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AKA · 05-24-2003, 04:58 PM

Pearl Jam Guitarist Goes Public with Crohn's

By Jonathan Cohen
Billboard

NEW YORK - Some rock stars run offstage into the arms of a beautiful woman, but Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready often finds himself running ... right to the bathroom.

McCready, 37, has suffered for more than 15 years from the debilitating stomach disorder Crohn's disease. He went public with his story May 13, when he spoke at the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's (CCFA) third annual Many Faces of Hope luncheon in Seattle.

McCready only summoned the courage to speak publicly about his disease after meeting last fall with other Crohn's sufferers.

"The stories they told me were far worse than what I've experienced," he says. "One kid was 14 and had had six surgeries and still wasn't cured. I wanted to put myself out there and say, 'I've had a career in spite of Crohn's disease.' I learned from these kids, and that gives me a lot of strength and hope."

Researchers are not sure what causes Crohn's, and there is no cure. Patients are subjected to an extensive regimen of medication and must constantly monitor their diet.

McCready takes three different drugs and has been in remission for about eight months. "It is such a strange disease," he says. "You can do everything possible that you think is right, and it can still come back."

During his speech, the artist related a particularly embarrassing incident to demonstrate how Crohn's can strike at any time. "Playing onstage, I'm always aware of where the bathrooms are," he admits. "When Crohn's hits, I have to run, or it won't be pretty. It happened when we opened up for the Rolling Stones in 1997 in Oakland .

"It was our first show with them," McCready continues. "Five minutes before we went on, I went up to (Pearl Jam frontman) Eddie (Vedder) and I said, 'Look man, can we play 'Sometimes'? -- which is a slower song that I'm not really on. I was in pain. I went running offstage looking for a bathroom, and there wasn't one. Then, all of a sudden, there was one. It was a honeybucket. I heard my band play that song from inside a portable toilet!"

McCready says he is lucky to have the support of his bandmates, all of whom were on hand for his speech. (The group resumes its summer North American tour May 28 in Missoula, Mont.) Indeed, some proceeds from Pearl Jam's Seattle shows last December were donated to the CCFA, and McCready plans to remain active with the Northwest chapter of the organization.

Two days after his address, McCready played a CCFA charity concert with his side band, the Rockfords. "Crohn's can be humiliating and restricting," McCready says. "But getting in touch with an organization like CCFA has allowed me to begin dealing with those negatives in a positive way."

~*Hannah_Lee*~ · 05-24-2003, 10:49 PM

I think thats great how he's not letting his disease slow him down. He's not feeling sorry for himself and just keeps going. That's inspiring.

ABlairican Pie · 05-25-2003, 02:49 AM

That's got to be awful. I hope he'll be able to continue to deal with his disease and maybe find a cure for it someday.

05-24-2003, 04:58 PM	#1
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	Pearl Jam Guitarist Goes Public with Crohn's Pearl Jam Guitarist Goes Public with Crohn's By Jonathan Cohen Billboard NEW YORK - Some rock stars run offstage into the arms of a beautiful woman, but Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready often finds himself running ... right to the bathroom. McCready, 37, has suffered for more than 15 years from the debilitating stomach disorder Crohn's disease. He went public with his story May 13, when he spoke at the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's (CCFA) third annual Many Faces of Hope luncheon in Seattle. McCready only summoned the courage to speak publicly about his disease after meeting last fall with other Crohn's sufferers. "The stories they told me were far worse than what I've experienced," he says. "One kid was 14 and had had six surgeries and still wasn't cured. I wanted to put myself out there and say, 'I've had a career in spite of Crohn's disease.' I learned from these kids, and that gives me a lot of strength and hope." Researchers are not sure what causes Crohn's, and there is no cure. Patients are subjected to an extensive regimen of medication and must constantly monitor their diet. McCready takes three different drugs and has been in remission for about eight months. "It is such a strange disease," he says. "You can do everything possible that you think is right, and it can still come back." During his speech, the artist related a particularly embarrassing incident to demonstrate how Crohn's can strike at any time. "Playing onstage, I'm always aware of where the bathrooms are," he admits. "When Crohn's hits, I have to run, or it won't be pretty. It happened when we opened up for the Rolling Stones in 1997 in Oakland . "It was our first show with them," McCready continues. "Five minutes before we went on, I went up to (Pearl Jam frontman) Eddie (Vedder) and I said, 'Look man, can we play 'Sometimes'? -- which is a slower song that I'm not really on. I was in pain. I went running offstage looking for a bathroom, and there wasn't one. Then, all of a sudden, there was one. It was a honeybucket. I heard my band play that song from inside a portable toilet!" McCready says he is lucky to have the support of his bandmates, all of whom were on hand for his speech. (The group resumes its summer North American tour May 28 in Missoula, Mont.) Indeed, some proceeds from Pearl Jam's Seattle shows last December were donated to the CCFA, and McCready plans to remain active with the Northwest chapter of the organization. Two days after his address, McCready played a CCFA charity concert with his side band, the Rockfords. "Crohn's can be humiliating and restricting," McCready says. "But getting in touch with an organization like CCFA has allowed me to begin dealing with those negatives in a positive way."

05-24-2003, 10:49 PM	#2
~Hannah_Lee~ Let's dance in style Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 09, 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,358	I think thats great how he's not letting his disease slow him down. He's not feeling sorry for himself and just keeps going. That's inspiring.
	__________________ Some are like water, some are like the heat Some are a melody and some are the beat. Sooner or later they all will be gone. Why don't they stay young? It's so hard to get old without a cause. I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse. Youth is like diamonds in the sun, And diamonds are forever. Forever young, I want to be forever young. Do you really want to live forever?

05-25-2003, 02:49 AM	#3
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	re: McCready That's got to be awful. I hope he'll be able to continue to deal with his disease and maybe find a cure for it someday.
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