My story...

[MikesAngel21]

Funny thing about my story is I dont remember not being sick. well to me it wasnt sick I thought it was normal and that everyone felt the way i did or had the same bathroom habits. Basically I got diagnosed with Crohns when i was a senior in High school. but I had a lot of stomach problems since i was about 4 or 5. I'd miss numerous days of school and every time my mom would take me to the doctor they would tell her I was one of those kids who would fake symptoms to try to get out of school. So for years until my diagnoses my mom kept taking me to dr after dr until she got so fed up with me that she just came to the discission that it was all in my head. That was till my senior year. I had totally lost my appitite and in about a month in a half I lost 35 pounds. Mind you I was never over weight to begin with. So being 5 foot 4 I weighed in at about 93lbs. My mom panicked and took me to a shrink of all people and told her that I was not eating and that I was starving my self, but of course this was not the case. I went in for a check up with my regular Dr and she also accused me of starving my self per my mother. this went on for about 5 months. she put me on all kind of depression medication among other things. I kept feeling my self get weaker and weaker. Some days it was like running a 5k marathon just to get up the stairs. My Dr finally admitted me to the hospital after I started passing out at work and at school. Thats when I had to drink that wonderful stuff called barium. (miserable ****) they took me through the whole Ct scan process Iodine and all, and finally realized there was a problem. they set me up for a colonoscopy the next day and i gotta tell you I will take barium anyday over that gallon of go lightly stuff. (anyone else think it tastes like sweat?) After I came out of the procedure I was diagnosed with Crohns and like most of you I was like what the heck is that?!?!?!? I was refered to a specialist and then all the medication began. I really havent had a remission period since then. and if i did I havent really noticed. One day Im fine the next im doubled over in pain running for the nearest bathroom, and other days ill go weeks with out even seeing the bathroom. So I guess this is normal life with Crohns. Im happy to say though I have not had to go through any surguries as of yet. Since being diagnosed 3 years ago its hard for me to say ive really even started to cope with the fact that I have this disease still or even the fact that its chronic. It really changed my life and sometimes its really hard to make it through somedays. But I guess we all take it a day at a time, and thats all we can do!

 

[ReeRee]

Bless your heart! You made me laugh talking about that go lightly stuff. I HATE that crap! My dad calls it Step Lightly..hahaha. To me it tastes like greasy, already chewed up stale potatoe chips mixed with warm seawater and week old sweaty gym socks. Vile ****!

I wonder if all Crohn's patients have been told that they're crazy and it's all in our head? I don't know about you, but it pisses me off something terrible. I even started to believe that crap. UGH! I had started to think it was normal too, that everybody was that way. Imagine my shock at learning that going to the bathroom 25 times a day wasn't "normal". I don't remember what "normal" is either. I don't remember what it was like to not have CD. To me, Normal is just a setting on the dryer.

 

[jyarmo]

Thanks for sharing MikeAngel!

It's funny, but we all seem to have a similar begining. I too started to believe that my symptoms were "all in my head" and weren't the result of a disease!

And Ree, I love the "Normal is just a setting on the dryer" line

 

[mikeyarmo]

It would really make sense if they had named it anything but Go-Lightly! In the hospital earlier this year the nurse told me that I had to drink it all within 2 hours, taking a break after every 10 minutes or so. I thought she said drink it all within 10 minutes, so I made sure to drink it as fast as possible. I was happy that I got it all down in about 5 minutes, but then I learnt why you need to pace yourself with this drink . Throwing it all up though was much less time consuming than the usual way the body has to dispose of the stuff.

 

[ReeRee]

OMG how horrible! I can't imagine drinking a gallon of that stuff in 5 minutes. Tell the truth, you've had "chuggin" experience in a pub or two haven't you? LOL. Just kidding! How did you manage that?

The only thing worse than drinking all that in 5 minutes would be throwing it all back up! UGH! No thank you!

Oh how I hate that stuff. Drinking that stuff is, to me anyway, worse than the actual colonoscopy. I always end up crying before I can get to the bottom of the jug...lol. But then, I'm a huge weiner when it comes to that stuff.

have you ever tried the Cherry flavored Go-Lightly? I don't recommend it. It spoils your taste for Cherry Kool Aid forever. I'd rather drink the warm sea water.