Having Crohns & Type 1 Diabetes

[Dery23]

My story is pretty similar to a lot of you. New to this site but am hoping to just chat and have someone else to talk to about what it's like. I am 24 and I've had crohns since I was 15. I didn't really get diagnosed till I was around 18 maybe? They kept thinking it was either colitis or crohns but either or i had one of them. My endocrinologist has always thought I've always had type 1 diabetes but no one really ever tested for it. I finally got diagnosed with that when I was 21 or 22.

Having both is just interesting to say the least. To an extent I've accepted all of this but through the years I've been on multiple medications for crohns and trying new things and I'm finally on remmicade. I feeling this is working so far. Daily it's a struggle with having both of them. One day its crohns and the next its diabetes and sometimes both are having issues. I've also been just feeling guilty a little bit that my husbands and I's insurance has changed and having both of these has put a little bit of stress financially with these changes. Just trying to get things together.

Note:
We moved back from being in kansas since my husband got out of the army this past April. Things have changed quite a bit being here and it's been hard.

He's been going through a lot and medically it's been challenging being back for me. I've called out go work a bit here and there just because I've been exhausted due to crohns and such and it's hard not to feel bad about it.

Anyways though, would love to meet some new people and chat and just talk to someone else who knows what it's like to have crohns. Thank you!

 

[Lady Organic]

Hi Dery and welcome to the Forum!
Thank you for sharing your story

 

[valleysangel92]

Hello and welcome to the forum

I was diagnosed when I was 19, although I started getting symptoms at 15 so we're quite similar in that respect. I have multiple other conditions too, its actually fairly common here, you'll find a lot of people will relate to the challenge of trying to juggle more than one illness and multiple types of treatments.

One of my other conditions is Coeliac Disease, and many of the symptoms are very similar to Crohn's disease. I was diagnosed with Coeliac at age 14, so when I started having pain and loosing weight, a lot of doctors just assumed I wasn't controlling the coeliac properly despite my coeliac markers all being good. It can be extremely frustrating when dealing with multiple conditions and trying to get doctors to recognise that there is more than one thing going on.

I'm very fortunate to live in the UK where health care is free at the point of need, so I don't have to worry about medical costs as such, but like many here I can definitely relate to the feelings of guilt that can come with a chronic illness. I'm always feeling bad for the fact that my food costs so much more than "regular food", I hate that I have needed adaptations and equipment that have cost money, it bothers me that there are things a regular couple can do without thinking that me and my fiancé will probably never be able to do. Trust me though, your husband won't be blaming you. He'll know that its not your fault and I bet he feels glad he can take care of you in some way. One of the hardest things about chronic illnesses can be the impact on the people we love, but honestly all they want is for us to know they are there.