Missing some intestine..anyone find some?

Well i just found this site today and after reading a few of the stories i've come to the conclusion that im perfectly healthy....oh but i have that crohns thing bonus!!!

It was around October 2006 (my 27th birthday) when i developed a nagging pain in my right side. I made an appointment and went to see my amazing military doctor...LOL Hope yall picked up on the sarcasm there! They told me i was just constipated which i rejected but went along with the treatment as perscribed assuming as we all do that the doctor has a clue and im just ignorant. Laxatives...the joy of that ride. No improvement..No surprise. This treatment was repeated for my next two visits then they moved on to ciproflaxin which gained the same result--nothing. They stayed strong though and kept guessing rather then send me to a specialist.

Then on the 25 of Dec as i sat with my family and friends to eat Christmas dinner i was hit with this massive throbbing pain in my side. My one friend took me to his buddies house who happened to be the flight doc on base. (interrupting his families dinner...this was because my base didnt have an emergency room even though we were miles from one..genius!!) He examined me and said that he thought my appendix had ruptured and that we needed to head to the army medical center 30-40 minutes away. (Eielson AFB to Fort Wainwright ...Alaska...December..you get the idea) The doc called ahead to the emergency room and we took off laughing about how awesome my Christmas present was LOL.

Ill skip the torture and attempted murder/malpractice and go straight to the post op. I went in 25 Dec being 6' 1" and 150 pounds...came out about 25 Feb 123 pounds...12" stapled line down the center of my stomach and 12" of intestine shorter.

Well its been about 4 years now and the military finally kicked me out LOL.

(Insert Rant)

I have led the fitness program for every squadron i have been a part of before and after my surgery. I was able to hide the fact that i even had this disease from every person i worked for or with. I could work circles around most all my co-workers and achieve a fitness score ranked in the top 10% of the Air Force. I made E-6 in 9 years and in my career field that is 4 years ahead of the average. Despite all this the medical board/trial found me unfit for duty...screw those fat lazy doctors..LOL The reward i got for my hard work was a 10% disability which equates to about 120 bucks a month and no medical/benifits for my family after 10.5 years of perfect flawless service.....thanks...no really THANK YOU...glad i served..pfft

(story continued)

This Christmas i spent a week in the hospital for a stricture and learned that im just around the corner from having a second surgery woot woot im so lucky..LOL Unlike most everyone on this forum i show little signs that i have crohns. To the point that i almost started to believe i didnt have it. Even after having my ileocecal valve removed and such i still only have a dull pain in my side on random days...maybe a little diarrhea or mild constipation here and there..nothing even really worth mentioning. So reading all these posts here amazes me because i see so many folks that are tore up with issues but have never had surgery. How is it i have negligible issues but soon to be multiple surgeries? LOL...im not sure who has it better...i guess as long as i don't run out of intestine i may have the better deal LOL.

So im a civilian now and its something im really not use to. I was raised in a military family and its really all i know and up till now all i loved. Im currently working to be a RN and feed my family which is great fun with a trashed economy...im sure some of you can relate..LOL

So with a few years of crohns under my belt and a small amount of medical courses completed i have come to a few conclusions that have helped me deal with my crohns...and maybe what has suppressed my symptoms.

1. Crohns (for me) is largely stress related...argue what you will but THC (small amounts here and there) did help me curb the pains i had and the flares if you will...because it is a true relaxing drug with no bs side effects..I say "did help me" because im now unable to partake due to my progression in school..sadly..back to pain and suffering but at least im not funding terrorists right..stupid...i can be hopped up on all sorts of chemicals made by pharmaceutical companies but cant touch the stuff God made LOL whatever

2. Cold weather.....Not good....every winter i become a wreck of a man..not sure why. Im staying in the south from now on..LOL

3. Sun !!!!! This one is my discovery maybe LOL and one that im very proud of especially if it helps someone besides me. Crohns affects your ability to absorb vitamins..check...Sunlight is used to produce Vitamin D...Vitamin D helps you absorb other minerals and such from your food and is great for your liver and kidney. It sounds corny but the science as far as i can tell works and my professor (doubting at first) came around to agree with me that it very possibly could help me and other crohns sufferers...I personally know it does because i can go lay in the sun when the pain gets annoying or whatever and i usually can feel 100% better.... I expect a few "your dumb" emails..but try it first...if nothing else you get a tan right so whats to lose. Plus its free...BONUS!!

Well thats about it...hope my rambling is somewhat legible as its late here and im beat. Thanks in advance to this forum and my new found friends!!

Hello RN4ME! This is a welcome from Alaska. What an awful thing to have happen over the Christmas holiday. I lived in Fairbanks for about seven years total. My father has worked for the government for over 40 years. We traveled around some with his job. I was actually born in the Army hospital on Ft. Wainwright. My mom said they gave mediocre maternal/child care at best.

Feel free to ramble, as you are among friends.

I live in Ga now but i spent 4 years in Alaska. My youngest was born at Fort Wainwright and that went ok...wife was treated more like one of the herd there with their cattle style 6 to a room recovery bays..LOL we had much better maternity care in NM. Anyway thanks for the comment.

Hi, RN4ME!
I don't think the sun bit is wrong at all. I feel the same way. I love the sun, it helps me relax, so therefore I feel better. I lather on the sunscreen first though. I HATE the cold! It gets to about 50* and I get snarky!
Look, I think with this disease it is what ever works for you. It is so insidious and just so darned random sometimes that I think we have to be that way. Just my rambling thoughts!
Welcome,
Michele

Hi RN4ME,

Welcome to the forum. I can relate a lot of your story from the waking up with the long scar right down my stomach, feeling great with no crohn's symtoms and especially with being discharged from the army for being medically unfit. hmm still not happy with that!

Unlike you I didnt qualify for any disability as I'm too fit and well!!! I have moved on now and an learning a trade so all is good.

By the way my GI said that warmer climates are better for crohn's that colder ones although not proven it could be due to the increased sun light. Just as well I live is Aust isnt it.

Lulu

Welcome RN4ME!!! I love the sense of humor.

Welcome RN4ME....as you can probably see - nothing is off limits here when it is related to crohns'.....or IBD......

Hope you stick around a while, and good luck with your schooling!

I know you've have been through a lot, but boy, you have obviously kept your spirits up with such a great sense of humor! And I think you are right on about the weather affecting our disease! I really would like to move to a warmer climate as I think it will be beneficial for my health. But the sun just makes you feel good, doesn't it! It can't be spring soon enough for me! So happy you found us and keep the jokes coming!

Welcome to the forum - i am new here also. Enjoyed your story!!!
Live in Cleveland and we are getting blasted today with SNOW!!!

Welcome RN4ME! I guess I’m not the only Crohnie who hates the cold after all! It might also have something to do with our low iron levels, tendency to be anemic, and also low weights during flairs. I’m a nice curvy Crohnie now, but I have been sickly skinny from time to time, and the cold makes your bones ach when there is no fat to protect them.
No two people with Crohn’s experience their symptoms in the exact same way. If we did, it would be a lot easier to diagnose and treat! I’m sorry that you have had to have surgeries and that they cost you your job. You will find that lots of Crohnies deal with issues like that too, unfortunately. Very unfair, but at least here you will find that you are not alone!

Welcome welcome welcome! You will find many friends and great advice here.

PS- I think having a good attitude and keeping fit have a lot to do with recovery. I’m not saying that it is always possible for everyone to do either, but I think if you can, you should. That might be one reason that your day to day symptoms seem less than what you think they should be considering your surgeries.

Hi RN4ME

:welcome:

I lurrvve the :sun: always makes me feel better!

lotsa luv
Joan xxx

Hi RN4ME from Maine. I was diag with crohns in 98 but long before that, I started to have strange circulation problems in my hands. A section of my hand or maybe one finger would turn blue and go cold. That happened to me in Viet Nam in 1968. It was at least in the 80's but the rain was colder. Found out by accident in the OR waiting for one of many colonoscopys that I have rainards syndrome. The prep nurse had to move the 02 sensor to my other hand to get a proper sat reading because that one hand had turned blue. I inderstand that rainards is a auto immune syndrome. I hope that this is not a precursor for Crohns. I have a daughter thats 38 and training to be a PA. She has the same problem but a much milder symptoms. Anyone else have the syndrome?

RN4ME, I can relate to your story...Really sucks they kick you out the military though.grrr...And yes, I agree with the sunlight cause I am from S.C where its warm most the year compared to the North. I don't get out in it much while i'm on this prednisone but you can bet your bottom dollar in 3 days i will off the pred. I will give it 2 days to get out my system and them I am getting my tan on..Looks like snow white has kicked my *** and won...lol I am really glad I come across your story...Keep up the good spirits...and Good Luck with your crohns.


Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Teresa and I have had Crohn's Disease since 1994. Not the best thing in the world to have but at least I know I am not alone! There are some people out there that look at you like " oh my she looks sick, wonder what's wrong with her".( I use to want to punch them in the face...lol) I don't pay those people any attention anymore but it use to bother me. I am currently taking prednisone ( weening off of it thank the GOOD LORD), and recently started Humira. I had my introduction dose on the 17th of this month(may) and my 2nd dose is on the 1st of june then every other week after that. Hopefully this medicine will work for me cause other treatments just don't seem to cut it. I currently have what they call a "intestinal pocket)?? and a partial blockage. But instead of going in and removing the partial blockage they are going to try the Humira first. My GI doc says there is a 60% chance so we will see.. I have had a few surgeries: Appendectomy in 1994 where they diagnosed me with CD. In 2000 I had re-constructive bowel surgery.In 2004 I had a bowel obstruction. Now 7 years later there are Adhesions plus what I listed earlier. The medicines I have taken in the past are: Imuran, prednisone, remicaide,Sulfasalazine,lomotil,Solu-Medrol(which in my opinion I would not reccomend, only cause I was given then wrong dose and gained 20 lbs lol.I have read stories where people are always feeling tired. Well you can sign me up on that membership list. I dont have a cure for it but what I do is but the dan-active immune system drinks and they somewhat seem to help with the energy. Either that or it's just in my head...lol And I also eat the activia yougurt once to twice a day. Well this is my story I hope it helps some of you guys. Feel free to Im, email me anytime. I will do my best to answer any questions that you have..God Bless!!!