My story starts when I was a little girl and I was constantly in pain with stomach aches and having 'the runs'. When I was 10 I spent a week in the hospital to find out why I was always sick. I had all the tests, including a sygmoid. The doctors could find nothing. I continued through high school and college with the same problems, seeing different doctors and still no answers. I married and had 2 children. My first pregnancy was uneventful, but my second was tough. I had what I now know is a Crohn's attack and delivered 4 weeks early. I started losing weight and looked like a skeleton.
Two years later I had my gall bladder removed. I thought that might fix everything, but no luck. Four years after that I had rectal bleeding, more pain than I have ever known and of course the ever present diarrhea. My husband took me to the ER and I was admitted to the hospital. After ultra-sounds, upper Gi, and and endoscopy I was taken to surgery and had my appendix and 8 " of my small bowel at the terminal illeum. I had a fistula between my appendix and terminal illeum. Finally! A diagnosis! Crohn's disease. I was 32 years old.
I was put on various medications and a 3200 calorie a day diet. The doctor and dietician said I would lose weight. Two months and 69 pounds later,
I went back to a normal diet. I still haven't lost the weight!
Over the years I have had various treatments including steroids, which make me psychotic, Remicade, I had a heart attack during treatment and now this new doctor had a test done through Prometheus and is putting me on Mercaptopurine.
I still have a lot of symptoms, but I refuse to let this rule my life. I was able to raise two beautiful children, peruse interests in the arts, crafts, making jewelry and travel with my husband through it all. BTW, my husband has been with me through the past 35 years.
Thanks for listening...
Two years later I had my gall bladder removed. I thought that might fix everything, but no luck. Four years after that I had rectal bleeding, more pain than I have ever known and of course the ever present diarrhea. My husband took me to the ER and I was admitted to the hospital. After ultra-sounds, upper Gi, and and endoscopy I was taken to surgery and had my appendix and 8 " of my small bowel at the terminal illeum. I had a fistula between my appendix and terminal illeum. Finally! A diagnosis! Crohn's disease. I was 32 years old.
I was put on various medications and a 3200 calorie a day diet. The doctor and dietician said I would lose weight. Two months and 69 pounds later,
I went back to a normal diet. I still haven't lost the weight!
Over the years I have had various treatments including steroids, which make me psychotic, Remicade, I had a heart attack during treatment and now this new doctor had a test done through Prometheus and is putting me on Mercaptopurine.
I still have a lot of symptoms, but I refuse to let this rule my life. I was able to raise two beautiful children, peruse interests in the arts, crafts, making jewelry and travel with my husband through it all. BTW, my husband has been with me through the past 35 years.
Thanks for listening...
