• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Decided to join after lurking for a while

Greetings all, glad to have found this forum. A little about myself: 26yr old Iraq war veteran, married with two little boys. Interests include hunting, fishing, and self sufficiency. Ready to overcome this beast of a disease and live a healthy life.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2011 after becoming violently ill with the D, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. These symptoms persisted for roughly a month and a half before I became so weak and dehydrated that I went to the hospital where I subsequently spent the next 11 days or so. Colon scope showed classic Crohn's and I was given IV antibiotics and Pred while in the hospital. When I was discharged from the hospital, I was on Prednisone for roughly two weeks and the GI prescribed me Pentasa.

Being the thick headed buffoon I am, I took it upon myself to call myself cured. I was in what I thought to be remission, and not a fan of big pharma so the decision came pretty simple for me - quit taking Pentasa. This was not enough for my thick headed self. I neglected to follow up with any GI appointments, and essentially went back to life as usual.

Until now.

A couple of months ago, I started feeling sick. Again, being the thick headed idiot I am, I figured I just caught a stomach bug. I rarely have healthy stools and am used to seeing blood when I go, so this was nothing new. I am also used to being chronically fatigued and tired, so this was also nothing new. I was, however, having occasional vomiting and abdominal pain enough to make me double over while at work - this is not common, so I figured I had something more than a simple stomach bug going on. I need to make money to support my family, so I kept working. It wasn't until I started passing black stools that I started to hound the GI office to get me in for an appointment. It was far too late at this point, and I obviously wasn't able to be seen right away.

I ended up getting sicker and eventually checked myself into the ER. I ended up spending 14 days in the hospital this time. I was immediately started on an IV of Prednisone, however I didn't receive antibiotics this time. The IV Prednisone took way longer than I had hoped to start working which really had me quite worried. Really it took about 10-11 days of the IV Pred for me to start feeling somewhat human again. I was scoped both ends. The endoscope didn't show much out of the norm but the colon scope showed severe disease in the colon - ulcers, fissures, etc. etc. The GI doctors tell me that I came pretty close to losing my colon, although they seem pretty optimistic of my future recovery, giving me 80% odds of keeping my large intestine.

As far as the symptoms go, I feel about "normal" now. I think we all get so used to feeling like crap all the time that we really don't know how normal should feel. But the abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and D have subsided and my appetite has come back in full force. I have gained back around 15 of the 30lbs I have lost in the past month.

The biggest problems I am having right now are in my anal area. Bowel movements are extremely painful - presumably from the fissure(s) although I also have hemorrhoids to contend with. Along with those bundles of joy, I have been dealing with this abscess that is still draining. I started antibiotics on Monday and had an abscess cut open on Wednesday. It is Saturday and the thing is still draining, although the pain is quite manageable in comparison to the fissure(s). When I feel a BM coming on, I eat a couple of pain killers and get a warm bath ready for afterwards. I also find relief in laying with a heating pad under my butt. I am scheduled to receive my first infusion of Remicade on Tuesday and really praying to God that it will help with the butt pain.


I look forward to learning from the forum and those of you that have been there and done that. I realize there are plenty of people on this forum that have gone through or are currently going through what I am, so I do plan on leaning on you guys and gals for support. This really is a hellish beast of a disease and I'm really hoping I can get back to "normal" and back to work soon. I have already been off of work for close to a month, so please send positive vibes, thoughts, or prayers my way. Thanks much everyone.
 
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I'm 26, and was also diagnosed in 2011. I've gone through some miserable times, but also have had periods where I feel great, and decide to stop follow up. Unfortunately I've learned the difficult way, what happens when you do nothing. It's hard at this age, to realize that this is something that we will have for the rest of our lives. It's hard, because I think of myself of young and healthy, and that I should be able to fight this thing off on my own. Hopefully Remicade gives you some relief!
 
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