November 18th, 2009 by Kevin A. Barnes
As part of $3K in 3 Weeks, here is the first in a series of articles on current research initiatives related to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The Human Gut Microbiome Initiative, based at the Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is the first major investigation into the thousands of species of bacteria that live in the human digestive system.
What’s a microbiome? The “microbiome” is defined as all bacteria in the human body, as well as all the products they make. To put this in perspective, scientists estimate that as much as 90% of the cells in the human body are actually bacteria. In the past, since most of the species of bacteria found in the human body could not be cultured (grown outside the body for study), we’ve been essentially clueless about how those bacteria functioned and their potential role in the human body. Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: $3K in 3 Weeks, Crohn's Disease | Tags: $3K in 3 Weeks, CCFA, Crohn's Disease, cure, Human Gut Microbiome Initiative, ibd, Las Vegas half marathon, Team Challenge, ulcerative colitis
Comments: No Comments »
November 15th, 2009 by Kevin A. Barnes
$3K in 3 Weeks is a special effort I’ve established to raise both awareness and at least $3,000 to help defeat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — hence $3K in 3 Weeks.
The effort runs from today (Sunday, November 15) through Sunday, December 6 when I will run the 13.1-mile Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon to demonstrate my commitment to defeating Crohn’s and colitis. (What are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis? Read an overview of these diseases and their impact at the end of this article. )
In recent years, we’ve seen dramatic advances in the understanding of these devastating diseases, to the point where our knowledge has already begun to improve the lives of those with Crohn’s and colitis (an estimated 1.4 million people in the U.S. alone). And recently one researcher after another has begun telling us the same thing:
“We know what remains to be done — the only thing standing between us and a cure is money.”
That’s right — money has become the critical factor in helping find a cure. Here’s how you can help: Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: $3K in 3 Weeks, Crohn's Disease | Tags: $3K in 3 Weeks, CCFA, Crohn's Disease, cure, ibd, Las Vegas half marathon, Team Challenge, ulcerative colitis
Comments: No Comments »
November 2nd, 2009 by Kevin A. Barnes
It’s going to be an interesting (and busy) November and December.
I recently reviewed a list of all of the non-work projects I currently have underway, with the hope of dropping (or at the very least deferring) some of them. After that exercise, I was still left with an overly ambitious set of goals I hope to accomplish before the end of 2009, all on top of the usual background noise of my day job and my on-again-off-again health.
The challenge is that there are too many important things that must get done. Things whose time has come. Things that I’m not willing to give up on, and can no longer delay.
Major Project #1: Raise funds to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
October 19 was recommitment for the Las Vegas Half Marathon for Team Challenge. What that means is that I’m now committed to run 13.1 miles on December 6 and raise at least $4,000 to help fund research and other vital programs to beat Crohn’s and colitis. This is my third half marathon for this cause, and although progress is being made by the researchers and medical experts, there still is no cure. So I keep running. And despite what my body (and my own Crohn’s disease) tells me, I’ll continue running until we beat this thing. If you’d like to help this effort, please visit my Team Challenge donation page.
Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: Crohn's Disease, Personal, Science Fiction, The Future | Tags: accomplishment, CCFA, Crohn's Disease, goals, NaNoWriMo, Science Fiction, Team Challenge, ulcerative colitis, writing
Comments: No Comments »
October 4th, 2009 by Kevin A. Barnes
First off, I apologize for not posting anything for three weeks. As someone once observed, “sometimes life gets in the way of living.“
The good news is that my health is stable, my Crohn’s is quiet and I’m feeling better than I have in a long, long time. (Yes, Virginia, occasionally hospitals do make you healthier.) The reason I dropped under the radar screen is that life became very busy almost the moment I left the hospital, and likely will remain that way until almost the end of the year.
An extremely cool opportunity which I’ve been trying to create for the better part of this year has finally come together. I’m not allowed to say anything yet, but I’m loving every minute of it. And “every minute of it” really has become every minute outside of my regular job. Who would have thought that late nights and weekends could be so much fun? Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: Crohn's Disease, Personal | Tags: Crohn's Disease, Las Vegas half marathon, Project X, Rock n Roll Marathon, Team Challenge
Comments: 2 Comments »
September 9th, 2009 by Kevin A. Barnes
As happens way too frequently with Crohn’s disease, this afternoon I found myself being admitted to the hospital. The health of a Crohn’s patient can seem to be going well for months (or even years) and then without warning everything goes downhill in a matters of days (or even hours).
Ever since I started running half marathons with Team Challenge in 2008, I’ve been preaching about the many and varied horrors that can accompany living with Crohn’s disease. And now – once again – I find myself experiencing that crap firsthand. Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: Crohn's Disease | Tags: CCFA, Crohn's Disease, Froedtert Hospital, ibd, patient, Team Challenge
Comments: 11 Comments »
