try to taper their antibiotics. Many people wind up on antibiotics for months and can become resistant to three or more of them. ... Read More about A new approach to C. diff? Targeting the inflammation, not the bacteria
Calm through the storm: Connor’s ulcerative colitis journey
When you meet Connor today, he’s a confident 13-year-old who is incredibly laid back when he speaks about his complex medical condition. This school year, he plans on playing basketball and running track. “I like hanging out with my friends and traveling — now I can do all these things without being in pain.” However, ... Read More about Calm through the storm: Connor’s ulcerative colitis journey
Hurdles in health care: Navigating insurance approvals
If you’ve ever struggled with your patient’s insurance company when it came to getting their prescription filled, you’re not alone. For patients with chronic conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), newer drugs like biologics can be very effective — but also very expensive. As a result, many insurance companies have limited access to these medications ... Read More about Hurdles in health care: Navigating insurance approvals