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Crohn's Disease

Hiya

Just wondering if anyone else suffers from Crohn's disease? I can't be alone here, my doctor tells me it's really common. I don't believe him seeing as I'd never heard of it until I'd been diagnosed, but he does have a degree in medicine so I guess I should listen to him.

I was diagnosed in August, and it's forced me to drop out of uni and stuff. I was operated on in February, and that's me just started working again. Hoping to go back to uni in September if my bowel continues to behave itself!

Bowel reall is a gross word.

I had to get a really unladylike illness, didn't I?

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Reply 1

Wonderboy Blue

My [male] friend in college had that. He had to drop out. I think he was turning yellow and always tired etc...his diet and pot smoking and drinking weren't helping the condition either. He said he was leaving college and coming back next year...but I haven't seen him for two so he could be doing anything for all I know.

Don't know if he had surgery or not, last I heard he was on medication. Again, that was two years ago...

Good to hear you're back to normal :smile:

Reply 2

Talya

My 50+ aunt was diagnosed and recently had a colostomy bag fitted.

Reply 3

yossarianlives

My friends' sister has it.

She hasn't been at school for like a year.

Reply 4

lindsx

Yeah, it's pretty nasty that way.

I really hope I don't get to the stage where I need to get a colostomy bag. I had 14 inches of my small bowel removed, hopefully that'll keep it at bay for a while. Fingers crossed anyway.

I've managed to put a stone and a half on since my operation, so I appear to be getting back to normal pretty quickly, ha!

Reply 5

Pink Sparkles

My cousin has just been diagnosed with it. Does it always require an operation?

Reply 6

lauren47

I was diagnosed with Crohn's about 5 years ago (when I was 13) after the doctors had a bit of a cock up, telling me it was IBS. I had the choice of being operated on or trying to control it through other means (I chose the latter) as surgery wasnt desperate. Doctors will tell you that it cant be controlled through what you eat, but I completely disagree. I've kept it under control pretty successfully through careful monitoring (cutting out lactose and gluten etc) and have pretty much sussed out what sends my system into manic-mode.
I've never met anyone else under the age of about 40 who has it (although apparently Anastasia has it, woo!) and if you want to chat about it please feel free to PM me! I hope everything picks up for you :smile:

Reply 7

.x.g.x.

sorry if i sound ignorant,but what is it?

Reply 8

FireDeuce

My english teacher has that. Shes had like 10ft of her intestine taken out.But she's awesome anyway.

Reply 9

Emperor Wu

Pink Sparkles

My cousin has just been diagnosed with it. Does it always require an operation?

Not always.
My dad has it, and I'm likely to have inherited, and so far he's required no surgery. I wonder though if it would make a difference? It's awful what it's done to him. :frown:

He's overweight, has sores, he hasn't felt any real sensation in his feet for nearly 8+ years now and the slightest unforeseen movement causes him pain (although even when he's purposely moving it hurts). I hope I never get to that stage. How he can live in such pain and misery is beyond me.

I think, however, this is what happens in extreme cases and when he was diagnosed they knew very little about it, not to mention our Hospital is prone to not caring about anyone who isn't dying hence why little has even been done for him.

sorry if i sound ignorant,but what is it?

"Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, also referred to as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea."
Source: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/

Reply 10

lindsx

It doesn't always involve an operation. It just go so bad with me because my doctor didn't have a clue what was wrong with me for about a year. It got to the point where my small intestine was almost blocked, so I couldn't really eat anything without throwing up. Changing my diet didn't help, so they operated and I now have a 5 inch scar on my tummy.

Sexy.

Reply 11

supercat

I think that's what my cousin has. I think he might be having an operation soon :frown:

hopefully it'll be fine though. He hopes it'll be in the summer so he can recuperate whilst the World Cup is on!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine!

Reply 12

PrincessErin

Ive got crohns i was diagnosed last year and it was controled by having a special feed thing were all you can eaty for six weeks is this things thats like milk its absulutly mingin so i have to have it through a NG tube it seemed to have worked at the time but a few months on ive had a realaspse and was given the choice of starting the feeds agen or surgery and i chose the feed because im to scared of surgery lol

Reply 13

Illuminatus

I've had it for about 5 years, never had or needed surgery. 100mg of Azathioprine per day keeps it under control for me.

Reply 14

Hev456

lauren47

I was diagnosed with Crohn's about 5 years ago (when I was 13) after the doctors had a bit of a cock up, telling me it was IBS.

Just asking a question about Crohn's Disease, how do they diagnose it?

Barium X-ray.

wow and i thought i was the only one. i have it and so dose my mum, she very ill at mo in hospital and has had 13 ops because of it. nice to know there is other peeps out there. ever wanna talk about it. i know quite a bit.
lilcherrygirl

Reply 17

Louise88

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was four years old, i'm now nearly ninteen. I, thankfully, have never had surgery and i've been off medication for about twelve years. I have been extremely lucky with my Crohn's as i've never had many problems with it, apart from when I was little. I was very unwell and doctors had no idea what was causing me to be so ill but I was eventually diagnosed after spending a great deal of time in hospital.

When I was 17 years old, I was told that I no longer needed to have yearly check ups as I was coping fine and showing no signs of it coming back at that moment in time. I had also been off of my medication for a very long time which can be very unusual with people who suffer from Crohn's disease. I am now taking care of myself and if I were to become unwell, I would have to start the process of being diagnosed all over again because there are some doubts about if they got it right or not the first time. I do believe thats what I suffer from though.

Many people who suffer from Crohn's disease need surgery and need to take medication for the rest of their lives. I don't and i've never had surgery. I know that i've been very lucky and can't imagine what it must be like having to deal with it every day. I do live in fear of it coming back, i've been told that it will come back at some point in my life, most likely in my mid 20's. It's a scary thought and it's a horrible illness but it doesn't interfear with my daily life as it may do with others.