How many times have you been hospitalized?

[mikeyarmo]

Unfortunately I know the number for some of you is likely going to be a bit higher, but I was just curious as to the number of times you have been hospitalized for your Crohn's Disease or IBD.

I was first hospitalized in February for about a week, and then later returned for 3 more weeks at the end of March/part of april which is also when I had my surgery. So in total I have been hospitalized twice for a total of a month in the hospital (not bad if you consider that it was only 1/228th of my life).

 

[MikesAngel21]

Ive only been hospitalized once when i was first diagnosed. and it was for a full week, it wasnt too bad, and Im glad it never had to be more!! (not yet anyways)

 

[Kossy]

I'm not sure but I would ball park it at around 40. Give or take 5 lower or higher.

 

[jyarmo]

Only three times here! Hopefully It'll stay at that!

 

[ReeRee]

Too many times to count...lol. I'd say between 30 and 40 times, and that's a conservative guesstimation. The longest I've had to stay at one shot was 2 1/2 months back in 2001/02, went in just after Halloween and stayed until well after New Year's.

It sucked being in there during Christmas, but my Aunt brought a small fiber optic Christmas tree and she and my adopted little cousin Conner decorated it and my room. My best friend Wendi went and did all my shopping for me. My other best friend Beckie came for my b'day on Dec 16th and helped me wrap gifts. Then my Mom and Dad brought my kids to spend Christmas day with me and open gifts. The nurses and doctors were great tho and let us do it because honestly, they didn't expect me to live to see January. I fooled them LOL! The word spread thru the hospital and other patients would come in to see my docorations..lol.

The hospital is my 2nd home.

 

[Jenni]

for me it was twice this month a total of forteen days. but i did find out something that blows my mind. i had been bleeding for months and months and wat the dr told my parents and didnt tell me was that if i had bleed for another week, because i was gettign weaker and weaker i wouldve been hospitalized and fed threw a tube because i was getting so bad. the thing is i stopped bleeding right before that was going to happen. i am so thankful for that!

 

[Jenni]

ok actually it wasnt just cuz i was bleeding it was cuz i was goin like 20 times a day and they couldnt find a stop for anyof it.

 

[Kate]

well at this point apart from a stay overnight when they didnt know what it was i havent been in there yet and my dr says it was a mirrical.

 

[samantha]

7 times for me the most recent being last month, everytime was for about a week or so but I always have to return after about 3 days because I get bad steriod withdrawls where I can't walk or move my arms properly. Also the pain is the worst I have ever known.
Sam x

 

[Jeff D.]

Ive only been hospitalized once when i was first diagnosed. and it was for a full week, it wasnt too bad, and Im glad it never had to be more!! (not yet anyways)

Same here

Jeff

 

[Tami Lynn]

Could you please define what you mean by "hospitalized?" Are we talking about ER visits too? Overnight stays? Extended stays? Surgery? ALL of the above???

I'm sure that for me, I've been hospitalized more times than I could possibly want to try to remember in the past 21 years.

As far as CD related hospitalizations, I've had four major operations (gallbladder, apendix, 3 resections) and numerous hosptial ER visits and admissions for bowel obstructions and dehydration. Can we say, "human pin cusion?" It's pretty bad when they start inspecting your groin area b/c they can't find any "good veins" left... scary too! lol

Besides that, I experienced one bad auto wreck in 1995 that landed me in ICU overnight and the hospital for a week. I've also delivered two babies (both in a hospital).

I don't necessarily like hospitals...but for some strange reason I feel comfortable in that atmosphere (like Ree said, it's almost like a "second home").

I have a lot of compassion for people who are stuck in the hospital. I know how much it means to have visitors come by as well as have a person to speak up for you on your behalf and watch your back (literally with those stupid gowns! LOL) when you're incapacitated.

I've had experiences where I personally felt quite helpless and dependant lying in a hospital bed with all sorts of tubes coming and going everywhere after major surgery.

My mother was always a lifesafer when I've been in the hospital. She would come visit me and help me to freshen up (wash my hair, give the personal attention you feel more comfortable getting from someone you actually know [sponge bath, lotion, deoderant, bringing clean underwear and a nighty/robe from home!). Little things like that can make such a BIG difference!

 

[cookey]

Oh my gosh, tough question for me...Honestly to many to count. Every summer like clock work since I was 18...so that would be, hmmmm....alot, lol. That's one of the worst things about Crohns, hardly ever see the light of day.

 

[feliegirl123]

Once and that was when i was first diagnosted at the beginning of march. i was in for 24 days.

 

[hitrixie]

Since I've had crohn's for 24 years, my hospital stays are numerous. I would guess 60-70 times. Unfortunately once I'm in the hospital I'm there for months, usually 3 months. Most stays were for surgeries (13 so far) and the rest were months on TPN, abcesses after surgery, redoing the stoma for my temp. ileostomy twice, and most recently my gallbladder. Which ended up with conplications, when they opened me up somehow my gallbladder attached to my stomach and I had a hole in my stomach. So a 5 day stay went to 2 weeks. It's pretty bad when the housekeeping staff and telephone and T.V. people know you by name!! My surgeon is scared to touch me. Even he says "whatever can go wrong, does."
I have actually made it 2 1/2 years without being admitted !!! Although have had some ER trips. Just got a dose of Remicade last Fri. seems how things are starting to flare again, hopefully that does the trick.

Trish

 

[Mozam]

Between the ages of seven (diagnosis) and sixteen (ileostomy), I'd hazard a guess at 25 times. My longest stay during that time was three months, although I was allowed home at weekends to see friends and stuff. I missed so much school during that time, I think I only completed around 2 and a half years of what we call "primary" school - when it should actually be seven years.

After my stoma was carried out, I got a really long run of good health and, apart from a couple of overnight hospital stays where I've needed blood transfusions or general hydrating, that good health has carried on. The only other hospital things I've needed are tests to see if I've got any ulceration. we all know what THOSE tests are - the joys of Barium (both ways!), and my favourite, the camera crew - both down the throat and through my stoma. There's a nice thought eh!!!!

 

[Lacey]

I'd say about 40-50 times. stopped being able to keep track a long long time ago. the longest was my first hospitalization, i was there for about 6 weeks, thats when the doctors diagnosed me with crohns.

 

[ncgirl]

Being 25 and having Crohn's since I was 13, I'd say about 25-30 times. Usually the stays averaged 7-10 days, the last being the longest when I had my ileosotmy, three years ago. The last stay was one month.

 

[Jenni]

omgosh u guys im scared! my parents seem to think theres a chance ill hav to go in the hosptial. im gettin weaker. i fell down some steps yesteday and my dad had to help me get in my room. um im scared i dont wanna go in the hospital and ahh just keep me in ur thoughts and prayers!

 

[cagfire]

Jenni...here's some hugs for you {{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}} hope you feel better and don't have to go to hospital, although sometimes it's better to be there than **** scared at home.

Since being diagnosed in '87 I've lost count of the number of times I've been admitted. Resections, various surgeries, tests, obstructions, observations, the longest I spent was about 4 weeks after my last resection just a couple of years ago when my bowel stopped working and I kept having excorcist like spews when the doctors kept making me eat even though I was telling them I couldn't.

There is no experience quite like projectile vomiting...eeewwwww You feel like a sprinkler and the excorcist combined...lol.

 

[kc0eks]

twice now for me. both a week long. First when diagnosed, second last week.

I didnt think it was too bad, other than my doctor pissing me off many, many times...I was in the hospital for 2 days before I saw him, he claimed he didnt know I was there...yet he authorized me being admitted.

 

[Jonny]

For me since 2003 once for stoma surgery i was in for about a month in may til June
And since then ive been in overnite about 5 times for my peri-anal fistula which still bugs me and i will be in again for it im sure soon enough.

 

[Anyalee]

Never hospitalized - what's wrong with me?

Am I the only one who's never been hospitalized? Or is it cruel to mention it and the others have chosen to remain silent and tactful? I had to fight to get in to the hospital; perhaps I beat the disease there and got the steroids early enough to prevent irreparable damage? I have to admit that I have, on occasion (last month), deliberately gone out of my way to make myself ill just to see if it was still there (I have a very short term memory). In fact, I do believe that's why I came here (on this site); to hear other people's stories and see if I could even relate. But, yeah, I can. And I got my proof all this month and present. I feel very lucky that I can manage without the NHS. They've really only gotten in my way of maintaining myself (she says).

 

[Kossy]

Am I the only one who's never been hospitalized? Or is it cruel to mention it and the others have chosen to remain silent and tactful? I had to fight to get in to the hospital; perhaps I beat the disease there and got the steroids early enough to prevent irreparable damage? I have to admit that I have, on occasion (last month), deliberately gone out of my way to make myself ill just to see if it was still there (I have a very short term memory). In fact, I do believe that's why I came here (on this site); to hear other people's stories and see if I could even relate. But, yeah, I can. And I got my proof all this month and present. I feel very lucky that I can manage without the NHS. They've really only gotten in my way of maintaining myself (she says).

Knock on wood.. quick. A hospital stay messes you up in so many ways. When you get home after a stay you become very week, not really sure which way is up or down and you pretty much lose track of what day it is. It pretty much screws with your head when you get out. It takes a while to get back in the saddle and have control over your days.

 

[Donna]

I have only been hospitalized twice. The first time was for 10 days when I was diagnosed, and the second was this past January for 4 days. I keep begging for surgery, but they wont do it. Soooo I am sure I will have some more flares before long and thus putting me back into the hospital!!!

Donna

 

[Valentina]

me neither

Am I the only one who's never been hospitalized?

Ive never been hospitalized either for Crohn's.. guess we should just count ourselves lucky on that one.

 

[bugzy]

oh thats a hard one, has to be in the 20's for me. staying between a week and 12 weeks at a time.

 

[JoJo]

I'm VERY lucky in the fact that I have never been kept in hospital more than a few hours.

 

[btcrv]

I quit counting at 12-15. It got too depressing. I had a lot of bowel obstructions and was usually in there about 3-4 days each time. When I had my bowel reserection I was there 10 days, the same amount as when I was diagnoses.

 

[rhiannonctr]

After reading everyone's posts I'm feeling pretty lucky. I've had Crohn's since '87, but wasn't hospitalized until 2004. Then between Nov 2004 and April 2005 I had 5 admits (including Thanksgiving and Christmas) that lasted about a week each. In May 2005 I had my 6th stay for surgery that lasted 6 weeks due to severe complications (almost died from cluster of pulmonary emboli).

It's been a year now since my last admit--I'm knocking on wood and doing anything else I can think of to stay out!

 

[Trixie329]

Ive never been hospitalized either for Crohn's.. guess we should just count ourselves lucky on that one.

Same here. Have visited the ER twice because I needed help with pain management but have never had to be admitted.

Believe me I am very very grateful for that.

 

[DarrylP_Ajax]

Made three 12 hour trips to the E.R. and thats it

 

[k-t]

its only 7 times i think, could be more i've kinda forgotten.....

Ktxx

 

[punky_liz]

Twice I believe. I consider myself very lucky.

 

[joshuahoye]

hospital stays

In total i would have to say that ive spent at least a year total in the hospital since i was 10, so thats 15 yrs. i think is closer to a year an a half tho!!