- Joined
- Feb 1, 2015
- Messages
- 2
Hey, you! I know sometimes being sick or having any medical problems can REALLY SUCK. I know that having a fistula/abscess sucks. I just thought I would share a little bit of my story (without being super graphic) because I want you to have hope and know that one day, you will be healed! Whether that day is tomorrow or years down the road, things will get better and you can get through this!
I've had Crohn's disease since 2012. Since then, I've taken prednisone, asacol hd, low dose naltrexone and an innumerable amount of supplements. I tried the SCD diet and I went gluten and dairy free for three or four months but after all of this, last July (2014), I got a fistula.
When I first got it, I went to my regular doctor and my GI and both said not to worry about it because they didn't think it was a fistula at all. I got on antibiotics for a few weeks and when that didn't help, my GI suggested that I go to the surgeon. The surgeon discovered that I did indeed have a fistula and he seemed angry that I had not come in sooner. Apparently for people who have Crohn's disease, fistulas have the potential to get worse/more complicated with time. He told me about the two potential solutions that I would have with surgery: either he would simply cut the fistula or he would have to put in setons if it was too complicated and he wouldn't decide until during the surgery, itself. Two days later, I had the surgery and I woke up not knowing what had happened or what he had done. Not suprisingly, he had put in two setons into the fistula hole.
The two week recovery was pretty painful for me. At times it was hard to walk and overall it felt really uncomfortable. My surgeon told me that I could eventually get the setons surgically removed but he recommended that I not do that until after I have kids. After kids?! That would be AT LEAST 5 or 10 years down the road! On top of everything else going on, I couldn't imagine getting ANOTHER fistula or having to undergo surgery for any other reason so I talked to my doctors and within a few months, they put me on Humira.
Having those setons in was miserable most of the time. My doctor suggested that I not go into water to avoid getting an infection. I couldn't go to the gym without bleeding and being in pain for the next two or three days. Some times it was even painful walking around to my classes even using gauze pads. I know not everyone has these same problems, but these are the things that I struggled with most.
Over the summer, I had to avoid going to events when everyone would be swimming which was hard at times but it wasn't horrible. Then, the day before my classes started this semester, I woke up early for orientation, went to the bathroom and to my surprise, my setons fell out into my hand. It wasn't just one, but both. And they weren't broken, they looked good as new. I had NO IDEA what had happened and honestly, I was so scared. I thought maybe I needed surgery again or maybe something had gone horribly wrong. I called the surgeon and missed my first day of classes to see him.
When I went in, he took a look and told me that it seemed like "God didn't want you to have them anymore". To my surprise and relief, I did not need another surgery. He had to cauterize the wound (ouch) but he said that in about 5 to 6 weeks I should be completely normal. NORMAL. I was absolutely blown away (and actually also in a lot of pain still).
This all happened a little over a week ago and I am still recovering but I just wanted to post this somewhere just to tell everyone in the community not to give up. This is just my testimony to God and/or the power of prayer and/or Humira and/or whatever you need it to be. I have spent so much time the past few years praying for healing and honestly, I never even imagined that this was possible. I just wanted to let you all know that miracles can happen and although things may seem really bad now, tomorrow could always be better, even when you're not expecting it. <3
{sorry if there are any typos, it's late}
I've had Crohn's disease since 2012. Since then, I've taken prednisone, asacol hd, low dose naltrexone and an innumerable amount of supplements. I tried the SCD diet and I went gluten and dairy free for three or four months but after all of this, last July (2014), I got a fistula.
When I first got it, I went to my regular doctor and my GI and both said not to worry about it because they didn't think it was a fistula at all. I got on antibiotics for a few weeks and when that didn't help, my GI suggested that I go to the surgeon. The surgeon discovered that I did indeed have a fistula and he seemed angry that I had not come in sooner. Apparently for people who have Crohn's disease, fistulas have the potential to get worse/more complicated with time. He told me about the two potential solutions that I would have with surgery: either he would simply cut the fistula or he would have to put in setons if it was too complicated and he wouldn't decide until during the surgery, itself. Two days later, I had the surgery and I woke up not knowing what had happened or what he had done. Not suprisingly, he had put in two setons into the fistula hole.
The two week recovery was pretty painful for me. At times it was hard to walk and overall it felt really uncomfortable. My surgeon told me that I could eventually get the setons surgically removed but he recommended that I not do that until after I have kids. After kids?! That would be AT LEAST 5 or 10 years down the road! On top of everything else going on, I couldn't imagine getting ANOTHER fistula or having to undergo surgery for any other reason so I talked to my doctors and within a few months, they put me on Humira.
Having those setons in was miserable most of the time. My doctor suggested that I not go into water to avoid getting an infection. I couldn't go to the gym without bleeding and being in pain for the next two or three days. Some times it was even painful walking around to my classes even using gauze pads. I know not everyone has these same problems, but these are the things that I struggled with most.
Over the summer, I had to avoid going to events when everyone would be swimming which was hard at times but it wasn't horrible. Then, the day before my classes started this semester, I woke up early for orientation, went to the bathroom and to my surprise, my setons fell out into my hand. It wasn't just one, but both. And they weren't broken, they looked good as new. I had NO IDEA what had happened and honestly, I was so scared. I thought maybe I needed surgery again or maybe something had gone horribly wrong. I called the surgeon and missed my first day of classes to see him.
When I went in, he took a look and told me that it seemed like "God didn't want you to have them anymore". To my surprise and relief, I did not need another surgery. He had to cauterize the wound (ouch) but he said that in about 5 to 6 weeks I should be completely normal. NORMAL. I was absolutely blown away (and actually also in a lot of pain still).
This all happened a little over a week ago and I am still recovering but I just wanted to post this somewhere just to tell everyone in the community not to give up. This is just my testimony to God and/or the power of prayer and/or Humira and/or whatever you need it to be. I have spent so much time the past few years praying for healing and honestly, I never even imagined that this was possible. I just wanted to let you all know that miracles can happen and although things may seem really bad now, tomorrow could always be better, even when you're not expecting it. <3
{sorry if there are any typos, it's late}
