Hey guys. Been reading this forum off and on for awhile now. Decided to join today. Here goes:
YEAR ONE: I was diagnosed in 2007 after having the flu that never went away. During they time of testing and waiting, I was getting sicker and sicker as the minutes passed on. Once a vibrant and energetic young man now reduced to living near the toilet in the fetal position at all hours of the day. I got so bad that they almost didn't want to put me under for my colonoscopy for fear of me not returning or something, I can't remember. I drank that horrible liquid they asked to me drink, only to find out that I didn't need to because the doctor told me that everything I ate or drank was out of my body within 20 minutes or less. Well, we waited another 4 weeks for the doctor to tell us he isn't sure what I have right now, it's either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. They started me on Pentasa and big doses of Prednisone and sent me on my way. I lived with that diagnoses for 4 months until I had another severe flair up. I went to the doctor's office for my check up (ironic I was having a bad flair), and he told me I have Crohn's that has affected 85% of my colon. YAY!!! At least I had something to call it now. He sent me on my way with with a refill of my meds. Everything seemed great for the first year, no big deal. Just stay away from the foods that make me sick and I'll be fine.
YEAR TWO: I took a job travelling the US working on military equipment and also started me on a new insurance plan, and it has the dreaded "pre-existing condition" clause. So that means I was buying my very expensive meds one week at a time in a town 900 miles away from home. Well, at that time, my Pentasa decided to quit working. I dealt with all the cramping (every 3 minutes), having to go every 24 seconds, blood in the stool, the vomiting, the chills, no appetite, etc for 3 weeks. I finally went to the emergency room where they saw me right away after I told them what I have and how bad I hurt. They gave me all the necessary medications and told me to sleep in the room I was in. I woke up 4 hours later and they told me I needed to be admitted. I wasn't happy about it, but I was in too much pain to protest. I was there for 5 days (filled with painful cramps and the need to go to the bathroom every 32 seconds, and yes, blood in the stool until the last 2 days of my stay) with talks of surgery that was brought of by that battery of tests I received (CT scans, stool samples, blood samples every day at 4 am, etc.). Then the local GI came in and told me if I had waited another week, that I wouldn't be here. After he scolded me, he put me on Asacol. I was doing well with the Asacol and he sent me on my way with an excuse to miss work for a week for rest. After that, I went back to work and haven't had a problem yet.
YEAR THREE: I finally transferred back home to work and I was doing great. Then the all too familiar cramps and pain and everything else associated with that came back. I went to the ER 3 times within 2 months. Never admitted me. Now, I am talking with my doctor about putting me on Humira and seeing how I do. I have a feeling the Asacol and trying to stop working. But the bad part it, I keep getting C. Diff. and I keep getting put back on antibiotics and it goes away for 2 weeks, then its back. I've had it 5 times this year alone! If it's back this time, no Humira until it never comes back. I hope I don't have it again so I can get on it.
Well, there's my story.
YEAR ONE: I was diagnosed in 2007 after having the flu that never went away. During they time of testing and waiting, I was getting sicker and sicker as the minutes passed on. Once a vibrant and energetic young man now reduced to living near the toilet in the fetal position at all hours of the day. I got so bad that they almost didn't want to put me under for my colonoscopy for fear of me not returning or something, I can't remember. I drank that horrible liquid they asked to me drink, only to find out that I didn't need to because the doctor told me that everything I ate or drank was out of my body within 20 minutes or less. Well, we waited another 4 weeks for the doctor to tell us he isn't sure what I have right now, it's either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. They started me on Pentasa and big doses of Prednisone and sent me on my way. I lived with that diagnoses for 4 months until I had another severe flair up. I went to the doctor's office for my check up (ironic I was having a bad flair), and he told me I have Crohn's that has affected 85% of my colon. YAY!!! At least I had something to call it now. He sent me on my way with with a refill of my meds. Everything seemed great for the first year, no big deal. Just stay away from the foods that make me sick and I'll be fine.
YEAR TWO: I took a job travelling the US working on military equipment and also started me on a new insurance plan, and it has the dreaded "pre-existing condition" clause. So that means I was buying my very expensive meds one week at a time in a town 900 miles away from home. Well, at that time, my Pentasa decided to quit working. I dealt with all the cramping (every 3 minutes), having to go every 24 seconds, blood in the stool, the vomiting, the chills, no appetite, etc for 3 weeks. I finally went to the emergency room where they saw me right away after I told them what I have and how bad I hurt. They gave me all the necessary medications and told me to sleep in the room I was in. I woke up 4 hours later and they told me I needed to be admitted. I wasn't happy about it, but I was in too much pain to protest. I was there for 5 days (filled with painful cramps and the need to go to the bathroom every 32 seconds, and yes, blood in the stool until the last 2 days of my stay) with talks of surgery that was brought of by that battery of tests I received (CT scans, stool samples, blood samples every day at 4 am, etc.). Then the local GI came in and told me if I had waited another week, that I wouldn't be here. After he scolded me, he put me on Asacol. I was doing well with the Asacol and he sent me on my way with an excuse to miss work for a week for rest. After that, I went back to work and haven't had a problem yet.
YEAR THREE: I finally transferred back home to work and I was doing great. Then the all too familiar cramps and pain and everything else associated with that came back. I went to the ER 3 times within 2 months. Never admitted me. Now, I am talking with my doctor about putting me on Humira and seeing how I do. I have a feeling the Asacol and trying to stop working. But the bad part it, I keep getting C. Diff. and I keep getting put back on antibiotics and it goes away for 2 weeks, then its back. I've had it 5 times this year alone! If it's back this time, no Humira until it never comes back. I hope I don't have it again so I can get on it.
Well, there's my story.