- Joined
- Aug 21, 2012
- Messages
- 4
First symptoms in 2002 at 21 y/o-- large amount of canker sores in mouth, weight loss, diarrhea, dime size nodules under skin of legs, stomach pain
Testing in Sept., 2002--biopsy of nodules, blood labs, endoscopy of upper GI, colonoscopy
Diagnosed in Nov., 2002 with Crohn's Disease after results showed inflammation and ulcers from mouth to beginning part of cecum
Started on Prednisone, Asacol, Entocort in 2002.
Began Remicade in 2005...stopped in 2011 due to change in health insurance that would not cover Remicade.
Started mercaptopurine in 2011...was only on it for about a month because my husband and I decided we wanted to conceive and I knew I had to be off the drug at least 3 months prior to trying to conceive.
Drug free for 1.5 years....then, July of 2012....
I woke up one night with horrible stomach pain in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen. The pain came and went for 2-3 days. Then I awoke again at 2 am the third night and knew I had to go the the emergency room (I thought I had appendicitis because my pain from Crohns I usually experienced right under my belly button and this pain was much more severe and in a different place.) After receiving a CAT scan it showed inflammation throughout my ileum and part of my cecum. I continued with a follow up with my GI doc...he put me back on Prednisone and Entocort to try and control the inflammation/pain, and ordered a MRI. Results of MRI showed inflammation but no obstructions or strictures. I started to feel better a few days later. Then, the pain came back even worse. I called the on-call GI late at night on July 28th and was told to go the hospital to be admitted. They did a repeat CAT scan which showed I had developed an abscess in my ileum/beginning part of cecum. Two days later I received a drain to drain the abscess. I had the drain in for 4 days and was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 2nd after receiving a picc line so I could give myself IV antibiotics at home. I was on IV therapy for two weeks. I went to my follow up appt. (feeling MUCH better) only to find out that my WBC count was even higher then when I was first admitted. I had another CAT scan, and found out the abscess came back. Two days later I was scheduled to receive another drain. When I got to the hospital my radiologist told me they would not be doing the drain... he compared my abscess to a small cluster of grapes with no effective place to put a drain. They did an ultrasound of the abscess as a "marker" for comparison. I was told I could continue on antibiotics in hopes the abscess would go away, but it was unlikely. My GI doc called in the morning and told me it was time for surgery; however, I just received a call from my infectious disease doc who said my WBC count went down from 20 to 14 (which is still high). I am unsure what to do. All 3 of my doctors think it is time to have a laparoscopic resection of my bowel, but I am soooo nervous. Could ANYONE who has gone through this surgery or have had a similar experience please post back. I need something to ease my mind. Thank you!!
Testing in Sept., 2002--biopsy of nodules, blood labs, endoscopy of upper GI, colonoscopy
Diagnosed in Nov., 2002 with Crohn's Disease after results showed inflammation and ulcers from mouth to beginning part of cecum
Started on Prednisone, Asacol, Entocort in 2002.
Began Remicade in 2005...stopped in 2011 due to change in health insurance that would not cover Remicade.
Started mercaptopurine in 2011...was only on it for about a month because my husband and I decided we wanted to conceive and I knew I had to be off the drug at least 3 months prior to trying to conceive.
Drug free for 1.5 years....then, July of 2012....
I woke up one night with horrible stomach pain in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen. The pain came and went for 2-3 days. Then I awoke again at 2 am the third night and knew I had to go the the emergency room (I thought I had appendicitis because my pain from Crohns I usually experienced right under my belly button and this pain was much more severe and in a different place.) After receiving a CAT scan it showed inflammation throughout my ileum and part of my cecum. I continued with a follow up with my GI doc...he put me back on Prednisone and Entocort to try and control the inflammation/pain, and ordered a MRI. Results of MRI showed inflammation but no obstructions or strictures. I started to feel better a few days later. Then, the pain came back even worse. I called the on-call GI late at night on July 28th and was told to go the hospital to be admitted. They did a repeat CAT scan which showed I had developed an abscess in my ileum/beginning part of cecum. Two days later I received a drain to drain the abscess. I had the drain in for 4 days and was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 2nd after receiving a picc line so I could give myself IV antibiotics at home. I was on IV therapy for two weeks. I went to my follow up appt. (feeling MUCH better) only to find out that my WBC count was even higher then when I was first admitted. I had another CAT scan, and found out the abscess came back. Two days later I was scheduled to receive another drain. When I got to the hospital my radiologist told me they would not be doing the drain... he compared my abscess to a small cluster of grapes with no effective place to put a drain. They did an ultrasound of the abscess as a "marker" for comparison. I was told I could continue on antibiotics in hopes the abscess would go away, but it was unlikely. My GI doc called in the morning and told me it was time for surgery; however, I just received a call from my infectious disease doc who said my WBC count went down from 20 to 14 (which is still high). I am unsure what to do. All 3 of my doctors think it is time to have a laparoscopic resection of my bowel, but I am soooo nervous. Could ANYONE who has gone through this surgery or have had a similar experience please post back. I need something to ease my mind. Thank you!!
