I have had Crohn's for 9 years now (wow!) and appreciate finding a good place to come look for info and share horror stories about this damned disease.
I was diagnosed when my twins were about 8 weeks old, but I had been having symptoms the entire last half of my pregnancy. I would throw up most foods and whatever made it through that would cause massive D. I ended up losing weight at the end, which is no small feat when carrying multiples. I pretty much quit eating altogether after they were born and was a walking skeleton by the time I was finally diagnosed. I was told it was "hormonal" from the pregnancy and postpartum, but when it was still going on I finally bitched about it enough to get a referral to a GI. I was sent home from my first visit with instructions on bowel cleansing/colonoscopy prep which I started right away. I went in for the scope and that's where I learned it was Crohn's, and quite severe. I went on Pentasa and pred at first, which did nothing other than swell my legs up like tree trunks, then onto Asacol, then a dose of Remicade, then to Imuran, which worked for me for several years.
When my kids were about 2, I went back to school to become a radiology tech and the extra stress from that sent me into a BIG flare up. I had another scope and was put on Entocort with the Imuran. That tamed things down for another year or two and then had another big flare, which led to yet another scope and then to Humira. And here I am now. I work full-time in a family practice clinic and have a husband, two kids, two cats and a gerbil. For the most part, I try to lead a quiet life, as stress aggravates my condition. I do also have depression and anxiety issues, which I am working on with a therapist and using meds for.
There's me! I am glad I found this place.
I was diagnosed when my twins were about 8 weeks old, but I had been having symptoms the entire last half of my pregnancy. I would throw up most foods and whatever made it through that would cause massive D. I ended up losing weight at the end, which is no small feat when carrying multiples. I pretty much quit eating altogether after they were born and was a walking skeleton by the time I was finally diagnosed. I was told it was "hormonal" from the pregnancy and postpartum, but when it was still going on I finally bitched about it enough to get a referral to a GI. I was sent home from my first visit with instructions on bowel cleansing/colonoscopy prep which I started right away. I went in for the scope and that's where I learned it was Crohn's, and quite severe. I went on Pentasa and pred at first, which did nothing other than swell my legs up like tree trunks, then onto Asacol, then a dose of Remicade, then to Imuran, which worked for me for several years.
When my kids were about 2, I went back to school to become a radiology tech and the extra stress from that sent me into a BIG flare up. I had another scope and was put on Entocort with the Imuran. That tamed things down for another year or two and then had another big flare, which led to yet another scope and then to Humira. And here I am now. I work full-time in a family practice clinic and have a husband, two kids, two cats and a gerbil. For the most part, I try to lead a quiet life, as stress aggravates my condition. I do also have depression and anxiety issues, which I am working on with a therapist and using meds for.
There's me! I am glad I found this place.
