Hello Everyone! I'm new here as you might guess, I have been watching and lurking in the background for awhile just to get an idea of what the forum is all about. Needless to say I have found lots of helpful info and some stuff that I already knew. Anyway, to begin my story(it is quite long) I will try to keep it as brief as possible. I was Dx'd with Moderate/Severe Crohn's in 1993 at the ripe old age of 23. I can honestly say that I was sick off and on most of my life, just thought I was especially sensitive to stomach viruses..uuhhh NOT! After lots of meds everything from Asacol & Pred to 6MP(no biologics, they didn't have them then), switching doctors from a D.O. to a G.I.(A GOD send) and lots of invasive testing:voodoo: we(my G.I. and me) decided that the only thing left to do was surgery since there was no remission in site. So at 27(1997) I had a full abdominal collectomy with a procto-collectomy and ileostomy, which put me in remission for about 11 years. I have to say that I became very cocky and complacent, thinking the worst was behind me because I felt ever so much better.
No more urgent cramping and praying/crying on the toilet, No more planning a route around town(on the days I could get off the John) just to run the necessary errands. Life was good! Until that is about 5 years ago when I started having really bad heartburn, belching and vomiting(on occasion) so I started self-medicating(OTC antacids and stomach aids) I know I know I just hate going to the doctor and I didn't have insurance. Last year I had a terrible car accident(rear-ended) that messed up my neck and back after lots of therapy, CT scans, X-rays, and MRI it was discovered that I had huge ovarian cysts. So I got on public insurance where you pay as much as you can and the state pays the rest, had a Hist in October 2011 and they had to run my complete small bowel because of adhesions, and they found that I am malnourished(minerals and vitamins). So, I just had another scope(EGD/Colonoscopy) and the G.I. that was assigned to me doesn't know much about Crohn's.
He states that the testing was negative even though there is severe scarring and ulcerations of the duodenum. So he put me on 3 different antibiotics and Nexium for the next 2 months. Still have the belching, vomiting, and heartburn. Trying to get a second opinion, and talking to a Crohn's advocate from Abbott. Not sure I want to try the biologics because of all the side-effects, and elimination diets and stuff don't do much for me. Have thought about LDN and may be willing to give it a try since I am already on Welbutrin(smoking ceasation) for anxiety. Any and all advice will be noted and researched. Thanks for your time, this went a little longer than I had planned.
No more urgent cramping and praying/crying on the toilet, No more planning a route around town(on the days I could get off the John) just to run the necessary errands. Life was good! Until that is about 5 years ago when I started having really bad heartburn, belching and vomiting(on occasion) so I started self-medicating(OTC antacids and stomach aids) I know I know I just hate going to the doctor and I didn't have insurance. Last year I had a terrible car accident(rear-ended) that messed up my neck and back after lots of therapy, CT scans, X-rays, and MRI it was discovered that I had huge ovarian cysts. So I got on public insurance where you pay as much as you can and the state pays the rest, had a Hist in October 2011 and they had to run my complete small bowel because of adhesions, and they found that I am malnourished(minerals and vitamins). So, I just had another scope(EGD/Colonoscopy) and the G.I. that was assigned to me doesn't know much about Crohn's.
He states that the testing was negative even though there is severe scarring and ulcerations of the duodenum. So he put me on 3 different antibiotics and Nexium for the next 2 months. Still have the belching, vomiting, and heartburn. Trying to get a second opinion, and talking to a Crohn's advocate from Abbott. Not sure I want to try the biologics because of all the side-effects, and elimination diets and stuff don't do much for me. Have thought about LDN and may be willing to give it a try since I am already on Welbutrin(smoking ceasation) for anxiety. Any and all advice will be noted and researched. Thanks for your time, this went a little longer than I had planned.
