Well i just found this site today and after reading a few of the stories i've come to the conclusion that im perfectly healthy....oh but i have that crohns thing bonus!!!
It was around October 2006 (my 27th birthday) when i developed a nagging pain in my right side. I made an appointment and went to see my amazing military doctor...LOL Hope yall picked up on the sarcasm there! They told me i was just constipated which i rejected but went along with the treatment as perscribed assuming as we all do that the doctor has a clue and im just ignorant. Laxatives...the joy of that ride. No improvement..No surprise. This treatment was repeated for my next two visits then they moved on to ciproflaxin which gained the same result--nothing. They stayed strong though and kept guessing rather then send me to a specialist.
Then on the 25 of Dec as i sat with my family and friends to eat Christmas dinner i was hit with this massive throbbing pain in my side. My one friend took me to his buddies house who happened to be the flight doc on base. (interrupting his families dinner...this was because my base didnt have an emergency room even though we were miles from one..genius!!) He examined me and said that he thought my appendix had ruptured and that we needed to head to the army medical center 30-40 minutes away. (Eielson AFB to Fort Wainwright ...Alaska...December..you get the idea) The doc called ahead to the emergency room and we took off laughing about how awesome my Christmas present was LOL.
Ill skip the torture and attempted murder/malpractice and go straight to the post op. I went in 25 Dec being 6' 1" and 150 pounds...came out about 25 Feb 123 pounds...12" stapled line down the center of my stomach and 12" of intestine shorter.
Well its been about 4 years now and the military finally kicked me out LOL.
(Insert Rant)
I have led the fitness program for every squadron i have been a part of before and after my surgery. I was able to hide the fact that i even had this disease from every person i worked for or with. I could work circles around most all my co-workers and achieve a fitness score ranked in the top 10% of the Air Force. I made E-6 in 9 years and in my career field that is 4 years ahead of the average. Despite all this the medical board/trial found me unfit for duty...screw those fat lazy doctors..LOL The reward i got for my hard work was a 10% disability which equates to about 120 bucks a month and no medical/benifits for my family after 10.5 years of perfect flawless service.....thanks...no really THANK YOU...glad i served..pfft
(story continued)
This Christmas i spent a week in the hospital for a stricture and learned that im just around the corner from having a second surgery woot woot im so lucky..LOL Unlike most everyone on this forum i show little signs that i have crohns. To the point that i almost started to believe i didnt have it. Even after having my ileocecal valve removed and such i still only have a dull pain in my side on random days...maybe a little diarrhea or mild constipation here and there..nothing even really worth mentioning. So reading all these posts here amazes me because i see so many folks that are tore up with issues but have never had surgery. How is it i have negligible issues but soon to be multiple surgeries? LOL...im not sure who has it better...i guess as long as i don't run out of intestine i may have the better deal LOL.
So im a civilian now and its something im really not use to. I was raised in a military family and its really all i know and up till now all i loved. Im currently working to be a RN and feed my family which is great fun with a trashed economy...im sure some of you can relate..LOL
So with a few years of crohns under my belt and a small amount of medical courses completed i have come to a few conclusions that have helped me deal with my crohns...and maybe what has suppressed my symptoms.
1. Crohns (for me) is largely stress related...argue what you will but THC (small amounts here and there) did help me curb the pains i had and the flares if you will...because it is a true relaxing drug with no bs side effects..I say "did help me" because im now unable to partake due to my progression in school..sadly..back to pain and suffering but at least im not funding terrorists right..stupid...i can be hopped up on all sorts of chemicals made by pharmaceutical companies but cant touch the stuff God made LOL whatever
2. Cold weather.....Not good....every winter i become a wreck of a man..not sure why. Im staying in the south from now on..LOL
3. Sun !!!!! This one is my discovery maybe LOL and one that im very proud of especially if it helps someone besides me. Crohns affects your ability to absorb vitamins..check...Sunlight is used to produce Vitamin D...Vitamin D helps you absorb other minerals and such from your food and is great for your liver and kidney. It sounds corny but the science as far as i can tell works and my professor (doubting at first) came around to agree with me that it very possibly could help me and other crohns sufferers...I personally know it does because i can go lay in the sun when the pain gets annoying or whatever and i usually can feel 100% better.... I expect a few "your dumb" emails..but try it first...if nothing else you get a tan right so whats to lose. Plus its free...BONUS!!
Well thats about it...hope my rambling is somewhat legible as its late here and im beat. Thanks in advance to this forum and my new found friends!!
It was around October 2006 (my 27th birthday) when i developed a nagging pain in my right side. I made an appointment and went to see my amazing military doctor...LOL Hope yall picked up on the sarcasm there! They told me i was just constipated which i rejected but went along with the treatment as perscribed assuming as we all do that the doctor has a clue and im just ignorant. Laxatives...the joy of that ride. No improvement..No surprise. This treatment was repeated for my next two visits then they moved on to ciproflaxin which gained the same result--nothing. They stayed strong though and kept guessing rather then send me to a specialist.
Then on the 25 of Dec as i sat with my family and friends to eat Christmas dinner i was hit with this massive throbbing pain in my side. My one friend took me to his buddies house who happened to be the flight doc on base. (interrupting his families dinner...this was because my base didnt have an emergency room even though we were miles from one..genius!!) He examined me and said that he thought my appendix had ruptured and that we needed to head to the army medical center 30-40 minutes away. (Eielson AFB to Fort Wainwright ...Alaska...December..you get the idea) The doc called ahead to the emergency room and we took off laughing about how awesome my Christmas present was LOL.
Ill skip the torture and attempted murder/malpractice and go straight to the post op. I went in 25 Dec being 6' 1" and 150 pounds...came out about 25 Feb 123 pounds...12" stapled line down the center of my stomach and 12" of intestine shorter.
Well its been about 4 years now and the military finally kicked me out LOL.
(Insert Rant)
I have led the fitness program for every squadron i have been a part of before and after my surgery. I was able to hide the fact that i even had this disease from every person i worked for or with. I could work circles around most all my co-workers and achieve a fitness score ranked in the top 10% of the Air Force. I made E-6 in 9 years and in my career field that is 4 years ahead of the average. Despite all this the medical board/trial found me unfit for duty...screw those fat lazy doctors..LOL The reward i got for my hard work was a 10% disability which equates to about 120 bucks a month and no medical/benifits for my family after 10.5 years of perfect flawless service.....thanks...no really THANK YOU...glad i served..pfft
(story continued)
This Christmas i spent a week in the hospital for a stricture and learned that im just around the corner from having a second surgery woot woot im so lucky..LOL Unlike most everyone on this forum i show little signs that i have crohns. To the point that i almost started to believe i didnt have it. Even after having my ileocecal valve removed and such i still only have a dull pain in my side on random days...maybe a little diarrhea or mild constipation here and there..nothing even really worth mentioning. So reading all these posts here amazes me because i see so many folks that are tore up with issues but have never had surgery. How is it i have negligible issues but soon to be multiple surgeries? LOL...im not sure who has it better...i guess as long as i don't run out of intestine i may have the better deal LOL.
So im a civilian now and its something im really not use to. I was raised in a military family and its really all i know and up till now all i loved. Im currently working to be a RN and feed my family which is great fun with a trashed economy...im sure some of you can relate..LOL
So with a few years of crohns under my belt and a small amount of medical courses completed i have come to a few conclusions that have helped me deal with my crohns...and maybe what has suppressed my symptoms.
1. Crohns (for me) is largely stress related...argue what you will but THC (small amounts here and there) did help me curb the pains i had and the flares if you will...because it is a true relaxing drug with no bs side effects..I say "did help me" because im now unable to partake due to my progression in school..sadly..back to pain and suffering but at least im not funding terrorists right..stupid...i can be hopped up on all sorts of chemicals made by pharmaceutical companies but cant touch the stuff God made LOL whatever
2. Cold weather.....Not good....every winter i become a wreck of a man..not sure why. Im staying in the south from now on..LOL
3. Sun !!!!! This one is my discovery maybe LOL and one that im very proud of especially if it helps someone besides me. Crohns affects your ability to absorb vitamins..check...Sunlight is used to produce Vitamin D...Vitamin D helps you absorb other minerals and such from your food and is great for your liver and kidney. It sounds corny but the science as far as i can tell works and my professor (doubting at first) came around to agree with me that it very possibly could help me and other crohns sufferers...I personally know it does because i can go lay in the sun when the pain gets annoying or whatever and i usually can feel 100% better.... I expect a few "your dumb" emails..but try it first...if nothing else you get a tan right so whats to lose. Plus its free...BONUS!!
Well thats about it...hope my rambling is somewhat legible as its late here and im beat. Thanks in advance to this forum and my new found friends!!
