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Hi, i am new to this site and new to the disease if i do have it. I never thought i would need a forum or support but now im in a situation i cant get out of. On friday i started having pain in my lower right abdomen and i just thought it was from working. I had a bowel movement that had red in it and i was confused but still thought it was a tomato that i had eaten although i know that not possible i eat tomatoes all the time and never have this issue. Well we went on a mini vacation and i had pain saturday night and sunday night was the worse. It had me doubled over. On monday when i was still in pain i went to the doctors and they said possible stones so they sent me to have a CT scan and when i got the results back it that there was minimal dilatation of the terminal ileum with thickening of the wall and few prominent lymph nodes along the ileocecal area and early stage of crohns disease cannot be excluded and should be considered.

this was a shock to me i was expecting stones or my gallbladder but this is shocking. so now i have to get a colonoscopy. I think this sounds right for me. Twice this year and once at the end of last year i had what i thought was food poisoning, sever abdominal cramps with diarrhea and if i am diagnosed with crohns disease then i wasnt having food poisoning i was having flare ups. Im scared and kind of alone as my hubby is supportive but he doesnt know how this feels. This week i have been gassy alot and i am having bowel movements that are slightly loose at least three to five times a day and my sides hurt. i constantly feel like i have to poop and the gas is horrible.

Did anyone have these issues when they were first diagnosed or does this sound like crohns to you. i know i will have to have the final diagnosis from my doctor but i could use some piece of mind.

no one has advice

It's so hard to say, because everyone's symptoms for Crohn's are completely different, as are the methods of treatment.
I know it's hard to hear, but you are headed in the right direction toward diagnosis, so hang tight.
Is you colonoscopy scheduled yet?
Welcome to the forum!

not yet but im waiting to hear when i see the gastroenterologist. i hate this feeling. i constantly feel like i have to poop. when i do its loose and my side hurts. this feels right but im hoping its not. the ct scan cant be wrong can it. ive seen several posts that are similar to mine

hi Scaredgirl.. welcome to the forum.

just to let you know, i deleted the other two identical threads to this one, as it would get pretty confusing if people starting answering in all 3 of them lol.

regarding advice and replies, just hang on after posting because people log in at all different times, according to world time zones - we've got members from all over the place here.

ok.. on to your post. first of all, try not to be scared... Crohn's isn't the end of the world - the most important thing is correct diagnosis, and then you can get on the appropriate treatment & diet to get your symptoms under control. fortunately it looks as if you're already on the way to diagnosis, the colonoscopy is a really good way of looking at the lining of your intestines to see exactly what's going on. often they take little biopsies during the scope procedure too, which again helps in diagnosis.

as MBH said, so many of us suffer different symptoms yet we all have the condition in common. personally, i never had diarrhea, just really bad constipation and pain, along with the debilitation, anemia, weight loss etc.

your CT scan results suggest it could be Crohn's.. just hang on in there and wait for the scope results. meanwhile, it might help if you reduce your fibre intake in your diet, try to have 'gentle' foods which cause the least pain and trouble possible.

i hope you can find peace of mind soon... it may help you if you can figure a way to really unload to your hubby how it feels, both physically and mentally. but anytime you need to ask anything or just reach out to people who understand, we are here. ok

he is understanding but im afraid if i talk to him too much he might think i am overthinking this. i do know the gas is killing him. there are times he threatens to make me sleep outside because of the gas, he says it stinks reallllllllllllly bad. and i have to admit they are extremely raunchy but i always thought that was normal even though i dont get that often and just more recently, i always thought it was a poop building up.

I'm not a Dr. so I'm not going to pretend to confirm your diagnosis as Crohn's, but everything that you listed are symptons and conditions that I have experienced. The first thing I want to tell you is that if you do have Crohn's, don't panic! Stress can make things worse and put you in a cycle that's tough to get out of. The disease is different for everyone, but if you do have it, then you should prepare yourself for a bit of a rollercoaster. I've been diagnosed since 1986, but I had symptoms as a teenager, so it's been a part of my life for 30+ years. I've had surgury once, back in 2003, as well as a few trips to the hospital for blockages. These things are all possible experiences of the disease.

I'm not telling you these things to scare you, only to help set expectation. When I was diagnosed, I was recently married and through the 17 years of marriage, my wife never understood or really supported what I was going through. Ultimately we divorced, not just because of Crohn's, but her attitude toward it and me was certainly a factor. I would strongly suggest that if you are disgnosed that you get your husband involved in a Crohn's support organization with you, whether online or in person. It will really help him to be able to understand what you're going through and support you.

The last thing I want to tell you is that if do have Crohn's, you'll get through it and you'll figure out how to deal with it. You'll probably get very much in touch with your diet and your overall health and in some respects, you'll find that other aspects of your health will improve. I know for me, exercise, healthy diet and stress management are necessary tools. Unfortunately, medication will likely become a necessary too, at least sometime.

And if you're of the persuasion, a little prayer never hurts!

I wish you the best!

Gary

thanks, i really feel this fits me. have you ever heard something and just know thats right or close to it. since friday i have had at least three to four or five bowel movements and now i cant even have one bm. i know it is a little stress, i am not trying to panic or overthink it but i also feel the more i know the better even if it comes up that i dont have crohns i think maybe then colitis but i know it is something, esp. if the ct scan shows the signs of it.
im sorry your ex couldnt support you, i would support my spouse if it came down to it, and i know my hubby is gonna support me(he already is) although he has jokingly said if i had to have a colostomy he wouldnt be changing my bag, lol. he also is joking that he is gonna pay the doctor extra to wake me up and say the camera got stuck in my butt when doing the colonoscopy. he is a jokester and is doing his best to make me laugh. but im worried about the financial aspect of this disease to, we struggle to pay for my eye medicine(i was diagnosed almost a year ago with optic nerve disc drusen) and i have read there are people paying almost 1000 a month for their medicine.
you guys have been helpful and i appreciate you not telling me not to worry, we all know that is impossible not to, and telling me that people only post when its bad. well i think first diagnosis or possible diagnosis can be bad to.

i havent been diagnosed completely yet but the ct scan shows evidence of it. my hubby is supportive i just dont want to burden him until i know what the diagnosis is. i will try the dietary advice and try not to drink. i know when i just ate the drinks and the food made me belch something awful.