Says Hello to the world.
I'm an old guy from London, UK who likes the internet.
I have had problems with my bowels for years and years and I never took much notice because I was young, fit, healthy and ignorant.
I was always passing blood and I had the idea I may have had haemorrhoids but over the years it got worse and worse and finally I went into hospital for a colonoscopy and they said I had Crohns.
How wonderful that I finally had a tag for my condition.
My work has been absolutely well understanding about it and give me time off during a flare.
Once they told me what it was I still remained ignorant. I knew not about it being a Systemic disease - affecting other parts of the body. All I knew since I was diagnosed in 2010 that it was affecting my large colon only. Since it can affect anywhere between mouth and bowel I considered myself fortunate it have it localised if you will.
But now the systemic plays heavily upon me - fatigue, pains in joints - especially my knees and hips and my eyes. I also get this (I read in another thread here) Crohn's brain - the fuzziness of thinking.
My appetite does not seem to have been affected and my stomach has swelled out a little in the distended sense (said goodbye to the abs in 2005).
I was shown photos of my colon when I had that camera up there (thank heavens it wasn't wide angle) and they gave me steroids and then Asacol and when that didn't show signs of improving I went on to Pentasa. Still no improvement and so I was given Infliximab and this worked a treat . I still have this every 8 weeks and the quality of life is good.
Last few months have had more than their fair share of downs and today I was due to have a colonoscopy again. I was feeling terrible and so I backed out.
I've now got it in my head that I can live like this - I hate being poked and prodded and I really don't want to undergo those procedures.
I have read what some of you others have suffered and my heart goes out to you - I am lucky by comparison - I just want to be left alone and have peace.
I'm an old guy from London, UK who likes the internet.
I have had problems with my bowels for years and years and I never took much notice because I was young, fit, healthy and ignorant.
I was always passing blood and I had the idea I may have had haemorrhoids but over the years it got worse and worse and finally I went into hospital for a colonoscopy and they said I had Crohns.
How wonderful that I finally had a tag for my condition.
My work has been absolutely well understanding about it and give me time off during a flare.
Once they told me what it was I still remained ignorant. I knew not about it being a Systemic disease - affecting other parts of the body. All I knew since I was diagnosed in 2010 that it was affecting my large colon only. Since it can affect anywhere between mouth and bowel I considered myself fortunate it have it localised if you will.
But now the systemic plays heavily upon me - fatigue, pains in joints - especially my knees and hips and my eyes. I also get this (I read in another thread here) Crohn's brain - the fuzziness of thinking.
My appetite does not seem to have been affected and my stomach has swelled out a little in the distended sense (said goodbye to the abs in 2005).
I was shown photos of my colon when I had that camera up there (thank heavens it wasn't wide angle) and they gave me steroids and then Asacol and when that didn't show signs of improving I went on to Pentasa. Still no improvement and so I was given Infliximab and this worked a treat . I still have this every 8 weeks and the quality of life is good.
Last few months have had more than their fair share of downs and today I was due to have a colonoscopy again. I was feeling terrible and so I backed out.
I've now got it in my head that I can live like this - I hate being poked and prodded and I really don't want to undergo those procedures.
I have read what some of you others have suffered and my heart goes out to you - I am lucky by comparison - I just want to be left alone and have peace.
