Hello all,
Here is “My IBD Story” including some info on me, an ‘older’ female.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in October 2009. I was very ill for many weeks before and was unwell for a couple of weeks with Swine flu before that in July 2009. I had a very bad tum with the Swine flu so I initially thought I had the remnants of that.
I had also been suffering from eye problems and in some case couldn’t see through the left eye at all and had to wear sunglasses in the office. An eye doctor told me my age and hormones changes were to blame, which was hard to accept being as I had already had a hysterectomy with ooferectomy and now take a set amount of oestrogen a day
I reckon my hormone levels are as balanced as they can ever be!
I was relocating some 90 miles for work and moving for the 2nd time in 8 weeks so I just soldiered on. 3 weeks after I had finally moved into my new home and was looking forward to getting to know my new area and make new friends I was in such a bad way I ended up in hospital.
I didn’t have a GP at the time and was very fortunate to find that my new GP was considerate and empathetic, and still are. Being in a new town, in fact a new county, I felt rather alone and, sadly, my work colleagues displayed more and more resentment when I called to update them on my condition.
While I was waiting on the test, and then on the diagnosis, I was just on Tramadol to help with the pain. Soon after the diagnosis and getting a consultants appt, it was Christmas. I insisted on seeing work’s occupational health in early November as I was very worried about work but they told me to stay away until the New Year.
So, I ended up off work for 4 1/2 months and then had a blasted relapse I continued the phased return to work up until April 2010 and have been full time ever since. Once back at work I had an ongoing battle and it was my belief that they were doing everything they could think of at the time to try to make me leave and set up reasons to dismiss me :thumbdown:
I fought but eventually had to let a lot of things slide as the stress wasn’t going to help with the UC. Unfortunately mis-treatment has continued and now become extremely serious but that is probably for a different thread.
For that 1st episode I was put on Prednisolone and I put on 2-3 stone in weight which has caused it’s own issues. The consultant put me on Pentasa but as I experienced a flare up soon after the first remission and then more before my consultant’s appointment in August 2010 I asked to try a different daily medication. The consultant was entirely disinterested, dismissing me with “they’re all Mesalazine just different delivery methods” and didn’t even examine me :thumbdown:
Behaving as a “green light gal” and letting things go at work in order to just get on I coped but often had bad days and found myself frequently in a great deal of discomfort by the time I got home in the evening, so having any personal life has proved difficult. I had already had to curb my main interest/diving obsession, however, being keen on caves and into cave diving, I took up some local caving which I have thoroughly enjoyed :biggrin:
After being given Prednisolone tablets again for the 1st flare up after diagnosis and putting back the 1/2 stone I had worked so hard to lose I was reticent about having steroids in tablet form every time I had a flare up. My GP gave me Predfoam to try and, after the first few days of increased discomfort due to the delivery method, I seem to get along with it okay. I was pleased to be able to take a lower dose of steroids, over a shorter period and pretty much eliminate the undesirable side effects :thumleft:
My next consultant’s appointment was in December 2010 and only a few days before I knew I was experiencing another flare up. By now I had good indicators as, before the really bad symptoms, and amongst some of the other notable signs, my eyes start to become sore again and I get a kind of eczema, mostly on my hands.
So, I didn’t go to the GP as in a couple of days I had the consultant appointment. It was that same guy. I told him I knew a flare up was starting and told him how. He did not examine me and was, once again pretty dismissive revealing that he could not convert centimetres to inches, which may go some way to explaining why he minimised my condition. He gave me 2 weeks of 5mg Prednisolone suppositories and, consequently, I was unwell all over the Christmas break having to cancel many plans :yfrown:
I managed to get into work on January 4th, the first day back, secure a telephone appointment with my doctors and start the Predfoam. Work have continually denied a reasonable adjustment of providing the equipment to allow me to work from home when on a flare up so I went into work when I could to keep on top of things but I fear this, along with the continued harassment from my line management, has prevented me getting fully well and, while I did get relatively stable my employer continued with their efforts to get rid of me on maximum force and causing me to become too ill to go into the office. Since then they have continued haranguing me with inflammatory letters while I am certified not fit to work by my GP :mad2:
That brings me up to date, unfortunately at home pretty bad with the UC but, on the positive side, with the time to investigate and join this forum
I have also changed onto Asacol, although I can’t assess whether that has made any difference as I haven’t managed to remain without symptoms since before Christmas but they are a lot easier to swallow :thumright:
I apologise for this being so long but I wanted to give an overview of my situation, treatment and other symptoms in the hope that I can fully join in forum discussions and benefit from all the knowledge here.
I would be interested to know if anyone else get the eye and skin problems and I welcome any experience and advice from others and hope that perhaps, in time, I can offer some useful and constructive input
Thanks for reading my 'essay' :redface:
Here is “My IBD Story” including some info on me, an ‘older’ female.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in October 2009. I was very ill for many weeks before and was unwell for a couple of weeks with Swine flu before that in July 2009. I had a very bad tum with the Swine flu so I initially thought I had the remnants of that.
I had also been suffering from eye problems and in some case couldn’t see through the left eye at all and had to wear sunglasses in the office. An eye doctor told me my age and hormones changes were to blame, which was hard to accept being as I had already had a hysterectomy with ooferectomy and now take a set amount of oestrogen a day
I reckon my hormone levels are as balanced as they can ever be!I was relocating some 90 miles for work and moving for the 2nd time in 8 weeks so I just soldiered on. 3 weeks after I had finally moved into my new home and was looking forward to getting to know my new area and make new friends I was in such a bad way I ended up in hospital.
I didn’t have a GP at the time and was very fortunate to find that my new GP was considerate and empathetic, and still are. Being in a new town, in fact a new county, I felt rather alone and, sadly, my work colleagues displayed more and more resentment when I called to update them on my condition.
While I was waiting on the test, and then on the diagnosis, I was just on Tramadol to help with the pain. Soon after the diagnosis and getting a consultants appt, it was Christmas. I insisted on seeing work’s occupational health in early November as I was very worried about work but they told me to stay away until the New Year.
So, I ended up off work for 4 1/2 months and then had a blasted relapse
I continued the phased return to work up until April 2010 and have been full time ever since. Once back at work I had an ongoing battle and it was my belief that they were doing everything they could think of at the time to try to make me leave and set up reasons to dismiss me :thumbdown:I fought but eventually had to let a lot of things slide as the stress wasn’t going to help with the UC. Unfortunately mis-treatment has continued and now become extremely serious but that is probably for a different thread.
For that 1st episode I was put on Prednisolone and I put on 2-3 stone in weight which has caused it’s own issues. The consultant put me on Pentasa but as I experienced a flare up soon after the first remission and then more before my consultant’s appointment in August 2010 I asked to try a different daily medication. The consultant was entirely disinterested, dismissing me with “they’re all Mesalazine just different delivery methods” and didn’t even examine me :thumbdown:
Behaving as a “green light gal” and letting things go at work in order to just get on I coped but often had bad days and found myself frequently in a great deal of discomfort by the time I got home in the evening, so having any personal life has proved difficult. I had already had to curb my main interest/diving obsession, however, being keen on caves and into cave diving, I took up some local caving which I have thoroughly enjoyed :biggrin:
After being given Prednisolone tablets again for the 1st flare up after diagnosis and putting back the 1/2 stone I had worked so hard to lose I was reticent about having steroids in tablet form every time I had a flare up. My GP gave me Predfoam to try and, after the first few days of increased discomfort due to the delivery method, I seem to get along with it okay. I was pleased to be able to take a lower dose of steroids, over a shorter period and pretty much eliminate the undesirable side effects :thumleft:
My next consultant’s appointment was in December 2010 and only a few days before I knew I was experiencing another flare up. By now I had good indicators as, before the really bad symptoms, and amongst some of the other notable signs, my eyes start to become sore again and I get a kind of eczema, mostly on my hands.
So, I didn’t go to the GP as in a couple of days I had the consultant appointment. It was that same guy. I told him I knew a flare up was starting and told him how. He did not examine me and was, once again pretty dismissive revealing that he could not convert centimetres to inches, which may go some way to explaining why he minimised my condition. He gave me 2 weeks of 5mg Prednisolone suppositories and, consequently, I was unwell all over the Christmas break having to cancel many plans :yfrown:
I managed to get into work on January 4th, the first day back, secure a telephone appointment with my doctors and start the Predfoam. Work have continually denied a reasonable adjustment of providing the equipment to allow me to work from home when on a flare up so I went into work when I could to keep on top of things but I fear this, along with the continued harassment from my line management, has prevented me getting fully well and, while I did get relatively stable my employer continued with their efforts to get rid of me on maximum force and causing me to become too ill to go into the office. Since then they have continued haranguing me with inflammatory letters while I am certified not fit to work by my GP :mad2:
That brings me up to date, unfortunately at home pretty bad with the UC but, on the positive side, with the time to investigate and join this forum
I have also changed onto Asacol, although I can’t assess whether that has made any difference as I haven’t managed to remain without symptoms since before Christmas but they are a lot easier to swallow :thumright:
I apologise for this being so long but I wanted to give an overview of my situation, treatment and other symptoms in the hope that I can fully join in forum discussions and benefit from all the knowledge here.
I would be interested to know if anyone else get the eye and skin problems and I welcome any experience and advice from others and hope that perhaps, in time, I can offer some useful and constructive input
Thanks for reading my 'essay' :redface:
