Hello, I'm new and here's my story! I was diagnosed in 1980-18 years old, horrible age for those undignified, embarassing tests you must suffer through probably 6 months at least to get a diagnosis. Anyway went to Mexico 1981 and came back to month-long stay in the hospital fighting the inflammation. I married in 1985 and had 7 pregnancies, 4 beautiful, healthy babies and very healthy pregnancies, no sickness ever, had normal vaginal deliveries and stayed healthy while nursing, so all-in-all I was healthy for 9 years. Then IT began with my 18 month in tow I was on all known medications in and out of hospital for a month at a time then they decide I need a couple of re-sections, hernias, and diverticulitas, finally cummiluating to an emergency ileostomy in 1999. Went through my worst for this surgery my husband of 14years walked out with my 32 year old friend. I was overdosed on prednisone, the horrors I went through to get off of it were tremendous, I tried to throw myself out the hospital window, I was really messed up mentally and physically I don't remember weeks. Finally someone brought this beautiful light into my life...A Chronic disease physcologist, and he read me like abook, put words to my clouded thoughts, put plans in action for when I went home to what was left of my family. He truly saved me I had to see him so regularily, til finally 6 years later I'm finally stable enough. All of this is said to put me into post-traumatic-stress-syndrome (great for someone with crohn's).
I have had a lot of heart ache and love since then, I've remarried a wonderful, empathetic, ever-loving man, my children are grown and doing well. I have suffered a dozen more surgeries, leaving me with about 4 feet of large intestine and very short-gut syndrome, many defiencies of electrolytes, bad dehydration problems leaving me now with permanent cardiac eschemia, regular 2 days in hospital each week for IV. I've tried methotrexate, and am now on Remicade and Imuran and picking up absesses and phenmonia, to much hospital time, quality of life is pretty sad with daily struggles, it's hard to be strong everyday. I have definitely come to the conclusion that I need more support, and better control over this disease and the pain it brings everyday, you really have to go out there and grab it for yourself, a life with chronic depression as well as this hellish disease are more than I can handle alone, I hope to find some genuine long-term friends here, as the good ones a very hard to find!! Hope this wasn't to depressing I certainly never thought 31 years ago when I was diagnosed that this we be my outcome....good health is so so important!! I guess we'll hope for good days and take it from there (can't possibly get any worse!), Diggety
I have had a lot of heart ache and love since then, I've remarried a wonderful, empathetic, ever-loving man, my children are grown and doing well. I have suffered a dozen more surgeries, leaving me with about 4 feet of large intestine and very short-gut syndrome, many defiencies of electrolytes, bad dehydration problems leaving me now with permanent cardiac eschemia, regular 2 days in hospital each week for IV. I've tried methotrexate, and am now on Remicade and Imuran and picking up absesses and phenmonia, to much hospital time, quality of life is pretty sad with daily struggles, it's hard to be strong everyday. I have definitely come to the conclusion that I need more support, and better control over this disease and the pain it brings everyday, you really have to go out there and grab it for yourself, a life with chronic depression as well as this hellish disease are more than I can handle alone, I hope to find some genuine long-term friends here, as the good ones a very hard to find!! Hope this wasn't to depressing I certainly never thought 31 years ago when I was diagnosed that this we be my outcome....good health is so so important!! I guess we'll hope for good days and take it from there (can't possibly get any worse!), Diggety
