Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl

Dana Marshall-Bernstein, the straight-talking 25-year-old at the center of Robin Greenspun's documentary, has suffered from inflammatory bowel disease for most of her life, and her condition has only worsened as she has developed Crohn's disease and short gut syndrome. For this reason, Dana receives most of her nutrients intravenously. For 18 years, she saw Las Vegas pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Howard Baron, but now sees other specialists, including Dr. Feza Remzi, a colorectal surgeon. Although her parents tried to provide Dana with a normal childhood, she missed a lot of school due to hospital stays. "The hardest thing about having a chronic illness," Dana reflects, "is how socially isolating they are." She hopes that a bowel transplant will improve the quality of her life (without it, she runs the risk of liver failure). Dana, who is outgoing and articulate, does most of the talking here. She even interviews her doctors, who explain symptoms and procedures, but she's better at translating all of this into layperson's terms. Her mother, Cari, credits Dana's sense of humor for putting people at ease (if someone tried to mug Dana, she could "shoot shit at them"). As Remzi tells Dana, "You are a resilient and incredible person." It's hard to argue with his assessment, although Greenspun's profile feels a little incomplete, since she neglects to say anything about money. Dana's parents have ensured that she receives the best of care, but out-of-pocket costs combined with flights to and from Cleveland would be beyond the means of most middle-class families. Aside from that, this documentary is incredibly informative and even entertaining. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)