Hello.
I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in March of 2010. I have had stomach problems all my life. When I was in high school, I had my galbladder removed. I often had diarhea and was always sick. I always assumed my stomach issues were from that. When I was first diagnosed, I knew little about Crohn's disease like most people. I was ok until I really researched the disease. My doctors warned me that smoking ciggarettes and drinking did not help the disease as well. In February of 2011 I took a new job that was very high stress and I often had to work 16 hour days. Around that time my doctor warned me that if I didnt quit smoking soon, I would have to have surgery in the near future. For about the next year after I became sicker and sicker. I was exhausted, I was getting bronchitis and other illnesses left and right, and I was very depressed. It came to a point where literally everything I ate made me sick. I was going to the ER several times in a month. Everytime it was the same story. They would give me IV pain medication and do a CAT scan or Xray. Most of the time I had impaction showing up on these tests. I was constantly in pain and was frusterated. I was given all the pills one takes with Crohn's: Pentasa, Lialda(?), and Prednisone. The prednisone made me even sicker after I took it, so I stopped it.
I was lucky that I wasn't fired from my job because I missed a lot of work. Then, around March of 2012, my doctor prescribed Humira. He told me to give it a month and if it didn't work then I would be having surgery. I was shocked because I didn't realize that the "near future" would come so quickly. I took the Humira and it didn't do anything for me. The doctor did another colonoscopy, but he couldnt even fit the scope through my illeum because it was so inflamed. My surgery was then scheduled for June 18. I was so scared. So many things came to my mind: would I end up with a bag attached to my side? Would I die? Was this only a beggining of a lifelong series of surgeries? People at my job are very unkind people. They didn't understand why I always went home for "just a stomach ache". Someone even told me people were gossiping and saying I should have been fired for missing so much work during my probationary period (which was a whole year!).
I had my surgery, and it was scary and quite an ordeal. I was at the Cleveland Clinic for a whole week. They removed six inches of my small intestine and the lower portion of my large intestine. I didn't end up having a bag of any kind because the surgery site did not leak. I ended up having to have an NG tube shoved down my nose to my stomach because bile was building up in my stomach. I ended up going home and having 8 weeks off work. My surgeon told me "with Crohns nothing is a guarantee, but if you quit smoking and watch your diet, you may be ok for ten years!" So I quit smoking. I ended up in the ER 3 times within the four weeks after my surgery. On the last time, they did some tests and discovered that the Crohn's inflamation was back ALREADY. I was so depressed. I started smoking again after eight weeks.
Then, I had to go back to work. I was on light duty for a month. When I went back to regular duty, I was having to work at least two days a week for 16 hours manditory. I just couldn't do it. I was sick again and exhausted. They put me on Remicade, which doesn't work. I am having such a rough time with all of this. I have been trying to find other employment so I can work less demanding hours and I have gotten on medication for my depression. I am just so frusterated. I am still trying to deal with the fact that this disease is never going to go away.
Sorry my post was so long. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in March of 2010. I have had stomach problems all my life. When I was in high school, I had my galbladder removed. I often had diarhea and was always sick. I always assumed my stomach issues were from that. When I was first diagnosed, I knew little about Crohn's disease like most people. I was ok until I really researched the disease. My doctors warned me that smoking ciggarettes and drinking did not help the disease as well. In February of 2011 I took a new job that was very high stress and I often had to work 16 hour days. Around that time my doctor warned me that if I didnt quit smoking soon, I would have to have surgery in the near future. For about the next year after I became sicker and sicker. I was exhausted, I was getting bronchitis and other illnesses left and right, and I was very depressed. It came to a point where literally everything I ate made me sick. I was going to the ER several times in a month. Everytime it was the same story. They would give me IV pain medication and do a CAT scan or Xray. Most of the time I had impaction showing up on these tests. I was constantly in pain and was frusterated. I was given all the pills one takes with Crohn's: Pentasa, Lialda(?), and Prednisone. The prednisone made me even sicker after I took it, so I stopped it.
I was lucky that I wasn't fired from my job because I missed a lot of work. Then, around March of 2012, my doctor prescribed Humira. He told me to give it a month and if it didn't work then I would be having surgery. I was shocked because I didn't realize that the "near future" would come so quickly. I took the Humira and it didn't do anything for me. The doctor did another colonoscopy, but he couldnt even fit the scope through my illeum because it was so inflamed. My surgery was then scheduled for June 18. I was so scared. So many things came to my mind: would I end up with a bag attached to my side? Would I die? Was this only a beggining of a lifelong series of surgeries? People at my job are very unkind people. They didn't understand why I always went home for "just a stomach ache". Someone even told me people were gossiping and saying I should have been fired for missing so much work during my probationary period (which was a whole year!).
I had my surgery, and it was scary and quite an ordeal. I was at the Cleveland Clinic for a whole week. They removed six inches of my small intestine and the lower portion of my large intestine. I didn't end up having a bag of any kind because the surgery site did not leak. I ended up having to have an NG tube shoved down my nose to my stomach because bile was building up in my stomach. I ended up going home and having 8 weeks off work. My surgeon told me "with Crohns nothing is a guarantee, but if you quit smoking and watch your diet, you may be ok for ten years!" So I quit smoking. I ended up in the ER 3 times within the four weeks after my surgery. On the last time, they did some tests and discovered that the Crohn's inflamation was back ALREADY. I was so depressed. I started smoking again after eight weeks.
Then, I had to go back to work. I was on light duty for a month. When I went back to regular duty, I was having to work at least two days a week for 16 hours manditory. I just couldn't do it. I was sick again and exhausted. They put me on Remicade, which doesn't work. I am having such a rough time with all of this. I have been trying to find other employment so I can work less demanding hours and I have gotten on medication for my depression. I am just so frusterated. I am still trying to deal with the fact that this disease is never going to go away.
Sorry my post was so long. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.