Donate Your Stool?? Healthy People Only

You can earn $13,000 a year selling your poop

By Rachel Feltman January 29 

You can donate blood, plasma, eggs, and sperm. Why not poop? Yes, your feces are perhaps your greatest untapped monetary resource. Thanks to a nonprofit organization called OpenBiome, you can cash in to the tune of $13,000 a year -- and save lives while you're at it.

Since 2013, OpenBiome has been processing and shipping loads of it all over the country. The frozen stool is administered to patients who are very sick with infections of a bacteria called C. difficile. The bacteria can cause extreme gastrointestinal distress, leaving some sufferers housebound. Antibiotics often help, but sometimes the bacteria rears back as soon as treatment stops. That leads to a miserable, continuous course of antibiotics.

By introducing healthy fecal matter into the gut of a patient (by way of endoscopy, nasal tubes, or swallowed capsules) doctors can abolish C. difficile for good. Finding a donor is tough business, and some patients grow so desperate that they treat themselves with fecal matter from friends and family. That's what happened to a friend of OpenBiome's founders, inspiring them to open up the first nationwide bank. So far they've shipped about 2,000 treatments to 185 hospitals around the country.

And yes, they pay for healthy poop: $40 a sample, with a $50 bonus if you come in five days a week. That's $250 for a week of donations, or $13,000 a year.

Save your stools, save the world. (OpenBiome)
There's a catch: You don't just have to be healthy. You have to be really healthy. OpenBiome's donation procedure may be as easy as your standard bowel movement, but the selection process makes giving blood look like a walk in the park.

"It's harder to become a donor than it is to get into MIT," joked co-founder Mark Smith (who would know, as he got his PhD in microbiology there). Of the 1,000 or so potential donors who've expressed interest on his Web site over the past two years, only about 4 percent have passed the extensive medical questioning and stool testing.

The screening process can cost up to $5,000 -- so when someone makes it through, Smith and his co-founders hold on tight.

"We get most of our donors to come in three or four times a week, which is pretty awesome," Smith said. "You're usually helping three or four patients out with each sample, and we keep track of that and let you know."

The precious poo awaits its destiny at -80 celsius. (OpenBiome)
Fellow co-founder Carolyn Edelstein agrees that the donors are usually in it for more than the money.

"Everyone thinks it's great that they're making money doing such an easy thing," Edelstein said, "But they also love to hear us say, 'Look, your poop just helped this lady who's been sick for nine years go to her daughter's graduation.'"

Who are these valiant donors, these chosen few? Since they have to come into the Medford, Mass. office, lots of them are Tufts University students. And plenty are recruited from the gym next door.

"It's great to have a healthy contingent of regular gym goers right there," Smith said.

OpenBiome has sent out more than 2,000 transplant specimens. (OpenBiome)
For now fecal matter transplants really only have one use: treating recurring C. difficile. But OpenBiome is providing its samples to a number of trials exploring other uses.

Scientists know that the gut microbiomes of people with obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and even autism are different from those without. But just because there are gut flora associated with these conditions doesn't mean that getting rid of them can get rid of their symptoms, and it certainly isn't a given that fecal transplants will be the miracle solution they are for  C. difficile.

"There's a lot of promise in other conditions," Smith said, "But also a lot of hype. Treating C. difficile is a bit less sexy, but that's the one area where we know this works." However, he's excited to see where the "crazy frontier" of microbiome engineering will take us.

And in the meantime, Smith is always happy to find more potential donors.

"I never thought that after getting my PhD I'd start mailing poop around," he said, "But here I am."

 

Fecal Transplant Study As A Possible Cure

Inflammatory Bowel Disease 'Cured' With Fecal Transplant

January 22, 2015 5:06 PM
By Jessica Berman

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are extremely painful and can lead to colorectal cancer. Now, researchers have effectively cured the conditions in mice, offering hope for human sufferers of so-called IBDs.

Waste material from healthy people is rich in helpful bacteria. When transferred to the digestive tracts of sick individuals, in whom there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria, the fecal matter helps restore the balance of healthy flora.

Some cutting-edge doctors have used so-called fecal transplants to treat severe bacterial infections, including Clostridium difficile or C. diff, which releases toxins as it grows, attacking the lining of the intestines.

Scientists also have found the transplants appear to reverse autoimmune diseases of the bowel.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, are life-long disorders that cause severe diarrhea, painful cramps and bleeding.

According to June Round, a professor of medicine at the University of Utah, such diseases are becoming increasingly common around the world, as more and more people eat a low-fiber, high-fat Western diet.

Round also blames the widespread use of antibiotics.

“So, I think a lot about the microbes that naturally reside in our bodies. And antibiotics can not distinguish between what is good and what is bad," she said. "They kind of wipe-out everything. So, there is a very clear-cut correlation between when Western civilization started using the antibiotics and the increased incidence of a lot of these autoimmune diseases.”

Currently, treatments for these conditions are supportive, designed only to ease the symptoms. So, the idea of a potential cure for IBD is very appealing.

In experiments with mice with inflammatory bowel disease, Round and her team found that fecal transplant restored the healthy balance of intestinal flora, returning the intestine to near normal.

But the notion of transferring fecal material from one person to another -- and in the case of mice, through a tube into the stomach -- makes many people say "yuck." So Round said researchers are now trying to identify the helpful bacteria in human waste so they can be put into pill form.

“You know, right now we have to do fecal transplantation because the [bacterial] communities are so complex, and we just do not know what organisms are doing the good thing," she said. "So, we just kind of put it all in there and hope for the best. So, there is no way of getting around it right now, but hopefully in the future there will be.”

The work is published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe.

Just A Thought

I was just on a Crohn's Facebook page and I was looking at the different issues we, as crohnies, face and how the world sees us. I've discovered that we can be quite the performers.  Everyday we deal with pain, urgency,  accidents, anxiety, illness, and so many other things and yet we hear all the time how great we look. Well, for one, the disease is in our gut, not our face. Secondly, we are incredible actors. Somehow we manage to get up and get out and live the same life as everyone else...in a outer appearance kind of way. Our bodies may get weak, but our spirits are strong. We handle the cards we've been dealt, smile, and live the best we know how.

Crohn's Disease Complications: Strictures and Fistulas

Complications of Crohn's disease 

People with Crohn's disease are at risk of developing a number of complications.  

The two most common problems associated with Crohn's disease are discussed in more detail below.

Intestinal stricture

The inflammation of the bowel (intestines) in Crohn's disease can cause scar tissue to form, leading to the affected areas becoming narrowed. This is known as stricture.

If this happens, there is a risk of digestive waste causing an obstruction. This means you will not be able to pass any stools or you will only be able to pass watery stools.

Other symptoms of bowel obstruction include:

abdominal pain and crampingbeing sick (vomiting)bloatingan uncomfortable feeling of fullness in your abdomen

Left untreated, there is a risk that the bowel could split (rupture). This creates a hole that the contents of the bowel can leak from. You should contact your GP as soon as possible if you suspect that your bowel is obstructed.

Intestinal stricture is usually treated with surgery to widen the affected section of intestine. In some cases this may be achieved using a procedure called balloon dilation, which is performed during colonoscopy.

During balloon dilation, a colonoscope is passed up your back passage (rectum) and a balloon is inserted through the colonoscope. This is then inflated to open up the affected area.

If this doesn't work or is unsuitable, a surgical procedure known as a stricturoplasty may be needed to widen the affected area. During this operation, the surgeon widens the narrowed part of the intestine by opening it, reshaping it and sewing it back together.

Fistulas

If your digestive system becomes scarred as a result of excessive inflammation, ulcers can develop.

Over time the ulcers develop into tunnels that run from one part of your digestive system to another or, in some cases, to the bladder, vagina, anus or skin. These passageways are known as fistulas.

Small fistulas do not usually cause symptoms. However, larger fistulas can become infected and cause symptoms such as:

a constant, throbbing paina high temperature (fever) of 38°C (100°F) or aboveblood or pus in your faeces (stools)leakage of stools or mucus into your underwear

If a fistula develops on your skin (usually on or near the anus) it may release a foul-smelling discharge.

Biological medication is usually used to treat fistulas. Surgery is usually required if these are not successful.

Other complications

People with Crohn's disease are also at an increased risk of other complications, such as:

osteoporosis – weakening of the bones caused by the intestines not absorbing nutrients and the use of steroid medication to treat Crohn's diseaseiron deficiency anaemia – a condition that can occur in people with Crohn's disease because of bleeding in the digestive tract; common symptoms include tiredness, shortness of breath and a pale complexionvitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia – a condition caused by a lack of vitamin B12 or folate being absorbed by the body; common symptoms include tiredness and lack of energypyoderma gangrenosum – a rare skin reaction that causes painful skin ulcers

Children with Crohn's disease may also experience problems with their growth and development because their bodies are not absorbing enough nutrients.

Colorectal cancer

Some people who have Crohn's disease have a slightly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer in later life.

You should be offered regular check-ups to look for colon cancer if your healthcare team feels you may be at an increased risk.

This will usually involve a colonoscopy and a biopsy.

Resource : www.nhs uk

Stricture

I came in to the ER tonight. I've been vomiting and in pain for 4 days and I finally caved. I guess it's good I came here and not my family doctor.  They did a ct scan to check my appendix but it was fine. Instead they found a stricture in my small intestine and im backed up, similar to an obstruction but its not an obstruction fortunately!  However, thats what's causing the pain and vomiting! I'm being admitted for observation and steroids so ill keep you posted! I'll also be adding some information about strictures when I can get a better signal! Hospital signal sucks!

Easily Digestible Foods For Crohn's Part 1

List of Most Easily Digestible Foods With Crohn's

By Amy Deemer Feb 08, 2014

Crohn's disease is a chronic digestive disorder that causes inflammation of the intestinal tract. Symptoms of Crohn's are stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, bloody or watery diarrhea, fever, anemia, fatigue and weight loss. Because Crohn's affects the digestive system, certain foods may trigger or worsen the symptoms of the disease. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America suggests following a low-fiber, low-residue diet that includes easily digestible foods that can ease the pain and discomfort of Crohn's disease.

Grains and Cereals

Grains provide your body with fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium and selenium. People suffering from Crohn's should eat refined grain products when experiencing a Crohn's flare. Choose easy-to-digest white rice, white pastas, refined white bread and hot and cold cereals that are made from refined rice, corn or wheat. Avoid brown rice, whole-grain and whole-wheat products and any bread and cereals that contain nuts or seeds.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and veggies provide you with vitamins A, C, D and other important nutrients that are necessary for proper body function. When experiencing a Crohn's flare, soft, well-cooked or very ripe raw fruits are better tolerated by the digestive system. Ripe bananas, ripe melons, applesauce and other cooked fruits that have had the skins and seeds removed are good choices for Crohn's sufferers. Avoid most raw fruits and dried fruits. Canned and well-cooked, soft veggies without skins and seeds are easily digested and are ideal for Crohn's patients. Don't eat raw vegetables, cooked peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions and vegetable sauces during Crohn's flareups.

Meat, Fish and Poultry

Your body gets essential amino acids and protein from meat, fish and poultry. All meat, fish and poultry are good choices for those suffering from Crohn's disease. Select low-fat, lean cuts of meat, and make sure that the meat is tender and well-cooked to allow for easier digestion. Bake or roast lean cuts of beef, chicken, fish or pork so as to not use oils and fats in the cooking process. Avoid eating tough, fibrous meats, sausage, seasoned meat, fried meats, processed luncheon meats and smoked or highly seasoned meats.

Dairy Products

Dairy products provide your body with calcium that is essential for healthy teeth and bones. Crohn's patients should limit milk products to 2 cups per day. Plain cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, milk, almond, soy and rice milk and lactose-free milk are easily digestible choices. Plain or fruit-free yogurt and ice cream can also be consumed to gain am extra boost of calcium. Avoid milk products that contain seeds, nuts or fruits.

Resource : www.livestrong.com

January 2015

Ive had a few days where ive been incredibly nauseous but all in all ive been feeling well. I'm getting out there and enjoying my time with friends and family and I'm happy, that helps my health a lot.

I guess it's a good thing that I dont have much to share!! :)