Raleigh, North Carolina

LOCAL ATHLETE CONQUERS CROHN'S DISEASE

ONE STEP AT A TIME

By Missy Baxter

As a marathon runner and fitness specialist, Darren Pangle appears to be the picture of perfect health. His daily workouts include an hour of cardio training and at least 30 minutes of weight training. The results are evident. Standing 6'2" and weighing 260 pounds, Pangle has 30-inch quads, 20-inch biceps and only about 10 percent body fat. A lot of people think Im a body builder when they first meet me, said the 42-year-old Chapel Hill resident. So, its no surprise that people are often shocked when they learn that Pangle has a chronic disease that almost cost his life when he was a teen and continues to cause health problems for him. When I tell people about my life, they usually cant believe that I have any medical problems at all - unless I show them the huge scar on my stomach, he explained. Pangles medical problems began at age 19 when he flipped a riding lawn mower while cutting grass on an steep embankment. At first, the injury didnt seem too severe. There weren't any bruises, just a stiff back the next morning. Within a few days, though, the pain began to intensify. On the third day after the accident, I woke up sweating and I couldnt move at all, he recalled. I called my brother and he came over and he literally had to carry me to the hospital." Physicians conducted a multitude of tests and determined that Pangle was suffering from peritonitis, an inflammation of the thin membrane that lines the abdominal wall. Doctors told him the problem could have been brewing before the accident or it could have been prompted by it. Either way, a life-threatening infection was rapidly spreading throughout his body. "The doctors told me I had less than eight hours to live so they needed to do emergency exploratory surgery and that's when they found out I had Crohn's

Disease," he recalled. "After surgery, I wound up in a coma for three days and I lost 72 pounds in six days." Pangle is among hundreds of Triangle residents who have Crohns Disease, an illness that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract and can lead to severe complications, such as an obstructed bowel, persistent diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who documented the diseases symptoms in a 1932 research paper, Crohns Disease is similar to ulcerative colitis, which also causes extreme gastric problems. Crohns and colitis are the two main categories of a larger group of illnesses known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). An estimated 1.3 million Americans have Crohns and colitis, according to Kelli King, development director of the Carolinas Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Each year, about 30,000 more people are diagnosed with Crohns and colitis, of which about 10 percent are under age 18, King said. For decades, many patients with Crohns suffered quietly and often went undiagnosed, King said. The nature of the disease sometimes prompts people to keep their condition secret from others. Its such a personal subject that many people dont discuss their symptoms and dont go to the doctor, but thankfully that seems to be changing, King said. The number of patients diagnosed with Crohns seems to be increasing for several reasons. The general public is becoming more aware of the symptoms. Plus, thanks to research and pubic awareness, physicians are becoming more aware of symptoms to watch for and ways to treat Crohns. To raise money for research on Crohns, as well as educational and support programs, the Carolinas Chapter of CCFA has organized an annual event known as the Guts & Glory Walk/Run for almost three decades. More than 400 people are expected to participate in the 26th Annual Guts & Glory Run/Walk on Saturday at the GlaxoSmithKline Campus in RTP. In the Triangle, research on Crohns is being conducted at several places,

including The Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, a collaborative research center at UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. Established in 1983, the center is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Despite the complications of Crohns Disease, many patients, such as Pangle, lead active lives. For Pangle, the key is a positive attitude and exercise. There might be days when I wind up going to the bathroom 15 or 20 times, and the doctors recently told me that I will need a third surgery sometime soon, Pangle said. I am determined, though, that Crohns is not going to beat me. I refuse to let it. Pangle serves as a fitness trainer for people with Crohns and other medical problems. He personalizes the training sessions to address each clients health issues. Within the past few years, Pangle has been working on two books that he plans to release soon through Barnes & Nobles iUniverse self-publishing program. The first book, "Sick to Fit: And It's the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" will be available next month at Barnes & Noble stores in the Triangle, he said. The second book - a how-to on exercise - is due out this fall. Pangle hopes his books will provide encouragement for others with chronic diseases. My purpose in life is to help people," he said. "The doctors told me when I was 19 that I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't been in good shape. Thats why I want to encourage others to stay as healthy as they can. I am alive because I am healthy enough to fight off the Crohns.