Hi, my name's Dan, I'm 18, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in March 2014. I don't really know when the symptoms first began, but over the last year or so I'd get random abdominal pains, which I then started getting after eating, and obviously, people notice. My family were also saying I looked pale and after jokingly weighing myself, I discovered I'd lost around a stone. I saw the doctor, who took my blood and found out I was anemic. After worsened pain and a few more trips to the doctors (and blood tests and a chest x-ray), I was referred to the specialist.
The gastroenterologist seemed baffled at first, but said Crohn's was at the top of his list. I had an ultrasound scan, which came back fine, then I had to go in for a colonoscopy. This turned out to be a nightmare as I turned down sedation, then when I asked for gas and air, it turned out it makes me hallucinate and they had to stop about 10 minutes in. After not being able to find anything in the colonoscopy, I was told I would have a capsule endoscopy, which wasn't a bad experience (except for the klean-prep!). The results from this confirmed I had Crohn's of the small bowel, which made me feel relieved to finally have a name for it and for treatment to finally commence.
I was prescribed with 90 nutritional shakes, corticosteroids to have 6 a day for the first week, 5 for the second etc. and some calcium tablets. It was going well during the first few weeks, I was eating loads thanks to the steroids and gained over a stone, the pain had virtually gone and I was feeling much better about myself. Then as the dosage came down, the symptoms returned, I went back to my specialist who told to carry on with the steroids at 2 a day, and also gave me some Pentasa (which hasn't done anything). I'm awaiting a date for an MRI scan on my small bowel and see my specialist again on Monday.
Thanks for reading my story so far, I know it's a little bit long. Also, it's good to be part of the Crohn's community, I find it really helpful reading others' experiences.
The gastroenterologist seemed baffled at first, but said Crohn's was at the top of his list. I had an ultrasound scan, which came back fine, then I had to go in for a colonoscopy. This turned out to be a nightmare as I turned down sedation, then when I asked for gas and air, it turned out it makes me hallucinate and they had to stop about 10 minutes in. After not being able to find anything in the colonoscopy, I was told I would have a capsule endoscopy, which wasn't a bad experience (except for the klean-prep!). The results from this confirmed I had Crohn's of the small bowel, which made me feel relieved to finally have a name for it and for treatment to finally commence.
I was prescribed with 90 nutritional shakes, corticosteroids to have 6 a day for the first week, 5 for the second etc. and some calcium tablets. It was going well during the first few weeks, I was eating loads thanks to the steroids and gained over a stone, the pain had virtually gone and I was feeling much better about myself. Then as the dosage came down, the symptoms returned, I went back to my specialist who told to carry on with the steroids at 2 a day, and also gave me some Pentasa (which hasn't done anything). I'm awaiting a date for an MRI scan on my small bowel and see my specialist again on Monday.
Thanks for reading my story so far, I know it's a little bit long. Also, it's good to be part of the Crohn's community, I find it really helpful reading others' experiences.
