I am 31 and was diagnosed with Crohn's at 15. Looking at me you would never know what hell I've been through with this body of mine. My friend suggested I get on here to share and hopefully learn more from my peers. Living with Crohn's is something I would never wish upon anyone. I've been hospitalized so many times I've lost count. Another wonderful thing about this autoimmune disease is that so many other funky things develop along with it. In the past I've had pyoderma gangrenousm on my left shin(a very painful and scary thing to go through) that left a lovely scar, erythema nodosum also on my right shin and also painful. Two trips to the Mayo Clinic one of which resulted in an emergency bowel resection due to a complete obstruction at the age of 25. Pneumonia, pleurisy twice, multiple Staph infections and just recently developed arthritis symptoms in All of my joints, cause: due to 10 years of remicade infusions. Trying to get a doctor to prescribe alternative and preventative solutions is just as hard as getting them to prescribe pain meds. I am so fed up with the health care system right now. I'm going broke trying to stay alive. I live in Oregon and to get on the OHP Oregon Health Plan I don't qualify unless I have, been uninsured for over 6 months, single and pregnant, or make less than 1,000 per month. I have Kaiser and the pattern I've been seeing in the Physicians is: lets give you more drugs to "see" if this helps, even if the side effects are worse than the disease. I'm so tired.....
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