C
clairebear
Guest
My troubles started about 7 years ago – initially just excess wind, but then occasional loose BM’s. I mentioned it to my GP when visiting him in relation to a chest infection. He told me not to worry about it, it was probably just something in my diet and advised me not to eat onions
As time went on along with the wind and the loose bm I also started getting crampy, again GP said just to watch what I was eating and avoid onions and this time he added beans!
I then went to a diff GP and she said I had IBS and prescribed an antispasmodic to ease the cramps and gave me loads of dietary advice. That seemed to help.
When I moved, I found a new GP when I flared up again and he did some blood tests, but still maintained that I had IBS and nothing more serious. He also prescribed some antispasmodics.
I tried all sorts of diets and supplements and even reflexology (which did help to an extent)
Anyway to cut a long story short, last August, the cramps where getting worse, and I seemed to be in pain all day every day, and I was even waking up at night in pain, so I took myself off to another GP, who referred my on to a gastrologist. Following various tests I was diagnosed with Crohn’s at the end of Nov. Was hospitalised for a week – more tests, intravenous steroids, and flagyl, when hope on 55mg of steroids, tapering 1 a week – was doing okay until I tapered to 40 mg – flared up again. Back on 55mg. My gastrologist said that she would usually only suggest surgery as a last resort, but from looking at the results of my tests, she said I’d be facing in sooner that later anyway. So at the end of March I had the last 10 inches of my small bowel removed – its was by all accounts very badly infected with crohns – very ulcerated, and I had a fistula removed. The surgery itself went very well, and the wound was very clean. The recovery was slow and sometimes very painful, but I’m at the right side of it now and beginning to feel much better. I’ve been on a low fibre diet since December, but for the past few weeks I’ve been re-introducing fibre and so far it’s going good – can’t wait til I’m back to eating big fresh salads!
So that’s my story!!!!
As time went on along with the wind and the loose bm I also started getting crampy, again GP said just to watch what I was eating and avoid onions and this time he added beans!
I then went to a diff GP and she said I had IBS and prescribed an antispasmodic to ease the cramps and gave me loads of dietary advice. That seemed to help.
When I moved, I found a new GP when I flared up again and he did some blood tests, but still maintained that I had IBS and nothing more serious. He also prescribed some antispasmodics.
I tried all sorts of diets and supplements and even reflexology (which did help to an extent)
Anyway to cut a long story short, last August, the cramps where getting worse, and I seemed to be in pain all day every day, and I was even waking up at night in pain, so I took myself off to another GP, who referred my on to a gastrologist. Following various tests I was diagnosed with Crohn’s at the end of Nov. Was hospitalised for a week – more tests, intravenous steroids, and flagyl, when hope on 55mg of steroids, tapering 1 a week – was doing okay until I tapered to 40 mg – flared up again. Back on 55mg. My gastrologist said that she would usually only suggest surgery as a last resort, but from looking at the results of my tests, she said I’d be facing in sooner that later anyway. So at the end of March I had the last 10 inches of my small bowel removed – its was by all accounts very badly infected with crohns – very ulcerated, and I had a fistula removed. The surgery itself went very well, and the wound was very clean. The recovery was slow and sometimes very painful, but I’m at the right side of it now and beginning to feel much better. I’ve been on a low fibre diet since December, but for the past few weeks I’ve been re-introducing fibre and so far it’s going good – can’t wait til I’m back to eating big fresh salads!
So that’s my story!!!!
