Hello All!!
I am a 26 y/o mom of two wonderful girls, Wife, Full Time Nursing Student, and Full time Tech at University of Kentucky Hospital.
I got diagnosed in 2007, 6 months after the birth of my oldest. During this 3 YEAR FLARE, I tried Asacol, Pentasa, Flagyl, Remicadee, Humira, 6MP and the lovely Prednisone off and on for the entire 3 years. The first three didn't work, I did good on Remicadee for about 6 months, and then a few hours after my infursion I had a really bad reaction to it, so I couldn't take that anymore. Humira- I had really bad joint pains with ( which is sort of funny since it's a med also used for arthritis ). 6MP is what I was taking when I went into remission.
I've done really good, and I guess a remission of sorts ( never officially remission by a Dr or anything, but doing really good )
Now as of about 3 months ago or so, BAD. I haven't had ONE solid BM in two frigging months. Literally not one. I feel exhausted all the time (which really sucks since i'm also a night shifter) I am having stop-you-in-your-tracks pain where I cannot even stand straight no matter what I eat. I am eating only carbs and soups pretty much, and having pains like this. I'm going up to 15x day.
So I went to my GI 2 months ago, and the earliest she could get me in for an upper GI & colonoscopy was yesterday, and in the meantime started me on 40mg of Prednisone (UGH!) All the prednisone did was get rid of the mouth ulcers, that's it, Which I knew I was going to get bad news with that alone.
My results:
Upper GI: Hiatal Hernia, and redness throughout
Colonoscopy: redness throughout, terminal ileum Severely diseased,(she rated it as a 10, on a 1-10 scale), and polyps in my colon(she removed)
She called me today, and said we can do a resection, or give one more "college try" as she said and try combo therapy of 6MP/Cimzia combo, if that doesn't work, we do surgery.
I really don't know what I want to do. I surely don't want to get cut open, but I know that it could possibly put me back into remission, but I know that also- when they start cutting, it does keep on going to other areas, and if we start when i'm only 26...just doesn't sound very hopeful of me having a lot to work with when I'm 50.
On the other hand, I know 6MP takes 3 months to start working, and I don't know what my life will look like in 3 months if I keep going downhill as fast as I am. Maybe Cimzia starts sooner that that? I don't know much about it? I also know both medications are bad on your liver, that doesn't sound good either to take TWO medications that damage it?
Another thing that is worrysome- The poyps in my colon. My grandma & my dad both had colon cancer, she passed away from it. She was 60 & he was 42. I know my chance of getting colon cancer is also increased even more by having Crohn's, is it bad that there are already things popping up in there?
Sorry this is so long, just stressed to the max, and in pain
What do you guys think of all this? What would you do?
I am a 26 y/o mom of two wonderful girls, Wife, Full Time Nursing Student, and Full time Tech at University of Kentucky Hospital.
I got diagnosed in 2007, 6 months after the birth of my oldest. During this 3 YEAR FLARE, I tried Asacol, Pentasa, Flagyl, Remicadee, Humira, 6MP and the lovely Prednisone off and on for the entire 3 years. The first three didn't work, I did good on Remicadee for about 6 months, and then a few hours after my infursion I had a really bad reaction to it, so I couldn't take that anymore. Humira- I had really bad joint pains with ( which is sort of funny since it's a med also used for arthritis ). 6MP is what I was taking when I went into remission.
I've done really good, and I guess a remission of sorts ( never officially remission by a Dr or anything, but doing really good )
Now as of about 3 months ago or so, BAD. I haven't had ONE solid BM in two frigging months. Literally not one. I feel exhausted all the time (which really sucks since i'm also a night shifter) I am having stop-you-in-your-tracks pain where I cannot even stand straight no matter what I eat. I am eating only carbs and soups pretty much, and having pains like this. I'm going up to 15x day.
So I went to my GI 2 months ago, and the earliest she could get me in for an upper GI & colonoscopy was yesterday, and in the meantime started me on 40mg of Prednisone (UGH!) All the prednisone did was get rid of the mouth ulcers, that's it, Which I knew I was going to get bad news with that alone.
My results:
Upper GI: Hiatal Hernia, and redness throughout
Colonoscopy: redness throughout, terminal ileum Severely diseased,(she rated it as a 10, on a 1-10 scale), and polyps in my colon(she removed)
She called me today, and said we can do a resection, or give one more "college try" as she said and try combo therapy of 6MP/Cimzia combo, if that doesn't work, we do surgery.
I really don't know what I want to do. I surely don't want to get cut open, but I know that it could possibly put me back into remission, but I know that also- when they start cutting, it does keep on going to other areas, and if we start when i'm only 26...just doesn't sound very hopeful of me having a lot to work with when I'm 50.
On the other hand, I know 6MP takes 3 months to start working, and I don't know what my life will look like in 3 months if I keep going downhill as fast as I am. Maybe Cimzia starts sooner that that? I don't know much about it? I also know both medications are bad on your liver, that doesn't sound good either to take TWO medications that damage it?
Another thing that is worrysome- The poyps in my colon. My grandma & my dad both had colon cancer, she passed away from it. She was 60 & he was 42. I know my chance of getting colon cancer is also increased even more by having Crohn's, is it bad that there are already things popping up in there?
Sorry this is so long, just stressed to the max, and in pain
What do you guys think of all this? What would you do?