Finding Relief — and Compassion — When It Mattered Most

About 40 years ago Gary Cherveny, now 68, of Davie, Fla., had a bout with colitis (inflammation of the colon) that lasted about six months.

The condition, which causes pain, diarrhea and sometimes blood in the stool, remained in remission until about four years ago when Gary began experiencing a flare-up of symptoms again. He tried to manage them on his own.

“I waited to go to the doctor, thinking that if I changed my diet, it would get better,” he says.

A longtime patient of Cleveland Clinic in Florida, Gary finally went to see Asad ur Rahman, MD, a gastroenterologist and inflammatory bowel disease specialist there. Dr. Rahman put Gary on oral medication, which slowly began helping.

However, his symptoms took a turn for the worse in August of 2022 when Gary’s brother died in a car accident. Stress can trigger a flare-up of symptoms.

“It really started getting bad then,” Gary says. By the time he scheduled another appointment to see Dr. Rahman, he said he was in “bad shape.”

“Everybody cares. It’s palpable; you can feel it.”

After seeing him, Dr. Rahman scheduled Gary for a colonoscopy the next day.

“I was shocked he could get me in that quickly,” Gary says. “But he understood what I was going through. It’s not just the disease but the anxiety and depression that comes along with the symptoms. Dr. Rahman knew I was suffering.”

The colonoscopy revealed Gary had ulcerative colitis, a chronic form of colitis that includes having ulcers inside the colon. Dr. Rahman started Gary on a treatment program that included one infusion and then monthly injections of ustekinumab (Stelara^®), a biologic medicine that treats the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

Within about 6 months Gary says he noticed a big improvement in his condition. He says he now is “doing great.” He will stay on medication but can finally get back to enjoying retirement and spending time with his two sons.

He is grateful to Dr. Rahman for the care he provides and says he recommends him to everyone he can.

“Without him I don’t know where I would have been,” Gary says. “He cares about me, not just the disease, but me as a person. He went above and beyond.”

He added that he found that type of care and compassion throughout Cleveland Clinic.

“It’s so reassuring,” he says. “Everybody cares. It’s palpable; you can feel it.”