Hello everyone! I am new to the boards but unfortunately not new to Crohn's. This is very cathartic for me considering the fact that I have never shared any detail of my story to anyone outside of my family and some of the women that I have dated :hug:. I felt like I was living on an island all of these years. Recently, I had a flare up and for the first time I met another person with Crohn's at the hospital. Like me he was a mid 30's, African-American, male. I guess that meeting has given me the courage to do research and share my story.
Now to the back story...
I was in the 5th grade when I remember lying on the floor, writhing in stomach pain after dinner. My family was in shock and honestly wasn't really sure what to make of it. About a week later it happened again. My mother took me to my pediatrician where he informed us that most kids my age tend to act out when another baby is introduced to the household. I will never get over that honestly. For weeks I endured my parents and other family members thoughts and comments in regards to my apparent "jealousy" of my younger sibling. Amazing, right? Well, I can't fault them too much because if the respected pediatrician of my city says so who are they to question.
Some months later I had another flare up. This time it happened at school after lunch. I was lying on the floor at school in shear pain. My parents took me to the emergency room and a couple of days later I had my first appointment with a GI doctor. I received a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with Crohn's.
The next 10 years of my life was Prednisone, pain, disappointment, multiple ER visits, burning joints, etc. In regards to prednisone, I would take as low as 5mg a day and as high as 40mg a day....
As I was nearing graduation for my undergrad studies, I had another flare up. This time it was much more severe than the others. I recall going to the emergency room and while sitting in the reception area I vomited. I was able to make it to the rest room where I vomited again twice. I was in so much pain that I could not stand vertically. I remember attempting to stand, bracing myself with the sink. I remember the pain residing some so I began to flush my mouth out with water as well as splashing some on my face to cool down. I thought to myself that the worse was over and I just needed to vomit. I am a brown-skinned, African-American man. I looked in the mirror and my lips were blue. My face had lost color. Lol, I looked liked one of the zombies on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. <------Its OK to laugh, I'm actually laughing now. I remember saying to myself "Oh sh....". I fell out and I woke up approx 36 hours later.
When I woke up the doctor's advised me that they wanted to try to see if they could get everything under control without food intake and medication. I think I was allowed to have ice chips. They stated to me very clearly that if I did not improve by the deadline (3 days) I would have to undergo surgery. The deadline passed and of course I underwent surgery. I received a bowel resection and an appendectomy. I believe they removed about 10" of my lower intestine.
The surgery went well and I healed ahead of schedule. I remember the on-going physician at the time giving me a pill post surgery. Sadly I can not remember the name of the pill or how long I took it. I do remember that it was new at the time. He stated that is was beneficial for stopping the Crohn's from spreading at the point where my colon was reconnected. I will have to do some research and update this thread at a later time. That was the last pill that I took in regards to Crohn's. If anyone has an idea of what it couldve been please let me know. Again the year was 2001.
THE GOOD: From November 2001 to August 2013 I was symptom free! No meds. No special diet. I lived an active life and even started to do minor body building. Life was good and I assume I was trying to make up for all of the years that I felt had been taking away. I tried and successfully pushed every thought, memory, and association to the word Crohn's out of my life. To this day, I think that way of thinking will be ultimately my demise.
Recently I had breakfast and my old friend decided to pay me a visit. The next thing I know, I was on the floor writhing in pain. Its like I was in the 5th grade again. The scary part about it all is the pain is 1000x more sever than before. I went to the ER where they gave me pain and anti-inflammatory meds. Since I have had another flare up this time not as severe.
I am honest with myself that my Crohn's is back. I am afraid that all of those years that I spent pushing Crohn's out of my life are years that I should have been seeing a doctor on a regular basis. Possibly even taking some sort of preventive medication.
Now, I'm in a new city (Atlanta). My memory is sketchy at best in regards to detailed treatment history. I don't know what the new treatments are. I don't know who is/are the best "Crohn's" doctors. All that to say is a need help. I'm glad I found this board and I will spend a great deal of time reading and discussing.
In the mean time someone please help me find a great doctor in the Atlanta metro area.
Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading.
Now to the back story...
I was in the 5th grade when I remember lying on the floor, writhing in stomach pain after dinner. My family was in shock and honestly wasn't really sure what to make of it. About a week later it happened again. My mother took me to my pediatrician where he informed us that most kids my age tend to act out when another baby is introduced to the household. I will never get over that honestly. For weeks I endured my parents and other family members thoughts and comments in regards to my apparent "jealousy" of my younger sibling. Amazing, right? Well, I can't fault them too much because if the respected pediatrician of my city says so who are they to question.
Some months later I had another flare up. This time it happened at school after lunch. I was lying on the floor at school in shear pain. My parents took me to the emergency room and a couple of days later I had my first appointment with a GI doctor. I received a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with Crohn's.
The next 10 years of my life was Prednisone, pain, disappointment, multiple ER visits, burning joints, etc. In regards to prednisone, I would take as low as 5mg a day and as high as 40mg a day....
As I was nearing graduation for my undergrad studies, I had another flare up. This time it was much more severe than the others. I recall going to the emergency room and while sitting in the reception area I vomited. I was able to make it to the rest room where I vomited again twice. I was in so much pain that I could not stand vertically. I remember attempting to stand, bracing myself with the sink. I remember the pain residing some so I began to flush my mouth out with water as well as splashing some on my face to cool down. I thought to myself that the worse was over and I just needed to vomit. I am a brown-skinned, African-American man. I looked in the mirror and my lips were blue. My face had lost color. Lol, I looked liked one of the zombies on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. <------Its OK to laugh, I'm actually laughing now. I remember saying to myself "Oh sh....". I fell out and I woke up approx 36 hours later.
When I woke up the doctor's advised me that they wanted to try to see if they could get everything under control without food intake and medication. I think I was allowed to have ice chips. They stated to me very clearly that if I did not improve by the deadline (3 days) I would have to undergo surgery. The deadline passed and of course I underwent surgery. I received a bowel resection and an appendectomy. I believe they removed about 10" of my lower intestine.
The surgery went well and I healed ahead of schedule. I remember the on-going physician at the time giving me a pill post surgery. Sadly I can not remember the name of the pill or how long I took it. I do remember that it was new at the time. He stated that is was beneficial for stopping the Crohn's from spreading at the point where my colon was reconnected. I will have to do some research and update this thread at a later time. That was the last pill that I took in regards to Crohn's. If anyone has an idea of what it couldve been please let me know. Again the year was 2001.
THE GOOD: From November 2001 to August 2013 I was symptom free! No meds. No special diet. I lived an active life and even started to do minor body building. Life was good and I assume I was trying to make up for all of the years that I felt had been taking away. I tried and successfully pushed every thought, memory, and association to the word Crohn's out of my life. To this day, I think that way of thinking will be ultimately my demise.
Recently I had breakfast and my old friend decided to pay me a visit. The next thing I know, I was on the floor writhing in pain. Its like I was in the 5th grade again. The scary part about it all is the pain is 1000x more sever than before. I went to the ER where they gave me pain and anti-inflammatory meds. Since I have had another flare up this time not as severe.
I am honest with myself that my Crohn's is back. I am afraid that all of those years that I spent pushing Crohn's out of my life are years that I should have been seeing a doctor on a regular basis. Possibly even taking some sort of preventive medication.
Now, I'm in a new city (Atlanta). My memory is sketchy at best in regards to detailed treatment history. I don't know what the new treatments are. I don't know who is/are the best "Crohn's" doctors. All that to say is a need help. I'm glad I found this board and I will spend a great deal of time reading and discussing.
In the mean time someone please help me find a great doctor in the Atlanta metro area.
Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading.