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Wife to a Newbie Crohnie

Hi all, I'm Amber....
My husband and I have been on this Crohn's Roller Coaster "officially" since September after a trip to the ER landed him in the hospital for 4 days.

I'll back up, and start from the beginning tho.
In May of this year, we found out we were pregnant. Ironically, that is the first Keith had an episode (as I called them then) that very same weekend. Where he wouldn't have much of a appetite and then would wake up around 1 or 2 in the morning and throw up, with some stomach cramping before and a little after. And a mild fever around 99 or 100. We thought he had contracted some sort of stomach bug. (or sympthony morning sickness, haha)

About 3 weeks later, another one of these episodes. Same thing getting work up in the middle of the night throwing up once or twice and then the cramping would slack off and everything would go back to normal. He had went to his GP several times and given meds that never helped at all. IBS, virius, you name it.

After the third time these "episodes" kept coming, we started to think, ok, this isn't just a stomach bug. With my great aunt being a nurse, her thought was that it was a ulcer, so we proceeded with this assumption, but nothing got better. So, finally I made a GI appointment. But the problem was, they couldn't see him for a month or two out. I was extremely worried about the time frame. So we set out to wait. 4 weeks till his appointment he work up in severe pain that didnt' seem to be going away, threw up, but the cramping was still there. So I finally told him we were going to the ER. Once there they did the normal blood work, but couldn't find anything wrong. Checked his belly, saw that it was distended, but still didn't know what it was. Gave him some zofran and told him to take some gavison to coat his stomach and sent us home. After we got home, he threw up AGAIN, but this time, it was green. (I now know that this was more than likely stomach bile). After a few hours, he was feeling better. Still about 2 weeks out from our GI appointment at this point. (This was the beginning of September)

Well almost two weeks later (two days before our appointment), here he was again, up in the middle of the night violent stomach cramps that came in waves, that would double him over, and throwing up with a fever of around 100. I once again, TOLD him we were going to the ER (which is about 45 minutes from our house). We go there this time, they did the blood work. His white count was up around 11,000, so at this point they knew something was wrong. His belly was distended, so they ordered a CT scan. He drank the stuff, went down for the test, and within two hours, he had a NG tube in and was being admitted to the hospital. The doctor told us he hoped it wasn't, but that the ct test showed the possibilty of crohns. SCARIEST day of my life. I had no idea what was happening.

The NG tube had to stay in for a couple of days (2 1/2 i think) to relieve the pressure from the blockage. All the while on cipro, flagyl and iv steroids. The second day that we were there, they did a x-ray to see if the blockage had been taken care of by the NG tube, the was preped for a Colonoscopy the next day. Where the GI was pretty sure of the crohn's dx in the terminal ileum. We were able to go home the next day with some prednisone and GI appointment to make.

When it finally came time to go to the GI and talk about what the future holds, I was pretty scared. I wasn't able to go, but my MIL went to make sure all the questions were asked and answered and that we had a second set of ears there to hear all we needed. She proceeded to tell us that Keith is the only patient that she has ever let go from the hospital that soon after such a severe episode. They talked treatment, (she had mentioned remicade to us in the hospital) but Keith was wary about such a strong medicine so they decided some something lower, to start with.

Lialda, is what he is taking. He just finished up his first full month. He has been off the prednisone now for about 3 or 4 weeks. He has been doing great! With the exception of a day or two of stomach cramps (he he says they are not exactly the same kind of cramps that landed him in the hospital) and some slight bloating a day or two a week (which always seems to happen on monday) for the last 4 weeks. He thinks this might be due to the medicine, since all those are side effects of it? Could he just be getting the side effects a month in?

His BM have been getting better. He calls them "snakes", but sunday we rejoiced over a "LOG" (oh the things to get excited over). But then he had D that night. Now he is knida stopped up. (like he hasn't gone all day). But his bloating comes and goes throughout the day.

This has been a complete emotional rollercoaster for me. (especially since I'm 25 weeks pregnant dealing with this, so I'm already emotional.)

So sorry this has turned into a essay! Feels good to get it out and to mabye someone that has been thru the same thing!
 
Hi, Amber,

I just joined this web site - I have a husband with Crohn's too...Your husband's symptoms sound way scarier than what my husband's have been, though we did end up in the ER as a result of side effects from Humira. That was no fun! I think you've come to the right place, though. I just plugged in to the Partners, Family & Friends sub-forum, under the Support Forum, if you havenn't found it yet, that might be a good place for you to go :)

Hope you have a great experience here. :hug: I already feel better - I was having one of the worst days I've had in a long time before I logged on here. Now I just have to do a week's worth of laundry and clean our ridiculously messy kitchen...<sigh> :tongue:
 
I have a theory about the Monday thing as I have the same issue and it's as simple as it's the weekend we splurge out and eat a bit more maybe have a couple of drinks.good luck
 
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