- Joined
- Jul 12, 2012
- Messages
- 1
Let me preface by saying I was a stubborn, spoiled 19 year old college student when this all began 
Between the boozing, casual class attendance, and intense computer gaming that was my life entitlement, things were going well. When the pains started, I didn't want anything to change. The excruciating pain would almost always happen at 4-7 in the morning, and I would be there, writhing in pain for hours that seemed like days, laying on my side, then my back, then my stomach, waiting for it to end. When it did, I felt like I had been graced with relief by some transcendental being. It was like some weird masochistic nightly ritual - like "the sweet is never as sweet without the sour". I dismissed it for roughly 2 months as bad gas.
As it continued, I used my brilliance as an MD to self-diagnose it as some bizarre perpetual constipation. I would eat stool softeners that looked like chocolate bars as my "remedy". Of course it didn't work. Those stool softeners became last resort beer munchies eventually.
So the pain continued. I don't know at what point I actually got up and went to a doctor, but it may have been roughly 3-4 months since the pain started. I told her the symptoms, she put me in for a scan. This happened a few days later.
I remember it was a Friday when I had a couple buddies come in from out of town for a fun UCF college experience weekend. We were on the way to get a keg for a party I was throwing that night when I got a call from my doctor:
Doctor: "Hello"
Me: "Hello"
Doctor: "This is doctor (so and so). We got results back. It appears your appendix has ruptured and is leaking toxins into your body. I have already called the hospital ahead of time and they are already anticipating your arrival. Your emergency surgery will happen early tomorrow morning. Do you have any contacts that can help you arrange for the stay?"
Me: (Looking around the car at my friend, obviously with a visage of disappointment) ......
Doctor: "Are you there?"
Me: "Can I go to the hospital tomorrow?"
Doctor: .......
Nevertheless, I did go in that night much to the appall of cancelling a college party. The result was a fairly intense surgery. I had 5 scars, a hospital stay of about a week, and the inability to really walk or take care of myself that well for about 4 weeks. And many, many painkillers....
But I wasn't diagnosed yet.
3 months later, I was back working at Blockbuster, continuing my unproductive yet highly entertaining life, until it happened. It felt like a bolt of lightening, even worse, fierce and penetrating, right at my right lower abdomen. To this day it was the single worst flare up I ever had, because my legs gave out and I fell on the ground almost lifelessly. My co-worker screamed. The customer leaned over the counter curiously and inquired if I was alright. This time, I went to the emergency room after I regained my composure (maybe I was growing up?).
After a series of tests, they determined that I had appendicitis.
Me: "But...I had my appendix removed 3 months ago?"
Medical Assistant: "Hmmmm" (Looks at charts) "Are you sure?"
Me: :facepalm:
A couple days later...I had Crohn's.
Now since then, this is an ongoing thing I've always struggled with, which isn't surprising for the members of this forum....
I've found medication to be very helpful, but in the college years it was hard to keep up with paying for it/taking it every day. I found myself playing that pity card (why me?) and it took me some time to accept it.
I missed eating the spicy foods I loved before and ate them anyway and endured the pain because of it. It also made me realize that "hey, I WAS having pain every time I had really spicy food before didn't I?"
But go to today, I've been able to achieve:
I'm not sure why I've waited that long to be on a forum. Maybe it is still that stubbornness in me. But really, the thought of being in this kind of community means a lot to me because I know how detrimental Crohn's can be to quality of life. I've had 2 bouts of being completely bedridden since diagnosed. Once it was about 6 weeks. There is too much going on in my life to have Crohn's affect me more than one day. So here I am to share, and learn what ways people are managing their own scenarios :ysmile:
Between the boozing, casual class attendance, and intense computer gaming that was my life entitlement, things were going well. When the pains started, I didn't want anything to change. The excruciating pain would almost always happen at 4-7 in the morning, and I would be there, writhing in pain for hours that seemed like days, laying on my side, then my back, then my stomach, waiting for it to end. When it did, I felt like I had been graced with relief by some transcendental being. It was like some weird masochistic nightly ritual - like "the sweet is never as sweet without the sour". I dismissed it for roughly 2 months as bad gas.
As it continued, I used my brilliance as an MD to self-diagnose it as some bizarre perpetual constipation. I would eat stool softeners that looked like chocolate bars as my "remedy". Of course it didn't work. Those stool softeners became last resort beer munchies eventually.
So the pain continued. I don't know at what point I actually got up and went to a doctor, but it may have been roughly 3-4 months since the pain started. I told her the symptoms, she put me in for a scan. This happened a few days later.
I remember it was a Friday when I had a couple buddies come in from out of town for a fun UCF college experience weekend. We were on the way to get a keg for a party I was throwing that night when I got a call from my doctor:
Doctor: "Hello"
Me: "Hello"
Doctor: "This is doctor (so and so). We got results back. It appears your appendix has ruptured and is leaking toxins into your body. I have already called the hospital ahead of time and they are already anticipating your arrival. Your emergency surgery will happen early tomorrow morning. Do you have any contacts that can help you arrange for the stay?"
Me: (Looking around the car at my friend, obviously with a visage of disappointment) ......
Doctor: "Are you there?"
Me: "Can I go to the hospital tomorrow?"
Doctor: .......
Nevertheless, I did go in that night much to the appall of cancelling a college party. The result was a fairly intense surgery. I had 5 scars, a hospital stay of about a week, and the inability to really walk or take care of myself that well for about 4 weeks. And many, many painkillers....
But I wasn't diagnosed yet.
3 months later, I was back working at Blockbuster, continuing my unproductive yet highly entertaining life, until it happened. It felt like a bolt of lightening, even worse, fierce and penetrating, right at my right lower abdomen. To this day it was the single worst flare up I ever had, because my legs gave out and I fell on the ground almost lifelessly. My co-worker screamed. The customer leaned over the counter curiously and inquired if I was alright. This time, I went to the emergency room after I regained my composure (maybe I was growing up?).
After a series of tests, they determined that I had appendicitis.
Me: "But...I had my appendix removed 3 months ago?"
Medical Assistant: "Hmmmm" (Looks at charts) "Are you sure?"
Me: :facepalm:
A couple days later...I had Crohn's.
Now since then, this is an ongoing thing I've always struggled with, which isn't surprising for the members of this forum....
I've found medication to be very helpful, but in the college years it was hard to keep up with paying for it/taking it every day. I found myself playing that pity card (why me?) and it took me some time to accept it.
I missed eating the spicy foods I loved before and ate them anyway and endured the pain because of it. It also made me realize that "hey, I WAS having pain every time I had really spicy food before didn't I?"
But go to today, I've been able to achieve:
- Better ways of managing stress (most important for my particular case)
- A diet that is still great yet has a far less chance of creating flare ups
- A good workout routine
I'm not sure why I've waited that long to be on a forum. Maybe it is still that stubbornness in me. But really, the thought of being in this kind of community means a lot to me because I know how detrimental Crohn's can be to quality of life. I've had 2 bouts of being completely bedridden since diagnosed. Once it was about 6 weeks. There is too much going on in my life to have Crohn's affect me more than one day. So here I am to share, and learn what ways people are managing their own scenarios :ysmile:
