It has been a year

[the carpenter]

It has been a year since my resection surgery and diagnosis of Crohn's Disease. Looking back I now realize I had had symptoms of Crohn's Disease for several years. Not having insurance at the time I had put off seeing a doctor and when I did go in I was misdiagnosed and placed on Cipro. I did seem to get some temporary relief from this but with the end of the treatment symptoms returned stronger each time. After another four months of decline; night sweats, high fevers, and rapid weight loss I was sent in for an emergency CT scan and was admitted to the hospital near death.

In April a colonoscopy showed a Crohn's recurrence and I was seen by Dr. Wm. Chamberlin in Billings, MT and placed on anti-MAP antibiotic therapy of clarithromycin 500, rifampim 300mg, levofloxacin 500. I also take 1000 units of vitamin D and eat yogurt daily for probiotics.

I was hoping to maintain a long term doctor/patient relationship with Dr Chamberlin but on my second visit I was informed he would be leaving Billings. I am currently working with my regular GP and have yet to assign a replacement gastroenterologist.

To date I have responded well. It took me about two months to adjust to the effects of the antibiotics and still some days are better than others. I have regained fifty pounds of the initial seventy-five pounds lost. So far so good.

 

[Bunty]

I wish you well
It will be interesting for yiu to look back in another twelve months too, to see how far you've come.
I'm newly diagnosed myself and feel I've been lucky in how quickly things moved after my initial GP visit. I feel especially lucky when I read how difficult some folk have had it even once they have a diagnosis.
As you say, so far so good
Bunty x

 

[DJW]

Hi and welcome.

Is the current treatment still working?