Hello everyone, can't wait to start participating in discussions. But first, I've got to be the student.
Recently I was diagnosed with Crohn's. I was in Atlanta, GA (I travel for work, high stress job). On Thursday night I realized I was sick with some pain in my lower right abdomen. By Friday morning, I could hardly stand. Drove late to work and tried not to move too much the entire day. At some points, it was hard to even speak it hurt so bad. I tried to pop some Tylenol and Pepto and be done with it. Didn't work.
My flight was at 7PM, landing in AZ at about 8:30PM. I decided I can make the flight home to be with the family. This was, by far, the worst 4.5hr flight I had ever been on. I've broken my arm in a bad way once and the pain was nothing compared to this. When I landed, my dad took me to the ER and after a few hours they told me I had IBD. Then the next morning, they were pretty sure it was Crohn's. I was in the hospital for 3 days, over Halloween, with the pain slowly receding. The hospital told me to go for a followup which I have not had time for yet but they did give me a prescription for Asacol. They didn't give me any documentation on Chron's and how to take care of it (which I assume would be in the followup in the near future).
It's been about 14 days and I haven't changed much of my diet. The doctors said I can continue nearly my exact diet and take Asacol and be fine. For the most part, that has been true. I've felt a bit of pain here and there but really, life has been back to normal. I drink beer, I eat pizza, I play volleyball 8hrs a day, I feel pretty OK. The only thing they warned me is that I should probably stay away from raw fruits/veggies. This is a sad request as I had just gotten in to these. And every now and then (less seldom) I feel the need to go to the bathroom with a sense of urgency.
My first questions as a member (and I will search the forums too) are, am I going about this the wrong way? I have a high-stress traveling job and the only time I've gotten the pain bad enough to effect me is when the job was at its worst. Is it just stress induced for me and can I go on without changing my diet?
What questions should I be prepared to ask the doctor on my followup?
Is it possible this can get worse over time or can I keep living my passive lifestyle? From reading what I've read, it really seems like I shouldn't ignore this as much as I am. I don't really eat healthy. Fried foods, beer, candy, these are all parts of my diet (albeit not every day).
Thank you much for your advice - it's needed and appreciated.
Recently I was diagnosed with Crohn's. I was in Atlanta, GA (I travel for work, high stress job). On Thursday night I realized I was sick with some pain in my lower right abdomen. By Friday morning, I could hardly stand. Drove late to work and tried not to move too much the entire day. At some points, it was hard to even speak it hurt so bad. I tried to pop some Tylenol and Pepto and be done with it. Didn't work.
My flight was at 7PM, landing in AZ at about 8:30PM. I decided I can make the flight home to be with the family. This was, by far, the worst 4.5hr flight I had ever been on. I've broken my arm in a bad way once and the pain was nothing compared to this. When I landed, my dad took me to the ER and after a few hours they told me I had IBD. Then the next morning, they were pretty sure it was Crohn's. I was in the hospital for 3 days, over Halloween, with the pain slowly receding. The hospital told me to go for a followup which I have not had time for yet but they did give me a prescription for Asacol. They didn't give me any documentation on Chron's and how to take care of it (which I assume would be in the followup in the near future).
It's been about 14 days and I haven't changed much of my diet. The doctors said I can continue nearly my exact diet and take Asacol and be fine. For the most part, that has been true. I've felt a bit of pain here and there but really, life has been back to normal. I drink beer, I eat pizza, I play volleyball 8hrs a day, I feel pretty OK. The only thing they warned me is that I should probably stay away from raw fruits/veggies. This is a sad request as I had just gotten in to these. And every now and then (less seldom) I feel the need to go to the bathroom with a sense of urgency.
My first questions as a member (and I will search the forums too) are, am I going about this the wrong way? I have a high-stress traveling job and the only time I've gotten the pain bad enough to effect me is when the job was at its worst. Is it just stress induced for me and can I go on without changing my diet?
What questions should I be prepared to ask the doctor on my followup?
Is it possible this can get worse over time or can I keep living my passive lifestyle? From reading what I've read, it really seems like I shouldn't ignore this as much as I am. I don't really eat healthy. Fried foods, beer, candy, these are all parts of my diet (albeit not every day).
Thank you much for your advice - it's needed and appreciated.
. Anyway best of luck and welcome to the forum.
