Hello everyone,
My husband has Crohns disease, diagnosed at 17, currently 35. His disease started getting worse over the last couple of years. He has been on and off some medications, his last regimen was remicade and imuran. However, 3 weeks ago he was admitted to the hospital with perforated terminal ileum and had to have emergency surgery. The surgeons were able to reconnect him. However he had a complicated postoperative course due to infection and ileus (non-functional bowels) and spent 2 weeks in the hospital.
He came home 1 weeks ago; still getting IV antibiotics and has an open would in his abdomen with a wound vac device. During all this he lost over 20 lbs and just looks terribly ill, emaciated. Since he has come home, I expected him to get at least a little bit better everyday, but I just dont see it. This is where I got the idea to turn to this forum hoping for some advice, support and others experiences. All the bad things have been ruled out by his doctors, there is no abscess, his anastomosis is working well, no more infection. But he continues to have significant pain (he describes it as a spasm that comes on and lets go) requiring high doses of narcotics, he is exteremely weak, has terrible appetite, has a hard time sleeping at night but then exhausted during the day, his mood is overall down and hopeless. I try my best to be supportive, stay positive, encourage him, prepare enticing foods, take him on walks but all my efforts seem to produce no results.
I would love to hear other people's experiences if you have ever been in this type of a situation. How long did it take for pain to improve? for appetite to come back? weakness to start getting better? What can I do to help him? Was your mental health affected during this? How did you cope? What helped? What didnt? Any opinions and help is hugely appreciated. I love my husband and am willing to do anything to see him get better.
Thank you all in advance,
A concerned wife.
My husband has Crohns disease, diagnosed at 17, currently 35. His disease started getting worse over the last couple of years. He has been on and off some medications, his last regimen was remicade and imuran. However, 3 weeks ago he was admitted to the hospital with perforated terminal ileum and had to have emergency surgery. The surgeons were able to reconnect him. However he had a complicated postoperative course due to infection and ileus (non-functional bowels) and spent 2 weeks in the hospital.
He came home 1 weeks ago; still getting IV antibiotics and has an open would in his abdomen with a wound vac device. During all this he lost over 20 lbs and just looks terribly ill, emaciated. Since he has come home, I expected him to get at least a little bit better everyday, but I just dont see it. This is where I got the idea to turn to this forum hoping for some advice, support and others experiences. All the bad things have been ruled out by his doctors, there is no abscess, his anastomosis is working well, no more infection. But he continues to have significant pain (he describes it as a spasm that comes on and lets go) requiring high doses of narcotics, he is exteremely weak, has terrible appetite, has a hard time sleeping at night but then exhausted during the day, his mood is overall down and hopeless. I try my best to be supportive, stay positive, encourage him, prepare enticing foods, take him on walks but all my efforts seem to produce no results.
I would love to hear other people's experiences if you have ever been in this type of a situation. How long did it take for pain to improve? for appetite to come back? weakness to start getting better? What can I do to help him? Was your mental health affected during this? How did you cope? What helped? What didnt? Any opinions and help is hugely appreciated. I love my husband and am willing to do anything to see him get better.
Thank you all in advance,
A concerned wife.
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