Hi everybody, I'm Daniel.
I was diagnosed with Crohns disease at 14, in April 2004 after for 3 months in a row suffering with stomach cramps, which where I was examined by 7 doctors, 6 said I have appendicitis and another said I have Crohn's. They opted to listen to the 6 doctors, and when they opened me up to take my appendix, they found my large intestine inflamed, I went onto have a colonoscopy to confirm I did indeed have Crohns disease.
After being diagnosed I was put on Prednisolone steroids to deal with not only my pain for the Crohns, but to help me gain weight as I was only a little over 6 stone at the time.
Since then, every year around Christmas time I get a flare up, it’s been like an annual thing since I got diagnosed. November or December I'll get a flare up and usually Colifoam will fix the problem. However that was not the case with the Christmas just gone, I had a flare-up just like every other year, and unfortunately for me, it was more serious this time. To be honest I was a little more hesitant, this year on using the Colifoam, I don't why I felt different to every year, but I was afraid of using it, I knew I was getting ill but at the same time I didn't want to tell anyone. I was afraid of what might happen. Eventually I got so bad I couldn't hide it anymore, my mam noticed I was getting ill due to the fact I was struggling to walk. So she made me go on the Colifoam like every year, and I thought it would help but it didn't.
I had to arrange an appointment with my doctor then to ask what was going on, he did an X-ray on my stomach and said he noticed a lot of feces in my small intestines and asked I have an MRI scan as my doctors have never looked at this before...strangely. Anyway we went ahead and did the MRI scan, before which I had to have laxatives to empty me inside to have an accurate reading. I had the MRI scan just before Christmas and was told I would not get the results til the New Year; however I thought that was the end of it. After I had the MRI Scan I felt great, maybe the laxatives that emptied my body helped take the pain away as there was nothing in there.
Unfortunately though, that wasn't the case, I got called to come back into the hospital a couple of days ago and he said that my intestine that connects from my small to large intestine was inflammed. My doctor was glad to hear I was feeling a lot better, but he said he suggested I do something about this. I am lucky as I get to choose the option of one of seven, being:
1. Introduction of Azathioprine
2. Prednisolone and Azathioprine
3. Prednisolone
4. Infliximab
5. Surgery
6. Surgery and Azathioprine
7. Do Nothing
My doctor has strongly urged that I don't do nothing. I don't know what to do though, this is the biggest decision of my life, and I don't want it to be the wrong one. Each drug has so many side-effects; I am at a complete loss at one to do.
I have to admit before signing up to these forums I read through what other people like yourself have through and its completely inspirational.
I don't know why this has happened I asked the doctor if there was anything I could do to prevent this in the future, he said it didn't matter if I ate Cabbage or McDonalds every day before this, it still would have happened.
I think though somehow this may have been my fault though, In a previous job, I used to take diarrhea tablets, to keep me from going to the toilet at work as I was not getting the support from my work colleagues and I wasn't going to risk embarrassing myself in front of them. However I used these tablets for 2 years, and I don't think they would have done me any favors in this. Although I asked my doctors assistant about this, and they said as long as I don't use these tablets during a flare up I would be fine...I'm not sure of how much I believe though.
In the months leading up to my latest flare-up though, I'll admit it has been a stressful time, my dog died that I had since I was 8 (I'm now 22), I know some of you may think its just a dog, but this dog meant everything to me. He was my one true friend. I originally come from the north of England, and I moved to the south when I was 13 (shortly before I got diagnosed with Crohns) and this dog was always there for me, when I had no friends at school as I was the new kid, or even now, as I did make friends, but everyone goes there separate way in life. He was there when I first came home from the hospital after being in there for 2 days with my appendix operation; he literally howled the street down. He was always there for me in my time of need growing up, so obviously this hit me pretty hard.
After this, I lost my job, it was in retail, but I went on to be unemployed for a number of months, and I was feeling the stress of not having a steady income.
Shortly after that, my Nan died, and she too was a big part of my life, as she taught me a lot growing up. It was kind of a double whammy, as 2 figures in my life that I thought would always be there for me had gone. But she was sick, but it’s still a shock when it does happen.
However, now I have a new job, from the horrible place to I was before to a nice office job to allow me to go to the toilet whenever I need. My staff members there are incredibly supportive, there isn't much more I could ask of them, anytime I say I need to pop out the office for a doctor’s appointment of some kind, they won't even make a fuss about it, they just ask me to keep up to date with my health.
Literally just as I type this my dad has came in the room and mentioned an additional option to above called "Helminthic Therapy." I've never heard of it. But he's literally just told me about it and for me to Google it. I'll do my research on it later. My parents have been very supportive for me with my crohns disease. They were very protective of me as a child; I wouldn't be allowed to go sleep over at friends houses etc, in the event they thought I might forget to take my ozalazine tablets. It was stressful growing up, but they older I get the more i realize they had my best intentions at heart. I am thankful to have parents as supportive as mine because I know some just don't get it.
Hopefully though in the future, I can pick the right option to maybe get a couple of years, or if i'm lucky, a couple of decades without any problems...a man can dream eh?
Anyway, that’s what has happened to me so far...I apologize if there is any spelling mistakes in there for medication or things like that, these drugs are real tongue twisters aren't they?
I will also be putting something similar to this in the treatment forum to get people's views on medication, and their experiences etc, before I make my decision.
And if you've got all this way...Thanks for reading
I was diagnosed with Crohns disease at 14, in April 2004 after for 3 months in a row suffering with stomach cramps, which where I was examined by 7 doctors, 6 said I have appendicitis and another said I have Crohn's. They opted to listen to the 6 doctors, and when they opened me up to take my appendix, they found my large intestine inflamed, I went onto have a colonoscopy to confirm I did indeed have Crohns disease.
After being diagnosed I was put on Prednisolone steroids to deal with not only my pain for the Crohns, but to help me gain weight as I was only a little over 6 stone at the time.
Since then, every year around Christmas time I get a flare up, it’s been like an annual thing since I got diagnosed. November or December I'll get a flare up and usually Colifoam will fix the problem. However that was not the case with the Christmas just gone, I had a flare-up just like every other year, and unfortunately for me, it was more serious this time. To be honest I was a little more hesitant, this year on using the Colifoam, I don't why I felt different to every year, but I was afraid of using it, I knew I was getting ill but at the same time I didn't want to tell anyone. I was afraid of what might happen. Eventually I got so bad I couldn't hide it anymore, my mam noticed I was getting ill due to the fact I was struggling to walk. So she made me go on the Colifoam like every year, and I thought it would help but it didn't.
I had to arrange an appointment with my doctor then to ask what was going on, he did an X-ray on my stomach and said he noticed a lot of feces in my small intestines and asked I have an MRI scan as my doctors have never looked at this before...strangely. Anyway we went ahead and did the MRI scan, before which I had to have laxatives to empty me inside to have an accurate reading. I had the MRI scan just before Christmas and was told I would not get the results til the New Year; however I thought that was the end of it. After I had the MRI Scan I felt great, maybe the laxatives that emptied my body helped take the pain away as there was nothing in there.
Unfortunately though, that wasn't the case, I got called to come back into the hospital a couple of days ago and he said that my intestine that connects from my small to large intestine was inflammed. My doctor was glad to hear I was feeling a lot better, but he said he suggested I do something about this. I am lucky as I get to choose the option of one of seven, being:
1. Introduction of Azathioprine
2. Prednisolone and Azathioprine
3. Prednisolone
4. Infliximab
5. Surgery
6. Surgery and Azathioprine
7. Do Nothing
My doctor has strongly urged that I don't do nothing. I don't know what to do though, this is the biggest decision of my life, and I don't want it to be the wrong one. Each drug has so many side-effects; I am at a complete loss at one to do.
I have to admit before signing up to these forums I read through what other people like yourself have through and its completely inspirational.
I don't know why this has happened I asked the doctor if there was anything I could do to prevent this in the future, he said it didn't matter if I ate Cabbage or McDonalds every day before this, it still would have happened.
I think though somehow this may have been my fault though, In a previous job, I used to take diarrhea tablets, to keep me from going to the toilet at work as I was not getting the support from my work colleagues and I wasn't going to risk embarrassing myself in front of them. However I used these tablets for 2 years, and I don't think they would have done me any favors in this. Although I asked my doctors assistant about this, and they said as long as I don't use these tablets during a flare up I would be fine...I'm not sure of how much I believe though.
In the months leading up to my latest flare-up though, I'll admit it has been a stressful time, my dog died that I had since I was 8 (I'm now 22), I know some of you may think its just a dog, but this dog meant everything to me. He was my one true friend. I originally come from the north of England, and I moved to the south when I was 13 (shortly before I got diagnosed with Crohns) and this dog was always there for me, when I had no friends at school as I was the new kid, or even now, as I did make friends, but everyone goes there separate way in life. He was there when I first came home from the hospital after being in there for 2 days with my appendix operation; he literally howled the street down. He was always there for me in my time of need growing up, so obviously this hit me pretty hard.
After this, I lost my job, it was in retail, but I went on to be unemployed for a number of months, and I was feeling the stress of not having a steady income.
Shortly after that, my Nan died, and she too was a big part of my life, as she taught me a lot growing up. It was kind of a double whammy, as 2 figures in my life that I thought would always be there for me had gone. But she was sick, but it’s still a shock when it does happen.
However, now I have a new job, from the horrible place to I was before to a nice office job to allow me to go to the toilet whenever I need. My staff members there are incredibly supportive, there isn't much more I could ask of them, anytime I say I need to pop out the office for a doctor’s appointment of some kind, they won't even make a fuss about it, they just ask me to keep up to date with my health.
Literally just as I type this my dad has came in the room and mentioned an additional option to above called "Helminthic Therapy." I've never heard of it. But he's literally just told me about it and for me to Google it. I'll do my research on it later. My parents have been very supportive for me with my crohns disease. They were very protective of me as a child; I wouldn't be allowed to go sleep over at friends houses etc, in the event they thought I might forget to take my ozalazine tablets. It was stressful growing up, but they older I get the more i realize they had my best intentions at heart. I am thankful to have parents as supportive as mine because I know some just don't get it.
Hopefully though in the future, I can pick the right option to maybe get a couple of years, or if i'm lucky, a couple of decades without any problems...a man can dream eh?
Anyway, that’s what has happened to me so far...I apologize if there is any spelling mistakes in there for medication or things like that, these drugs are real tongue twisters aren't they?
I will also be putting something similar to this in the treatment forum to get people's views on medication, and their experiences etc, before I make my decision.
And if you've got all this way...Thanks for reading
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