Joining this online group

Hello, hope you don't mind if I pull up a seat to this table!
I'm 32 years old and was diagnosed with Crohn's early this year after I was experiencing the main symptoms stemming from a bacterial infection (C-Dif). I never knew before this year that I had Crohn's, but my GI thinks I possibly had it for years but didn't have a severe flare-up until that bacteria did it's damage.

I was able to fight off the bacteria with 2 rounds of antibiotics, but even since April when we received confirmation the bacteria was wiped out I have still shown inflammation in my bloodwork. I truly don't even feel "sick" anymore, the bathroom issues have resolved themselves, and I gained back all the weight I had previously lost (was disappointed in that part, though :wink: ). However we did another colonoscopy and it showed that I do have fistula growing in several places in the intestines and they want me to start on Remicade treatment. I still have a CT Enterography first so they can see if the fistula are extending on the outside and then have the first infusion the week after that.

Anyhow, I guess I made this long enough, but if anyone has any tips, advice, questions, or concerns, please respond! I have already been learning quite a bit from reading various threads on here and hope that maybe I can contribute more about my experience as it unfolds. Thanks for reading, and if you made it all the way to the end, here's a hug. :ghug:

So sorry to hear all that your going through
First I had to respond because I like your screen name, then I had to respond because I like your avatar.:biggrin: Then I responded because it's so clear to see your a country girl:wink: (I think). :shifty:
I and my little girl like that.:soledance:
My girl had c diff also and sure enough we also noticed a change. She is only three so getting her help has been a LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNGGGGG process but finally she's getting some scope done. YA!

I hope you find this place welcoming and please feel free to contribute any thread.:heart:

Please do pull up a seat!

I'm glad to hear you're still feeling well in spite of your fistula! We have a Remicade section of the forum, if you want to look more into that before you get started, and a Fistulas, Fissures and Abscesses section as well. I've linked to them for you.

I hope everything goes well for you!

Thank you so much, Farmwife! As you might tell, I'm a college football junkie, and I'm half country/ half city. I do have family with horses.

Thanks, Sarah, I actually found these forums by doing a Remicade search. Then kept clicking around and figured I should introduce somewhere. I like the separate groups, it seems so helpful and organized. Appreciate the links!

Oh, and Farmwife, so sorry to hear about your baby girl but hopefully she can get fixed up and overcome all of this! Terrible to think of a child dealing with this, it's hard enough to understand as an adult! Best wishes to your family and good luck with the next steps.

Hi LonghornGirl and welcome to the community I'm glad you happened across us!

Out of curiosity, how did they eventually diagnose you with Crohn's disease? Did they perform a colonoscopy and the biopsy results confirmed Crohn's? Or some other means?

David, yes I had the colonoscopy done and based on the biopsy results that's what she said was the official diagnosis. I didn't really want to believe that I actually have an IBD, especially since I had never had issues before the infection started up, but she was saying the disease can lay dormant for a long time.

I asked the doctor several times if she was positive I wasn't just having Crohn's'-like reactions only as a result of having C-Dif, but I guess because it's been this long since the bacteria was flushed out and I'm still having chronic inflammation that I fall into the Crohn's category. It's strange to me, since she also doesn't think diet is a part of it, and I never had food reactions previous to this year... I always had thought Crohn's was mostly centered around food issues. I still have so much to learn, as I was so scared to dive into the Crohn's research before knowing if that is truly what was bothering me.

I'm seriously not having near the reactions and issues that a lot of people seem to have, so I guess I should be thankful I have a mild case.