Friendly, polite and professional!
Cheryl Rogers thought growing older was the reason for her fecal incontinence. However, weeks after she started having symptoms, she experienced a sharp pain around her right hip. “I was bent over cleaning and when I stood up, it felt like somebody put a butcher knife in my side.” After being advised to go to the Emergency Department, Cheryl called a friend to help her get to Bronson Battle Creek; the pain was so bad she could barely walk. Little did she know, she was suffering from sciatica.
After a visit to her primary doctor and an MRI, Cheryl was referred to Bronson Center for Colon & Rectal Diseases – Battle Creek, where she met Dr. Mahesh Karamchandani. “I had a lot of faith in Dr. Karamchandani; I believed he could do what he said he could do. We are very fortunate to have him in our area.” Cheryl added that she always had good experiences at Bronson Battle Creek for the 30 years she has lived there.
Dr. Karamchandani told Cheryl she was a candidate for an InterStim sacral neuromodulation procedure. Bronson Battle Creek is one of the first medical centers to offer the new therapy in this area. The procedure involves implanting a small device like a pacemaker to help regulate bowel movements. Cheryl says, “I was just elated. I can’t believe how modern medicine has expanded.” Cheryl first had to wear a monitor for evaluation to make sure her body responded to the treatment. This trial acts as the real device would, but offers a sort of test period before the surgery. With no side effects from the monitor, she was able to have the surgery two weeks later.
“Bowel control problems can significantly impair a patient’s quality of life, and many patients are too embarrassed or uncomfortable to talk about the problem with their physician,” said Dr. Karamchandani. “Until now, there have been limited treatment options for people with fecal incontinence who don’t respond to conservative therapies. InterStim Therapy for Bowel Control gives these individuals hope for living a more normal life.”
Now, Cheryl can do her normal activities again with no pain or leakage. She advises others with similar problems: “Go to the doctor right away. You don’t have to suffer through fecal leakage. Get it fixed before it’s too serious to repair.”