- Joined
- Mar 17, 2014
- Messages
- 10
Hi everyone. I've been reading the forum for a little while, and decided its time to introduce myself. I'm JC and I'm 31. I guess I'll start at the beginning.
In high school, I was diagnosed with IBS and Acid Reflux. I always had stomach issues, but I just chalked it up to having bad nerves.
In my early 20's, I didn't experience much in the way of symptoms. I'm glad I didn't. It would have gotten in the way of my "fun" during that time!
Starting at about age 27, one night, I began feeling sharp, stabbing pains in my abdomen. I went back to see the GI doc that I had seen in high school, and he ran several tests over several weeks, mixed in with a visit to the ER and a few nights of wondering of I was having a heart attack, they discovered that I needed to have my gall bladder removed. So, two days before Thanksgiving, I did (My surgeon said I'd be fine by Thanksgiving dinner. Lies! All lies!). I recovered from surgery mostly fine, but now with symptoms that were all too familiar. I thought they were the common "digestive issues" associated with gall bladder surgery. I was wrong. They persisted.
After another year of dealing with cramping, alternating constipation and diarrhea, reflux, and more and more and more tests, my trusty old GI doc decided I needed to have a Nissen Fundoplication. If you're not familiar with a Nissen, they basically twist your stomach into an origami funnel that is supposed to solve your GERD. So, the day after Christmas I had surgery. I was supposed to go home the same day, but had a little reaction to the anesthesia, and had to stay in the hospital for three days. After about 6 weeks off work, I was well enough to go back.
My symptoms never really changed, and I lost faith in my GI doc who put me through batteries of tests, and a surgery without seeing any improvement in my symptoms. So, in the Spring of 2013, I switched to a new GI doc, who also is my mother's GI doc and we started all over again with a new barrage of tests.
In the summer of 2013, I was tentatively diagnosed with Crohns after having the Prometheus Test (which, by the way, my insurance company refused to cover, and denied my on all of my appeals). None of my scopes, or other tests have indicated Crohns. However, I have other symptoms that I think correlate to this diagnosis: inflammation of my GI tract, alternating between constipation and diarrhea, occasional sores in my mouth, skin irregularities, etc. that lead me to a few new medications. One of them, Pentasa, I believe, gave me incredible headaches and I had to stop it.
Fast forward to the 18th of February (about a month ago), I woke up in the morning feeling ill. I was so tired I couldn't move, had incredible headaches, my digestive system was a mess, and my mind was in a fog. I've had every blood test imaginable, an MRI on my brain, and am scheduled for a sleep study. I'm not really sure what's going on with me at the moment, but I know my brain isn't working properly, my head hurts, and I don't have nearly the energy I normally do. I haven't been able to work since the 18th, even though I have an office job, and dealing with all the hoops I've had to jump through for FMLA and STD (short-term disability) haven't lessened the burden much (especially when the STD folks start calling every day to ask if you're back at work that day). My boss is working with me (thankfully) to get me set up to work from home (at least short-term, hopefully long-term), which will definitely help financially, and should help physically.
Thanks for reading! I'm a little stressed, anxious, not feeling great, and needed to vent!
Here's what I'm currently taking:
Multi-vitamins
Pro-biotics
Flexiril 10mg, Once per Day (At Night)
Bentyl 20mg, As Needed (Usually Once Per Day)
Lomotil 2.5mg, Twice per Day
Ranitidine 300mg, Once per Day
Zoloft 50mg, Once per Day
Sulfasalazine 500mg, 3 Times per Day
Vicodin, 5mg, Once per Day for Headaches
In high school, I was diagnosed with IBS and Acid Reflux. I always had stomach issues, but I just chalked it up to having bad nerves.
In my early 20's, I didn't experience much in the way of symptoms. I'm glad I didn't. It would have gotten in the way of my "fun" during that time!
Starting at about age 27, one night, I began feeling sharp, stabbing pains in my abdomen. I went back to see the GI doc that I had seen in high school, and he ran several tests over several weeks, mixed in with a visit to the ER and a few nights of wondering of I was having a heart attack, they discovered that I needed to have my gall bladder removed. So, two days before Thanksgiving, I did (My surgeon said I'd be fine by Thanksgiving dinner. Lies! All lies!). I recovered from surgery mostly fine, but now with symptoms that were all too familiar. I thought they were the common "digestive issues" associated with gall bladder surgery. I was wrong. They persisted.
After another year of dealing with cramping, alternating constipation and diarrhea, reflux, and more and more and more tests, my trusty old GI doc decided I needed to have a Nissen Fundoplication. If you're not familiar with a Nissen, they basically twist your stomach into an origami funnel that is supposed to solve your GERD. So, the day after Christmas I had surgery. I was supposed to go home the same day, but had a little reaction to the anesthesia, and had to stay in the hospital for three days. After about 6 weeks off work, I was well enough to go back.
My symptoms never really changed, and I lost faith in my GI doc who put me through batteries of tests, and a surgery without seeing any improvement in my symptoms. So, in the Spring of 2013, I switched to a new GI doc, who also is my mother's GI doc and we started all over again with a new barrage of tests.
In the summer of 2013, I was tentatively diagnosed with Crohns after having the Prometheus Test (which, by the way, my insurance company refused to cover, and denied my on all of my appeals). None of my scopes, or other tests have indicated Crohns. However, I have other symptoms that I think correlate to this diagnosis: inflammation of my GI tract, alternating between constipation and diarrhea, occasional sores in my mouth, skin irregularities, etc. that lead me to a few new medications. One of them, Pentasa, I believe, gave me incredible headaches and I had to stop it.
Fast forward to the 18th of February (about a month ago), I woke up in the morning feeling ill. I was so tired I couldn't move, had incredible headaches, my digestive system was a mess, and my mind was in a fog. I've had every blood test imaginable, an MRI on my brain, and am scheduled for a sleep study. I'm not really sure what's going on with me at the moment, but I know my brain isn't working properly, my head hurts, and I don't have nearly the energy I normally do. I haven't been able to work since the 18th, even though I have an office job, and dealing with all the hoops I've had to jump through for FMLA and STD (short-term disability) haven't lessened the burden much (especially when the STD folks start calling every day to ask if you're back at work that day). My boss is working with me (thankfully) to get me set up to work from home (at least short-term, hopefully long-term), which will definitely help financially, and should help physically.
Thanks for reading! I'm a little stressed, anxious, not feeling great, and needed to vent!
Here's what I'm currently taking:
Multi-vitamins
Pro-biotics
Flexiril 10mg, Once per Day (At Night)
Bentyl 20mg, As Needed (Usually Once Per Day)
Lomotil 2.5mg, Twice per Day
Ranitidine 300mg, Once per Day
Zoloft 50mg, Once per Day
Sulfasalazine 500mg, 3 Times per Day
Vicodin, 5mg, Once per Day for Headaches
