I was diagnosed with severe Crohn's on March 20th. In May, my Doctor started me on Azathioprine along with Humira. The day after I started Azathioprine, I started getting an odd, new cramp on my right side. On the 2nd day, my entire stomach had constant "pinchy" cramps. The only way I can explain it is imagine twinkling Christmas lights of pinching cramps on different parts of my stomach. That's what it felt like. I told my Doctor about this and she told me to go to the E.R to have it checked out. So I go and I have a CT scan done. About 30 minutes later the Doctor comes in all serious looking. "We are going to have to transfer you to UVA. It's not your Crohn's. Your appendix has ruptured and there is an abscess that thankfully hasn't spilled out". So immediately my anxiety went through the roof. I'm like, "My appendix? Isn't that suppose to hurt?". Because I did not feel that burning, unbelievable pain people describe. If I had to scale my pain on my right side, it would have been a 2/10. On a cramping scale, it would have been 6/10. Noting major in my opinion.
So I get to UVA at like 1:30am. Not a good experience. Apparently they are renovating their ER and they have a makeshift one. The ER I went too after transport was cramped, hot, people throwing up right next to you. Nurses that couldn't find a vein on me for nothing. One nurse had a needle in my hand for 10 minutes and she was moving that thing back and forth like a windshield wiper. Finally an Amish nurse came in and stuck me 30 seconds. But whatever. Later in the day I had another CT scan in prep for them to put a JP drain tube in my side at my appendix. Very simple quick procedure. No pain whatsoever. Doctors came into my room later and told me what the plan was. Leave the tube in for 4 weeks and then take the appendix out. But later that evening, the same Doctor came in and gave an updated plan. He said with my Crohn's, it's unique and touchy. He said the plan now was to have me on antibiotics and hopefully the appendix will heal itself and I may not need to have it taken out. He said if I was over 40 years old, they would take it out. But since I'm in my early 30's with a unique case of Crohn's, just leave it in and see if it heals.
So thankfully I had the JP drain tube removed a week later. He said everything looked good. When he pulled it out, I didn't feel it at the spot. I felt it on the left side of my stomach along my waist line. He said that was normal. He said he had some people say they felt it in one of their legs. But ever since he took it out, I've had this bloated feeling in smalls spots along my waist line. Now that the hole from the tube has pretty much healed, I have a bloated feeling close to that now. So I don't know what's up. Just wondering if anybody has experienced anything like this or know of Crohn's causing issues with the appendix.
So I get to UVA at like 1:30am. Not a good experience. Apparently they are renovating their ER and they have a makeshift one. The ER I went too after transport was cramped, hot, people throwing up right next to you. Nurses that couldn't find a vein on me for nothing. One nurse had a needle in my hand for 10 minutes and she was moving that thing back and forth like a windshield wiper. Finally an Amish nurse came in and stuck me 30 seconds. But whatever. Later in the day I had another CT scan in prep for them to put a JP drain tube in my side at my appendix. Very simple quick procedure. No pain whatsoever. Doctors came into my room later and told me what the plan was. Leave the tube in for 4 weeks and then take the appendix out. But later that evening, the same Doctor came in and gave an updated plan. He said with my Crohn's, it's unique and touchy. He said the plan now was to have me on antibiotics and hopefully the appendix will heal itself and I may not need to have it taken out. He said if I was over 40 years old, they would take it out. But since I'm in my early 30's with a unique case of Crohn's, just leave it in and see if it heals.
So thankfully I had the JP drain tube removed a week later. He said everything looked good. When he pulled it out, I didn't feel it at the spot. I felt it on the left side of my stomach along my waist line. He said that was normal. He said he had some people say they felt it in one of their legs. But ever since he took it out, I've had this bloated feeling in smalls spots along my waist line. Now that the hole from the tube has pretty much healed, I have a bloated feeling close to that now. So I don't know what's up. Just wondering if anybody has experienced anything like this or know of Crohn's causing issues with the appendix.
