Born in Montreal – July, 1963.
As a baby, was allergic to chicken. Apparently I was very cranky as well.
Father smoked in the house.
Age 10 – tested TB positive. Treated for a year.
Parents divorced at age 12.
Had Diarrhea, terrible cramping off and on for 4 years.
Age 16 diagnosed with Crohn’s. – Doc put me sulphazaline.
3 flare ups, 3 hospitalizations
1980 – with the 3rd flareup, my intestines were pressing against my bladder/urethra so that you could see my urine filled bladder rising from within my stomach. They decided to operate – first resection. (Montreal Jewish General)
Felt pretty fantastic for 2 years post op. 1982 Diarrhea, recurrence. Went on Asacol.
Through a circuitous route, ended up in New Jersey. 1992.
1995-97 had three fall flare-ups with the third not subsidizing even with prednisone. Second Resection (Mount Sinai)
After second operation the real trouble began. – I had terrible gas. I had all possible symptoms of IBS (of course at the time I didn’t know I had IBS on top of Crohn’s).
Went to many different GI’s.
2001 – Found a doctor I really love. Really knows intestines.
2001- I was diagnosed with IBS.
Between 97 and 2010 I tried many different medications.
Crohn’s:
Pentasa – nothing.
6mp – worked but then 2 years later blood tests forced me off of it.
Remicade – got nauseous but I had a stricture so Doc believes that it was stricture related so no more biologics for me.
Methotrexate. Worked slightly – I think my stricture was a big culprit in it not helping me fully.
Cipro, Xifaxan
IBS – Hyomax (big help),Librax – no help, immodium (cramping but at time I might have had c-diff so I need to try again), lomotil
There were probably other drugs for both, so many – it’s all a blur.
2009 – 2 flareups led to 2 hospitalizations.
Entocort – did nothing for me after second hospitalization. Prednisone actually worked a little better but could not get below 10mgs.
Feb, 2010 – Third Resection (New York Presbyterian – Cornell)
Started flagyl – then started feeling horrible. Colonscopy - visually diagnosed with C-Diff though two tests proved negative however vancomycin really helped.
Tested for Remicade antibodies negative but doc still decided on Humira.
Started Humira Yesterday.
As a baby, was allergic to chicken. Apparently I was very cranky as well.
Father smoked in the house.
Age 10 – tested TB positive. Treated for a year.
Parents divorced at age 12.
Had Diarrhea, terrible cramping off and on for 4 years.
Age 16 diagnosed with Crohn’s. – Doc put me sulphazaline.
3 flare ups, 3 hospitalizations
1980 – with the 3rd flareup, my intestines were pressing against my bladder/urethra so that you could see my urine filled bladder rising from within my stomach. They decided to operate – first resection. (Montreal Jewish General)
Felt pretty fantastic for 2 years post op. 1982 Diarrhea, recurrence. Went on Asacol.
Through a circuitous route, ended up in New Jersey. 1992.
1995-97 had three fall flare-ups with the third not subsidizing even with prednisone. Second Resection (Mount Sinai)
After second operation the real trouble began. – I had terrible gas. I had all possible symptoms of IBS (of course at the time I didn’t know I had IBS on top of Crohn’s).
Went to many different GI’s.
2001 – Found a doctor I really love. Really knows intestines.
2001- I was diagnosed with IBS.
Between 97 and 2010 I tried many different medications.
Crohn’s:
Pentasa – nothing.
6mp – worked but then 2 years later blood tests forced me off of it.
Remicade – got nauseous but I had a stricture so Doc believes that it was stricture related so no more biologics for me.
Methotrexate. Worked slightly – I think my stricture was a big culprit in it not helping me fully.
Cipro, Xifaxan
IBS – Hyomax (big help),Librax – no help, immodium (cramping but at time I might have had c-diff so I need to try again), lomotil
There were probably other drugs for both, so many – it’s all a blur.
2009 – 2 flareups led to 2 hospitalizations.
Entocort – did nothing for me after second hospitalization. Prednisone actually worked a little better but could not get below 10mgs.
Feb, 2010 – Third Resection (New York Presbyterian – Cornell)
Started flagyl – then started feeling horrible. Colonscopy - visually diagnosed with C-Diff though two tests proved negative however vancomycin really helped.
Tested for Remicade antibodies negative but doc still decided on Humira.
Started Humira Yesterday.