Last year I was diagnosed with IBD, and have heard different diagnosis from different doctors. They're debating whether or not it's crohns or UC, but mostly when discussing my medical condition with me, they tend to say "colitis" and go from there. I really don't care what they call it, they just need to figure out a way to fix it. I have a life to live outside of the bathroom.
I think there were symptoms early on. I was sick all the time as a kid, and had a poor immune system. But as far as bowel problems, I remember going to the hospital because of a siring pain in my stomach when I was, at the most, 11. I remember the absolute horror and embarrassment when the doctor came in with an xray, stuck it up on the wall, and pointed out, "you're just severely constipated."
When I was 15 I went to the hospital again, this time extremely sick. They couldn't pin a diagnosis on what was happening, but they did do a colonoscopy (that liquid was so foul I poured out half down the drain when the nurse left me alone).
Fast forward to when I was 24, I had so much diarrhea (which I now know was part of an awful flare up) in November I got an anal fissue. It was pain, beyond words was painful. I developed a neurological disorder when I was 14 and have had 6 brain surgeries, and I would rather have brain surgery any day rather than an anal fissure.
I was referred to a colorectal surgeon who was a very nice guy. Before my first visit to him I had prepared myself mentally. I was going to lay down, he was going to check me like they did at my PCP's office. No big deal, I can handle that.
Oh no. No, no, no! They've got this lovely chair you kneel on and bend over that then lifts you up and tilts you so your anus is at eye level. Even just looking at it caused me so much pain I started crying (pain hardly ever makes me cry). Oh, and I forgot to tell you about the entourage that came with him. His very nice medical assistant, and 2 medical students. Again, I didn't care, an entire crowd could come and take pictures, I just needed to stop feeling like I was passing a knife with every bowl movement.
After he prescribed me some cream to try and discussed drinking a ton of water with fiber powder added, they all left the room.
Once they were gone, he came back in and in a hushed voice said, "I didn't want to say this in front of everyone, but you should reframe from having anal sex."
I thought it was very nice of him to wait until everyone was down the hall before bringing it up. I just looked at him and said very seriously, "I'll try."
After a few weeks, in which I complicated suicide to make the pain stop, it was very apparent that the cream didn't work and on top of that I was passing a ton of blood and red tissue. I underwent a botox injection because apparently giving my anus a face lift will help it heal. He was finally about to see it when I was knocked out and saw there were actually about 5 very deep fissures, and well as fistulas. And the botox did. It was completely numb and felt so amazing to be able to sit down without a hemorrhoid pillow and walk again, but the blood continued and got worse.
One day at work I passed so much I had to go to the hospital and they kept me overnight. They referred me to the GI department and after testing they basically said "Jesus lady your colon looks like an acid victim's face as it's burning." I was put on Lialda and it's made all the difference in the world. They were going to also put me on immunosuppressants, but decided against it.
I had a bought of c. diff last month which caused me so much pain that again, I cried when normally I don't cry about pain, but with strong antibiotics I got over it. It took them awhile to figure out what it was because I wasn't having diarrhea, just pain. But a stool sample didn't leave any doubt of what it was.
I've slowly, and painfully have learned what to not eat. Poppy seed muffins, fried anything, anything with a hint of spice, what I call "complex" food (multiple ingredients, basically), and other things. My husband is a dictator when it comes to eating right, which is good. I tend to think "you know, it's worth it" and 40 minutes later, "this isn't worth it at all."
That's it, really. From anal fissure to stable with medication. In fact the last two days I've had the first normal bowel movement in over a year. Very exciting times, and I will enjoy it until the next flare up.
I think there were symptoms early on. I was sick all the time as a kid, and had a poor immune system. But as far as bowel problems, I remember going to the hospital because of a siring pain in my stomach when I was, at the most, 11. I remember the absolute horror and embarrassment when the doctor came in with an xray, stuck it up on the wall, and pointed out, "you're just severely constipated."
When I was 15 I went to the hospital again, this time extremely sick. They couldn't pin a diagnosis on what was happening, but they did do a colonoscopy (that liquid was so foul I poured out half down the drain when the nurse left me alone).
Fast forward to when I was 24, I had so much diarrhea (which I now know was part of an awful flare up) in November I got an anal fissue. It was pain, beyond words was painful. I developed a neurological disorder when I was 14 and have had 6 brain surgeries, and I would rather have brain surgery any day rather than an anal fissure.
I was referred to a colorectal surgeon who was a very nice guy. Before my first visit to him I had prepared myself mentally. I was going to lay down, he was going to check me like they did at my PCP's office. No big deal, I can handle that.
Oh no. No, no, no! They've got this lovely chair you kneel on and bend over that then lifts you up and tilts you so your anus is at eye level. Even just looking at it caused me so much pain I started crying (pain hardly ever makes me cry). Oh, and I forgot to tell you about the entourage that came with him. His very nice medical assistant, and 2 medical students. Again, I didn't care, an entire crowd could come and take pictures, I just needed to stop feeling like I was passing a knife with every bowl movement.
After he prescribed me some cream to try and discussed drinking a ton of water with fiber powder added, they all left the room.
Once they were gone, he came back in and in a hushed voice said, "I didn't want to say this in front of everyone, but you should reframe from having anal sex."
I thought it was very nice of him to wait until everyone was down the hall before bringing it up. I just looked at him and said very seriously, "I'll try."
After a few weeks, in which I complicated suicide to make the pain stop, it was very apparent that the cream didn't work and on top of that I was passing a ton of blood and red tissue. I underwent a botox injection because apparently giving my anus a face lift will help it heal. He was finally about to see it when I was knocked out and saw there were actually about 5 very deep fissures, and well as fistulas. And the botox did. It was completely numb and felt so amazing to be able to sit down without a hemorrhoid pillow and walk again, but the blood continued and got worse.
One day at work I passed so much I had to go to the hospital and they kept me overnight. They referred me to the GI department and after testing they basically said "Jesus lady your colon looks like an acid victim's face as it's burning." I was put on Lialda and it's made all the difference in the world. They were going to also put me on immunosuppressants, but decided against it.
I had a bought of c. diff last month which caused me so much pain that again, I cried when normally I don't cry about pain, but with strong antibiotics I got over it. It took them awhile to figure out what it was because I wasn't having diarrhea, just pain. But a stool sample didn't leave any doubt of what it was.
I've slowly, and painfully have learned what to not eat. Poppy seed muffins, fried anything, anything with a hint of spice, what I call "complex" food (multiple ingredients, basically), and other things. My husband is a dictator when it comes to eating right, which is good. I tend to think "you know, it's worth it" and 40 minutes later, "this isn't worth it at all."
That's it, really. From anal fissure to stable with medication. In fact the last two days I've had the first normal bowel movement in over a year. Very exciting times, and I will enjoy it until the next flare up.
