Where to start?
Well I'm 24, I was diagnosed with Crohn's just about 10 years ago and it has truly been an uphill battle. I've never been responsive to medications or therapies. I've been on every drug available including every clinical trial I've qualified for. The greatest success I had was Remicade when I was teenager, it nearly put me into remission for 3 years until I gradually lost response. I'm currently on another clinical trial (I've been on so many I actually can't recall the name of this one) that seems to be giving me some relief. What's interesting is that although I feel well enough to go to work everyday, have a very active social life and even take trips, my latest colonoscopy showed that I'm in a flare.
Overall, I'm very happy with my healthcare providers and the support I've received from them over the years. My friends and family offer a lot of comic relief and some emotional support, but not much. It's not for a lack of trying, I'm just not a "feelings" kind of girl. I'm finding lately, however, that I feel very shut out from the IBD community as I've never reached out. I don't know anyone my age with Crohn's disease let alone anyone that has had similar experiences as me. Most of the time I find it easy to stay positive and just deal with it (as they say) but sometimes it can be very lonely not being able to express the emotional and mental impact this disease has on top every other life stresses we all face.
Anyway, I'm glad I stumbled across this forum and from the quick glance I took around this website, it seems like this might be exactly what I've been looking for.
Well I'm 24, I was diagnosed with Crohn's just about 10 years ago and it has truly been an uphill battle. I've never been responsive to medications or therapies. I've been on every drug available including every clinical trial I've qualified for. The greatest success I had was Remicade when I was teenager, it nearly put me into remission for 3 years until I gradually lost response. I'm currently on another clinical trial (I've been on so many I actually can't recall the name of this one) that seems to be giving me some relief. What's interesting is that although I feel well enough to go to work everyday, have a very active social life and even take trips, my latest colonoscopy showed that I'm in a flare.
Overall, I'm very happy with my healthcare providers and the support I've received from them over the years. My friends and family offer a lot of comic relief and some emotional support, but not much. It's not for a lack of trying, I'm just not a "feelings" kind of girl. I'm finding lately, however, that I feel very shut out from the IBD community as I've never reached out. I don't know anyone my age with Crohn's disease let alone anyone that has had similar experiences as me. Most of the time I find it easy to stay positive and just deal with it (as they say) but sometimes it can be very lonely not being able to express the emotional and mental impact this disease has on top every other life stresses we all face.
Anyway, I'm glad I stumbled across this forum and from the quick glance I took around this website, it seems like this might be exactly what I've been looking for.
