Pearl Jam's McCready talks about new restroom access law.

[Ataraxia]

Mike McCready and fellow Crohn’s and colitis activist Broh Landsman appeared on KING-5 Morning News this week to help lay out the facts about the recently passed Restroom Access Law in Washington State.

With a series of safeguards in place for both consumers and business owners, the Restroom Access Law was created to help individuals with certain medical conditions, such as Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, easy access to employee-only restrooms in retail establishments.

Check out the video of Mike’s interview and a personal note from him below.

http://www.king5.com/video/healthlink-index.html?nvid=361634&shu=1

For more information on “Ally’s Law” - the Illinois legislation that started it all, other states that have passed similar legislation, and how you can help, visit http://www.crohnsandme.com

To find out more about Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, visit www.ccfa.org.

A note from Mike:

I would like to personally thank Ally Bain, Lois Fink, Senator Kline, Representative Liias, Governor Gregoire and the Washington Restaurant Association for helping to draft this resolution, as well as all of the supporters who have aided in successfully passing the Restroom Access Law.

Until a cure is found, millions of fellow Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients and I struggle to find a bathroom when an attack happens. While doubling over in immense abdominal pain, we have about 5 seconds to locate and make it to a restroom. The fear of not having easy access to a restroom wherever you are is at times crippling and has made many IBD sufferers prisoners of their own homes. Crohn’s, colitis and other autoimmune disease sufferers have a hidden disability — we may look “normal” on the outside, but we require the same compassion and understanding as any of those with a more visible affliction.

I am relieved (pun intended) that future patients -- especially kids and their parents — are now able to carry cards or medical notes that guarantee them access to employee-only bathrooms. Thanks to all the businesses that understand. This law will now make going out in public easier and encourage more Crohn’s and colitis patients to confidently venture outside their homes.

Thanks,
Mike McCready

 

[GoJohnnyGo]

Bravo!

It's about time too. Crohn's patients should stand up for the right to sit down!

 

[Ataraxia]

Too right. Awareness needs to be raised.

 

[GoJohnnyGo]

I wonder how a business establishment would fare if they posted a sign on the door stating "Epileptics please refrain from using floor during seizures."

Same thing really.

 

[forum contributor]

Lmfao Omg Gjg You Got Me Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rygon]

hijacking an old post but Ive just read snippets from his interview, interesting read

Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready: Rock Star Life and Crohn's Don't Mix

Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, who has battled Crohn's disease for 20 years, says the rock star life and Crohn's don't mix.

Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a condition in which the lining of your digestive tract becomes inflamed, causing severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. The inflammation often spreads deep into the layers of affected tissue. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications.

In a live and very candid online interview on October 9,2007 McCready told Healthtalk listeners how he's managed his Crohn's disease--a journey that wasn't always easy. This journey was one that forced the talented musician to take a hard look at his lifestyle and how it affected his body, which at times failed him at the most in opportune times--including when he was traveling on a tour bus, onstage in front of thousands of fans and even driving around Seattle in his car.

What I found particularly interesting, was McCready's openness. He admitted to self medicating with marijuana, valium vicodin to quell the pain and escape from the reality of Crohn's.

"I was self-medicating because of the burden of dealing with Crohn's," McCready said. "I wanted to do drugs to feel better about having Crohn's." Ironically, his behavior made his symptoms worse, as did smoking, which he says is the "worst thing for someone with Crohn's."

"I could tell my Crohn's was 10 times worse when I smoked--I could feel it in my intestines as soon a I took a hit."

But he eventually realized his self-destructive ways were not only making his Crohn's disease worse, it was hurting his family and friends, who finally intervened.

Breaking his bad habits

McCready quit smoking cold turkey and entered a rehab and medical detox program. In his interview, McCready couldn't stress enough how crucial it is for young Crohn's patients to listen to their doctors and not try to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, like he did. As a self-proclaimed advocate for Crohn's disease (he has even inspired his fans to raise money for Crohn's reaserch, summer camps and awareness) and as a spokesperson for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, McCready says he is most excited about helping others live better with the disease, especially young people.

He mentioned a book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which he credits as a jump-start to his remission. Although, it is a very strict diet, eliminating all starches and refined sugars, McCready said it was a great way to undertsand how diet plays a significant role in managing Crohn's disease.

Now, McCready says his diet is mostly a lot of fish and rice, not a lot of sauces starches or refined sugars. After trying a vareity of meds over the years, including Remicade and Prednisone, McCready is now managing his disease with weekly self-injections of Humira. He also takes probiotics which he says help him have firmer bowel movements.

McCready says he's been in remission for two years, the longest period of time he gone without any flare-ups. But he's still concerned and appalled at the way insurance companies treat Crohn's patients, requiring them to first pay for meds out of pocket to see if they work--before the insurance company will pay.

"I've had to go through this prior-authorization twice--and I have a big problem with this. It should be about helping people who are sick and it's all about the bottom line. If this happens to me and I can afford it, I can only imagine what poor people and kids have to go through."

As for his best and worst moments living with Crohn's, McCready says his best is getting to talk about the disease, meeting people, especially kids, who are living with Crohn's.

The worst?

McCready says he's had lots of those, and yes, he's been onstage, in extreme pain with no other choice but to soil his pants right there in front of his band (who he says know all about his condition and are extremely supportive) and thousands of fans.

But opening for his favorite band of all time, the Rolling Stones, takes the cake.

"We were opening up for Rolling Stones in Oakland and a minute before we had to go on I had a Crohn's attack...I'm about to lose it and I told Eddie [Veder] to open with "Sometimes" since I'm not really in it. I ditch and go find a bathroom. So there I am in the a porta-potty listening to us [Pearl Jam] open for the Rolling Stones.

 

[Rebecca85]

You gotta fight for the right to POTTY! (yeah I know it wasn't pearl jam but wouldn't it be a cool awareness raising song?)

 

[BigUglyCat]

Too cool! I'm old, but I do know Pearl Jam and this kind of press is really fantastic. If we could just get all of those public toilets clean.......

 

[ChefShazzy]

Whooo! Hey... That means Mike McCready is a member of the Humira Club!!