Hi..I'm Becky and I'm new to this site which looks great having had a look through some of the posts.
I'm 42 and was diagnosed with Crohn's when I was 21. Initially I thought I had piles, but on visiting the docs and being sent to hospital it transpired I had anal fistulas. These kept happening and eventually they diagnosed Crohn's. Now I know a lot more about it, the weight loss and lack of energy also all happened at around the same time.
I do have a feeling though that I may have had Crohn's simmering away for far longer. I had Iritis when I was three, where my eye inflamed and I had to have surgery on that and then when I was about 11 I was admitted to hospital with suspected appendisitis - but then they decided it wasn't my appendix! I was reasonably clear of any other symptoms then until I was 20.
My Crohn's does seem to be mainly right at the end of the tract as I've had too many fistula repairs (anal and rectal vaginal) to remember now. I now also have lots of abcesses all around the "nether regions" and was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Superativa - which apparently can be quite common in Crohn's patients, all linked together. I had an ileostomy in 1992 and reversal and another in 1999, reversed in 2000, both really to give the bowel a break and try and stop the fistulas from forming.
Also I was diagosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (sorry if I've got the spelling wrong!!) when I was 23, again linked to the Crohn's.
Over the years I've taken Prednisilone, Asacol, Azathioprine and I think every antibiotic known to man! I was a guinea pig back in 1999 at Bristol Royal Infirmary for Infliximab but didn't get it again until 2004. First dose went fine and seemed to help, unfortunately I had a bad reaction to the second dose and so that was that. I then started on a drug trial for Certolizumab (Cimzia) and have been lucky enough to get the ok from the PCT to carry on taking it after the trial ended.
At the moment I only take Certolizumab and although I'm still getting the abcesses I do feel that I have a lot more energy and two years ago I managed to start a full time job - something I hadn't managed to do in 9 years so pretty chuffed about that (saying that it IS the easiest job in the world and very little stress comes with it so that probably helps!!).
So..that's me, thank you for reading and I look forward to getting to know you all.
Becky xxx
I'm 42 and was diagnosed with Crohn's when I was 21. Initially I thought I had piles, but on visiting the docs and being sent to hospital it transpired I had anal fistulas. These kept happening and eventually they diagnosed Crohn's. Now I know a lot more about it, the weight loss and lack of energy also all happened at around the same time.
I do have a feeling though that I may have had Crohn's simmering away for far longer. I had Iritis when I was three, where my eye inflamed and I had to have surgery on that and then when I was about 11 I was admitted to hospital with suspected appendisitis - but then they decided it wasn't my appendix! I was reasonably clear of any other symptoms then until I was 20.
My Crohn's does seem to be mainly right at the end of the tract as I've had too many fistula repairs (anal and rectal vaginal) to remember now. I now also have lots of abcesses all around the "nether regions" and was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Superativa - which apparently can be quite common in Crohn's patients, all linked together. I had an ileostomy in 1992 and reversal and another in 1999, reversed in 2000, both really to give the bowel a break and try and stop the fistulas from forming.
Also I was diagosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (sorry if I've got the spelling wrong!!) when I was 23, again linked to the Crohn's.
Over the years I've taken Prednisilone, Asacol, Azathioprine and I think every antibiotic known to man! I was a guinea pig back in 1999 at Bristol Royal Infirmary for Infliximab but didn't get it again until 2004. First dose went fine and seemed to help, unfortunately I had a bad reaction to the second dose and so that was that. I then started on a drug trial for Certolizumab (Cimzia) and have been lucky enough to get the ok from the PCT to carry on taking it after the trial ended.
At the moment I only take Certolizumab and although I'm still getting the abcesses I do feel that I have a lot more energy and two years ago I managed to start a full time job - something I hadn't managed to do in 9 years so pretty chuffed about that (saying that it IS the easiest job in the world and very little stress comes with it so that probably helps!!).
So..that's me, thank you for reading and I look forward to getting to know you all.
Becky xxx
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