Medical Issues Video Transcript

Webcast Transcript

" So the conversation, as with the tide of medicine and the advances that are happening currently in inflammatory bowel disease, the conversation could be very different today than it could be next week and in a year.

BROOKE SHEALY: Do you have any final words for parents with children, or should I say, teens with IBD?

ESTHER BATTOCK: I think that you do have to remember they're teenagers first. And, yes, they do have a chronic disease. It's a time of battles, it's a time of their wanting more and more independence, and so whatever it takes together, whether it's counseling or changing your family dynamics and how you deal with the situation; you really have to work on that. Find a comfort level that you both have with your doctors; find support groups and keep in touch. Make sure your child has the opportunity to interact with other kids with this disease, and make their life as comfortable as possible, so that they remember you're there for them. Sometimes being there for them isn't even always talking, sometimes it's just listening to them and then making sure that you're providing them with the best care that they need.

BROOKE SHEALY: And Allie, you have the final word. What advice do you have for other teenagers with the disease?

ALLISON SPITZ: I think that, definitely, you need to stay optimistic through your fight with this. If you keep thinking that, "This is the end of the world, I can't do anything else," that's not going to help it at all. You need to stay positive about it, you know, don't let this get in the way of your activities, don't let this get in the way of things that you want to do. I'm on the cheer squad, I'm on the speech and debate team, I go out with my friends. And it is hard at times, but really, you know, you are a normal teenager, you just have this little thing that this makes you a stronger person. You really just need to stay optimistic and that really helps fight this a lot easier.

BROOKE SHEALY: Thank you all so much for being here today. And that's all the time we have for this section of our webcast on children with IBD. I'd like to thank Dr. Marla Dubinsky, Allison Spitz and her mother, Esther Battock, for participating in this program. I'm Brooke Shealy, thank you for joining us.

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