2 bowel resections & recent fistula EUA

[dantheguyrosen]

Hey all!

My name's Dan. I'm 26 and I was diagnosed with Crohn's when I was 11. I had a 6-inch bowel resection when I was 16 (removed my terminal ileum area) and another 4 or 5 inch resection when I was 23. I'd gotten pretty used to Crohn's and found some solid success with azathioprine and my regular 5k running training. I don't really mind 3 poops a day, I'm a screenwriter, so I can usually still get work done when I'm sick, and I get a lot of reading done with all those trips to the bathroom. (it's how I burned through the A Song of Ice & Fire series so quickly

On top of this, I've been able to successfully travel around. I'm from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and I did my undergrad in Halifax, Nova Scotia for 4 years. Then I spent 2 and a half months in Argentina traveling around and had no problems other than a day or two sick from eating some bad meat. Then I lived in Denmark for 2 years (great health care system there) and now I'm living in a small town called Beaconsfield (just outside London) where I'm finishing off my Masters. I also had a one month backpacking around Europe trip and I'm pleased to say I've been able to enjoy the nomadic experience that I've wanted. I love partying but I'm not a big fan of alcohol or weed, so I don't do much of that.

Last month, I had an abscess about the size of a Cadbury cream egg (half above surface, half below). That went down in a couple days with metronidazole/augmentum and hot soaks in the tub. They found there were still a couple fistulae, so they did an Examination Under Anesthetic. Now my case seems to have been quite small (neither fistulae perforated to the rectum). One fistula site is just packed (it's half an inch or less) and the other has a seton placement tying it up. I was told by the hospital nurse that it should clear up in a week or so, although I've also heard it can take up to 4 weeks to heal.

It's nothing horrible, it's just reeeeeally frustrating and annoying that I have to be so attentive during my poops (instead of holding a book I have to hold my bandages in place) and it looks like I'll have to spend every couple of days getting a nurse to change my bandages. Hopefully this will clear up asap, or at least not get in the way of me partying with my best friends at New Year's who I haven't seen in a whole year! The current silver lining is that it's provided me a lot of material for my comedy scripts. Enough to fill a long-running sitcom, really.

Any tips/thoughts/suggestions? I'm gonna have a sigmoidoscopy on January 2nd.

All the best!
:-Dan

"Life is really just trying to look good without shitting yourself."

 

[Angrybird]

Hello Dan and welcome to the forum

It's great to see that you have been able to keep a really good attitude living with your crohn's. It's a shame that you are now dealing with a fistula I have luckily not had problems with them or abscesses so could not advise, we do however have a sub forum for these that is definetly worth checking out: http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76. Is the upcoming sigmoidoscopy to check on the fistula or disease activity? Have the docs mentioned anything about upping the dose of the Aza or changing your meds?

AB
xx

 

[dantheguyrosen]

Thanks for the welcome, AB!

I'll look into these Fistulas posts. I stumbled upon this Forum by Google-searching "seton placement" and found a great thread here about all that. The sigmoidoscopy is just to check out the fistula area. And then there's talk about whether or not to up from 150mg/day of azathiophrine to something stronger like Remicade or infliximab.

How have things been for you?

:-Dan

 

[Angrybird]

I am doing very well thank you, the baby seems to help keep the tum settled so I have told hubby that we will just have to keep having kiddies as it is good for my health lol.

Please keep us updated on how things go in Jan, hopefully your xmas will not be too ruined by this.

 

[dantheguyrosen]

Thanks a lot, AB! I think it'll be fine. Eventually I'll get used to it and learn a new way to approach things and find my new comfortable "way to be". My own normal.

Glad to hear things are okay with you right now. My friend's mom had 3 pregnancies with Crohn's, 2 of them with a stoma pouch. It's not ideal but she's pretty satisfied. Again, found what works for her. She has a great book about it called "If This Is A Test, Have I Passed Yet?" You can find it on Google Books and Amazon.

Happy Holidays!
:-Dan

 

[LisaL]

I, for one, would love to see a sit-com where Crohns is a major part. Just think of all the fart, poop and anus laughs you could get! I would watch it!

I am sorry ou are dealing with fistulas and abscesses. I have has one and it was horrible! I hope never to fel that badly again. I hope that your wounds heal soon so you can go back to getting some work done on the toilet.

Feel better...
Lisa