I found this site last week and want to thank all of you for your candor, wisdom, coping strategies and everything else you have been so willing to share. A quick synopsis of my Crohns since diagnosis in 2009.
No real problems except diarrhea and an occasional flare which would consist of cramping and vomiting but typically would only last about a day and then I would just drink liquids for about 2 days and then introduce easy to digest foods until I was back to a normal diet. I was not on any meds, my choice because I thought I knew better than the doctors. I really did not believe I had Crohns and thought I could control this by what I ate, because that I what I had always done and my symptoms were not something I could not manage or deal with.
In Feb. 2011, I had a flare I could not manage, I had to admit I was wrong about everything. I became a believer, yes I have Crohns, I could not control it and yes maybe the doctors did know something. I started Asacol and Endocort (am not sure of the name). Life went back to normal:ysmile: In March, I developed a bladder fistula the first of many anal abcesses:ywow: and started Remicade. In a follow up CT Scan in Dec. 2012 to see if the fistula closed, the found the Crohns was no longer severe but only mild inflammation and they could not see the fistula:ysmile: but a cystic nodule seen in first scan had doubled in size :ywow:and now they are trying to figure out what it is, but the Crohns strictures as made it difficult to get to the place to examine this nodule. In a few weeks they are doing a octreotide scan as the next step in the diagnosis.
I have been humbled by Crohns.
No real problems except diarrhea and an occasional flare which would consist of cramping and vomiting but typically would only last about a day and then I would just drink liquids for about 2 days and then introduce easy to digest foods until I was back to a normal diet. I was not on any meds, my choice because I thought I knew better than the doctors. I really did not believe I had Crohns and thought I could control this by what I ate, because that I what I had always done and my symptoms were not something I could not manage or deal with.
In Feb. 2011, I had a flare I could not manage, I had to admit I was wrong about everything. I became a believer, yes I have Crohns, I could not control it and yes maybe the doctors did know something. I started Asacol and Endocort (am not sure of the name). Life went back to normal:ysmile: In March, I developed a bladder fistula the first of many anal abcesses:ywow: and started Remicade. In a follow up CT Scan in Dec. 2012 to see if the fistula closed, the found the Crohns was no longer severe but only mild inflammation and they could not see the fistula:ysmile: but a cystic nodule seen in first scan had doubled in size :ywow:and now they are trying to figure out what it is, but the Crohns strictures as made it difficult to get to the place to examine this nodule. In a few weeks they are doing a octreotide scan as the next step in the diagnosis.
I have been humbled by Crohns.