My name is Mari and I am new here but I am really happy to find this place. I had a rather unusual Valentine's Day gift this year when they told me I had severe Crohn's. Prior to this I had stomack problems for couple of years now and I never thought anything of it and so didn't my doctor. He said I might have stomack flu or I ate something or so on but it got worst, slowly at first and then dropping like a rock. I was constantly tired and had runny stool and I was feeling sick to my stomack, cramping and I could not afford to be sick. I have a 3 year old one and I also run B&B. Then last year around September it got gradually worst and most of December I was in bed with pain, womiting, fever and everything else you can think of. My husband was tired of seeing me sick and my mother in-law was even getting angry with me from not knowing what is going on. I tried living normal life still but I was getting worst very fast, I lost about 30lb in a month, so something had to be done and fast.
You could see in my face that I was very sick. So in January after holidays I went to a doctor again, they thought I had rheumatoid arthritis since I had all the symptoms but apparently these are also one of the Crohn's symptoms. Finally in February this year my doctor sent me for CT scan that showed that I had a kinck in my intestines, so he said and told me to go to ER right away. So I did, scared everybody, I ended up being in the hospital for two weeks. I got colonoscopy done the next day I was admitted to Foothills hospital. I was very fortunate to have such great team of doctors behind me. On Valentine's Day I was told I have severe case of Crohn's which meant I had obsrtruction in two places in small bowel and three fistulas (not sure if I spelled it correctly) from which one was in the rectum already. Anyhow, in the hospital they put me on prednizone, immuran, antibiotics and pantaloc right away and also did an ultrasound. They gave me iron via IV, E vitamin, lots of calcium and terrible diet - liquid ... try to gain weight on that one
I had lots of doctors and locums visiting me daily telling me about my life time diseas and new friend. One thing I did like about this team of doctors that they were brutaly honest about everything, bad, good and the ugly and I really appreciated it. They game me two options - med or surgery.
I chose meds to see if they help. Surgent also came by to talk to me and I liked what he had to say to me even though it was very unusual, he said: "If you want surgery, give me a call". I liked it because he agreed with my desision to try med first instead of cutting me open and going in there right away, even though may be I needed it. medication started working on me right from the moment they put me on it. I also got my first Remicade infusion in the hospital. Week after I was diagnosed with Crohn's I had another ultrasound in the hospital and it proved that I had a positive reaction to medication. They said it looks the same but better. I was happy to hear that. One interesting thing I heard from the ultrasound technitian although I am not sure if it is true or not. Apparently Alberta is one of the places in the world where there is most Crohn's patents.
Anyway ... from the minute I was admitted to the hospital and put on meds I had no pain and I felt good again. I was sent home after two weeks with lots of new information, medications, spinning head and lots of changes in my life. The whole time I was sick or even in the hospital I tried to be positive even to the point I had to keep holding up my husband and mother in-laws mood and saying, I will be okay. Hello, I am sick and need encouraging here not you but I was strong and did it After two weeks being at home and was ready to hop on the plaine to go visit my parents in Europe I went into sepcis. I woke up in the morning not feeling well and I though I needed more sleep, which I did but by lunch time I was feeling worse. Cramping, vomiting, going in and out of sleep. By the time I was suppose to be going on the plaine and I tried hard, they called an ambulance. I tried taking a shower but I just layed down on the floor and passed out, when my mother in-law found me she though I was dead. Funny thing was that eventhough I felt like crap I still understood what was going on around me and I could give very clear answers to paramedics. By the time they arrived my blood preassure was 40/90 and all I could do was sleep. I was admitted to the hospital again and they pumped about 4 liters of fluid in me and steroids and antibiotics.
When I woke up in the morning I felt 95% fine like nothing happened. They kept me in there for 3 days just to keep an eye on me. I was doing good. I still went on my trip home to see my parents. I did take a risk and my doctor was worried but everything went well. I gained back about 20lb since my mom spoiled me to death and I got back my healthy glow and had my energy back. Now I am back home and under the care of my doc again. Since I have been back I had two minor flare ups, nothing serious, they think since I still have inflamation there. I have had 4 Remicade, (400 mg) infusions up to now, every 8 weeks now. I am off antibiotics and also prednizone. I am just on 150 gr of Immuran and 40 gr of Pantaloc and it is according my my weight and hight, I am 5'8" and 150lb now.
My diet is very boring at the moment since they don't recommend having greens or fruit, no nuts or seeds or fiber, so what do I have left carbs. As I understood that this is just teporary until it is bit better. Trust me sometimes I am just slapping my hand that reaches for a salad or strawberries and I say to my self, not yet but soon. So I eat cream of wheat, lots of white stuff, drink tons of water, vegetable puree soups to get some greens, vegetable juices. My husband says to me I have to be on this diet for a year to get bit better but it only will get worst ... thank you honey I love you too My mother in-law seems to understand that eating greens and fruit will make you better and yes she is right but not now. She also tells me that other people with Crohn's eat normal and I do believe this but how long they have had it, how bad it was and how are they doing now, this she doesn't seem to understand. I know Crohn's will be my best friend forever but I do know I can still live my life and I CAN get better.
I am hopeless optimist you see and I know I know things will get better. I also have a great team of doctors who I can count on. Call them anytime or e.mail them and I will always get my questions answered and conserns to look at. One thing I like about my GI, he is teaching doctor in U of C, to me it means he has to be up to date with everything that is going on regarding CD. He was also excited to let me know that within 5 years there will be new meds out that can help better people like us. I will be seeing him now in September and getting my next Remicade I think in August. I am feeling great at the moment besides boring diet. I am doing fun things with my son, taking care of my family and still operating our B&B. I am sure like all of us here I will have lots of questions and I am also hoping to find some friends in this great support group. It is a long story but it was my story.
You could see in my face that I was very sick. So in January after holidays I went to a doctor again, they thought I had rheumatoid arthritis since I had all the symptoms but apparently these are also one of the Crohn's symptoms. Finally in February this year my doctor sent me for CT scan that showed that I had a kinck in my intestines, so he said and told me to go to ER right away. So I did, scared everybody, I ended up being in the hospital for two weeks. I got colonoscopy done the next day I was admitted to Foothills hospital. I was very fortunate to have such great team of doctors behind me. On Valentine's Day I was told I have severe case of Crohn's which meant I had obsrtruction in two places in small bowel and three fistulas (not sure if I spelled it correctly) from which one was in the rectum already. Anyhow, in the hospital they put me on prednizone, immuran, antibiotics and pantaloc right away and also did an ultrasound. They gave me iron via IV, E vitamin, lots of calcium and terrible diet - liquid ... try to gain weight on that one
I had lots of doctors and locums visiting me daily telling me about my life time diseas and new friend. One thing I did like about this team of doctors that they were brutaly honest about everything, bad, good and the ugly and I really appreciated it. They game me two options - med or surgery. I chose meds to see if they help. Surgent also came by to talk to me and I liked what he had to say to me even though it was very unusual, he said: "If you want surgery, give me a call". I liked it because he agreed with my desision to try med first instead of cutting me open and going in there right away, even though may be I needed it. medication started working on me right from the moment they put me on it. I also got my first Remicade infusion in the hospital. Week after I was diagnosed with Crohn's I had another ultrasound in the hospital and it proved that I had a positive reaction to medication. They said it looks the same but better. I was happy to hear that. One interesting thing I heard from the ultrasound technitian although I am not sure if it is true or not. Apparently Alberta is one of the places in the world where there is most Crohn's patents.
Anyway ... from the minute I was admitted to the hospital and put on meds I had no pain and I felt good again. I was sent home after two weeks with lots of new information, medications, spinning head and lots of changes in my life. The whole time I was sick or even in the hospital I tried to be positive even to the point I had to keep holding up my husband and mother in-laws mood and saying, I will be okay. Hello, I am sick and need encouraging here not you but I was strong and did it
After two weeks being at home and was ready to hop on the plaine to go visit my parents in Europe I went into sepcis. I woke up in the morning not feeling well and I though I needed more sleep, which I did but by lunch time I was feeling worse. Cramping, vomiting, going in and out of sleep. By the time I was suppose to be going on the plaine and I tried hard, they called an ambulance. I tried taking a shower but I just layed down on the floor and passed out, when my mother in-law found me she though I was dead. Funny thing was that eventhough I felt like crap I still understood what was going on around me and I could give very clear answers to paramedics. By the time they arrived my blood preassure was 40/90 and all I could do was sleep. I was admitted to the hospital again and they pumped about 4 liters of fluid in me and steroids and antibiotics. When I woke up in the morning I felt 95% fine like nothing happened. They kept me in there for 3 days just to keep an eye on me. I was doing good. I still went on my trip home to see my parents. I did take a risk and my doctor was worried but everything went well. I gained back about 20lb since my mom spoiled me to death and I got back my healthy glow and had my energy back. Now I am back home and under the care of my doc again. Since I have been back I had two minor flare ups, nothing serious, they think since I still have inflamation there. I have had 4 Remicade, (400 mg) infusions up to now, every 8 weeks now. I am off antibiotics and also prednizone. I am just on 150 gr of Immuran and 40 gr of Pantaloc and it is according my my weight and hight, I am 5'8" and 150lb now.
My diet is very boring at the moment since they don't recommend having greens or fruit, no nuts or seeds or fiber, so what do I have left carbs. As I understood that this is just teporary until it is bit better. Trust me sometimes I am just slapping my hand that reaches for a salad or strawberries and I say to my self, not yet but soon. So I eat cream of wheat, lots of white stuff, drink tons of water, vegetable puree soups to get some greens, vegetable juices. My husband says to me I have to be on this diet for a year to get bit better but it only will get worst ... thank you honey I love you too
My mother in-law seems to understand that eating greens and fruit will make you better and yes she is right but not now. She also tells me that other people with Crohn's eat normal and I do believe this but how long they have had it, how bad it was and how are they doing now, this she doesn't seem to understand. I know Crohn's will be my best friend forever but I do know I can still live my life and I CAN get better. I am hopeless optimist you see and I know I know things will get better. I also have a great team of doctors who I can count on. Call them anytime or e.mail them and I will always get my questions answered and conserns to look at. One thing I like about my GI, he is teaching doctor in U of C, to me it means he has to be up to date with everything that is going on regarding CD. He was also excited to let me know that within 5 years there will be new meds out that can help better people like us. I will be seeing him now in September and getting my next Remicade I think in August. I am feeling great at the moment besides boring diet. I am doing fun things with my son, taking care of my family and still operating our B&B. I am sure like all of us here I will have lots of questions and I am also hoping to find some friends in this great support group. It is a long story but it was my story.
