AndiGirl
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- Joined
- Jan 13, 2011
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I was not diagnosed with Crohn's Disease until I was 32 years-old. As I look back now, I think there were many warning signs that something was not right with my digestion even from a young age. My parents, doctors, and I didn't know it then, but I am starting to see some possible connections and links to IBD. When did you notice that things were wrong with your health?
When I was between the ages of four and ten, I had numerous problems with my throat. I was constantly getting strep throat and tonsillitis. That was back in the 1970s and early 1980s when the usual treatment was a giant shot of penicillin in the butt. OUCH! My parents practically begged the doctors to remove my tonsils. No luck, though I did eventually get them out when I was in college. Back then doctors had changed their minds about tonsillectomies and were more reluctant to remove them than in years past. I must have averaged about three to five infections a winter. That was when I started hating doctors and hospitals. I developed a real fear of them. My mother was an RN (she didn't work at the time because she was staying home with us kids), but she usually left my doctor's visits particularly those involving shots to my father.
Around the age of six I developed a fever and body pains of unknown origin. It didn't last very long, but it really confounded my doctors and parents. When I was in the second grade, I had lots of problems when it came to eating. I frequently felt very nauseated after eating meals. At school, I had a very understanding teacher who let me lay down at the nurse after lunch. I would lay down for about 10-15 minutes and would be up and at em again.
I was pretty strong and healthy from the age of 8 until about 16. I noticed the nausea, body pains, and difficulty with eating and foods returning at 16. From then on it was downhill. I noticed that I would have periods of feeling good, strong, and healthy, then I would go through terrible indigestion, stomach upsets, and other symptoms. It make sense to me now.
I may not have had the active disease at a young age, but in looking back, my health didn't seem right even then. I've also noticed a pattern. My brother who also has Crohn's also had numerous throat problems. We both seemed to get strep and tonsillitis the same time. Our sisters were never bothered with it. I shared a room with one of them, who never caught it. They probably had two throat infections throughout their whole childhood. In reading I have discovered that Rheumatic Fever is considered an autoimmune disease. Strep is unfair in how it treats it's victims. I've read that some people can have it and not get treatment and recover on their own, while others will end up with a horrible case of Rheumatic Fever. I found out that my mom's sister, and one of my dad's brothers had Rheumatic Fever. It makes me wonder if all the throat infections were an indication that my brother and I had faulty immune systems. Pair that up with our family history of CD.
When I was between the ages of four and ten, I had numerous problems with my throat. I was constantly getting strep throat and tonsillitis. That was back in the 1970s and early 1980s when the usual treatment was a giant shot of penicillin in the butt. OUCH! My parents practically begged the doctors to remove my tonsils. No luck, though I did eventually get them out when I was in college. Back then doctors had changed their minds about tonsillectomies and were more reluctant to remove them than in years past. I must have averaged about three to five infections a winter. That was when I started hating doctors and hospitals. I developed a real fear of them. My mother was an RN (she didn't work at the time because she was staying home with us kids), but she usually left my doctor's visits particularly those involving shots to my father.
Around the age of six I developed a fever and body pains of unknown origin. It didn't last very long, but it really confounded my doctors and parents. When I was in the second grade, I had lots of problems when it came to eating. I frequently felt very nauseated after eating meals. At school, I had a very understanding teacher who let me lay down at the nurse after lunch. I would lay down for about 10-15 minutes and would be up and at em again.
I was pretty strong and healthy from the age of 8 until about 16. I noticed the nausea, body pains, and difficulty with eating and foods returning at 16. From then on it was downhill. I noticed that I would have periods of feeling good, strong, and healthy, then I would go through terrible indigestion, stomach upsets, and other symptoms. It make sense to me now.
I may not have had the active disease at a young age, but in looking back, my health didn't seem right even then. I've also noticed a pattern. My brother who also has Crohn's also had numerous throat problems. We both seemed to get strep and tonsillitis the same time. Our sisters were never bothered with it. I shared a room with one of them, who never caught it. They probably had two throat infections throughout their whole childhood. In reading I have discovered that Rheumatic Fever is considered an autoimmune disease. Strep is unfair in how it treats it's victims. I've read that some people can have it and not get treatment and recover on their own, while others will end up with a horrible case of Rheumatic Fever. I found out that my mom's sister, and one of my dad's brothers had Rheumatic Fever. It makes me wonder if all the throat infections were an indication that my brother and I had faulty immune systems. Pair that up with our family history of CD.
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^ that was me in school lmao 
