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My story

my story

hi my names derek first started having problems diarhorrea and abdominal pains which my doctor thought was gastroentroitis had this for about6 weeks that went away but not totally still had lingering dull pain in abdominal which then got worse so went back to the doctors who sent me for some tests as he thought it could be ibd. after seeing specialist i wen for a colonscopy which was nice lol and the surgeon thought it was ulcerative colitis. just went back to the hospital after further blood tests and stool samples and they now think i have crohns, no i have been on pentasa for around 4 months now seen some improvement but then has got really bad agin. my bloods came fine apart from something showing high in my liver which they were concerned about now have to have a ultrasound on my liver and had more bloods done, really dont know whats going on now its so much to take in with specialists i know it can take some time to diagnose. just wondered if you guys could offer some advice as im getting worried about it now. something also showed up in the bloods which indicated to them it could be crihns but cant remmeber what it was as it was so much to take in. treid doing some research into crihns but find more stuff that puts the frightners on it! sorry for the long intro Thanks for Reading :yfaint:
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Hi delbhoy and :welcome:

I'm glad you found your way here. It is a scary time for you right now and you will find loads of info and support plus fellow Brits here! I don't know anything about Pentasa but there will be others along that will be able to offer advice about that. Like everything else with this disease everyone responds differently to treatments, so what works for one won't necessarily work for another. You are right, many people find it difficult to get a diagnosis but it sounds like you are right path with your docs.

Since you are in the early days of your disease and still trying to gather your thoughts you may like to keep a journal. Here is a link to provide you with some ideas of what you might like to track................

http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Diary-Inclusions

Please stay around and browse through the forums and if you have any questions just fire away and we will do our best to provide an answer. Good luck and welcome aboard!

Take care, :)
Dusty
 

Dexky

To save time...Ask Dusty!
Location
Kentucky
Hi Derek, welcome!! What is your age? Have they mentioned putting you on prednisone? They'll get you sorted soon. It may take a while to find the right med for you but it'll be ok in the long run!! Hang in there!! Keep us updated!!
 

Astra

Moderator
Hi Derek
and welcome fellow Brit

I've been on Pentasa for 5 years, but this med is a prophylactic, a preventative to maintain future flares, so if you have any inflammation in your intestines, it's too mild to heal it. Prednisolone can. Maybe the bloods were CRP? This is co-reactive proteins, these show indicators of inflammation or infection. Normal readings are between 5-10, any higher would indicate inflammation. Mine was 261 10 months ago when I was in hospital, this was abnormally high tho! I had an infection.
Have read thro our sections, but don't be frightened, we are the experts! Any questions, fire away!
lotsa luv
Joan xxx
 
Hey Derek:bigwave:
Glad you find your way here. Having CD can be very frightening. It's such a complex disease, as it affects each of us differently. One med works for some, while not for others. Same with diet. Tolerence of specific foods also depends on the individual. Keep gathering as much information as you can. :study: Search your options. Don't be afraid to be an active member in you healthcare team. Don't just let the docs make all the decisions for you. Speak up. Especially now, if you feel current meds not working, suggest something different. Also, Dusty recommended keeping a journal. That's a very good idea to figure out specific foods that can be triggers for you. Track how you feel day to day, you may find certain trends. Hope your docs can figure out what's going on. Search the forum. You'll find a wealth of useful information. The people here are very supportive, as we know first hand the pain and such you're going through. :poo: Hope you stick around. Hang in there.

:welcome: :hang:
 
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