Hello everyone,
I am undiagnosed but I am unclear as to what to do next (or if I need to do anything at all). Ive had very mild gastrointestinal issues for nearly 20 years and theyve never really gotten worse. If I eat a ton of fiber and calories I tend to have a lot of flatulence and normal looking stools 2-4 times per day. However, just over 6 years ago (October 2014) I developed a single perianal abscess which became a fistula. It was surgically removed through fistulotomy and I have had no further issues since. However, my mild gastrointestinal issues remained. I am a paranoid person with health anxiety, so Ive had two colonoscopies (both with biopsies all over, including at the terminal ileum) 4 years apart and both times everything came back normal. However, on my most recent EGD I was shown to have mild chronic gastritis in the stomach and mild villous blunting in the duodenum. Both non-specific and could be caused by any number of things. I am aware that 95% of perianal fistulas are not related to Crohns (and my uncle had one 10 years ago and he doesnt have Crohns...as far as he knows), but Im still concerned.
Does anyone here have isolated small bowel Crohns that is outside of the view of the colonoscopy? And, if so, what had your disease progression been like? What were your symptoms like at the beginning and how long did it take to surgical intervention? Like O said, its been many years for me and I havent noticed much change. I rarely get diarrhea and I have no pain (other than occasional transient gas pains).
I have been doing the SCD diet "just in case". I find it fairly easy to follow since I usually cook my own food anyway. Im just torn about if I should just roll with things since I feel fine or if I should keep going to different doctors. Is it possible that the disease is spreading and causing more damage even though I feel fine?
Thanks
I am undiagnosed but I am unclear as to what to do next (or if I need to do anything at all). Ive had very mild gastrointestinal issues for nearly 20 years and theyve never really gotten worse. If I eat a ton of fiber and calories I tend to have a lot of flatulence and normal looking stools 2-4 times per day. However, just over 6 years ago (October 2014) I developed a single perianal abscess which became a fistula. It was surgically removed through fistulotomy and I have had no further issues since. However, my mild gastrointestinal issues remained. I am a paranoid person with health anxiety, so Ive had two colonoscopies (both with biopsies all over, including at the terminal ileum) 4 years apart and both times everything came back normal. However, on my most recent EGD I was shown to have mild chronic gastritis in the stomach and mild villous blunting in the duodenum. Both non-specific and could be caused by any number of things. I am aware that 95% of perianal fistulas are not related to Crohns (and my uncle had one 10 years ago and he doesnt have Crohns...as far as he knows), but Im still concerned.
Does anyone here have isolated small bowel Crohns that is outside of the view of the colonoscopy? And, if so, what had your disease progression been like? What were your symptoms like at the beginning and how long did it take to surgical intervention? Like O said, its been many years for me and I havent noticed much change. I rarely get diarrhea and I have no pain (other than occasional transient gas pains).
I have been doing the SCD diet "just in case". I find it fairly easy to follow since I usually cook my own food anyway. Im just torn about if I should just roll with things since I feel fine or if I should keep going to different doctors. Is it possible that the disease is spreading and causing more damage even though I feel fine?
Thanks
