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What to Know About Tick-Borne Illnesses

What to Know About Tick-Borne Illnesses

CTV News20-06-2025
Vancouver Watch
On CTV Morning Live, Dr. Muhammed Morshed of the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory explains what to know about tick-borne illnesses.
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North Vancouver man runs two ultramarathons with an ostomy bag
North Vancouver man runs two ultramarathons with an ostomy bag

CBC

time27 minutes ago

  • CBC

North Vancouver man runs two ultramarathons with an ostomy bag

Social Sharing Alex MacInnis is still recovering after running 130 kilometres last weekend — and he did it with an ostomy bag strapped to his body. The North Vancouver man ran not one, but two ultramarathons to complete the Squamish 50/50 — a race with 80 kilometres on the first day, 50 kilometres on the second, and over six kilometres of elevation. "I wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish the race at all. But I'm really, really proud that I could," he said. MacInnis accomplished the herculean feat in just under 27 hours, along with 103 other finishers, as part of a fundraising effort. WATCH | Alex MacInnis recount his journey: Racer finishes Squamish 50/50 ultramarathon with ostomy bag in tow 1 day ago Squamish 50/50, a two-day ultramarathon where racers run 50 miles on the first day and 50 kilometres on the second, came to an end earlier this month. One competitor finished the race with an ostomy bag. CBC's Hayley Carolan has the story. Sine 2018 when he lost his large intestine to Crohn's disease, MacInnis has used an ostomy bag to handle waste from his digestive tract. He said he wanted to show others facing the procedure that getting an ostomy can be a stepping stone towards better things. "You can go do hard things, your life is not over," he said. MacInnis was diagnosed with Crohn's at age 12 and frequently visited the hospital, dealing with significant weight fluctuations and extreme discomfort. Crohn's disease causes long-term inflammation of the digestive tract and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. It was MacInnis's large intestine and rectum that were most affected by the disease. He said that until his medication stopped working, and he had exhausted all other medical treatments, he had resisted the idea of getting an ostomy. "I thought having an ostomy meant I had failed," he said. "I was so wrong." Within months of having the surgery, he was back to snowboarding, and in 2022 he completed his first ultramarathon. He hopes his story will help others living with an ostomy feel more confident to go out and live their lives. "It's such a major surgery and you just don't know what's on the other side of it," he said. "And it's embarrassing because it's your intestines, it's your bowels." Run was part of fundraiser MacInnis ran the ultramarathon as a fundraiser for the Ostomy Canada Society. The president of the group, Bryan Ezako, says people like MacInnis are a reminder to the other 165,000 Canadians living with an ostomy that they're not alone. "First and foremost, you know, you might have an ostomy, but an ostomy is not who you are" Ezako said. MacInnis attempted the Squamish 50/50 last year but had to drop out after 77 kilometres. "I was hallucinating in the woods ... and I started crying on a set of stairs and I called a friend for a ride home," he said. "This year, I vowed not to do that." He says last weekend's race was about redemption and finishing what he started. "I was just overcome with relief, joy, all the feelings possible. Like, it was pretty incredible," he said.

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