UNTANGLING IBD

UNTANGLING THE MYSTERIES OF IBD

A young man visited his gastroenterologist in a wheelchair because his inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms had become so severe that he could no longer walk. He was dealing with incapacitating abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss. Within six months of receiving monoclonal antibody treatment, he was walking and within a year, he ran a half marathon. “I have seen miracles happen,” says Dr. Carl Schmulen, a retired gastroenterologist with Houston Methodist Hospital who treated that man. “This field is growing rapidly, and new IBD treatments and information are becoming so readily available that it is a challenge for specialists to keep up to date.” Dr. Schmulen and his wife Lyn share a strong desire to help IBD patients and provide their treating physicians with the latest research. To achieve those goals, they have permanently endowed the Houston Methodist Annual Lecture Series in Gastrointestinal Medicine. The annual lectureship with visiting professors began in 2013 and will extend in perpetuity. “Thanks to the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Schmulen, we have brought major thought leaders to share their research and clinical acumen,” says Dr. Eamonn M. Quigley, the David M. Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders and director of the Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders. Dr. Quigley notes that patients benefit from this series because the visiting lecturer discusses challenging cases with Houston Methodist trainees and faculty. The lecture series is open to all physicians and other health care providers across the Greater Houston area, which Dr. Quigley says serves a dual purpose: the opportunity to share knowledge and an exposure to the Fondren Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the Underwood Center. The lecture has become a highlight of the Houston academic medicine calendar. Houston Methodist gastroenterologists are among the nation’s leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of IBD. They collaborate with a team of medical specialists to evaluate patients and develop therapies for even the most complex IBD cases. The Fondren IBD Program offers comprehensive, leading-edge diagnostics and treatments, as well as innovative research that advances patient care. IBD describes two conditions characterized by chronic gastrointestinal tract inflammation: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. An estimated 3 million Americans are living with IBD. Symptoms often DR. CARL AND LYN begin in the teens and continue for SCHMULEN the rest of a person’s life. Many people suffer unnecessarily because they hesitate to discuss their symptoms with their doctor. “IBD is not pleasant to talk about, but getting an early diagnosis is critical,” Dr. Schmulen says. His “miracle patient” — and many other patients — encouraged Dr. Schmulen to focus his GI practice on IBD. Endowing the lectureship demonstrated Dr. and Mrs. Schmulen’s commitment to sharing research and clinical advances in order to help patients and physicians. It also represented their wishes to give back to Houston Methodist and the community it serves. “We have always believed in giving back to the community,” says Dr. Schmulen. “We also want to show our children and grandchildren that giving back feels good and can help others.”