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8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 9, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Crohn's disease nothing to be embarrassed about By Paloma Migone SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Rebecca Mayville was overwhelmed with intense stomach cramping, frequent trips to the washroom, nausea, and terrible back pain. Her hair was falling out and she lost 30 pounds. Mayville hoped her symptoms were from stress in her life. She had just moved from Kitchener to Sault Ste. Marie and left a boyfriend, friends and family behind. However, to her dismay, Mayville was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She was 17. "I had never heard of it before, which was the worst part. It wasn't something as well known as diabetes or other chronic illnesses," said Mayville, now 30 and an Oakville resident. "It was awful. I pretty much thought it was the end of the world. I didn't want to tell anybody what it was because it was just so embarrassing." Rebecca Mayville GRAND OPENING ENTER WIN*: · FREE Pair of Clarks Shoes · Walking on a Cloud Gift Certificate · FREE Gift with Clarks Shoe Purchase ... while supplies last COME IN AND ENTER TO WIN A FREE PAIR OF CLARKS SHOES Walking on a Cloud RioCan Centre, Oakville 3487 Wyecroft Rd. (Burloak & South Service Road) 905-469-8967 *Contest Ends May 31, 2008. Draw June 2, 2008. Only at our Oakville location. Before being diagnosed, Mayville was put through countless tests, scans and x-rays. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis affects nearly 200,000 Canadians, according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). A study funded by the foundation also found that Canada has the highest rate of Crohn's disease in the world. The cause of the disease is unknown. Many theories have been raised, but nothing has been proven. Doctors still don't know what triggered Mayville's disease. They told her she would likely be pill-dependent, undergo numerous surgeries and live through painful sporadic episodes. Mayville was scared and embarrassed. "It was awful. I pretty much thought it was the end of the world," she said. "I didn't want to tell anybody what it was because it was just so embarrassing. Everyone just assumed I had some eating disorder or something." Mayville has gone through six surgeries. Two of them were resections -- a diseased part of her intestine was cut and reattached. During those surgeries, doctors gave her a temporary colostomy, later removed in other surgeries. The remaining operations were due to abscesses. Pills have become part of Mayville's everyday life. For three years, she has been on a steady daily dose of medication and goes to the clinic every five weeks for an infusion. "They've become a normal part of my day," she said. Mayville has received other recommended treatments and has visited a number of doctors. "I was really lucky I had a great doctors, who took really good care of me and were always available to talk to me on the phone or I could go in at a moment's notice." Despite the medical support and medication, Mayville continues to sporadically experience pain. At the beginning, she held her pain inside because she was too embarrassed to share it . "I learned very quickly that keeping everything inside is worse, so now I try and talk about it with my family, with my friends." Stress, and foods like oranges and popcorn, are known to give Mayville problems. She tries to take care of herself by staying away from them. The doctors take care of the medication, she takes care of herself and her pain in her daily life, she said. "I try to laugh about it. We don't try to diminish that it's real and it's a disease, but we try and put as much of a good spin on it as we can because for me that's the best way to get through it. My mom always said, `It's better to laugh than to cry.'" Laughter, however, is not the only helpful non-medical solution. Mayville's embarrassment has transformed into a need to communicate her experiences. She realized the best way to ease the pain is to talk about it. "In the last year, I've met two or three people who also have the disease and they tell me things. We talk and have this really good conversation and at the end, they'd be like, `I'd told you more than I've told anybody else. I already feel better for having talked about it.'" That's why she has been a member of CCFC since she was diagnosed. The foundation provides a forum for communication. Mayville also participates in its activities, especially the M&M Meat Shops Charity Barbecue Day. She helps by cooking burgers, selling them or raising awareness. "I totally support the fundraising that they do, but for me it's about getting out and talking to people about it and helping other people that have the disease to realize that they don't have to be embarrassed by it." The M&M barbecue has been running for 20 years and has raised $14.5 million for medical research. Selling millions of hamburgers gives Mayville hope that some day a cure will be found, so that the next time someone is diagnosed, they are "going to know that it's not chronic and there is an end." M&M Meat Shops charity barbecues will be at four Oakville locations -- 635 Fourth Line, 2525 Prince Michael Dr., 2163 Sixth Line and 2524 Third Line this Saturday. For more information, visit www.ccfc.ca. Vision ­ To be the most livable town in Canada Let's Talk Please join us at one of the following public consultation sessions: Saturday, May 10 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon Oakville Centre Lobby and Studio Theatre 130 Navy Street, Oakville Monday, May 12 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, North Ridge Meeting Room 1051 Glenashton Drive, Oakville For those who cannot attend the meetings in person but would like to provide input, surveys will be available on-line from May 1st through the 18th at www.oakville.ca/cultureliveshere.htm or by hardcopy through local libraries and community and seniors centres. To participate, please RSVP to culturalplan@oakville.ca or call 905-845-6601 ext. 3758. For more information about Oakville's Cultural Planning process, visit www.oakville.ca/cultureliveshere.htm. Culture lives here...now tell us how we can improve it. Help spread the word! Tell us what you really think. Culture builds our economy and makes our lives richer. Culture defines us. Tell us what you really think about the role of culture in our community. Thursday, May 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central Library Auditorium 120 Navy Street, Oakville Thursday, May 15 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre for Seniors 1565 Old Lakeshore Road, Oakville