Hello all, I was diagnosed about a month ad a half ago after at least 5 years of pain and discomfort. I started seeing my PCP about it about 4 years ago and was told basically it was stress and IBS. Finally after demanding a referral to a GI which admittedly I should have done sooner. Sometimes it is too easy to just try and trust your Dr. Always listen to your own body is what i have learned.
Upon my first colonoscopy they couldn't get past a stricture about 1/3rd of the way through my transverse colon. My GI said that he felt this was made up of scar tissue and he felt i was a candidate for surgery and referred me to a colorectal surgeon. I met with the surgeon and he said since I was just diagnosed maybe we should try some treatment first and see if there was inflammation that could be reduced and the scar tissue could become liveable.
So back to my GI who put me on 40MG of prednisone. I am still on it after a month and on a CT scan, i had an area of some concern right in the beginning of the colon where the small intestine dumps out. It doesn't look anything like the stricture as far as how thickened the walls are, but both my surgeon and GI Dr, said they want to look at it with a scope. So my GI Dr scheduled me for another colonoscopy in 3 weeks and wants me to stay on the prednisone, he is going to use a ped scope and hope with combined efforts of smaller scope and being on prednisone he will be able to pass the stricture and get to the beg of the colon to look at this other area before scheduling surgery.
I really didn't want to be on prednisone this long, it has made me feel better in some ways, immediately my joint pain is pretty much gone. I am still waking up because of the gut pain throughout the night though. The pain of stool going through that stricture is just unbearable. This past 3-4 months I have noticed a smaller distinct pain in my Lower right ab. Maybe the beginning of my colon??
I have been on opiate pain meds for 7 years maintenance and this does not touch the pain. I feel like surgery might be the only way. GI says scar tissue, Surgeon said its hard to say how much is scar tissue thats why he wanted to at least try and reduce inflammation with meds and see how it went.
I have a lot of people in my life and people that I have crossed paths with recently that take a natural approach to things. All of them urge me to wait on surgery pretty much and be weary of medications. My wife and I don't share these same sentiments. I admittedly think I do need to eat better though, I eat fatty stuff trying to gain weight, I don't feel like i eat healthily. I am open to any of the forums suggestions on diet they have used to help with strictures and crohns colitis.
I understand once there is scar tissue also surgery seems to be the only real solution. I don't want to be in chronic pain anymore. I want to taper off the prednisone sooner than later and now I will be on it at least 2 1/2 months if I start tapering right after the colonoscopy.
If anyone has had success with bettering their symptoms leading up to surgery or any advice on how to best get through this I really appreciate it. Thanks and sorry for the long winded rant.
Upon my first colonoscopy they couldn't get past a stricture about 1/3rd of the way through my transverse colon. My GI said that he felt this was made up of scar tissue and he felt i was a candidate for surgery and referred me to a colorectal surgeon. I met with the surgeon and he said since I was just diagnosed maybe we should try some treatment first and see if there was inflammation that could be reduced and the scar tissue could become liveable.
So back to my GI who put me on 40MG of prednisone. I am still on it after a month and on a CT scan, i had an area of some concern right in the beginning of the colon where the small intestine dumps out. It doesn't look anything like the stricture as far as how thickened the walls are, but both my surgeon and GI Dr, said they want to look at it with a scope. So my GI Dr scheduled me for another colonoscopy in 3 weeks and wants me to stay on the prednisone, he is going to use a ped scope and hope with combined efforts of smaller scope and being on prednisone he will be able to pass the stricture and get to the beg of the colon to look at this other area before scheduling surgery.
I really didn't want to be on prednisone this long, it has made me feel better in some ways, immediately my joint pain is pretty much gone. I am still waking up because of the gut pain throughout the night though. The pain of stool going through that stricture is just unbearable. This past 3-4 months I have noticed a smaller distinct pain in my Lower right ab. Maybe the beginning of my colon??
I have been on opiate pain meds for 7 years maintenance and this does not touch the pain. I feel like surgery might be the only way. GI says scar tissue, Surgeon said its hard to say how much is scar tissue thats why he wanted to at least try and reduce inflammation with meds and see how it went.
I have a lot of people in my life and people that I have crossed paths with recently that take a natural approach to things. All of them urge me to wait on surgery pretty much and be weary of medications. My wife and I don't share these same sentiments. I admittedly think I do need to eat better though, I eat fatty stuff trying to gain weight, I don't feel like i eat healthily. I am open to any of the forums suggestions on diet they have used to help with strictures and crohns colitis.
I understand once there is scar tissue also surgery seems to be the only real solution. I don't want to be in chronic pain anymore. I want to taper off the prednisone sooner than later and now I will be on it at least 2 1/2 months if I start tapering right after the colonoscopy.
If anyone has had success with bettering their symptoms leading up to surgery or any advice on how to best get through this I really appreciate it. Thanks and sorry for the long winded rant.