Hello From Holland

Hey there, well i am a newbie here, but not new to the crohn disease.

Anyways, my name is Paul 26 years old/young from the netherlands. I have crohn for about 10 years now with all ups and downs that goes along with it.

I was wondering what its like to have crohn's disease in other countries, like how are the health facilities there and how you people handle your disease in daily life?

So thanks to a dutch crohn forum i found this site.

Anyways if you have any questions feel free to ask..

greets
paul

Welcome, good to meet you.

Well here in the Midwest of the US, I can say I'm sick and tired of the delegation of duties in our health system. You get a bill from each and every component and element that is utilized in your treatment....one from the blood test lab, one from this dr who saw you for 7 minutes, one from this one who talked to that dr for 3 minutes on the phone, one from the janitor, one from the dietician, one from company that made the sheets in the hospital....

of course I'm being a slight bit sarcastic, but only to a point, you do get about 8 different bills from being in the hospital for a few days. It's disgusting. The next time I'm in there before anybody even says a word to me or gives me any services, I'm going to ask them how much is it going to cost and have them sign something to that effect, this is rediculous.

Hi!

I visited Holland once, but was having a flare-up at the time, so couldn't do much but stay in my hotel room.
Shame really. It was great weather and the Amsterdam looked fantastic.

Health services here are pretty good (UK), even though moaning about the NHS is a national pass-time.

Welcome Paul!
I am interested in how people in other countires deal with their disease too. Our medical clinics vary greatly. Many people agree that as long as you are your own advocate that you will end up getting the care that you need. Unfortunatley, some people have encountered doctors who don't know how to handle these complicted diseases. Luckily many of us have insurance that allows us to visit other doctors and seek opinions from other doctors.
Our hospitals are ok but I will say that I ended up with C. Diff 2 out of 3 times I've been in the hospital. Gross!!!
Please share how your system works and what, if any, restricitons you encounter.

Amy

Hey there, thanks for your warm welcome!

My story goes as this:

When i was 17 and still a bit in puberty, i was constantly sick, but i was only sick for a couple of days each week, the other week, i was feeling better again and so it went up and down and up again. It was all fun and games, until my weight was dangerously low 39 kilos and for a boy in his teens that isnt healthy at all.

So for about the first time ever in my life, my parents and i decided to visit a doctor. According to him, it was better for me to go to the hospital for about 3 days, where some really scary testing went going on.

The results from those tests where, that i was diagnosted with crohn, so i got a bunchload of pills to bring down this heavy inflammation. Pills like prednison and pentasa. Those pills were awesome i didnt feel any pain anymore, however, the prednison had some nasty side effects. Well you know the drill..

After a few painfree years a big flame up appeared. so i needed an operation where they took out a part of my (guts?bowels?insides?) not sure what the right transelation is... sorry.. anyways the took out about 30cm of the part that was in flamed. Unfortenatly after that long revovery the inflamation got back in exactly the same place. But with the meds it was getting in control.

In the mean time i couldnt finish school and my social life was upside down. a few years later i started to do some volunteer work for a school, and also picked up a study so that i at least get some diplomas and stuff. Luckily for me, i went to a school for people who have, health problems or are otherwise handicap. I could do my schoolwork whenever i was feeling good.

But still to this day i dont have a job, i live of welfare, because here in holland we have a good social system for people with handicaps and diseases. Each month i get a bit of money from the state so i can pay my bills and insurance, my health insurance covers mostly all hospital bills and meds. only thing i have to pay now is the first 150 euros that i spend on the meds. dont ask why.. thank god i can get a refund on that 150 euro trough my taxes.

Well back to my illness, since that operation in 1999 everything went better, however. Indirectly thanks to that operation i have lots of scar tissue in my bowels, with means the foodproscessing doesnt go that well, and my bowels gets locked up sometimes, so no food can get in or out, well in the end it always comes out one way or the other lol.. anyways each time my bowels are closed i have to go to the hospital with the ambulance, because it can get a bit dangerous.

There isnt really much that they can do in the hospital, they just have to wait that it goes open again and the food can pass tru.

its really hard for me to explain this in english with all the translation of the medical terms and stuff so i hope i was clear.

greets
paul

hi paul, and welcome - & your english is just great

i would echo creepy lurkers post about the national health service here in the uk, yes we do moan about it, and yes we often have good reason to (unacceptable waiting times is one reason), but just as often we have reason to be thankful to the NHS - they have saved my life twice now, and usually in an emergency situation, they come good for us. unfortunately, the NHS is understaffed, underfinanced, and a lot of the hospital doctors are overworked... all of which has a knock-on effect on the patients. but i wouldnt be without it.

Hi Paul. Let me add my welcome. Your translation is fantastic... don't worry about it. Even in my native English, I have a tough time with some of those medical terms... and many that aren't. Canadian system is a bit different. Doctors visits, hospital treatment, all are free... but medications aren't covered, so one has to pay for those. A person can be covered under additional private insurance, either as a benefit of where they work; or buying it outright for their own use. However, the private insurance will not cover conditions that existed prior to buying the insurance... so many of us here are hard pressed to afford our medications. And, if one applies for welfare or assistance, it will pay basic food and housing costs; but not medications. It really is a major loophope or failing in the Canadian system.