Hello all, my name is Jules, and I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease last year at the age of 18.
Here is my story, hope it's not too long.
My story begins with me at age 17 when I had first begun to suspect something was awry. The symptoms weren't severe at first, but throughout a lengthy period of time finding the problem, things had begun to worsen. I had begun to eat less and do less physical activity resulting in me losing weight, but it was not the extra weight of fat leaving, it appeared to be my muscle mass, which had me worried.
It started with minor bloating and cramp like feelings in my abdominal region, this steadily got worse, which led me to visit a doctor at the local clinic. The doctor I had seen that day had informed me that I may of had an ulcer, but he then said I was too young for that and told me to take some Tums, looking back on it now I think to myself, this is the treatment that I had received, and just agreed to his "joke" of a diagnosis, ridiculous. After the "Tums Treatment" failed, one week later, I had scheduled another appointment. This trip to the clinic had resulted in the doctor prescribing me with Omeprazole and told me it was Acid Reflux. After about a month of taking the pills my symptoms began to lessen and I had begun to think I was soon to be well again, unfortunately I was wrong.
Three months into it all, I had finally thought I had found the solution, but was let down due to the situation becoming much worse. At this point I was living day to day a mild, but manageable pain in my abdominal regiom, was always tired and rarely hungry. My next trip to the clinic after the failed Omeprazole Treatment, the doctor had given me an antibiotic treatment for an infection he thought I had. After a week of taking the pills I had started to improve, and again I was having high hopes. I was much better than previously, but still in pain and had a bloated feeling, so the doctor put me back on the Omeprazole. A few of months after the antibiotics the abdominal pains had returned and were much more severe this time around.
Six months in and still feeling like I was still in the dark and that there could be something seriously wrong with me, with the experience of the worsening pain. The pains at this time were 6/10 and were not improving. The pains had forced me to leave school, due to the pains worsening, and I was already half way through the school year. The had another clinic visit and had finally gotten some attention about my problem and was referred to a specialist. Unfortunately I live in Canada, and although I love not having to pay my doctor, it sure sucks having to be on a specialists waiting list in this country.
Frustration and pain were becoming my life as I waited for a call from the specialist's office, only to get an unwanted early meeting with another.
Eight months after day one, I had developed a permeating pain in my abdominal region, and sensitivity to abdominal pressure. The pains were a 8/10, but were not constant, they would happen nearly every 15-20, within the first three hours of me finishing my meals. I had also started to have night sweats and a light, constant fever. All this had been so bad that one night I had woken up soaked in sweat, even my sheets and bed, in the worse pain I had ever experienced. The pain passed after about 30 seconds, but had taken the old pains spot and schedule. That night I went to the hospital and was immediately admitted into the Emergency.
Ten months, and here I am in the hospital with no answers, but finally I was going to see a specialist, but it wasn't not the one which I was referred to.
When I was admitted into the hospital I had a very high fever and was immediately hooked up to all the gadgets and was given morphine for the pain. The morphine combined with the fever, I believe, had made me hallucinate and felt as though I was in a "dream" like state, constantly falling in and out of conciousness, looking back on it now, I am thinking I may have nearly died that night. The next morning when I had woken up I got to meet my specialist, who had informed me that she had put me on steroids and was admitting me into the hospital until I was well enough to leave. I was in the hospital for the next two weeks, it sucked. They had me do all sorts of tests, made me almost feel like I was in an episode of House, just not as entertaining or funny. Finally well enough to leave, and with a few solid conclusions on what it could be, and a specialist to determine which it is over the next small period of time had me feeling very optimistic. More time and tests after my departure from the hospital and the problem was becoming more and more apparent to her. She had informed me last year, Eleven months after day one, that I have Atypical Crohn's Disease.
Now at age 18 with a diagnosis and a solid treatment plan of steroids, and multiple tests I was on my way. This entire, lengthy process had put a hold on my life and the constant changes in my medications in the earliest stages of treatment left me feeling uncertain of my doctor. After deciding on a solid treatment, good results had begun to show. I began to feel almost back to the day before I ever felt there was a problem and it made me happy.
I am now 20 years of age, just turned, and have been living with Crohn's disease for the last couple of years. The treatment I am on is Imuran, 175mg/day and am constantly getting more and more healthy, apart from those downsides of the medication.
I hope you enjoyed my story, thank you for reading.
-Jules
Here is my story, hope it's not too long.
My story begins with me at age 17 when I had first begun to suspect something was awry. The symptoms weren't severe at first, but throughout a lengthy period of time finding the problem, things had begun to worsen. I had begun to eat less and do less physical activity resulting in me losing weight, but it was not the extra weight of fat leaving, it appeared to be my muscle mass, which had me worried.
It started with minor bloating and cramp like feelings in my abdominal region, this steadily got worse, which led me to visit a doctor at the local clinic. The doctor I had seen that day had informed me that I may of had an ulcer, but he then said I was too young for that and told me to take some Tums, looking back on it now I think to myself, this is the treatment that I had received, and just agreed to his "joke" of a diagnosis, ridiculous. After the "Tums Treatment" failed, one week later, I had scheduled another appointment. This trip to the clinic had resulted in the doctor prescribing me with Omeprazole and told me it was Acid Reflux. After about a month of taking the pills my symptoms began to lessen and I had begun to think I was soon to be well again, unfortunately I was wrong.
Three months into it all, I had finally thought I had found the solution, but was let down due to the situation becoming much worse. At this point I was living day to day a mild, but manageable pain in my abdominal regiom, was always tired and rarely hungry. My next trip to the clinic after the failed Omeprazole Treatment, the doctor had given me an antibiotic treatment for an infection he thought I had. After a week of taking the pills I had started to improve, and again I was having high hopes. I was much better than previously, but still in pain and had a bloated feeling, so the doctor put me back on the Omeprazole. A few of months after the antibiotics the abdominal pains had returned and were much more severe this time around.
Six months in and still feeling like I was still in the dark and that there could be something seriously wrong with me, with the experience of the worsening pain. The pains at this time were 6/10 and were not improving. The pains had forced me to leave school, due to the pains worsening, and I was already half way through the school year. The had another clinic visit and had finally gotten some attention about my problem and was referred to a specialist. Unfortunately I live in Canada, and although I love not having to pay my doctor, it sure sucks having to be on a specialists waiting list in this country.
Frustration and pain were becoming my life as I waited for a call from the specialist's office, only to get an unwanted early meeting with another.
Eight months after day one, I had developed a permeating pain in my abdominal region, and sensitivity to abdominal pressure. The pains were a 8/10, but were not constant, they would happen nearly every 15-20, within the first three hours of me finishing my meals. I had also started to have night sweats and a light, constant fever. All this had been so bad that one night I had woken up soaked in sweat, even my sheets and bed, in the worse pain I had ever experienced. The pain passed after about 30 seconds, but had taken the old pains spot and schedule. That night I went to the hospital and was immediately admitted into the Emergency.
Ten months, and here I am in the hospital with no answers, but finally I was going to see a specialist, but it wasn't not the one which I was referred to.
When I was admitted into the hospital I had a very high fever and was immediately hooked up to all the gadgets and was given morphine for the pain. The morphine combined with the fever, I believe, had made me hallucinate and felt as though I was in a "dream" like state, constantly falling in and out of conciousness, looking back on it now, I am thinking I may have nearly died that night. The next morning when I had woken up I got to meet my specialist, who had informed me that she had put me on steroids and was admitting me into the hospital until I was well enough to leave. I was in the hospital for the next two weeks, it sucked. They had me do all sorts of tests, made me almost feel like I was in an episode of House, just not as entertaining or funny. Finally well enough to leave, and with a few solid conclusions on what it could be, and a specialist to determine which it is over the next small period of time had me feeling very optimistic. More time and tests after my departure from the hospital and the problem was becoming more and more apparent to her. She had informed me last year, Eleven months after day one, that I have Atypical Crohn's Disease.
Now at age 18 with a diagnosis and a solid treatment plan of steroids, and multiple tests I was on my way. This entire, lengthy process had put a hold on my life and the constant changes in my medications in the earliest stages of treatment left me feeling uncertain of my doctor. After deciding on a solid treatment, good results had begun to show. I began to feel almost back to the day before I ever felt there was a problem and it made me happy.
I am now 20 years of age, just turned, and have been living with Crohn's disease for the last couple of years. The treatment I am on is Imuran, 175mg/day and am constantly getting more and more healthy, apart from those downsides of the medication.
I hope you enjoyed my story, thank you for reading.
-Jules
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