G
greenlake
Guest
I thought I'd share my experience, as a 25 year-old male living with Crohn's.
I was diagnosed six years ago, when I was 19 - a freshman in college. I had surgery to removed the four fistulas that had infected my insides. Talk about having your life flipped upside-down! The recovery was somewhat slow, but eventually I healed and began taking Pentasa. Life was good and I felt great, for a while.
I stayed on the meds for about 3 years. I started to develop digestive issues (bloating, multiple trips to the bathroom, etc.) and figured it was just a part of living with the disease. I also developed some discomfort/pain in the rectal region, which prompted me to get a colonoscopy. Thankfully, it turned up clean. My doctor prescribed Canasa (mesalamine), a suppository to deal with the localized rectal discomfort, which has helped.
I also discovered Culturelle (an over the counter probiotic) and take it on a daily basis. It has made a huge difference. I now can eat foods that normally would give me issues and my trips to the bathroom are far fewer. Coffee and Alcohol are two things that I enjoy but try to avoid, as they seem to make things worse.
What I have found is that maintaining an active lifestyle helps my symptoms. I ride my bike to work nearly every day, go hiking on the weekend, and do my best to eat healthy and stay in shape.
In closing, living with this disease is challenging. Many people don't understand it and it's symptoms are embarrassing. It's comforting to know that there are others out who are dealing with it -- I guess you have to "play the hand you're dealt"!
Patrick
Seattle, WA
I was diagnosed six years ago, when I was 19 - a freshman in college. I had surgery to removed the four fistulas that had infected my insides. Talk about having your life flipped upside-down! The recovery was somewhat slow, but eventually I healed and began taking Pentasa. Life was good and I felt great, for a while.
I stayed on the meds for about 3 years. I started to develop digestive issues (bloating, multiple trips to the bathroom, etc.) and figured it was just a part of living with the disease. I also developed some discomfort/pain in the rectal region, which prompted me to get a colonoscopy. Thankfully, it turned up clean. My doctor prescribed Canasa (mesalamine), a suppository to deal with the localized rectal discomfort, which has helped.
I also discovered Culturelle (an over the counter probiotic) and take it on a daily basis. It has made a huge difference. I now can eat foods that normally would give me issues and my trips to the bathroom are far fewer. Coffee and Alcohol are two things that I enjoy but try to avoid, as they seem to make things worse.
What I have found is that maintaining an active lifestyle helps my symptoms. I ride my bike to work nearly every day, go hiking on the weekend, and do my best to eat healthy and stay in shape.
In closing, living with this disease is challenging. Many people don't understand it and it's symptoms are embarrassing. It's comforting to know that there are others out who are dealing with it -- I guess you have to "play the hand you're dealt"!
Patrick
Seattle, WA
