H
hollei25
Guest
sick and frustuated - really long
Hi everyone. I really need some advice. I am new to this board and just want to get opinions from experts on crohn's. I have never been truly diagnosed with crohn's, but had biopsies taken in aug. 2003 that could not rule out crohn's. At that time, my entire descending colon was inflammed as was my terminal ileum. I had gross bloody stools and was hospitalized for a week and I was told it was just general colitis. I went home and continued haing 10 -12 stools/day for approx. 2 mos. Switched GI docs, who also noted that I had anal skin tags. He then put me on steriods and antiboiotics, which helped some, my symptoms were improving, but not as quickly he though they should. He then scoped me to find a healthy colon, biopsies negative. He then diagnosed me with severe IBS. I eventually got down to approx. 4 stools/day, had to watch what I ate, but was ok for about 1 yr - I was pregant with my son during that time. Then in March 2005, the severe pain, severe cramping, severe diarrhea came back and brought with it mouth ulcers. I had approx. 3 GROSSLY bloody stools at this point and went to see my doc. He said that he wanted to scope me, but there was no time available until Aug. 2005. Well you probably know what happened - normal colon, normal biopsies - he even told me before he did it, it would probably be normal because my symptoms, had resolved. I had been fine - still had to watch some foods, still had 3-5 stools per day form then until this summer - probably June 2007. My symptoms continue to worsen again - more frequent stools, I can basically only eat carbs and chicken without getting sick, severe abdominal cramping and abdominal pain that does not go away after having a stool, occassional mildly bloody stools - streaks in stool and sometimes enough to color the water red, continued tongue ulcers. Tonght I have been the sickest I have been since that first night I got sick in Aug 2005. The pain and cramping were unbelievable. The pain never ended until I took one of my father's pain pills - I had too.
My family is telling me to go to my GI doc, but I am so afraid that I will go, he'll say he wants to scope and it will be normal again, all of that for nothing and I am at the IBS diagnosis again - not that that is not good, but when I am so sick, I want more help than what they give me. I have read it can take awhile for the diagnosis of crohn's. Should I go back to the same doc or shoud I get a second opinion or do you guys think that what I have does sound like IBS?
My brother has been ill with my sympotms, yet more severe since his late teens- he is 28 now. He has not been scoped sonce maybe he was 21. The GI doc he goes to is strictly for IBS and has not brought up a scope. His symptoms almost never end. He takes like 3 or 4 immodium a day and still had diarrhea with and without blood every time he eats - he even jokes about his mid-meal "crap". My brother has not pursued geting a more definitve diagnosis, because basically he just does not want to.
My 4 yr old daughter also has an autoimmune disease.
Can somebody please give me some feedback/insight. I am really frustuated and just do not know what to do.
If you actually read down to here, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.
Hi everyone. I really need some advice. I am new to this board and just want to get opinions from experts on crohn's. I have never been truly diagnosed with crohn's, but had biopsies taken in aug. 2003 that could not rule out crohn's. At that time, my entire descending colon was inflammed as was my terminal ileum. I had gross bloody stools and was hospitalized for a week and I was told it was just general colitis. I went home and continued haing 10 -12 stools/day for approx. 2 mos. Switched GI docs, who also noted that I had anal skin tags. He then put me on steriods and antiboiotics, which helped some, my symptoms were improving, but not as quickly he though they should. He then scoped me to find a healthy colon, biopsies negative. He then diagnosed me with severe IBS. I eventually got down to approx. 4 stools/day, had to watch what I ate, but was ok for about 1 yr - I was pregant with my son during that time. Then in March 2005, the severe pain, severe cramping, severe diarrhea came back and brought with it mouth ulcers. I had approx. 3 GROSSLY bloody stools at this point and went to see my doc. He said that he wanted to scope me, but there was no time available until Aug. 2005. Well you probably know what happened - normal colon, normal biopsies - he even told me before he did it, it would probably be normal because my symptoms, had resolved. I had been fine - still had to watch some foods, still had 3-5 stools per day form then until this summer - probably June 2007. My symptoms continue to worsen again - more frequent stools, I can basically only eat carbs and chicken without getting sick, severe abdominal cramping and abdominal pain that does not go away after having a stool, occassional mildly bloody stools - streaks in stool and sometimes enough to color the water red, continued tongue ulcers. Tonght I have been the sickest I have been since that first night I got sick in Aug 2005. The pain and cramping were unbelievable. The pain never ended until I took one of my father's pain pills - I had too.
My family is telling me to go to my GI doc, but I am so afraid that I will go, he'll say he wants to scope and it will be normal again, all of that for nothing and I am at the IBS diagnosis again - not that that is not good, but when I am so sick, I want more help than what they give me. I have read it can take awhile for the diagnosis of crohn's. Should I go back to the same doc or shoud I get a second opinion or do you guys think that what I have does sound like IBS?
My brother has been ill with my sympotms, yet more severe since his late teens- he is 28 now. He has not been scoped sonce maybe he was 21. The GI doc he goes to is strictly for IBS and has not brought up a scope. His symptoms almost never end. He takes like 3 or 4 immodium a day and still had diarrhea with and without blood every time he eats - he even jokes about his mid-meal "crap". My brother has not pursued geting a more definitve diagnosis, because basically he just does not want to.
My 4 yr old daughter also has an autoimmune disease.
Can somebody please give me some feedback/insight. I am really frustuated and just do not know what to do.
If you actually read down to here, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.
