I am a 57 year old UK male that was diagnosed about for years ago.
I have had 2 strictures in the small intestine all this time and suffered regular abdominal pain in both the left and right and also periods of significant bowel and bladder urgency. I assume the latter is due to compacted stool pressing on the bladder. I hope they have checked for anything that might be afeting the bladder - like loops of intestine, adhesions, fistulas.
Worst pain is while driving and while sat at a desk. Makes it hard to earn a living.
Had a better year in 2016 as was made redundant just after my father passed away and I spent a most of the year refurbing his house to sell. Having returned to a 6 month desk job since - pain has increased so much I went back to gastero consultant.
Inflamation virtually zero and faecal calproctin only 111 ( very low inflamtion). MRI scan showed strictures are fibrotic so GI recommended resection and referred me to surgeon.( still waiting ... as is NHS.)
Have been on Azathioprine for several years. This seems to have halted the inflammation and put me in remission, but I feel rubbish all the time and have not slept for more than 5-6 hours in years- early waking.
I know I should be gratefull that I have not had the D version of CD that sends people to the loo dozens of times a day.
Surgery: looks encouraging that the lower stricture is over 9 cm from the illecal valve - so hopefully would keep that and only have about 30cm removed which hopefully means bowel would adapt well and losse moevements disappear over a few weeks or months.. GI is talking about laparoscopic so that should make things easier.
I have found the emotional side of things very difficult, cry allot and have little interest in normal life anymore.
Am terrified of the difficulties of recovery and fear that it won't fix most of my problems. ON top of that as we all know surgery for CD is no cure. If I have been in remission for a couple of years does surgery risk setting it off again?
Do Older onset crohnies tend to have a milder form?
Any comments appreciated.
Cheers
I have had 2 strictures in the small intestine all this time and suffered regular abdominal pain in both the left and right and also periods of significant bowel and bladder urgency. I assume the latter is due to compacted stool pressing on the bladder. I hope they have checked for anything that might be afeting the bladder - like loops of intestine, adhesions, fistulas.
Worst pain is while driving and while sat at a desk. Makes it hard to earn a living.
Had a better year in 2016 as was made redundant just after my father passed away and I spent a most of the year refurbing his house to sell. Having returned to a 6 month desk job since - pain has increased so much I went back to gastero consultant.
Inflamation virtually zero and faecal calproctin only 111 ( very low inflamtion). MRI scan showed strictures are fibrotic so GI recommended resection and referred me to surgeon.( still waiting ... as is NHS.)
Have been on Azathioprine for several years. This seems to have halted the inflammation and put me in remission, but I feel rubbish all the time and have not slept for more than 5-6 hours in years- early waking.
I know I should be gratefull that I have not had the D version of CD that sends people to the loo dozens of times a day.
Surgery: looks encouraging that the lower stricture is over 9 cm from the illecal valve - so hopefully would keep that and only have about 30cm removed which hopefully means bowel would adapt well and losse moevements disappear over a few weeks or months.. GI is talking about laparoscopic so that should make things easier.
I have found the emotional side of things very difficult, cry allot and have little interest in normal life anymore.
Am terrified of the difficulties of recovery and fear that it won't fix most of my problems. ON top of that as we all know surgery for CD is no cure. If I have been in remission for a couple of years does surgery risk setting it off again?
Do Older onset crohnies tend to have a milder form?
Any comments appreciated.
Cheers
