• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

We're a buncha Crohnies

I am finally getting around to making my intro post. I joined a few days ago. Support groups have never been my thing. I've always dealt with my crap internally and managed to compress, deal with, and dispose of issues pretty efficiently. But it figures, I turned 25, had a quarterlife crisis, and am now on the mend. I don't feel shame in joining, I'm all about solutions and anything that can help. So here goes:

I turned 10 and pretty much stopped eating. I weighed 59 pounds when my parents took me to the hospital to get examined. It was weird being laid up in a hospital bed and seeing my parents breathe a sigh of relief that I didn't have leukemia. Crohns was definitely a better option.

I don't know if anyone here ever did those tube feedings. from 10-13 I did them anywhere from 3 to 5 times a week. Shove a tube up my nose down my throat and into my stomach, then try to sleep next to a loud feeding machine pumping a nutritional pack into my gut that apparently people cannot drink without throwing up. Upon removing the tube with an upset stomach the next morning, my dad would sit next to me with a hand on my back as I crouched by the toilet to pull the thing out. 60% throw up rate, 0% appetite for the remainder of the day. I have the worst gag reflex in the world. Thank god I'm straight. I eventually threw the machine down the stairs and declared I had had it.

Also did prednisone. Chipmunk cheeks and randomly crying at school.

Enjoyed a stretch of pure remission through college and a few years living in LA. At worst I had a one day flareup once a year that kept me in bed a few hours. I was convincing myself I had "beaten" crohns. A guy in scottland had magically gotten rid of HIV, why couldn't I?

Two years into being a 2D animator I landed a steady gig and finally got health insurance. Sweet wonderful health insurance! My body must have been holding out, because the second I was covered, I began a slow decline involving less gym visits, slowly increasing gut pain, weight loss, and appetite loss. Because my plan listed the head of a free clinic as a general practitioner, even though she was never available and didn't take patients, I ended up in the emergency room because I couldn't see a doctor and changing generalists took a month to set. 5 days at Cedar Sinai and I was back on my old pal prednisone and a 10 day run of antibiotics to fix inflamation in my ilium so tight they couldn't even get the kiddy camera through there, and also mend a dozen or so ulcers in my colon. This all happened a year ago.

Even though prednisone gave me the appetite I always wanted, it made me break out like never before. I had zits ontop of zits. It was bad enough I became a real hermit and didn't want to socialize with people. I ended my run on that last may and have been on imuran since. Up till my quarter life crisis I was weight lifting 4 times a week, going to work, eating well, and symptom free.

At present I am on the mend again, recovering from my silly quarter life crisis. I am supporting myself and my girlfriend who has been job hunting for almost 6 months now. I am on hiatus from work and stringing together freelance. I've gone through emotional stress and anxiety I hadn't dealt with before (taking care of someone, being in love, living with a girlfriend for the first time) ontop of the fact my insurance is moving to cobra and I don't know when I'll be working steady again. I noticed that the increased stress began activating crohns symptoms. I lost weight, was having gut pain and tremendously painful pockets of gas as well. Basically I've spent the last two months trying to relax, regain my swagger, keep a routine going, and ease stress levels so my symptoms will subside. I'm on imuran and id like to switch to asacol so my liver doesn't explode. I'm going to the gym 5-6 times a week and finally getting my weight back. Many days I have gone WITH gut pain going on. I've learned to focus on muscle groups away from it and as long as I don't hit abs, I've been solid.

I still have days where I feel like crap and my mind is chaotic, my emotions(which I had ignored since my parents divorced, and are now in full swing now that a girl has finally gotten under my skin) are all out of control. I'm a guy, we can barely recognize much less categorize emotions. For thousands of years our only job was to kill stuff...

It's not leukemia, but Crohns is a real bitch to deal with and I have been butting heads with it for 15 years now. I got sick of being skinny and I got sick of being sick. I'm very mind over matter and it's worked a whole lot, just not 100% of the time. I suppose I came here to be supportive as well as seek support.

Just cause you have crohns doesn't mean you can't be buff, rough, and tough. David Garrard quarterbacks for the Jacksonville Jaguars and has Crohns. If a guy can be an NFL football player with it, I damn well plan to keep animating, weight lifting, and enjoying korean BBQ.

Everyone here seems very friendly,and I look forward to bantering with everyone. Have a nice night!

-Drew
 

Dexky

To save time...Ask Dusty!
Location
Kentucky
Welcome Drew! Love the attitude!! My niece lives in Jacksonville and is trying to get an autographed jersey from Garrard for my son. If anyone can get it done, it's her!!!

EJ, my son, was also dxed at 10 last year!!

I hope you continue to improve and do stick around!!
 
Thanks Dex! Although Garrard seems to have been benched, hopefully he'll get his swagger back as well.

By the way, I grew up in Fort Wright KY. I miss the forests sometimes. Best wishes for your son and thanks again for the welcome.
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Hi Drew and :welcome:

Good to see you found your way here. Holy crap, you sure have had your fair share to deal with over the years and it's fab to see the great attitude you have. This is indeed a friendly place with loads of support and info and you will be a most welcome addition so please stick around. Good luck and welcome aboard!

Take care, :)
Dusty

Oh yeah.............................

I have the worst gag reflex in the world. Thank god I'm straight.
or not a woman!!!
 
Hey Drew:bigwave:
Man alive, you've had it rough. I can't imagine having to endure tube feedings. I've had NG tubes post surgery, they are not fun at all. Yours pumped in, mine pumped out. Nothing like the slurping sound of disgusting greenish brown crap from your stomach to keep you up at night.

It's great you were able to college w/o many troubles. I got married young and gained a son in the process. I got extremely overwhelmed by working full time, going to school full time and having a family. I remember calling my parents one night in the middle of a mental breakdown. I could no longer juggle all three, plus dealing with CD. I had to quit something, so school was put on hold. I have since had two other children and have not found the right time to get back. The kids are getting older, youngest to start kindergarten next year, so I'm entertaining the thought of finishing my studies. Just not sure of what I want to do when I grow up. I was working toward degree in Mortuary Science. My dream job: Funeral Director!!! Can't explain why, just been something I wanted to do since childhood, almost as a calling. I was fortunate enough to work in a funeral home for many years. It's been a couple of years, but I miss it greatly.

I know what you mean about insurance. I went w/o insurance for the past 4 yrs. I have to file bankruptcy after my last operation. The bills were outragious. I couldn't afford to even be on medication since. I just obtained coverage through my husbands employer Aug. 1. Then low and behold, I developed a perianal abscess and fistula. Had the abscess surgically drained on Aug. 25. I feel a great relief that it's one less thing to stress about. I'm in the middle of a flare, going in for colonoscopy/EGD on Tues. Not looking forward to possibility my GI will want me to go back on Pred. I too do not fare well with it's side effects. The mental issues, the swelling, the acne.

I'm alot like you though. I have had CD since '91, and this is the first I have reached out for help. I'm one who internalizes. I just deal. Well, you know. It's has been a great assurance to know that there are others out there like me. CD can be so isolating. The people here are great, very supportive.
:sun:
 
Julie: Yeah, that's always been my thing too. Just man up and deal with it quietly. I used to feel guilty confiding in friends or dumping my crap on anyone so I got really good at compacting and disposing of things internally. It does take a lot to bother me and life's little issues don't phase me, but like you had too, three big ones. I crumbled. It was sad. Sounds great that you're holding on to what you wanted to do though. Don't give it up! That's a profession you can literally do till you die! With animation I never know when my time may be up, or outsourced.


Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. I have this site on my bookmarks toolbar next to football links. I haven't been a member of a message board in a long time but I think I can swing this.
 

Dallies

Dragonfly
I am finally getting around to making my intro post. I joined a few days ago.

I turned 10 and pretty much stopped eating. I weighed 59 pounds when my parents took me to the hospital to get examined. It was weird being laid up in a hospital bed and seeing my parents breathe a sigh of relief that I didn't have leukemia. Crohns was definitely a better option.



-Drew
Hi Drew, speaking as a parent of a teenage daughter I can definitely relate to this part of your story and wow what a story. Welcome to the forum it's great to have you here. I love your avatar it's MOVING!!!! I want one lol.:thumright:
 
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