Ulcerative colitis can cause serious bowel symptoms, fatigue, pain and anemia. But with proper treatment, it doesn’t need to consume your whole life. Here are famous people with ulcerative colitis who attained fame for their athletic, artistic, political, business and artistic contributions.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy, the youngest United States president, developed abdominal pain in his teens. In 1934, it was found out that he has colitis (at least what was called colitis that time). Decades after the assassination of the Massachusetts Democrat, a comprehensive assessment of his medical records exposed he was in greater pain as well as taking more medications that included drugs for back pain throughout his presidency than the people knew about at the time.
Gregory Itzin
Known as Agent Virgil Minelli on The Mentalist and President Charles Logan on primetime drama 24, Gregory Itzin is one of the famous people with ulcerative colitis. In 2010, the 63-year-old actor recorded a public service broadcast for Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America to increase consciousness for this disease. He said that he has the disease under control with a combination of diligence and diet.
Casey Abrams
One Casey Abrams was the eccentric, bearded jazz artist who captured the attention of judges on American Idol season 10. Fans worried about the 20-year-old singer’s fate when he did not appear on one Thursday night elimination show. Media outlets reported that he received 2 blood transfusions to treat the disease.
Marvin Bush
One of the famous people with ulcerative colitis, Marvin Bush kept a low profile throughout his father’s presidency. He was diagnosed with the disease in 1985. He was 28 at that time. His condition got worse, resulting in surgeries to remove his colon as well as making an ostomy, a hole in the abdomen to eliminate body wastes.
Amy Brenneman
Emmy-winning actress Amy Brenneman is also one of the famous people with ulcerative colitis. She was diagnosed with the disease during her 2nd pregnancy. She tried everything to relieve her symptoms such as watching her diet, using various medications and even trying acupuncture, supplements and herbs, but nothing seemed to work. In year 2010, she went through an operation to remove her colon. Amy Brenneman says she is healthy now.
Sir Steve Redgrave
In 1992, the British rower was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and in 1997, he was diagnosed with diabetes. However, these conditions didn’t put a stop to his drive for Olympic fame. In 2000, he took the gold medal in Sydney, becoming the only rower to win 5 gold medals in 5 successive Olympic Games, from year 1984 to 2000. Even though he retired from the sport, he remains active as a philanthropist, motivational speaker and author.
Fernando Pisani
In 2005, the former Edmonton Oilers forward was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. His symptoms returned in 2007. He lost thirty pounds from his 205-pound built, but he relied on treatment and by December, he was back on the ice.
Tony Snow
Tony Snow, previous White House press secretary, died at 53 after a fight with colon cancer. Snow said in a radio interview with Joseph S. Galati, MD, a Houston gastroenterologist, that he had ulcerative colitis for twenty-seven years. He said that the condition is, at least in his case, possibly congenital. People who suffer from ulcerative colitis are more prone to colon cancer. Though Snow had habitual colonoscopies, a quick-growing kind of cancer eventually claimed his life.
