Hey everybody! I'm new here and wanted to share my story.
Constipation, fatigue, and a "nervous stomach" have been my life stuggles. In college I started experiencing fissures and an external hemorrhoid or two. I would occasionally ask my family doctor about it and he'd suggest more fiber/yogurt/probiotic/etc.
Last summer I started struggling with uncomfortable bloating and two cases of seemingly random diarrhea. I was planning a wedding and under the worst stress of my life. He referred me to a GI doctor.
In December I had an upper endoscopy for suspected celiac. Negative. I was diagnosed as IBS. At that time I also went off of an antidepressant (helps with anxiety) because I am trying to get pregnant.
In January I caught a stomach virus that went around my office. Most people had a bit of diarrhea. I was in the worst pain of my life: diarrhea for hours that turned bloody. Vomitting on and off for hours. Diarrhea for another 2 days. I lost 9 pounds in one weekend. My stomach hurt for an entire week before I felt normal. My eyes were bloodshot for an entire month. A week after the virus hit, the diarrhea came back (no blood) and I went to my family doctor. Stool testing showed inflammation only - no infections.
Because of the bloody diarrhea the GI doc wanted a colonoscopy. He saw erosions and the biopsies came back as focal active ileitis. The only area affected was the ileum.
The doctor told me that he isn't giving me a Crohn's diagnosis yet because it MAY be the result of my virus from January. Has anyone else had a virus hang on this long? I'm not experiencing diarrhea anymore, but BMs always hurt (they always have, this is my normal). Meanwhile, it has been suggested that I get life insurance now and we'll do a capsule endoscopy in May.
So that's me. Has anyone had a similar story?
Constipation, fatigue, and a "nervous stomach" have been my life stuggles. In college I started experiencing fissures and an external hemorrhoid or two. I would occasionally ask my family doctor about it and he'd suggest more fiber/yogurt/probiotic/etc.
Last summer I started struggling with uncomfortable bloating and two cases of seemingly random diarrhea. I was planning a wedding and under the worst stress of my life. He referred me to a GI doctor.
In December I had an upper endoscopy for suspected celiac. Negative. I was diagnosed as IBS. At that time I also went off of an antidepressant (helps with anxiety) because I am trying to get pregnant.
In January I caught a stomach virus that went around my office. Most people had a bit of diarrhea. I was in the worst pain of my life: diarrhea for hours that turned bloody. Vomitting on and off for hours. Diarrhea for another 2 days. I lost 9 pounds in one weekend. My stomach hurt for an entire week before I felt normal. My eyes were bloodshot for an entire month. A week after the virus hit, the diarrhea came back (no blood) and I went to my family doctor. Stool testing showed inflammation only - no infections.
Because of the bloody diarrhea the GI doc wanted a colonoscopy. He saw erosions and the biopsies came back as focal active ileitis. The only area affected was the ileum.
The doctor told me that he isn't giving me a Crohn's diagnosis yet because it MAY be the result of my virus from January. Has anyone else had a virus hang on this long? I'm not experiencing diarrhea anymore, but BMs always hurt (they always have, this is my normal). Meanwhile, it has been suggested that I get life insurance now and we'll do a capsule endoscopy in May.
So that's me. Has anyone had a similar story?
