Introducing Myself

[Nrthngrl]

Hello everyone,

I found this site by doing a search on some of the medication that I'm currently taking becuase I'm pretty sure I'm going through a flare up right now. It's been a long road to here but thankfully my current (and only) GI has been awesome and has been the first Doctor in all my years to take my health complaints seriously. Rather than go into the long story of my digestive track - I'll tell you where I am to date! I was sent to my GI in the beginning of 2012 after unexplained weight loss, consistant running to the bathroom with diarrhea along with a long list of other symptoms. After a Colonoscopy, endoscope and more tests than you can imagine (well maybe you can:yfaint I found out the following:

1) GI said my bowels were really bad..basically looked like that of someone who was much much older than me - I'm a 35yr old woman
2) 1cm sygmoid polyp that was closer to cancer than pre-cancer (removed and all clear)
3) Bile Acid Malabsorption
4) Fructose Malabsorption (on a low FODMAP diet)
5) UC
6) Costrochondritis
7) Incisional hernia from gallbladder removal (3cm stone = gallbladder removal which is believed to have made my system go into super sensitive overdrive)
8) very low vit D (he asked how I even get out of bed)

I'm on the following medications:
Pentasa 500mg twice a day
Mezavant 1.2g x2 once a day
Lodalis 625mg once a day
Ursidiol C 250mg once a day

I've lost a lot of weight to date. I've never in my life been this thin but any malaborption tests (other than the FM and BAM) show fine. It's been a year of huge lifestyle changes and education on what goes in my mouth BUT I've never felt better - with the exception of this flare I'm going through.

So that's me in a basic nutshell.

 

[Jim (POPS)]

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you are in a flair, we all know what that is like here. I hope you find the support you want at this site. I sure did.

 

[araceli]

Welcome. Hope you feel better soon. I am sure you will find this forum very helpful and supportive.

 

[sawdust]

Hello Nrthngrl, and welcome. I'm sad and glad in the same that you've found your way here, but I think you'll find this to be a great place, with wonderful people who can understand you like no one else can!

If you haven't found it already, we do have a Ulcerative Colitis Forum, and while it sounds like you've tried some diet-related things already, we do have a section for Diet, Fitness, and Supplements.

I'm sorry you're having a rough go of things of late, but it sounds like you and your GI are working through things. In my experience, there are alot of things that affect different patients in different ways, and it's not always as an exact formula or science as you might like it to be. On the other hand, I think as you work through some different tests and treatments, you'll kind of "learn yourself" and what works and doesn't work for you. I hope you can find something that works really well for you, and quickly! Welcome.

 

[ijl]

hello,
I'm also 35 yrs old and been thru hell and back literally. everyday is a huge battle. I hope u do start feeling better fast and very soon. being sick is horrible and depressing. I know all too well. I'm here for u. lots of experience - been sick for 18 + yrs.

 

[Nrthngrl]

Just saying thanks to all of you. I've had a change in jobs recently which has taken up some time to adjust. Knowing I have others to turn to and those people know what I'm talking about because they've been there not because they've heard about it is comforting.