Only just discovered this forum tonight.
I'm a 24 year old from Scotland who has been living with Chrons since 2002.
I left my academy in 2002 with the intention of studying engineering at a local university, however, during the summer between institutions I became troubled by what felt like a pulled muscle at the top of my leg/buttock. This continued from June to August 2002 and got to the stage where I could start to feel a painful lump and I really started to worry about it being a tumour or something. I finally got up the courage to visit my doctor about my embarrassing problem and I was diagnosed with an abscess and sent home on a weeks worth of anti-biotics. The week was living hell with the abscess swelling up to twice it's size. At this point I should mention my weight as I had averaged around 8-9 stone since I hit 14-15 years old so at 17 my parents thought nothing of my lack of weight and put it down to puberty and growth "spirts." On my return to my doctor a week later I was given a advisory letter and told to report to the local hospital to have the abscess drained. During August of 2002 I had the operation to drain the abscess which had to be dressed by a day nurse visiting the house every morning. Just before I left hospital I was told that the abscess had started from a inflamed area of intestine and that I was suffering from Chron's. I didn't know what it was and nor did my parents but we kept on going and I did feel so much better.
Because of my new found illness my parents didn't want me to go to Uni to study so I decided to go to a local college instead and do engineering at diploma level to see it it really appealed to me - I didn't really know what I wanted to do TBH. I studied through my HND Mechanical and then went onto do my BSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering during this time.
In spring 2004 I remember having the worst night sleep you can imagine - I was feverish, tossing and turning in my sleep and generally feeling ill. A couple of days after this I had the strangest sensation ever - during urination I passed air (as best as I can describe it) and it really freaked me out to the extent I just broke down and cried - what was going on?! I went to see my doctor shortly after this and told him what was happening and he arranged to have me undergo investigation of my urinary tract/bladder with a camera - this freaked me out as a camera being put up your rear is one thing but a camera up your penis is a whole different level. Anyway I went in for the investigation and it was found that my small intestine, colon and bladder had fused together at one small "junction" and a tear had meant that air/gas could escape into my bladder from my intestine. Fantastic I thought as by this stage I was beginning to understand what I was dealing with.
My operation was scheduled for the 10th of November 2004 - two days before my 20th birthday. I was frightened to say the least as the doctors/surgeons told me of the risks to me. I was given an epidural in my spinal column prior to the operation going ahead and also marked out for emergency stoma if any complications were found.
Surgery for ten hours.
I woke up calmly and perfectly comfortable in a high dependency ward. I had a lovely scar, I was getting terrible muscle cramps on my stomach where the incision was made but apart from that I felt fine. My recovery took ten days and I left hospital fit and well. Everything was back to normal - I nearly couldn't remember what that was. Going to the toilet and just being normal - you couldn't have offered me anything in the world for that feeling.
I was started on a 150mg of Azathioprine soon after my op and I've been on it ever since.
I work for a large engineering firm as a project engineer and im living life to the full. I'll always have a scar down my front for the rest of my life but I just think that some people aren't even as lucky as me.
Hope that gives you a brief incite into my circumstances and I look forward to reading up on the information available on this site.
Cheers,
Rob.
I'm a 24 year old from Scotland who has been living with Chrons since 2002.
I left my academy in 2002 with the intention of studying engineering at a local university, however, during the summer between institutions I became troubled by what felt like a pulled muscle at the top of my leg/buttock. This continued from June to August 2002 and got to the stage where I could start to feel a painful lump and I really started to worry about it being a tumour or something. I finally got up the courage to visit my doctor about my embarrassing problem and I was diagnosed with an abscess and sent home on a weeks worth of anti-biotics. The week was living hell with the abscess swelling up to twice it's size. At this point I should mention my weight as I had averaged around 8-9 stone since I hit 14-15 years old so at 17 my parents thought nothing of my lack of weight and put it down to puberty and growth "spirts." On my return to my doctor a week later I was given a advisory letter and told to report to the local hospital to have the abscess drained. During August of 2002 I had the operation to drain the abscess which had to be dressed by a day nurse visiting the house every morning. Just before I left hospital I was told that the abscess had started from a inflamed area of intestine and that I was suffering from Chron's. I didn't know what it was and nor did my parents but we kept on going and I did feel so much better.
Because of my new found illness my parents didn't want me to go to Uni to study so I decided to go to a local college instead and do engineering at diploma level to see it it really appealed to me - I didn't really know what I wanted to do TBH. I studied through my HND Mechanical and then went onto do my BSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering during this time.
In spring 2004 I remember having the worst night sleep you can imagine - I was feverish, tossing and turning in my sleep and generally feeling ill. A couple of days after this I had the strangest sensation ever - during urination I passed air (as best as I can describe it) and it really freaked me out to the extent I just broke down and cried - what was going on?! I went to see my doctor shortly after this and told him what was happening and he arranged to have me undergo investigation of my urinary tract/bladder with a camera - this freaked me out as a camera being put up your rear is one thing but a camera up your penis is a whole different level. Anyway I went in for the investigation and it was found that my small intestine, colon and bladder had fused together at one small "junction" and a tear had meant that air/gas could escape into my bladder from my intestine. Fantastic I thought as by this stage I was beginning to understand what I was dealing with.
My operation was scheduled for the 10th of November 2004 - two days before my 20th birthday. I was frightened to say the least as the doctors/surgeons told me of the risks to me. I was given an epidural in my spinal column prior to the operation going ahead and also marked out for emergency stoma if any complications were found.
Surgery for ten hours.
I woke up calmly and perfectly comfortable in a high dependency ward. I had a lovely scar, I was getting terrible muscle cramps on my stomach where the incision was made but apart from that I felt fine. My recovery took ten days and I left hospital fit and well. Everything was back to normal - I nearly couldn't remember what that was. Going to the toilet and just being normal - you couldn't have offered me anything in the world for that feeling.
I was started on a 150mg of Azathioprine soon after my op and I've been on it ever since.
I work for a large engineering firm as a project engineer and im living life to the full. I'll always have a scar down my front for the rest of my life but I just think that some people aren't even as lucky as me.
Hope that gives you a brief incite into my circumstances and I look forward to reading up on the information available on this site.
Cheers,
Rob.
