Hi,
Not really sure how to structure this 'story', and until now ive been reluctant to join this forum.. not because of denial but because when i read what a lot of people are experiencing - their symptoms - i didnt want to believe that i was the same.
So about me.. Im a 23 year old male living in england, ive worked for 5 years in telecoms and business, gaining a degree part time in the process (lots of hard work and no social life!). I am currently on my last year of a masters degree.
Up to februrary this year (when I was still 22) I have been very fit and healthy, exercising and eating plenty fruit and veg (but also my best friend.. sour sweets).
From February to June this year I was passing blood with and after my stools (but not actually in them). I visited the doctor and he gave me anusol, putting it down to internal piles. This continued (but not with every bowel movement) until june this year and then stopped for 5 weeks until the beginning of july. I lived a normal and active life up then, but with A LOT of stress building up at work (with a carrot and stick promotion over my head..). I was waking up in the night with a bed soaked in sweat a number of times, and having to change the bed! i realise i was trying to do too much.
In July I started getting pain in my right lower abdomen which i thought was a strain at the gym, but which got progressively worse at the same area. toward the week (the friday) I couldnt push a stool out due to the pain on the right side. I visited the doctor and he said it was appendicitis... I went to the hospital on the Saturday morning (he had to do bloods which took overnight) and eventually got my operation Sunday Night/Monday morning. The op lasted 3.5 hours when it should have been 45 minutes. The doctors told me they had removed a small part of the bowel at the terminal ileum and cecum which the appendix had 'infected',but the consultant stressed there was nothing to worry about.
After the operation i lost my apetite and was getting bad diarrhea which ive never experienced before (and rarely have in my life). I was released from hospital 6 days later with staples in, and still in a lot of discomfort (sleeping on your back all night is a pain in the arse). Two days later, i had a hematoma and was back in hospital. the staples had to be taken out to remove all the black/infected blood, and my whole right side was swollen.
Since the end of july ive been seeing a district nurse to have this surgical wound cleaned, packed with cotton and redressed (it was 12cm long, 2cm wide, 4cm deep on day one). its been healing from the bottom up since might take 3 more weeks to heal.. its a slow process.
Anway, the biopsy results came back 3 weeks ago and i was called for a colonoscopy 2 weeks ago, which confirmed crohns disease (the inflamation an ulceration had returned at the site of the operation). i had an MRI scan two weeks ago and the results came back last week as clear, except the small part where they operated.
Ive been put on metronidazole for the moment (my last pill is today, of a months prescription) and will be seeing my consultant again next friday to discuss the MRI scan and what medication i will need (ive been told i will need something).
So, im not gonna ask many questions as im sure there are appropriate sections of the forum to do so, but what can i expect in the future? Other than a few mild cramps in various areas of my stomach area, a bit of pain prior to a bowel movement, and this open wound (which will eventually heal up) i dont get any problems. is that likely to stay the same... or am i more than likely a ticking time bomb ready to explode again?
ive come to accept this disease is here to stay, but i guess thats because the symptoms im experiencing atm arent that hard to accept. i just want to lead a normal life, im only 23!.. i fear that it might not go 100% my way in life!
Not really sure how to structure this 'story', and until now ive been reluctant to join this forum.. not because of denial but because when i read what a lot of people are experiencing - their symptoms - i didnt want to believe that i was the same.
So about me.. Im a 23 year old male living in england, ive worked for 5 years in telecoms and business, gaining a degree part time in the process (lots of hard work and no social life!). I am currently on my last year of a masters degree.
Up to februrary this year (when I was still 22) I have been very fit and healthy, exercising and eating plenty fruit and veg (but also my best friend.. sour sweets).
From February to June this year I was passing blood with and after my stools (but not actually in them). I visited the doctor and he gave me anusol, putting it down to internal piles. This continued (but not with every bowel movement) until june this year and then stopped for 5 weeks until the beginning of july. I lived a normal and active life up then, but with A LOT of stress building up at work (with a carrot and stick promotion over my head..). I was waking up in the night with a bed soaked in sweat a number of times, and having to change the bed! i realise i was trying to do too much.
In July I started getting pain in my right lower abdomen which i thought was a strain at the gym, but which got progressively worse at the same area. toward the week (the friday) I couldnt push a stool out due to the pain on the right side. I visited the doctor and he said it was appendicitis... I went to the hospital on the Saturday morning (he had to do bloods which took overnight) and eventually got my operation Sunday Night/Monday morning. The op lasted 3.5 hours when it should have been 45 minutes. The doctors told me they had removed a small part of the bowel at the terminal ileum and cecum which the appendix had 'infected',but the consultant stressed there was nothing to worry about.
After the operation i lost my apetite and was getting bad diarrhea which ive never experienced before (and rarely have in my life). I was released from hospital 6 days later with staples in, and still in a lot of discomfort (sleeping on your back all night is a pain in the arse). Two days later, i had a hematoma and was back in hospital. the staples had to be taken out to remove all the black/infected blood, and my whole right side was swollen.
Since the end of july ive been seeing a district nurse to have this surgical wound cleaned, packed with cotton and redressed (it was 12cm long, 2cm wide, 4cm deep on day one). its been healing from the bottom up since might take 3 more weeks to heal.. its a slow process.
Anway, the biopsy results came back 3 weeks ago and i was called for a colonoscopy 2 weeks ago, which confirmed crohns disease (the inflamation an ulceration had returned at the site of the operation). i had an MRI scan two weeks ago and the results came back last week as clear, except the small part where they operated.
Ive been put on metronidazole for the moment (my last pill is today, of a months prescription) and will be seeing my consultant again next friday to discuss the MRI scan and what medication i will need (ive been told i will need something).
So, im not gonna ask many questions as im sure there are appropriate sections of the forum to do so, but what can i expect in the future? Other than a few mild cramps in various areas of my stomach area, a bit of pain prior to a bowel movement, and this open wound (which will eventually heal up) i dont get any problems. is that likely to stay the same... or am i more than likely a ticking time bomb ready to explode again?
ive come to accept this disease is here to stay, but i guess thats because the symptoms im experiencing atm arent that hard to accept. i just want to lead a normal life, im only 23!.. i fear that it might not go 100% my way in life!
