Hi Everyone.
So in the hopes of getting to know some of you I thought I'd kick off a new thread for those who are interested in reading/sharing. We are all at different stages / severity of illness, but maybe it'll be a nice icebreaker? OK...
For me it's early 2007. Previously I'd had one serious relationship that didn't work out, and then a couple non serious flings amid non-committed hookups. I was in the military and quite focused on my career. I had a great peer group and circle of friends, and at the time that was good enough for me. I remember being uncomfortable (in my stomach) initially. But it wasn't really in my stomach. It was sort of like I had eaten something that was bad. It was making my guts hurt sometimes. But it was weird. It wasn't like eating spicy food, or having indigestion. It was just wrong. At that time I had no reference for the pain cramps caused. Little did I know this was the beginning.
My Crohn's officially began at the end of February, 2007. The symptoms had continued to progress throughout the two months. From just having cramps, then sore skin around my sphincter, then not feeling good at all, and finally developing an actual fistula.
Now I'll admit that when it first started with the cramps it didn't really slow me down at all, and I didn't really know much was wrong. initially it felt a bit like gut rot. (ie: have been drinking too much coffee all day or too much liquor at night). When My "hoop" started to hurt I had actually been with someone and figured I had just been too vigorous. But when the fistula surfaced it was almost a panic.
I went to the MIR to see my Doctor immediately. 1) because it was so painful, but 2) I was so scared I had caught some horrible std or worse THE horrible STD (the terrible HIV). I have always practiced safe sex but I was so scared I was that case where it broke or leaked. And after she examined me is when I heard the words that clinched my fate.
"I'd like you to go see the Gastroentrologist. I think this is in his specialty..."
And sure enough the diagnosis was in fact Crohn's Disease....
So in the hopes of getting to know some of you I thought I'd kick off a new thread for those who are interested in reading/sharing. We are all at different stages / severity of illness, but maybe it'll be a nice icebreaker? OK...
For me it's early 2007. Previously I'd had one serious relationship that didn't work out, and then a couple non serious flings amid non-committed hookups. I was in the military and quite focused on my career. I had a great peer group and circle of friends, and at the time that was good enough for me. I remember being uncomfortable (in my stomach) initially. But it wasn't really in my stomach. It was sort of like I had eaten something that was bad. It was making my guts hurt sometimes. But it was weird. It wasn't like eating spicy food, or having indigestion. It was just wrong. At that time I had no reference for the pain cramps caused. Little did I know this was the beginning.
My Crohn's officially began at the end of February, 2007. The symptoms had continued to progress throughout the two months. From just having cramps, then sore skin around my sphincter, then not feeling good at all, and finally developing an actual fistula.
Now I'll admit that when it first started with the cramps it didn't really slow me down at all, and I didn't really know much was wrong. initially it felt a bit like gut rot. (ie: have been drinking too much coffee all day or too much liquor at night). When My "hoop" started to hurt I had actually been with someone and figured I had just been too vigorous. But when the fistula surfaced it was almost a panic.
I went to the MIR to see my Doctor immediately. 1) because it was so painful, but 2) I was so scared I had caught some horrible std or worse THE horrible STD (the terrible HIV). I have always practiced safe sex but I was so scared I was that case where it broke or leaked. And after she examined me is when I heard the words that clinched my fate.
"I'd like you to go see the Gastroentrologist. I think this is in his specialty..."
And sure enough the diagnosis was in fact Crohn's Disease....