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Man from Staten Island who suffered with undiagnosed Crohn's disease has a message for ...
Personal stories show how Crohn’s can be missed, the kinds of symptoms that lead people to seek care, and that surgery and newer biologic drugs (Skyrizi) can be part of treatment. It may encourage readers to advocate for diagnostic testing like colonoscopy.
Adults with GI symptoms, people with Crohn’s disease, patients considering surgery or biologic therapy, caregivers, and local patient advocates.
What To Know
This local feature tells the story of a man who had years of undiagnosed Crohn’s disease, emphasizing delays in diagnosis and the impact of treatment and surgery. The article reports that Craig Caruso experienced years of GI symptoms that were initially attributed to anxiety and that he was considered "too young" for a colonoscopy.
He was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s disease by colonoscopy in April 2022. Multiple medications failed to control his disease, and in November 2023 he had surgery removing about three feet of colon (described as a segmental colectomy), followed by a temporary ostomy that was reversed three months later.
The piece notes he is now taking Skyrizi (an IL-23 inhibitor) and says his quality of life has improved since starting it. The story also highlights his advocacy work with a local Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation fundraiser, encouraging others to push for evaluation if they feel unwell.
Practical tone: This is a first-person patient story and not a medical guide. It may be helpful for people who’ve faced delayed diagnosis or who are considering surgery or biologic therapy to hear a peer’s experience.
This is a local news patient profile. It describes one person’s experience and treatment (including Skyrizi and surgery) but does not provide clinical details, study data, or general treatment guidance. Individual experiences vary; treatment decisions should be made with clinicians.
