Hello, I am a 24 year old female. Since I was 17 I have suffered from bouts of extreme stomach cramps, sometimes accompanied by vomiting. When they hit I would have to call in sick and would be unable to move. They seemed to get worse over time. I have also suffered from very achey and cracking joints that sometimes make it difficult to sleep.
Then when I was 22, two years ago I ended up in and out of hospital with suspected appendicitis. They did a CT scan and all they could see was a big mass. Then they suspected crohn's. I had a colonoscopy and that was a total mess. My bowel had perforated and there was loads of inflammation and an abscess. So then I had open surgery and had my appendix removed and part of my bowel cut out where it had perforated and where all the poison was. Then this was sent off to pathology.
So for the next few months I spent distraught thinking I had crohns and it was only a matter of time before I would require more surgery and eventually a stoma bag. I then had my follow-up appointment with my gaestroenterologist and she said pathology had sent a letter saying that my bowel that was removed had been examined and that I had had acute appendicitis that had mimicked crohns disease. When I asked her to explain she said she thought that my appendix had burst, blew a hole in my bowel and then the poison had caused ulcers, an abscess and all the associated mess.
However, they decided to continue to test me to see how I get on as no one is really 100% sure. Also my dad has had colitis for 20 years so theres a genetic risk. So over the past 2 years I have done 2 fecal calprotectin tests, which have come back completely negative. i have also not had any symptoms, including no more stomach cramps. However, I am still not convinced. I think i could have crohns and it is in remission therefore is coming up negative. I am doing another fecal calprotectin over this week and seeing my gaestroenterologist for the first time in a year next month and im scared. and today out the blue i got a stomach cramp. I just wondered what other people think to my situation.
Then when I was 22, two years ago I ended up in and out of hospital with suspected appendicitis. They did a CT scan and all they could see was a big mass. Then they suspected crohn's. I had a colonoscopy and that was a total mess. My bowel had perforated and there was loads of inflammation and an abscess. So then I had open surgery and had my appendix removed and part of my bowel cut out where it had perforated and where all the poison was. Then this was sent off to pathology.
So for the next few months I spent distraught thinking I had crohns and it was only a matter of time before I would require more surgery and eventually a stoma bag. I then had my follow-up appointment with my gaestroenterologist and she said pathology had sent a letter saying that my bowel that was removed had been examined and that I had had acute appendicitis that had mimicked crohns disease. When I asked her to explain she said she thought that my appendix had burst, blew a hole in my bowel and then the poison had caused ulcers, an abscess and all the associated mess.
However, they decided to continue to test me to see how I get on as no one is really 100% sure. Also my dad has had colitis for 20 years so theres a genetic risk. So over the past 2 years I have done 2 fecal calprotectin tests, which have come back completely negative. i have also not had any symptoms, including no more stomach cramps. However, I am still not convinced. I think i could have crohns and it is in remission therefore is coming up negative. I am doing another fecal calprotectin over this week and seeing my gaestroenterologist for the first time in a year next month and im scared. and today out the blue i got a stomach cramp. I just wondered what other people think to my situation.
