• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

New Job. New City. Crohn's.

Hi. I'm Steve, 31, and I'm new here. I look forward to sharing in the community. I'm very interested in meeting others in similar circumstances, learning more about how to improve my diet/lifestyle, and learning about the proper medical treatment. Thanks for reading.

About me:

I've had Crohn's disease symptoms for around 6 years and was diagnosed 2 years ago. On Oct 1, I move to Chicago to start a new job. The stress of this process so far has really exacerbated the problems and I'm not sure how to best manage it.

I've tried to continue my adventurous lifestyle and I traveled through South America for 2 months this year before I was too exhausted to continue. I had diarrhea and severe GI problems for much of trip, but it was worth it. A week after I returned to Michigan, I went to the ER for a severe cutaneous Crohn's flareup in my groin - high fever, lesions, abscesses, swelling, severe pain. My groin area is basically red all the time now and these flareups seem to occur about 2x a year and keep getting worse. It is scary and depressing.

I take klonopin and prozac for anxiety and depression. I use medical marijuana daily with it's pros/cons. I am supposed to take Pentasa 4x a day, but it is difficult for me to remember more than 2x a day. I also take a probiotic and have tried to improve my diet/lifestyle.

I purchased insurance, but it says I can't use it for 5 more months because Crohn's is a pre-existing condition. At that point, the doctor said I need another colonoscopy and likely to be put on Humira. I'm not sure what to do until then.

I'd like to be able to succeed at my job and experience a meaningful long-term relationship, but the disease has made this hard. I used to enjoy going out with friends for beers, but can't even do that any more with paying for it severely. This is a very difficult disease and I'm not sure what to do to improve the situation.

---

Nice to meet you all.
 
hi, sorry you've been having so much trouble.i to like to travel. stress is a big factor when it comes to flares for alot of people, including myself. i have had horrible side effects from meds. so i research and try new things. mm which ive used on and off for 23 yrs has been most beneficial. i used xanax and tried many antidepressants since the same age i began smoking. it made me numb and even zoloft made me hallucinate. i was addicted to xanax. been off all meds since feb 2012. i believe in natural healing and relieving stress is very important. massage,yoga, i take kung fu, but the gym is good, meditation, nature hikes, soft music, hot baths help to reduce my stress. having a food diary has helped me pin point foods that make it worse. but i changed my diet to vegetarian and organic foods which helps! knowing what im putting into my body by reading ingredient labels helps alot but takes time. most of all even though i have bad days i tell myself im not going to be a victim and keep a strong mind. i wish you luck at your nw job and and i hope you feel better soon! (hugs) laughter is a awesome medicine. oh maybe its the yeast in the beer. that part not drinking with friends stinks. maybe be thier driver?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Hi there and welcome to the community.

5 months is a long time to wait if you're in the middle of a troubling flare. I'm so sorry you're having to go through that. If I was in your position, I would probably ask my doctor about going on enteral nutrition to help bridge that gap. We have a forum about it located here.

All my best to you.
 
Top