- Joined
- Feb 17, 2015
- Messages
- 2
Hi! Im a 23 year old female from the UK and I have suffered with my bowels for 10 years (if not more). I was that embarrassed teenager who denied what was happening and I accepted it as my normal and avoided telling my GP.
In 2012 I tested negative for Coeliac and then freaked when my GP wanted to refer me for a colonoscopy. I left the room and never mentioned my bowels to the Dr again until Dec 2014. I had spent 8 years trying to treat it like it was IBS so I could avoid the dr's but that didnt work.
I also suffer from chronic urticaria and to try treat that I take 300mg ciclosporin daily (immunesuppression) which I began in September 2012. To my surprise, my bowels reacted very well to this medication which immediately got me thinking - ciclosporin is a treatment for IBD. So in December 2014 I decided to stop been embarrassed and get this sorted out. Around this time I found out my Uncle and Grandad and 2 Great aunties (all on my mums side of the family) have crohns too along with fistulas and lots of other problems.
My main issues are diarrhea and abdo pain - constantly feeling uncomfortable and then feeling pain after meals especially when it flares up. During the bad times I can drop 10-14lbs easily but then when it calms down I gain it back plus more which made me so overweight! The joint pain is crippling at times to the point I can't walk or straighten my arm or wrist. And the fatigue is just killing me slowly Im sure. I spend the majority of my time in bed or laying down resting once I get home from work (where I sit on my bum all day). The diarrhea is 'normal' for me as well as very loose unformed stools. A normal healthy and formed BM leaves me feeling delighted and this is very rare unfortunately. There have been occasions where I have blood in my stools and times where I have had extremely dark /verging on black stools. My poor mouth gets around 2 ulcers per month and has been like that since I was 6 years old, thankfully I loved bonjella!
My wonderfully kind GP referred me in December 14 to see a GI and I was fortunate and lucky enough to get offered Private treatment via the NHS. My GI is amazing and he booked me in for the colonoscopy. Last Wednesday, after 8 attempts to get the IV into a vein, I went to the land of nod whilst he stuck his camera into my colon. I have no recollection and woke up demanding toast.
Tonight after the longest 6 days I finally get my answers but I have this gut feeling (pun intended) that he will say he found nothing and I will be left feeling defeated. However, I have written a list detailing all my symptoms so I don't forget to mention anything and I am going to request he does an endoscopy and even pill cam because I need answers. He was the one who told me I need the answers so Im crossing my fingers he doesn't dismiss me and tell me it's IBS. I know for certain its not IBS.
I apologise for how badly written this is, I don't know why but i typed as it came to me without thinking of how it would flow.
If anything I want the diagnosis of an IBD - then I can begin trying treatments and have an answer as to why my bowels have dominated half of my life.
I will update tonight once I find out my results!!
H x
In 2012 I tested negative for Coeliac and then freaked when my GP wanted to refer me for a colonoscopy. I left the room and never mentioned my bowels to the Dr again until Dec 2014. I had spent 8 years trying to treat it like it was IBS so I could avoid the dr's but that didnt work.
I also suffer from chronic urticaria and to try treat that I take 300mg ciclosporin daily (immunesuppression) which I began in September 2012. To my surprise, my bowels reacted very well to this medication which immediately got me thinking - ciclosporin is a treatment for IBD. So in December 2014 I decided to stop been embarrassed and get this sorted out. Around this time I found out my Uncle and Grandad and 2 Great aunties (all on my mums side of the family) have crohns too along with fistulas and lots of other problems.
My main issues are diarrhea and abdo pain - constantly feeling uncomfortable and then feeling pain after meals especially when it flares up. During the bad times I can drop 10-14lbs easily but then when it calms down I gain it back plus more which made me so overweight! The joint pain is crippling at times to the point I can't walk or straighten my arm or wrist. And the fatigue is just killing me slowly Im sure. I spend the majority of my time in bed or laying down resting once I get home from work (where I sit on my bum all day). The diarrhea is 'normal' for me as well as very loose unformed stools. A normal healthy and formed BM leaves me feeling delighted and this is very rare unfortunately. There have been occasions where I have blood in my stools and times where I have had extremely dark /verging on black stools. My poor mouth gets around 2 ulcers per month and has been like that since I was 6 years old, thankfully I loved bonjella!
My wonderfully kind GP referred me in December 14 to see a GI and I was fortunate and lucky enough to get offered Private treatment via the NHS. My GI is amazing and he booked me in for the colonoscopy. Last Wednesday, after 8 attempts to get the IV into a vein, I went to the land of nod whilst he stuck his camera into my colon. I have no recollection and woke up demanding toast.
Tonight after the longest 6 days I finally get my answers but I have this gut feeling (pun intended) that he will say he found nothing and I will be left feeling defeated. However, I have written a list detailing all my symptoms so I don't forget to mention anything and I am going to request he does an endoscopy and even pill cam because I need answers. He was the one who told me I need the answers so Im crossing my fingers he doesn't dismiss me and tell me it's IBS. I know for certain its not IBS.
I apologise for how badly written this is, I don't know why but i typed as it came to me without thinking of how it would flow.
If anything I want the diagnosis of an IBD - then I can begin trying treatments and have an answer as to why my bowels have dominated half of my life.
I will update tonight once I find out my results!!
H x
