I'm Erin, a 37 year old, stay at home mom of 2 and a cowboy's wife. We live on a little place in the extreme NW corner of Kansas. Though my husband works in Nebraska, my kids go to school in Nebraska, and we do all our shopping in Nebraska. And who wants to admit they're from Kansas??
I'm recently diagnosed with Crohn's of the terminal illium (and possibly colon, but he wants to scope before claiming that one, too).
In looking back, I've had symptoms off and on since my daughter was born, 9 years ago. Of course, I also had gall bladder disease at the same time, so I attributed a lot of it to that. And, I was never severe or constant.
I'd have this occasional twingy-ness in my side (which I attributed to the return of kidney stones) and various bathrooming issues, but it never lasted long enough, or happened often enough, that I was concerned. In hind sight, though, the pieces all fall together...
I've been trying, with varying degrees of effort, to follow a low-carb diet for about a year and a half. But this March, I cheated about every weekend. Candy. Breads. Pizza. Yum! However, after every cheat I'd have the stomach flu! D, nausea, and stabbing nails in my stomach...
My cheat days only lasted a day or two, though, and then I'd get myself back into low-carb and my stomach would settle back down.
The first time it was easy to ignore. People get the flu. The second time was a bit odd. Twice? In two weeks?
But by the third, I decided something is wrong. I'd better go to the doc and find out what's wrong with me.
No temp. No high white count. Hmmm... She sent home a stool kit.
By the time I was admitted to the ER (having been following the doc's recommended "gentle starch" diet for several days) with what I was sure was appendicitis, my stool culture was back.
I had a serious gut infection from two types of clostridium, and the CT showed, in addition to a less-than-ideal appendix, a highly inflamed ilium and colon. Still no temp or high white count.
My internist already diagnosed me from the CT and my history, but wants a scope to investigate damage.
On the bright side:
I've apparently had a pretty mild case for nearly ten years. And, once I did a little research and found references to the "Special Carb Diet" ("Paleo" in the low-carb/fitness world), I went back on my slightly adjusted low-carb diet as soon as I got off starchy hospital food.
I have soft stools, but not d, I'm nearly done with my antibiotic course, I'm down to 10mg of pred. a day and will be tapered to none by next week. I feel normal, except for this very mild ache in my side.
I was a parent-sponsor for my 11 year old's field trip to the Denver Zoo yesterday. A 14 hour day that included a 4 hour bus ride both coming and going.
And it was no big deal. The kids used the bathroom more than I.
So I guess my diagnosis is a blessing in disguise.
I now know that I can not "cheat" on my diet. (I am firmly convinced my diet is a big part of what has been keeping this thing relatively under control.) It's no longer something as minor as stalling my weight loss. This is now something that I hope will keep drug therapy away for as long as possible!
I'm recently diagnosed with Crohn's of the terminal illium (and possibly colon, but he wants to scope before claiming that one, too).
In looking back, I've had symptoms off and on since my daughter was born, 9 years ago. Of course, I also had gall bladder disease at the same time, so I attributed a lot of it to that. And, I was never severe or constant.
I'd have this occasional twingy-ness in my side (which I attributed to the return of kidney stones) and various bathrooming issues, but it never lasted long enough, or happened often enough, that I was concerned. In hind sight, though, the pieces all fall together...
I've been trying, with varying degrees of effort, to follow a low-carb diet for about a year and a half. But this March, I cheated about every weekend. Candy. Breads. Pizza. Yum! However, after every cheat I'd have the stomach flu! D, nausea, and stabbing nails in my stomach...
My cheat days only lasted a day or two, though, and then I'd get myself back into low-carb and my stomach would settle back down.
The first time it was easy to ignore. People get the flu. The second time was a bit odd. Twice? In two weeks?
But by the third, I decided something is wrong. I'd better go to the doc and find out what's wrong with me.
No temp. No high white count. Hmmm... She sent home a stool kit.
By the time I was admitted to the ER (having been following the doc's recommended "gentle starch" diet for several days) with what I was sure was appendicitis, my stool culture was back.
I had a serious gut infection from two types of clostridium, and the CT showed, in addition to a less-than-ideal appendix, a highly inflamed ilium and colon. Still no temp or high white count.
My internist already diagnosed me from the CT and my history, but wants a scope to investigate damage.
On the bright side:
I've apparently had a pretty mild case for nearly ten years. And, once I did a little research and found references to the "Special Carb Diet" ("Paleo" in the low-carb/fitness world), I went back on my slightly adjusted low-carb diet as soon as I got off starchy hospital food.
I have soft stools, but not d, I'm nearly done with my antibiotic course, I'm down to 10mg of pred. a day and will be tapered to none by next week. I feel normal, except for this very mild ache in my side.
I was a parent-sponsor for my 11 year old's field trip to the Denver Zoo yesterday. A 14 hour day that included a 4 hour bus ride both coming and going.
And it was no big deal. The kids used the bathroom more than I.
So I guess my diagnosis is a blessing in disguise.
I now know that I can not "cheat" on my diet. (I am firmly convinced my diet is a big part of what has been keeping this thing relatively under control.) It's no longer something as minor as stalling my weight loss. This is now something that I hope will keep drug therapy away for as long as possible!
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