Stephanie's story

[chrisnsteph1022]

I was dx in April 2003 at the age of 23. I had mild Crohn's in the terminal ileum. I was put on asacol, imuran, flagyl and prednisone. Over the course of about 10 months, I went into remission and gained 100 pounds (I was a healthy weight to start with). I slowly came off all meds and stayed in remission for years.

In 2009, I had a scope due to some mild symptoms. GI saw no active Crohn's and ruled it IBS. He put me on Apriso to maintain remission. I was fine until the end of November, 2010. I started getting diarrhea 10-15 times a day, with blood. I saw my GI in December and had a scope 1/7/11. Scope showed severe Crohn's all through my colon. I'm waiting on insurance approval to start Cimzia.

 

[Josephine]

Welcome Stephanie to forum I hope you feel better soon. :welcome:

 

[BLM]

Welcome Stephanie, this is a wonderful place with an array of information from people who have been through what your going through. Please vent your frustrations, tell your fears and share your information. Hang in there, and I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Nytefyre]

Welcome to the forum, Stephanie (my sister's name also)! I hope you are feeling better soon!

 

[sinead]

Hi Stephanie

Wishing you gook luck. Hope you begin to feel better soon and your treatment is a success. It must be hard when you were well for so long to start having the symptoms again. I am symptom free at the moment so imagine it must have been hard when it all came back because you start to put it at the back of your mind.

Take care

Sinead

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

I was so symptom-free that I started wondering if I was mis-diagnosed. Wishful thinking, I suppose. The scope last week definitely showed Crohn's, though. I'm just anxious to get started on the Cimzia. I'm miserable right now.

 

[Nytefyre]

Hopefully, the cimzia will help. I will be starting cimzia, too,( I'm pretty sure) as soon as I clear up the c diff.

 

[sinead]

Really do feel for you stephanie and wishing you recovery soon.
Yeah, I was beginning to think along the same lines until I went to see my GI this week who gave me a real reality check. I went off the meds also but he recommends that I recommence so that's what brought me here and find it so helpful reading others stories. Also your story is another reality check. Did you have any traumas that you felf brought it back or anything that you feel may have contributed to symtoms again.

Did you ever try acupuncture for your chrons. I started it in Summer and found it really helped, that's when the symptoms stopped. Also started eating pineapple and tumric (feel it also helped)

What exactly is the Cimzia, I am a bit ignorant when it comes to treatment.

Take care
Sinead

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

I believe this flare was induced by stress. It started a week before I started my new job. I didn't think I was that stressed about it, but I also had a panic attack for the first time in my life that week. I guess the thought of going back to work and putting the kids in daycare (I was a SAHM) just caused some subconscious stress.

Cimzia is a biologic injectible, much like Humira.

 

[sinead]

Yeah, the stress defo triggers it I believe. Did you ever try tecniques to deal with stress?

Humira is one of the options I have for treatment also but find it hard to agree to take it when I am well.

 

[Jennjenn]

Welcome

I hope that you are able to get the symptoms under control with taking Cimzia. Everyone here is very helpful, supportive, and the forum has a lot of useful information. The members here will also help with making you laugh and smile, even on your bad days. I hope you feel well soon!