19 operations in the last 4 yrs...here comes no20

[Natalie Murphy]

Hello Everyone,:sign0085:

My name is Natalie...i actually don't have crohn's but im writing this on behave of my brother (who would probably kill me for joining up to this).

Basically my brother discovered he had crohn's about 4 years ago (hes now 27). He has undergone 19 opperations...was bed ridden for 6 months while he under went he first few opperations...he was then sent back home luckily the colostomy bag was removed by then but he was stuck with an open abdomen for several months. Finally hes 19th operation was over and done with and they ended up givin him pig skins as hes muscles around hes stomach were too weak..

A year has gone by and things are still not good...hes stomach is so swallon and he looks like hes pregnant!! emotionally he cant take it anymore and he takes hes angre out on me and my mum. Over the last 2 months he really hasnt been feeling well and now we have discovered that there is a narrowing in his bowel in 2 different sections....?

He has to meet with his surgical team on the 26th of this month...im worried he may get his whole bowel removed and end up with a bag for the rest of his life??

has any1 of you been through something similar?? any1 had a narrowing of the bowel...and what might happen???

....oh and i forget to mention due to my brother having crohn's he now also has uveitis and Ankylosing spondylitis...

if someone could please help me....i need advice because i dont no what to say to help my brother!!!

I HATE CROHNS!!!! argh

 

[xJillx]

Hi Natalie and welcome! First off, your brother is very lucky to have such a concerned sister. It is important to have a strong support system when dealing with CD, and it is obvious your brother has you he can always turn to.

I am sorry that your brother has been through so much and nothing seems to be helping. What medications has/is he taking? I assume he has probably tried about everything, hence the fact that removing his colon has come up? All's I can say is that having your colon removed sounds awful, but many have gotten their lives back by having the surgery. It is not the end of the world, and in fact, has been a life saver for so many. So, if it does come to that, try to help your brother see the positives.

 

[JetWhite]

Hello and welcome Natalie and may I say well done for joining here :rosette1: and I'm sure your brother will appreciate it at some point, you are a lovely sister.

I do not have Crohn's myself but you have come to the right place and will find much good information accompanied with invaluable support :thumleft:

 

[Terriernut]

Natalie, welcome to the forum. How wonderful that you care so much about your brother to come here to see if you can help him further. You can go to the treatment forum, as well as the stoma forum for some answers to your questions.

I do hope that your brother can also look in, when he feels up to it. I hope you can find the support and advice you need here.
:rosette2:
Misty

 

[ameslouise]

Hi Natalie and welcome!

What a sweetie you are for looking for help on behalf of your brother. Crohn's can be really tough physically, as you have already seen, but it is also very difficult emotionally. It sounds like your brother hasn't had much of a life outside of hospitals and surgeries. The best way to support him is to be there for him and be patient with him. You can suggest support groups, on-line forums like ours, and pursuing other interests that he can manage without much physical exertion. But as they say, you can lead a horse to water... ultimately it is his choice as to what kind of outlook he has.

Head over to the Stoma Subforum in the General IBD Discussion area. You'll never find a happier, more relieved, goofy, fun-loving bunch of people than us! We have our challenges from time to time but I think most of us would say we are really happy to have our ostomies and life is much better for it.

Good luck to you and your brother! - Amy

 

[Cookie]

Hi Natalie,

Your brother is lucky to have such a caring sister. Educating yourself about this disease will help you to understand what he is going through and offer him the support he needs. It sounds to me like your brother's case is pretty severe. However, there are plenty of stories here from people that have made it through the most unbelivable things. If you have a look around, you will find information on all kinds of things from bowel narrowing to colostomies to AS. It is not an easy disease to deal with, but this forum offers a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as great support. You've come to the right place.

 

[Ari]

Hi Natalie and welcome! Yr a great sis to have. I had a stricture in my gut, but they took it out 3 months ago and I have a bag now. It's not as bad as you might think. I can eat anything I like and do most things a normal person would do. IMHO If he's in pain and can't eat he should have it done asap. Has he tried all the medical options including LDN yet?

Good luck.