Greetings,
I spent the better part of this summer working in a remote field site in Alaska -- specifically, in the Nulato Hills of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Our field crew was helicoptered over thirty miles from the nearest village (another sixty from the nearest hospital) to study one of the planet's rarest shorebird species in one of only two viable populations left in the world.
The night before our departure for the field, I spent a good portion of 9 hours with intense abdominal cramps and vomiting/the "D" word. I had consumed meat from locals prior to this horrific experience and, as I felt better in the morning, assumed I must have had an acute case of food poisioning.
A life-changing six weeks in one of the last great wildernesses went by with no further problems until one night I began experiencing the exact same symptoms as described above. Convinced that food poisioning was not the issue, my project director called for a refuge helicopter to take me to the nearest hospital. After an 8-hour wait to be seen (this was bush Alaska, afterall), I was sent home to Michigan to see a specialist, resulting in my recent diagnosis of a moderate case of Crohn's Disease.
I'm currently in the process of self-researching various treatment options, given my GI's opinion that I start on a combined immunomodulator/biologic therapy immediately to prevent my disease from progressing any further. However, given that my family has a long history of cancer and my higher risk for the development of cancer given my age and sex, I'm hesitant to jump right into this treatment plan.
This forum has been very helpful in getting a sense of the success others have had with drugs like Humira, which is likely in my future.
Can anyone comment on their experiences/knowledge with these combined treatments and the risk to young males?
Best,
-Cody
I spent the better part of this summer working in a remote field site in Alaska -- specifically, in the Nulato Hills of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Our field crew was helicoptered over thirty miles from the nearest village (another sixty from the nearest hospital) to study one of the planet's rarest shorebird species in one of only two viable populations left in the world.
The night before our departure for the field, I spent a good portion of 9 hours with intense abdominal cramps and vomiting/the "D" word. I had consumed meat from locals prior to this horrific experience and, as I felt better in the morning, assumed I must have had an acute case of food poisioning.
A life-changing six weeks in one of the last great wildernesses went by with no further problems until one night I began experiencing the exact same symptoms as described above. Convinced that food poisioning was not the issue, my project director called for a refuge helicopter to take me to the nearest hospital. After an 8-hour wait to be seen (this was bush Alaska, afterall), I was sent home to Michigan to see a specialist, resulting in my recent diagnosis of a moderate case of Crohn's Disease.
I'm currently in the process of self-researching various treatment options, given my GI's opinion that I start on a combined immunomodulator/biologic therapy immediately to prevent my disease from progressing any further. However, given that my family has a long history of cancer and my higher risk for the development of cancer given my age and sex, I'm hesitant to jump right into this treatment plan.
This forum has been very helpful in getting a sense of the success others have had with drugs like Humira, which is likely in my future.
Can anyone comment on their experiences/knowledge with these combined treatments and the risk to young males?
Best,
-Cody