Question about surgery

[Terri]

I was diagnosed with Crohn's as the date shown on my colonoscopy photo here...I was wondering..how long was it before you had surgery AFTER the first time you were diagnosed?? I was found to have inflammation in the following areas, my sigmoid colon, with "erosions" my GI wrote down on the picture shown below..I posted this before..but the picture's URL is a red X so i'll do it again..How does this look?..I was told by someone on here I had a nice looking colon lol I had to laugh at that...For the most part I've never really experienced a lot of diarrhea like most patients do. I have pretty firm stool but rather narrow but not narrow to the point where I think it will draw a concern.. The reason why I show this is because I am concerned about having future surgery..of course that dreadful word has never been brought up..yet..

 

[Crohn's 35]

Hi Terri, I had exploratory surgery and a resection right after diagnosis because meds were not helping and I was getting obstructions. Having surgery is scary but if they can do laproscopic surgery, you are young and you could have many years of relief provided you realize there is no cure and continue to always look after yourself. I didnt so at least you have the knowledge and the benefit of computers today. I had a week IV before and after my surgery and was only on low dose Entocort and had 7 wonderful years pain free. Sometimes being on alot of meds just weakens your body and you have surgery, sometimes the body can't heal as well. Just my thoughts, I am not a doctor but I have been there done it ..good luck.

 

[Philfun]

Hi Terri, Way back in 1960, when I was 21, I went under the knife about 4 months after being first diagnosed with CD and after Prednisone had failed to improve it. They cut out 11 feet of colon/lower intestine. It didn't totally fix the problem but it has allowed me to live close to a normal life for the the next 50 years or so on 2 Immodium a day, and none of these 'modern, powerful' medicines which all seem to have potentially horrific side effects. Good luck!

 

[vonfunk]

2 years 7 months between first getting sick and going under the knife.

I was pred dependent, and had failed every medication. But my colon was in terrible shape, 6 months after diagnosis my doctor was advocated surgery.

 

[tiloah]

When I was diagnosed I was told I had "severe" inflammation. I had surgery three years later. I'm not sure how much I improved in the interim, if at all.

 

[CheerBear12]

Hi, I had surgery a few weeks after being diagnosed but my flare up was a very severe one lasted for 4 months mine was an extreme one and had no sign of stopping even with the treatment that they had given me.

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

This is an old thread, but a very interesting question. I was diagnosed very quickly (6 weeks after start of symptoms). That was 9.5 years ago. I have not had surgery. I've been on just about every med and still having issues, but the GI says surgery is not a good option as they'd have to remove too much.

 

[CheerBear12]

Awww no I have no large bowel now. Don't you wish you could change things. I wished they could of done more for me other than this. Mine was too far gone in such a short space of time