New to all of this

[jillyCD]

Hello. Newbie to this whole forum thing, so bear with me!
I'm 39 and I've just been diagnosed with Crohn's this month,(two days before my birthday no less) though I've actually been experiencing all the lovely symptoms for some time. I've been to so many doctors that have basically told me that" it's just stress", or "it's just reflux, here's another version of pepcid you can take", then they took out my gallbladder which totally threw my body into chaos. It's great to finally know what's wrong with me, but at the same time I'm crazy angry at having such a life altering disease.
I'm so glad to have found this site, seeing as how I've gotten more information on how to care for a new pair of shoes, than how to care for myself and this disease. And there really isn't much in the way of support type stuff around where I live. I have only known a couple of people with Crohn's and their lives were completely controlled by it, and I'm having a hard time accepting that's how I'm going to be. My family isn't exactly the supportive kind and have pretty much told me they aren't going to change the way they do things to accomodate me.
Enough 'woe is me' I guess. It's great to have somewhere to go with people who understand and hopefully can put up with my stupid questions!

 

[Doglover]

jillycd,

I'm so sorry to hear that you aren't feeling supported by your family. It's stressful enough to have to deal with this new diagnosis. I, too, had my gallbladder removed and it sent my bowels into an uproar, you could say. I hope you find some support here with people who understand what you are going through.

Doglover:hang:

 

[Crohn's 35]

:welcome: Jilly... glad you joined our community. Support is needed so much and we fully understand how you feel. Yes I agree Crohns does change your life but you can enjoy life more if you learn how to keep it under control. Stress is a culprit but not the cause. So much awareness is needed. My own mother took many years to even have a clue. She is older but she is not good around sick people. We dont bring this disease on ourselves, it just happens and can be hereditary. Can you tell us what drugs you are on and what the dosage is? Where is your pain? Do you bleed? :hang: we are here to answer any of your questions which btw is not ever stupid. There is alot to learn with this disease. The more you learn about it the better you life will become. Good luck!

 

[seaofdreams]

Welcome Jilly
I'm a big believer that it's up to you how much you let your disease control your life. Some people choose to let it take over and others choose to fight.
I don't have much in the way of support groups or anything around my area either so this site is great for me too.
No question is ever stupid, although thanks to the nature of our diseases, some can be pretty entertaining or awkward, it's all part of the fun really
Looking forward to seeing you around

 

[Manimation]

Welcome! My first thought is that Crohns, luckily, doesn't HAVE to be a life altering disease. Depending upon the severity of course.. I have an attitude problem and I treat crohns like an authority figure I butt heads with or ignore. It works against me occasionally but I've managed to live my life the way I want to for the majority of the last 15 years. Also, my girlfriend had her gallbladder removed last year so I have an understanding of what that's like.

It's great we're able to find support here. My personal message is that there's no need to lay down for this disease. Keep your head up and you can fight it and even win a lot of the time! It's a shocker, but frankly there are tons of less manageable and much more lethal diseases out there. Find the right diet and attitude and you may even go a long period without needing medication! Whoop crohn's ass and take names I say. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Dexky]

Hi Jilly, glad you found us!! Welcome and stick around!!

 

[DustyKat]

Hi Jilly and :welcome:

Haha, no dumb questions around here so fire away!!! Hmmm.......sucks about your family but you'll finds loads of peeps here that know and understand exactly what you are feeling and dealing with. So stick around 'cause we would love to have you............welcome aboard!

Take care,
Dusty

 

[gringo43]

Welcome Jilly

Stick around and you'll find this is just one great big adopted family....and there are no stupid questions here....sometimes the topics get can get a little "out there...lol" and we try to have some fun while we're at it!

Jerry

 

[Astra]

Hi Jilly
and welcome

Yeah, we love questions, and sometimes we can even answer them! lol
Glad you found us, we can offer support and understanding, in time you will be able to manage this disease, it can certainly change your life, but it doesn't have to control it!
Lotsa luv
Joan xxx

 

[jillyCD]

Wow! Thanks for all the support! I'm just starting to dig for any info I can find and, once I get over the initial overwhelmed phase , i'll be ok.

in response to Pen - right now the ulcers are mainly in the ileum, no colon yet. bouts of amazing upper right abdonminal pain. just a little blood so far. but I also have esophageal spasms that can put me down for days - they are on the fence as to what's causing them. i'm on 500mg Pentasa 4x/day, and cholestyramine 2x to control my lack of gallbladder issues. protonix for reflux, 50,000iu of vit D/day (cause it was only @10).
I'm not very compatible with meds so they're starting me low to start.

 

[rottengut91]

Hey jillycd :bigwave:
I recently joined this forum as well. You'll find much of the support you need here. Everyone has been wonderful. Very informative and always good for a great laugh. :rof: Hope you stick around.
I'm sorry you're family refuses to be supportive. :confused2: I just don't understand people like that.
As everyone else has said, there are no stupid questions. Don't be afraid to ask anything.

:hang:
:sun: