Hello...new here

Hello I am new to this site but not new to Crohn's. I was finally diagnosed in 1980 and taken right to surgery for removal of an obstructed bowel. Over the years I was taking every drug they had for Crohn's back then. Prednisone at high IV doses was the one that seemed to help for awhile. I usually went 2 - 3 years between required surgery. I had an illiostomy for about a year but it was reversed due to the inability to absorb any nutrition or liquid. I was real sick and came close that time. I have tried every drug and been to many GI docs over the past years. I have been to Mayo Clinic and spent way too much time in the university hospital in Milwaukee.

Currently I am feeling better than I have in years. My only problems now are because of short bowel and need to get blood transfusions now and then. They said I was aniemic. All of the meds that I have used over the years really messed up my body and mind. The bones are soft from prednisone and I have many infection problems from remicade, cimzia, and humira and can't use any of them.

I don't like complaining and am going to stop now. Actually I just wanted to give a little history as it may help someone. I just wanted to give an introduction and say hi. I will most likely be spending most of my time in the medical cannabis forum. Cannabis is the only medication that I have used for the past 2 years and I have had a hard time believing the life changing things that happened so immediately to me.

Thank you for reading my post. I look forward to meeting you people


rundown of my history as it may help in some way

Like you, I have absorbtion problems and have had more blood transfusions than I can count. I get infections very easily, and when I get them, I don't get them half assed. I don't have an immune system to stand on, but the weird thing is, I don't get colds are the flu or anything like that. (and I am grateful)
You don't have to worry about "complaining" here, there is no such thing. Its nice to be a community where you're understood.
In re: to anemia, have you ever had an iron infusion instead of getting frequent blood transfusions? I have been referred to an oncologist for chronic anemia,( haven't gone yet) but that might be something to look into to try and correct your absorbtion problems.

Hi Afidz, I just started iron infusions last week. I have one every Tuesday for 4 more weeks. I sure hope that they help with being so exhausted. I take my B12 injections every two weeks as I have been doing since the beginning. They don't really know exactly why I am having problems with my blood. I will see how I am doing after all of the iron infusions are completed. The doctor mentioned colorectal cancer could cause the blood problem, but there could be so many other explanations that I will just wait and see.

I don't get colds or flu either. I have been getting flu shots for the past 10 years and they have worked so far. These abscesses and infections are the main thing that concerns me now. I got something called MRSA one of the times I had surgery and it was nasty. Sometimes I wonder if age is the cause of some of the problems that I have been having.

Overall I am still better than I have been my whole life. I understand why some people are down on cannabis medicine. Not enough is known about why and how it works yet. It is definitely a very real and immediate response that I had from starting this unbelievable medicine. I have read every valid study that has been done with cannabis and Crohn's disease. Israel is doing quite a bit of research that looks promising for treatment of Crohn's using cannabis.

Thank you for your response and information. I am glad there is a site like this. I no longer feel like the only one. Have a good day and thanks again.