Hello everyone, just thought I'd introduce myself.
A little background--I'm a 20 yr old male, college student (UW in Seattle, WA) who was just diagnosed with Crohn's last month. I was first admitted to ER in Dec of last year for the standard--severe abdominal pain, horrible nausea/vomiting, diarrhea etc. etc.
I was released same day with a simple diagnosis of gastroenteritis (sp) and sent on my way, as the ER doc told me he had been seeing a lot of that lately and it was a simple 24 bug resembling food poisoning. So I was sent on my way with a few pain killers and nausea pills and seemed to get a little better for a while.
Fast forward a month and the same thing happened to a far worse degree and I was again admitted to the hospital. My ER doc concluded it wasn't appendicitis (as was initially suspected; the pain and swelling *think golf ball* was highly localized to my lower right abdomen) and further was suspect of the fact that just a month earlier I had been admitted for the exact same symptoms so a CT scan was ordered. Basically my small intestine was swollen to the size of a watermelon at the terminal ilem and the inner diameter was about the size of a pinhole, which was causing severe blockage and obviously the acute pain. I was latter shown the scan by my GI doc and he explained I was so inflamed that even the contrast I had consumed for the test did not make it past my ileum. Pretty brutal.
So I was referred to a specialist from that point. I was given a few weeks to take Cipro in hopes that it was a simple infection and to allow the inflammation to go down so I could be scoped. I was also subject to the multitude of blood and stool tests to attempt to find another reason for my inflammation. All came back negative.
I was finally scoped on Feb. 17 and that was when my doc was sure I had Crohn's. Sections of my colon look like the lunar surface with pus volcanoes and my ic valve is all out of wack.
The diagnosis was made more firm by the fact that I display odd symptoms I would have thought completely unrelated but are consistent with Crohn's like joint pain, eye swelling/problems, and most bothersome, horrible and long-lasting mouth sores.
So that's the story of being diagnosed. I met with my doc again (who I should say I like very much, which is such a relief) this Tuesday to plan how I will control the disease. I have been taking 40 mg of Prednisone a day since the 17th of Feb, and will be getting off that soon to start my TNF Antagonist as well a Azathioprine (sp). He is a proponent of dual treatment, so that is the plan for now. We spoke for a long time about all the options, risks, why he likes using both drugs, what I can expect etc. etc.
So that is where I am at now. Still taking the Prednisone, which I HATE. Haven't slept more than 10 hours in the last 72. Feel wired and exhausted at the same time, though I suppose it is better than the horrible pain, fatigue I was experiencing before. I will be off it soon and am looking forward to sleep and getting rid of my abnormal irritability.
That is my story. I hope to make some good contacts here, get advice from some sage souls, and life a happy and healthy life. If anyone actually read this whole thing I truly appreciate it. I'm sorry it was so long, I just thought it better to be thorough. Also, don't quote me on everything here (esp. treatment and whatnot; I think I got the gist of it but I'm pretty out of it right now and my memory has been failing me lately from pure exhaustion).
Thanks a lot for any help in the future guys. I truly appreciate it.
And in unrelated musing, just to add a personal touch, I have an unnatural love for cars (BMWs in particular, one of my favorite things to do is wrench on my 1995 M3), value my drum set (which I have been playing for 11+ years) more than any possession I own, and started to and continue to skateboard (though more and more infrequently) since I was 4 years old. I also am obsessed with skydiving (well, as much as one can be from only doing it once) and am currently planning on getting my riggers license this summer when I am hopefully in a steady state of remission. Oh, and I quit smoking! This is day number 11 without so much as a puff!
Cheers!
-JD
A little background--I'm a 20 yr old male, college student (UW in Seattle, WA) who was just diagnosed with Crohn's last month. I was first admitted to ER in Dec of last year for the standard--severe abdominal pain, horrible nausea/vomiting, diarrhea etc. etc.
I was released same day with a simple diagnosis of gastroenteritis (sp) and sent on my way, as the ER doc told me he had been seeing a lot of that lately and it was a simple 24 bug resembling food poisoning. So I was sent on my way with a few pain killers and nausea pills and seemed to get a little better for a while.
Fast forward a month and the same thing happened to a far worse degree and I was again admitted to the hospital. My ER doc concluded it wasn't appendicitis (as was initially suspected; the pain and swelling *think golf ball* was highly localized to my lower right abdomen) and further was suspect of the fact that just a month earlier I had been admitted for the exact same symptoms so a CT scan was ordered. Basically my small intestine was swollen to the size of a watermelon at the terminal ilem and the inner diameter was about the size of a pinhole, which was causing severe blockage and obviously the acute pain. I was latter shown the scan by my GI doc and he explained I was so inflamed that even the contrast I had consumed for the test did not make it past my ileum. Pretty brutal.
So I was referred to a specialist from that point. I was given a few weeks to take Cipro in hopes that it was a simple infection and to allow the inflammation to go down so I could be scoped. I was also subject to the multitude of blood and stool tests to attempt to find another reason for my inflammation. All came back negative.
I was finally scoped on Feb. 17 and that was when my doc was sure I had Crohn's. Sections of my colon look like the lunar surface with pus volcanoes and my ic valve is all out of wack.
The diagnosis was made more firm by the fact that I display odd symptoms I would have thought completely unrelated but are consistent with Crohn's like joint pain, eye swelling/problems, and most bothersome, horrible and long-lasting mouth sores.
So that's the story of being diagnosed. I met with my doc again (who I should say I like very much, which is such a relief) this Tuesday to plan how I will control the disease. I have been taking 40 mg of Prednisone a day since the 17th of Feb, and will be getting off that soon to start my TNF Antagonist as well a Azathioprine (sp). He is a proponent of dual treatment, so that is the plan for now. We spoke for a long time about all the options, risks, why he likes using both drugs, what I can expect etc. etc.
So that is where I am at now. Still taking the Prednisone, which I HATE. Haven't slept more than 10 hours in the last 72. Feel wired and exhausted at the same time, though I suppose it is better than the horrible pain, fatigue I was experiencing before. I will be off it soon and am looking forward to sleep and getting rid of my abnormal irritability.
That is my story. I hope to make some good contacts here, get advice from some sage souls, and life a happy and healthy life. If anyone actually read this whole thing I truly appreciate it. I'm sorry it was so long, I just thought it better to be thorough. Also, don't quote me on everything here (esp. treatment and whatnot; I think I got the gist of it but I'm pretty out of it right now and my memory has been failing me lately from pure exhaustion).
Thanks a lot for any help in the future guys. I truly appreciate it.
And in unrelated musing, just to add a personal touch, I have an unnatural love for cars (BMWs in particular, one of my favorite things to do is wrench on my 1995 M3), value my drum set (which I have been playing for 11+ years) more than any possession I own, and started to and continue to skateboard (though more and more infrequently) since I was 4 years old. I also am obsessed with skydiving (well, as much as one can be from only doing it once) and am currently planning on getting my riggers license this summer when I am hopefully in a steady state of remission. Oh, and I quit smoking! This is day number 11 without so much as a puff!
Cheers!
-JD
