Hello, my name is Nicole and I'm 21. When I was younger I always had severe joint pains, mostly in my hips, that would come and go for weeks at a time. When I was in 7th grade (12 years old) the pains got worse as I started playing sports, and I began having digestive problems. My pediatritian thought it was just arthritis and the stomach problems were from the pain meds I had been taking. After many doctors and many, many tests within the same year my gastroenterologist decided to do an endoscopy/colonoscopy. The biopsy results came back 50/50 Crohn's disease- Ulcerative colitis, however I have been mainly treated for Crohn's due to the location of my disease.
After I found out I avoided the foods I couldn't handle, took my meds faithfully and thought all would be well. Until 9th grade when I got mono, which then caused a flare up. I did the whole steroid-chipmunk cheek deal, which sucked in a school full of equally awkward teenagers. I got over that dilemma and didn't have a serious flare up like that for the rest of high school. That's not to say I didn't struggle with my disease day in and day out, but for the most part it was manageable. My first year of college I stayed pretty healthy but my second year I transferred schools, moved into a house with a bunch of friends and partied with the rugby team like I didn't have a care in the world. That was dumb. Two days before I was supposed to go back for my second semester I went into the hospital. I had gotten mono again and my liver was just about to give up.
I got out of the hospital after 8 days and spent the next few months at my parents house recovering. But I haven't really recovered all the way. I never got a flare up like I was used to, diarrheah, bleeding, stomach pains. However, I had bronchitis last June and then in July I had a supposed staph infetion in my armpit (the doctor never took a culture). This infection stayed in my armpit and traveled to my hip groin area up until December, with four different rounds of antibiotics and a mild steroid not even touching it. The infection just eventually went away, however when I shave I am still skeptical thatit will come back. I had also been having a hard time eating, I just did not have an appetite and when I forced myself to eat I would get nauseous quickly. I finally convinced my doctor something was wrong last month and she did an endoscopy/colonoscopy looking for ciliac disease. The test came back negative and she gave me more meds saying I had gastritis and they should help.
I have started a gluten free diet despite not having ciliac, it is helping me eat a little better but my body still just does not feel right. I don't know how else to get my doctor to pay attention because I don't even know for sure if anything is wrong or what it could be. I've just been so stressed out for the past year not knowing what is happening and not being able to move on with my life. I am back at school and over the summer I work, both are so taxing on me and it's hard explaining to teachers or a boss that sometimes I just can't be there. I don't know what I'm doing anymore and that's just not who I am. I've made my peace with the cards I've been dealt but I need to get out of this flare before I lose my mind.
After I found out I avoided the foods I couldn't handle, took my meds faithfully and thought all would be well. Until 9th grade when I got mono, which then caused a flare up. I did the whole steroid-chipmunk cheek deal, which sucked in a school full of equally awkward teenagers. I got over that dilemma and didn't have a serious flare up like that for the rest of high school. That's not to say I didn't struggle with my disease day in and day out, but for the most part it was manageable. My first year of college I stayed pretty healthy but my second year I transferred schools, moved into a house with a bunch of friends and partied with the rugby team like I didn't have a care in the world. That was dumb. Two days before I was supposed to go back for my second semester I went into the hospital. I had gotten mono again and my liver was just about to give up.
I got out of the hospital after 8 days and spent the next few months at my parents house recovering. But I haven't really recovered all the way. I never got a flare up like I was used to, diarrheah, bleeding, stomach pains. However, I had bronchitis last June and then in July I had a supposed staph infetion in my armpit (the doctor never took a culture). This infection stayed in my armpit and traveled to my hip groin area up until December, with four different rounds of antibiotics and a mild steroid not even touching it. The infection just eventually went away, however when I shave I am still skeptical thatit will come back. I had also been having a hard time eating, I just did not have an appetite and when I forced myself to eat I would get nauseous quickly. I finally convinced my doctor something was wrong last month and she did an endoscopy/colonoscopy looking for ciliac disease. The test came back negative and she gave me more meds saying I had gastritis and they should help.
I have started a gluten free diet despite not having ciliac, it is helping me eat a little better but my body still just does not feel right. I don't know how else to get my doctor to pay attention because I don't even know for sure if anything is wrong or what it could be. I've just been so stressed out for the past year not knowing what is happening and not being able to move on with my life. I am back at school and over the summer I work, both are so taxing on me and it's hard explaining to teachers or a boss that sometimes I just can't be there. I don't know what I'm doing anymore and that's just not who I am. I've made my peace with the cards I've been dealt but I need to get out of this flare before I lose my mind.
