Crohn's Disease: A Case Study

For the duration of S’s chronic health challenge with Crohns, P has been the family resource/caregiver. P is an RN who works with many clients with chronic illness. They both feel B’s experience in nursing brings a great deal of skill, knowledge about pathophysiology, medication administration, side effects and coping strategies that enable them to self-manage his disease and enable them adapt to the demands living with illness. B herself suffers from an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid. As a result she suffers from hypothyroidism. B focuses a lot of her and her family’s health choices around the foods they eat. She feels that through food she can improve her family’s immune system and overall wellbeing. She grows lots of vegetables in her garden, incorporates lots of fruits, vegetable and maintains a predominately a vegetarian diet. Herts and Kramer-Kile (2014) describe this as a Self-care and is key concept in caring for one self by reducing risk, strengthen
Verville, 2014). Canada is currently rated for having one of the highest rates (1 in 160 Canadians) in the world and which affects any ethnic group, males and females equally and at can be diagnosed at any age ( Risk Factors, n.d.).
Schmelzer, & F. Verville (2014) describe the pathophysiology of Crohns as inflammation of segment of the GI tract (most commonly in terminal ilieu and colon). The inflammation involves the mucosa, submucosa and muscularis layers of the intestinal wall. Adversely diseased portions occur between normal portions of the bowls. The diseased portions can contain deep ulcerations that penetrate through edematous mucosa where thickening of the bowel wall and narrowing of the lumen occur where abscesses, fistulas lesions may development (Schmelzer, & F. Verville,