• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

18 and ready for anything... kind of

Hey guys, I guess this is my introductory post, and let me begin by saying that I wish I were here under better circumstances. After nearly a month of continuously worsening symptoms starting around mid-December, I finally had a colonoscopy on Tuesday, and I don't need a medical degree to know something's wrong with the sheer number of granulomas in nearly all regions of my large intestine. Indeed, I've Crohn's disease, and the school (high school) I missed due to symptoms and the colonoscopy compounded a total of nearly a dozen tests, exams, and other assessments I've been painstakingly making up in the recent days.

But enough of the sob story. I joined the forum to get support for my wide variety of activities, from working as an independent contractor to instructing sailing racing teams over the summer. I've got seven college applications in the oven, and I've got my fingers crossed for St. Olaf and Denison in Minnesota and Ohio, respectively. I'm a bit of an academic, as well as a sailor and fencer, with a supportive family, though my parents are divorced and my father's remarried.

I just want to add a little more spring to my step; get a little more hopeful, and I hope to contribute what I can to this forum.

Thanks for the read, and it's good to be here.
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Hi Mr. Blue and :welcome:

I wish you were here under better circumstances too! I hope you are managing to make up for lost time okay, not too much stress!

My goodness you do have many and varied interests, good on you! So good to hear you have a supportive family, that is so important and can make a world of difference. :)

Now I have to confess...I thought St Olaf was just a fictional place! Well you know no doubt...Golden Girls and all! :lol:

What is your treatment plan?

It's good to have you here Blue and I look forward to seeing you around. Welcome aboard!

Dusty. xxx
 
Location
Australia
Same Dusty! I have learnt so much from the forum - and now that extends to discovering St Olaf is a real place!
Thanks for sharing Mr Blue.
 

Angrybird

Moderator
Location
Hertfordshire
Welcome Mr Blue! Looks like you are a busy chap :) Hopefully you will find this forum has helpful and supportive as I have. What meds have you been put on for treatment? Fingers crossed you will be feeling better soon!
 
Ah yeah, the treatment plan. I guess I'll follow suit and put it in my signature.

Until then, here's what I'm taking (for moderate to severe crohn's):
40 mg Prednisone

2.4 GM Lialda, doubling next week. What's GM, by the way? Label says: Lialda 1.2GM tablets

Calcium and B supplements

Other drugs I'm taking are sertraline and dextroamphetamine, for what it's worth.

Doctor doesn't seem to confident that Lialda will control my case, but I can understand why he might want to put me on a less-intrusive drug, just in case.

One other thing: Just thought I'd share that I'm feeling excessively fatigued recently. Is this commonly attributed to Crohn's, or is it probably medicinal side effects? Anything I can do about it?
 

Angrybird

Moderator
Location
Hertfordshire
It's most probably a bit of both, active disease can make you tired and my GP confirmed the pred can also make you weary.Unfortunatly the only thing to help is gettng of the pred and the crohns under control :(
 
Hey! This forum is amazing so much information on anything to do with Crohn's and if you can't find it somebody on here will know the answer.
Talk about a bad time for your Crohn's to flare! Do you reckon it was the stress of exams that brought on the flare? It happens me during every exam series although luckily flares i've had recently haven't been too severe. Good luck with your college applications i've also applied to uni and waiting on replies is killing me lol not sure on how the process works in america but the uk and irish application systems aren't exactly stress free to say the least... What course are you hoping to do?
I know someone with severe crohn's who is also a sailing instructor and it doesn't seem to interfere much with his work so its possible to still enjoy sailing.
I also experienced a lot of fatigue when i was diagnosed with crohns... they eventually figured out I was anemic and i was prescribed iron supplements which are literally amazing i have so much more energy these days, so maybe that's something worth looking into?
Hope things start looking up for you soon!
 
Im 17 and i just found out I have crohns and colitis, but thankfully this all occured after i finished college applications haha. I started taking 40 mg prednisone too and noticed im tired ALL the time and eat for a family of five now( which is probably good actually). I can definitely sympathize as I am very behind in all my AP classes. Good luck!
 

Jessi

Moderator
:welcome: to the forum, Mr. Blue, :hug: You sure have been through a hard time, but you certainly carry a good attitude. And lucky for us, attitude is contagious. :D

I honestly couldn't tell you what GM stands for ... other than General Motors, but I'm sure it's not that ...

I am on sertraline, as well. I dare say that sertraline is a likely culprit for your tired new ways. In my experience, prednisone is an energy-maker. I feel like I could run a marathon on pred, but not on sertraline.

However, Crohnies are often fatigued because of a vitamin deficiency. It is far too common. The intestines are responsible for absorbing vitamins into your body, but if they're not functioning properly, you've got a problem. I suggest telling your doctor to check your vitamin levels.

Welcome, once again. Let us know how you get along. :)
 
Hey and welcome :) I used to fence as a kid! Great to have you aboard... Sorry about all the school and work you have to make up... That is the absolute worst. But you sound like you are good at keeping positive and getting things done! I hope the pred is helping and that you get all your college acceptance letters soon!
 

hawkeye

Moderator
Staff member
2.4 GM Lialda, doubling next week. What's GM, by the way? Label says: Lialda 1.2GM tablets

One other thing: Just thought I'd share that I'm feeling excessively fatigued recently. Is this commonly attributed to Crohn's, or is it probably medicinal side effects? Anything I can do about it?
GM - this is likely grams (gm) a unit of mass (Metric) although it is typically just written as g
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram

I was diagnosed in high school as well, but went on to university and completed two degrees. Fatigue was an issue when I was first diagnosed - my iron was low so I was put on an iron supplement.
 
Top