Lorraine Vollmer - Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

The Challenge: A Stroke and IBD

Unfortunately, Lorraine Vollmer was not a stranger to hospitals and check-ups. She was seeing doctors for her stomach pains constantly.

Then, one day, while researching different treatment centers for her digestive problems, Lorraine suffered a stroke. A vein had ruptured in her brain.

The Path to UPMC

Upon consultation, Lorraine’s husband was told that she could receive care for both her stroke and her IBD at UPMC Presbyterian.

Following her stay, she was transferred to UPMC Montefiore for rehabilitation.

If the stroke was not bad enough, her IBD began to flare and became quite severe. She was losing weight, in pain, and having diarrhea.

The Solution: Rehab and Treatment

Because her stroke was out of the ordinary, Lorraine’s family prepared for the worst.

Courageous, and with a loving husband, family, and friends as a support system, Lorraine battled through her stroke treatments. At the same time, she began to consult with the UPMC Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center doctors to come up with a treatment plan for her IBD.

“They told my husband that I would talk in three months and walk in six months. I was completely paralyzed on my right side and I couldn’t speak during this whole time.”

Although she was not able to talk yet, Lorraine was able to sing a couple of the classics like “Happy Birthday” and “Yankee Doodle.”

The Results: Finding Harmony

Lorraine progressed rapidly under the care of the doctors at UPMC. Only 33 days after transferring to UPMC Montefiore for rehabilitation, she walked out of the hospital on her own and her IBD was in complete remission.

She still goes to Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC for medicine infusions with the UPMC IBD Center.

Since coming to the Digestive Disorders Center, Lorraine has found a harmony, despite life’s ups and downs.

“The last time my physician did a colonoscopy for me, he came out smiling ear-to-ear and he said ‘Lorraine your insides look like a teenager.’”

Lorraine credits the attitude and patience of her doctors in helping her recovery.

“My IBD specialist is absolutely fantastic, and I love him to pieces. And I could not do without him, I know that.“

Lorraine's treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.