Her strength back, Eastman pitching in again for Benet

Walking off the field on a cloudless Tuesday afternoon, arms full of Senior Day flowers after her 18th win, it couldn't get any better for Benet senior Meghan Eastman.

Life was good. Softball season, even better.

Not a hint of all she has endured in the last year. Eastman was raised to never make excuses or wallow over life's tough breaks.

And she's had her share of adversity. A broken hand the summer prior to sophomore year, a broken nose a year later. Then there was her ordeal last spring.

While taking the SAT in March, Eastman started feeling sick. She assumed it was nerves, but the stomach aches persisted. Fatigue then set in. By April she was so tired at times that her parents would let her go to school half-days, or take a couple days off a week. She slept through half her classes. She couldn't keep her food down.

Skipping softball season was never considered, even after Eastman lost 25 pounds in less than a month. Painful sores in the throat limited her diet to jello and smoothies. Losing velocity on her pitches was hard to swallow, too.

"I had no consistency," she said. "One day, I'd be great. The next day I'd get completely rocked."

The symptoms initially suggested the flu. Halfway through the season a visit to the doctor adjusted the thought to a bacterial infection that was initially treated with antibiotics. Once the prescription ran out, though, the issues resumed.

Finally, the first day of the summer, Eastman visited a specialist. After 15 minutes of examination, a teary-eyed doctor returned to her parents with the news that Eastman had Crohn's disease. The condition is a lifelong inflammatory bowel disease that causes parts of the digestive system to swell up with deep sores. Meghan nearly had a hole in her intestines.

"We were told that it's not the end of the world," said Meghan's dad, John Eastman, "but it's not good. It won't be debilitating, but it's something she'll have to live with for the rest of her life. She has to be disciplined with her medicine and watch what she eats. Meghan, if anything, is very disciplined."

The Eastman family has a history of gastrointestinal conditions. Meghan's aunt has been diagnosed with Crohn's; her dad and another aunt, while never formally diagnosed, are told to stay away from specific foods.

Meghan has to refrain from eating foods such as popcorn and lettuce that are high in the protein gluten. Her physical state required medication and steroids to heal her before treating the condition.

For treatment Meghan is injected every two weeks in the stomach with a shot of the medicine Humira. Her mom, Kim, administers the injections now, but Meghan will have to learn to do them when she is away at college next year.

"She has come a long way," John Eastman said. "We may forget when Meghan has to take a shot, but she never does."

Meghan took the first month off of summer softball, attending games in street clothes. Slowly she worked herself back up to speed.

The summer ended well. Meghan's pitching coach Lisa O'Rear, her closest adult friend outside her family, was with her every step of the way.

Finally, the medication brought Meghan's strength back.

The only drawback was that it suppresses the immune system, leaving her susceptible to infections. She came down with strep throat in late February.

This spring a renewed Eastman is better than ever.

With a hard-hitting lineup behind her, Eastman is 18-4 with a 0.75 ERA, 13 shutouts, four no-hitters and 182 strikeouts.

"It's exciting to be able to come back and have the success we are as a team," Eastman said, "especially after last year having such high hopes and not meeting those expectations. We've far surpassed them this year."

Those bad breaks physically may have curtailed any thoughts of playing softball in college. Schools that passed judgement on Eastman based on last year must be kicking themselves this spring.

Eastman's future is pre-med at Notre Dame. Her dream is to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, saving the lives of others.

Her own story is already an inspiration.

jwelge@dailyherald.com