The Start of my Crohn's Disease

I am 58 years old. My story began when I was just 20. I had a really bad fissure that I went to a new Colorectal Surgeon for. Right from the beginning he figured that I possibility had Crohn's Disease by the atypical appearance of it.

My fissure got fixed; but in the meantime, I developed stomach pains and diarrhea. That's where my first colonoscopy came in. People that complain about the prep now...let me tell ya, I had to drink a whole gallon of warm salty solution downing a cup every 15 minutes. Oh.. and I had to do it at the hospital and use their toilet. Embarrassing??

Feeling Better After Surgery for Crohn's

Anyway, I woke up in the hospital on bowel rest a couple of weeks before Christmas. This wasn't in the plans for a 20 year old. Needless to say, I was put on Azulfidine and Prednisone. All the while I was attending college. It helped for a while but I eventually dropped to 80 pounds and was just too sick. I had surgery with my right and small portion of my small bowl removed just a couple months after my 21st birthday. Yep.. my 21st birthday totally sucked. Basically, ever since I had the diseased portion out, I have been doing great. Aside from the occasional IBS symptoms that I was lucky enough to get too...I haven't been that sick since. I failed to mention that I have smoked the whole time, drink coffee all day, and use Ibuprofen when I need too.

I am seriously one of the lucky ones in this not so fantastic world of Crohn's. Unfortunately, my older sister had it diagnosed after me and did not fair as well. She had flare ups over the course of her life. She went on Humira which helped but then developed MS, what they also thought was Lou Gerigs Disease, and ultimately Lung Cancer which she passed away from at age 52.

Be brave Crohn's Warriors, be brave.