Sault man’s battle with bowel disease sparks awareness walk

The Sault’s Rob Trembinski was just beginning high school in the early 1990s when he was first diagnosed with colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“I used to start my days throwing up every morning,” he says. “I was 6-foot-2 and 135 pounds – I was very sick.”

Affecting around 300,000 Canadians, IBD is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that primarily come in two forms: ulcerative colitis (affecting the colon) and Crohn’s disease (affecting the general digestive tract).

There is currently no known cause or cure.

Now a local real estate agent, Trembinski wants to raise awareness for the disease and remind those who live with IBD that they’re not alone.

For most sufferers, the disease can make trips to the bathroom more urgent and painful – a harsh reality that Trembinski dealt with every day growing up.

“Nobody wants to be different in high school,” he says. “But if I was sitting in class and I had to go to the bathroom – I had to go. I needed special permission to leave class unannounced, and people were always like, ‘why is he leaving?’”

“Every time I had a supply teacher I would be stressed because I was worried that if I left, they would reprimand me. It was a tough time.”

While colitis and Crohn’s disease can range in severity from case to case, Trembinski’s condition was particularly severe.

Dr. Douglas Bignell from the Sault referred the then 16-year-old to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where he ended up having his entire colon removed.

“It absolutely changed my life to have that surgery, because it probably would have been the end of me otherwise,” he says. “It was a pretty invasive surgery at that time, but they’ve come a long way since then. It’s thankfully much less invasive than it used to be.”

“After the surgery, the pain was gone, and that’s what really helped changed my life. I wasn’t suffering all the time anymore and I recovered pretty well.”

During that time, Trembinski was incredibly thankful for the support he received from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, a foundation that raises awareness for the disease and helps connect patients with one another.

“The support group was really helpful for me,” he says. “Because at first, it feels like you’re totally alone. It’s one of those things a lot of people won’t talk about because it’s not a fun thing to discuss. But that’s why this organization exists.”

Other than having to use the bathroom more often than most people, Trembinski says he feels grateful for not having to worry about some of the painful inconveniences he once experienced.

But he knows that’s not the case for everyone, and he’s looking forward to helping local IBD patients by hosting this year’s nationwide Crohn’s and Colitis Gutsy Walk for the first time in the Sault.

“I want to give back to the people who maybe aren’t as lucky as me or learn something from my experience with it,” he says. “It’s been a while since we’ve had any kind of Crohn’s and colitis fundraiser in the Sault.”

Taking place at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion next month, the Sault’s five km Gutsy Walk to and from the Machine Shop will raise funds towards research efforts at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

Trembinski is hoping the Sault can raise at least $10,000.

“It seems like we’re making progress in treating the disease since I had been going through it,” he says. “There’s a whole new category of drugs that help with these kinds of diseases.”

“Crohn’s and colitis aren’t talked about enough. People will often suffer in silence, and I just want them to know they’re not alone.”

To register for the Sault’s 1st annual Gutsy Walk on June 4, visit here.

Walkers are asked to sign in at the pavilion at 10 a.m. prior to the 11 a.m. start.