Hi everyone!
This is my first time posting. I was just diagnosed with Crohn's in February 2013. However, I have been going through a number of problems throughout my life. When I was a teen and into early 20's, I did have episodes where I would have a lot of blood while using the bathroom. Being a dumb kid, I never told ANYONE. I don't know what I was thinking and to this day, I am almost 30 and just told my mother about all of this. In 2008 I began experiencing horrific stomach pains. I went to four different hospitals/ER's (even had multiple ultrasounds) and was told it was nothing. Finally, in 2009 on Inaguration Day, I spent most of the day at the last hospital my mother promised me I would visit. There was a doctor shift change and the new doctor did not feel comfortable sending me home based on my white blood cell count. She knew something was wrong. Sure enough... my gallbladder was filled with stones and about to rupture and I had emergency surgery the next day. I felt amazingly better and had the usual urgency of using the bathroom after this. This has always seemed normal to me (my excuse was always saying I had a "sensitive or nervous" stomach. Little did I know that I actually had something wrong with me.
I went these last couple of years with just minor pains here and there, but I always ignored it (mainly because NOTHING so far has compared to all of the gallbladder pain). In 2011, I began having some abdominal pain again, mainly around my ribcage area. It worsened, and to this day it still hard to explain. I went to my PCP and I was diagnosed with H. Pylori and told to see a GI. I did a round of antibiotics and scheduled a upper endo. My results came back with nothing out of ordinary and I even tested positive for H. Pylori. I was having off and on problems and kept going back to my GI until finally he scheduled some CT Scans and a colonoscopy in August 2011. I was about to get married that November so the last thing on my mind was going through more and more doc visits. Finally, he had an answer and told me that I had a colitis, but not much more information after that. I guess, in retrospect, I didn't think it was a big deal because my doctor didn't really say much about it. He put me on Asacol and life got busy and I honestly felt better.
All throughout 2012, I had pain here and there. I have a very centralized pain up my left shoulder blade that wraps around my left rib cage. Through all of my doctor visits in 2011, I was told this was Fibromyalgia and I was put on Amitryptline (sp?) which does work wonders with my body. Towards the end of 2012 I started to not feel right again, but my stubborness was getting the best of me. Also, my hubby went through some scary medical problems during the Spring 2012 and was finally diagnosed with MS in June 2012.
I kept putting off going back to a GI until I finally realized that I NEED to stay healthy for him. I decided to see a new GI at great medical facility and because of the holidays I was not able to see her until the first week of 2013. My first appointment with her was AWESOME. I was in there for almost two hours and she seemed genuinely concerned about all of my problems. She knew that I had already gone through CT scans and an upper endo and colonoscopy, but she wanted to get to the bottom of it and scheduled for me to do it all again. I finally went in at the beginning of February and she was able to diagnose me on Valentine's Day.
After reading about all of the symptoms (constant bathroom trips, blood, horrible joint pain) ... it all makes sense now. I think I have been dealing with this for a long time and just accepted it as the norm at this point. I was devastated to hear that like my husband, I had an autoimmune disease as well. But, I was put on the mild to moderate stage as well. I haven't endured all of the scary weight loss. In fact, I've had a massive weigh GAIN throughout my 20's. I was also recently diagnosed with PCOS, so I have a long list of obtacles to tack to get me on the healthy track. I also tested positive AGAIN for H. Pylori this time around. My GI immediately put me on Amoxocillin, Flagyl (I think) and another heavy antibiotic that just tore me up. I just finished the treatment about two weeks ago. At the moment my GI has me on 4 Lialda's a day, B12, Vitamin D and I continue to take the Amitryptiline for the pain.
It was a long struggle to get answers, but I am finally glad to know that I am not crazy. It's been great to find this forum and read so many similar stories as well. It's wonderful what technology can do.
Wishing and sending everyone positive healthy vibes!
This is my first time posting. I was just diagnosed with Crohn's in February 2013. However, I have been going through a number of problems throughout my life. When I was a teen and into early 20's, I did have episodes where I would have a lot of blood while using the bathroom. Being a dumb kid, I never told ANYONE. I don't know what I was thinking and to this day, I am almost 30 and just told my mother about all of this. In 2008 I began experiencing horrific stomach pains. I went to four different hospitals/ER's (even had multiple ultrasounds) and was told it was nothing. Finally, in 2009 on Inaguration Day, I spent most of the day at the last hospital my mother promised me I would visit. There was a doctor shift change and the new doctor did not feel comfortable sending me home based on my white blood cell count. She knew something was wrong. Sure enough... my gallbladder was filled with stones and about to rupture and I had emergency surgery the next day. I felt amazingly better and had the usual urgency of using the bathroom after this. This has always seemed normal to me (my excuse was always saying I had a "sensitive or nervous" stomach. Little did I know that I actually had something wrong with me.
I went these last couple of years with just minor pains here and there, but I always ignored it (mainly because NOTHING so far has compared to all of the gallbladder pain). In 2011, I began having some abdominal pain again, mainly around my ribcage area. It worsened, and to this day it still hard to explain. I went to my PCP and I was diagnosed with H. Pylori and told to see a GI. I did a round of antibiotics and scheduled a upper endo. My results came back with nothing out of ordinary and I even tested positive for H. Pylori. I was having off and on problems and kept going back to my GI until finally he scheduled some CT Scans and a colonoscopy in August 2011. I was about to get married that November so the last thing on my mind was going through more and more doc visits. Finally, he had an answer and told me that I had a colitis, but not much more information after that. I guess, in retrospect, I didn't think it was a big deal because my doctor didn't really say much about it. He put me on Asacol and life got busy and I honestly felt better.
All throughout 2012, I had pain here and there. I have a very centralized pain up my left shoulder blade that wraps around my left rib cage. Through all of my doctor visits in 2011, I was told this was Fibromyalgia and I was put on Amitryptline (sp?) which does work wonders with my body. Towards the end of 2012 I started to not feel right again, but my stubborness was getting the best of me. Also, my hubby went through some scary medical problems during the Spring 2012 and was finally diagnosed with MS in June 2012.
I kept putting off going back to a GI until I finally realized that I NEED to stay healthy for him. I decided to see a new GI at great medical facility and because of the holidays I was not able to see her until the first week of 2013. My first appointment with her was AWESOME. I was in there for almost two hours and she seemed genuinely concerned about all of my problems. She knew that I had already gone through CT scans and an upper endo and colonoscopy, but she wanted to get to the bottom of it and scheduled for me to do it all again. I finally went in at the beginning of February and she was able to diagnose me on Valentine's Day.
After reading about all of the symptoms (constant bathroom trips, blood, horrible joint pain) ... it all makes sense now. I think I have been dealing with this for a long time and just accepted it as the norm at this point. I was devastated to hear that like my husband, I had an autoimmune disease as well. But, I was put on the mild to moderate stage as well. I haven't endured all of the scary weight loss. In fact, I've had a massive weigh GAIN throughout my 20's. I was also recently diagnosed with PCOS, so I have a long list of obtacles to tack to get me on the healthy track. I also tested positive AGAIN for H. Pylori this time around. My GI immediately put me on Amoxocillin, Flagyl (I think) and another heavy antibiotic that just tore me up. I just finished the treatment about two weeks ago. At the moment my GI has me on 4 Lialda's a day, B12, Vitamin D and I continue to take the Amitryptiline for the pain.
It was a long struggle to get answers, but I am finally glad to know that I am not crazy. It's been great to find this forum and read so many similar stories as well. It's wonderful what technology can do.
Wishing and sending everyone positive healthy vibes!
