New to the forum!! :)

Hello all!!
I guess this is the bit where I introduce myself? Hmm, Never done this before! I'm 19, living with my boyfriend in sunny old Devon! I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease back in 2008 after suffering since I was 11. Started with my parents separating and not understanding what was happening around me! Started getting stressed, loosing weight, not eating. Went on for years before I came down with appendicitis in 2009 and left the Doctors wondering why it had all happened! After 3 colonoscopy's, 1 barium meal, 6 ultra scans and hundreds of blood tests and poo samples they came down to a diagnoses. Cronh's, at 15. I was left in a wheelchair wondering if I was dieing. I was bullied so badly being called "cripple", "shit head" (kids are so cruel) I had to leave school, could not go to college and have only just started to think about finishing my education, at 19. I dropped to just over 5 stone in 6 months, have tried every medication under the sun and couldn't walk! I then met my amazing doctor in 2011 who has tried medications such as Humira, Infliximab, azathioprine etc. Through all this I had met my amazing, supportive boyfriend Luke, who although jokes about my condition, helps me through the bad times and is my rock! We moved in together last year and He got me a part time job and I tried my best to be normal. The end of 2011 I hit a rough patch, Lost my job, lost weight, stopped eating etc and have now been diagnosed with BDD and Depression and I am now getting the help I need, and deserve! I have just got a new job and am starting the 23rd of April!!! so thats me! My crohn's is all over the place at the moment but I am trying infliximab again so see if anything has changed!

I am on here because sometimes, your family and other halfs are great but I wanna talk to people who knows what it is to have crohn's.

Thanks for reading all, Have a great day

Elle :rosette2:

Hi Elle and welcome to the forum I'm glad you found your way here. I'm so sorry to hear of all the troubles you've had though

Out of curiosity, have you ever had your vitamin B12 levels tested? I ask because many people with Crohn's Disease can be deficient in B12 and it leads to a variety of problems, one being depression. Now, you may very well have regular depression, but more than once people here have been diagnosed with depression and the root cause was B12 deficiency. I just want to make sure you don't fall into that category

Again, welcome!

Hello Elle and welcome to the forum :bigwave: That is certainly a tough time you have had, it is good to hear that things are starting to head in the right direction for you though. I know what you mean about family and friends, you just get a bit more understanding here as we know what it means to have an IBD.

Wishing you all the best

AB
xx

Hi Elle x

I only joined this forum recently too.

Good news about the job and fab boyfriend being supportive too.

Everyone on here seems nice and they know loads too!

See you around x


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk please excuse any gibberish

Welcome Elle, I'm sure you'll find loads of support from everyone on the site. its great being able to talk to people who understand what you're going thru and also to realise you're not the only one suffering. All the best,
Anna

Thank you all for your kind messages!! Means a lot to be somewhere I'm not the odd one out!

David, I have not had a vitamin B12 test, I will contact the doctor tomorrow and see if he can test, Yes don't want to call it "depression" when it could be something more simple Thanks for your advice!

Again than you all

Elle x

Sounds good. Might as well get your vitamin D levels done too. It's also extremely common for people with Crohn's Disease to be deficient in it and it can lead to what many call "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (depression) when you're low.

Keep us updated!

You learn something new every day, I had no idea about any of this, Odd because I would of thought a doctor would mention it. I got an appointment next week so will defiantly keep you updated! Hopefully get an answer!

Thanks again
Elle x