Greetings and salutations everyone.
I'm tapped into the the hospital's wireless network here, and got Internet access here on my 2nd day and found this forum while doing more half-assed google searches on Crohn's disease+diet, CD+fiber, CD+blood, CD+natural remedies, you get the idea.
Here is my story:
I was diagnosed w/ CD in early 2008. I had minor issues of excessive bowel movements and diarrhea before then, but the year before, while going through a nasty divorce, it seemed to be getting worse -- like all the time. Broke down in 2008, told my doc, he sent me to GI, and voila! A colonoscopy shows CD! Wheeee!
(Damn. I was really hoping it was just stress and good dose of Wellbutrin and Xanax would clear it up.)
So he socked me w/ 12 pills of Asocol a day, and that seemed to help for a few months, but then it just petered out.
A year later, I quit smoking, and believe it or not, it cleared up. In 24 hours. I shit you not. I was having one or two max bowel movements a day, with a single, solid stool that would make a 6-year-old boy so proud. Then like an idiot I started smoking again, and the diarrhea and dozen/day porcelain trips came back.
Quit smoking again, but no luck. Maybe I blew my shot the first time and lost my chance when Smoker's Karma gave me an opportunity. Who knows?
Now I've been more or less in consistent flare-up for over a year. A 6-week prednisone treatment earlier this year helped a bit, but I tapered off, and the CD came back as usual. 5-10 daily porcelain trips, 2-3 trips during sleeping hours.
On the prednisone again right now, and last night, after being B.M. free all day, had a B.M. as usual close to bed-time, and ...... it was a blood bath. Toilet bowl full of cherry Kool-Aid. Called my GI's emerg. line, and they told me to go to the E.R.
So here I am. On a IV Prednisone now, and no more bowel movements, because I haven't had a damn thing to eat since last night! And I'm supposed to drive to Maine in 2 days to go camping! Arg!
My poor wife....I almost feel like this was my wedding present to her...fortunately she's understanding and caring, but this is starting to suck for both of us.
I'm 43, and have been off nicotine for a month, no coffee for almost a week (that sucks), and no beer for almost a week (which really really sucks, because brewing beer is my hobby).
Now it looks like I got to get serious about a bland, uninteresting diet, and I'm still not confident that this CD thing is not going to just keep getting worse.
I've read other people here and it sounds like it could be much, much worse, so I'll shutup now. That's my story.
I'm tapped into the the hospital's wireless network here, and got Internet access here on my 2nd day and found this forum while doing more half-assed google searches on Crohn's disease+diet, CD+fiber, CD+blood, CD+natural remedies, you get the idea.
Here is my story:
I was diagnosed w/ CD in early 2008. I had minor issues of excessive bowel movements and diarrhea before then, but the year before, while going through a nasty divorce, it seemed to be getting worse -- like all the time. Broke down in 2008, told my doc, he sent me to GI, and voila! A colonoscopy shows CD! Wheeee!
(Damn. I was really hoping it was just stress and good dose of Wellbutrin and Xanax would clear it up.)
So he socked me w/ 12 pills of Asocol a day, and that seemed to help for a few months, but then it just petered out.
A year later, I quit smoking, and believe it or not, it cleared up. In 24 hours. I shit you not. I was having one or two max bowel movements a day, with a single, solid stool that would make a 6-year-old boy so proud. Then like an idiot I started smoking again, and the diarrhea and dozen/day porcelain trips came back.
Quit smoking again, but no luck. Maybe I blew my shot the first time and lost my chance when Smoker's Karma gave me an opportunity. Who knows?
Now I've been more or less in consistent flare-up for over a year. A 6-week prednisone treatment earlier this year helped a bit, but I tapered off, and the CD came back as usual. 5-10 daily porcelain trips, 2-3 trips during sleeping hours.
On the prednisone again right now, and last night, after being B.M. free all day, had a B.M. as usual close to bed-time, and ...... it was a blood bath. Toilet bowl full of cherry Kool-Aid. Called my GI's emerg. line, and they told me to go to the E.R.
So here I am. On a IV Prednisone now, and no more bowel movements, because I haven't had a damn thing to eat since last night! And I'm supposed to drive to Maine in 2 days to go camping! Arg!
My poor wife....I almost feel like this was my wedding present to her...fortunately she's understanding and caring, but this is starting to suck for both of us.
I'm 43, and have been off nicotine for a month, no coffee for almost a week (that sucks), and no beer for almost a week (which really really sucks, because brewing beer is my hobby).
Now it looks like I got to get serious about a bland, uninteresting diet, and I'm still not confident that this CD thing is not going to just keep getting worse.
I've read other people here and it sounds like it could be much, much worse, so I'll shutup now. That's my story.
