Hey guys!
First post here, I'm a 23yr old male from Philadelphia. Just graduated college and am currently working with on a start-up concert production company in the electronic dance music industry. Anyways here is my story, maybe some of you have some insight or similar experiences you could share. Sorry its super long, but if you need a new novel to read have at it lol
As far as I know, until this all started I showed no signs of any GI problems. On April 14th I went up to NYC to see a show with some friends. April 15th, I wake up with a significant burning pain on my lower left flank, nausea, and very pale, watery, mucousy stool. I had a number of vodka redbull drinks the night before & had taken some Extra Strength Tylenol for a concussion I was dealing with from the previous month, so thought it might just be my liver or bowels were slightly irritated or something. However, the pain, nausea, and pale mucousy stool continued over the following days, then weeks. Eventually the pain shifted to my right side and other parts of the lower abdomen intermittently...it wasn't constantly bad, but would come in waves in different parts. Over the next several months, the stool became progressively more solid & less pale, and the waves of pain less frequent, however still present. The nausea seemed to be getting worse. I tried to identify specific foods that triggered it, but could not. However, I did notice that the pain and nasuea were the worst after every bowel movement. Though less pale than before, I was having bowel movements more frequently and the stool seemed flattened at times, and was occasionally extremely lose.
During those months I was dealing with the aftermaths of that concussion as well as a very painful peri-anal fistula which kind of took priority over everything else, so never got it checked out. I had a Fistulotomy surgery to fix the fistula (which went well), and after it all healed up in a few weeks I finally decided to see my doc about my stomach. He referred me to a GI, who I saw a couple weeks ago. The GI said it sounded like I caught a "bug" at the show which was lingering since it came on so suddenly. He gave me a perscription for Omeprozole, had me give a stool sample, and made me an appointment for a Colonoscopy & Endoscopy.
2 days ago I had both procedures at the same time, and the initial results apparently showed apthos ulcers in the terminal ileum which they took biopsies of. The office was so busy the doctor didn't even have time to come out for a follow up so I haven't even heard from a GI yet about it...the nurse just told me to call back in a week after the biopsy.
Yesterday, I woke up and had a bowel movement, which was followed by pretty severe cramping, abdominal pains & nausea. I thought this was just from the colonoscopy prep or meds. Went to the bathroom 2 or 3 times that morning and still felt like I had to go again. Went on with my day and the pain seemed to get very severe and then gradually fade off. By night time I started to feel really crappy, I got the chills and around 9pm found I had a low-grade fever. Called the GI office who told me to go to the nearest ER immediately.
With my luck it happened to be one of the busiest nights the hospital has ever had (didn't get a bed until around 1am, and didn't see a doc until 2:30am)...by the time I got a bed my fever had spiked to almost 102. They gave me IV fluids, treated me with anti-biotics, took a chest x-ray, and sent me home around 6am after the fever broke.
The doc told me fevers were pretty common after colonoscopies with biopsies since the area has so much bacteria. However, he also mentioned to him it sounded like a pretty distinct case of Crohns due to the location of the ulcers. Crohns had been in the back of my mind for a while, but I had been focusing on every possible explanation besides that. It hadn't really set in as an actual real possibility until I heard him say it & I was going through all of that. After a little research, it all seems to fit the bill pretty perfectly... I even picked out other symptoms of Crohns I was having that I didn't think were related to my GI issues such as frequent oral ulcers, thinning hair, & constant fatigue...as well as the fistula I had.
Anyway, right now just hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. Figure if the GI says its definitely Crohns I'll be in this forum a lot for support. Anybody else have a very sudden onset of symptoms like this?
First post here, I'm a 23yr old male from Philadelphia. Just graduated college and am currently working with on a start-up concert production company in the electronic dance music industry. Anyways here is my story, maybe some of you have some insight or similar experiences you could share. Sorry its super long, but if you need a new novel to read have at it lol
As far as I know, until this all started I showed no signs of any GI problems. On April 14th I went up to NYC to see a show with some friends. April 15th, I wake up with a significant burning pain on my lower left flank, nausea, and very pale, watery, mucousy stool. I had a number of vodka redbull drinks the night before & had taken some Extra Strength Tylenol for a concussion I was dealing with from the previous month, so thought it might just be my liver or bowels were slightly irritated or something. However, the pain, nausea, and pale mucousy stool continued over the following days, then weeks. Eventually the pain shifted to my right side and other parts of the lower abdomen intermittently...it wasn't constantly bad, but would come in waves in different parts. Over the next several months, the stool became progressively more solid & less pale, and the waves of pain less frequent, however still present. The nausea seemed to be getting worse. I tried to identify specific foods that triggered it, but could not. However, I did notice that the pain and nasuea were the worst after every bowel movement. Though less pale than before, I was having bowel movements more frequently and the stool seemed flattened at times, and was occasionally extremely lose.
During those months I was dealing with the aftermaths of that concussion as well as a very painful peri-anal fistula which kind of took priority over everything else, so never got it checked out. I had a Fistulotomy surgery to fix the fistula (which went well), and after it all healed up in a few weeks I finally decided to see my doc about my stomach. He referred me to a GI, who I saw a couple weeks ago. The GI said it sounded like I caught a "bug" at the show which was lingering since it came on so suddenly. He gave me a perscription for Omeprozole, had me give a stool sample, and made me an appointment for a Colonoscopy & Endoscopy.
2 days ago I had both procedures at the same time, and the initial results apparently showed apthos ulcers in the terminal ileum which they took biopsies of. The office was so busy the doctor didn't even have time to come out for a follow up so I haven't even heard from a GI yet about it...the nurse just told me to call back in a week after the biopsy.
Yesterday, I woke up and had a bowel movement, which was followed by pretty severe cramping, abdominal pains & nausea. I thought this was just from the colonoscopy prep or meds. Went to the bathroom 2 or 3 times that morning and still felt like I had to go again. Went on with my day and the pain seemed to get very severe and then gradually fade off. By night time I started to feel really crappy, I got the chills and around 9pm found I had a low-grade fever. Called the GI office who told me to go to the nearest ER immediately.
With my luck it happened to be one of the busiest nights the hospital has ever had (didn't get a bed until around 1am, and didn't see a doc until 2:30am)...by the time I got a bed my fever had spiked to almost 102. They gave me IV fluids, treated me with anti-biotics, took a chest x-ray, and sent me home around 6am after the fever broke.
The doc told me fevers were pretty common after colonoscopies with biopsies since the area has so much bacteria. However, he also mentioned to him it sounded like a pretty distinct case of Crohns due to the location of the ulcers. Crohns had been in the back of my mind for a while, but I had been focusing on every possible explanation besides that. It hadn't really set in as an actual real possibility until I heard him say it & I was going through all of that. After a little research, it all seems to fit the bill pretty perfectly... I even picked out other symptoms of Crohns I was having that I didn't think were related to my GI issues such as frequent oral ulcers, thinning hair, & constant fatigue...as well as the fistula I had.
Anyway, right now just hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. Figure if the GI says its definitely Crohns I'll be in this forum a lot for support. Anybody else have a very sudden onset of symptoms like this?
