My story

I have Crohn's Disease and I have no GI symptoms that I recognize. Joint stiffness is a maybe. I have had that for years, fingers, wrist, hips, knees, ankles and toes. They are stiff nearly every day for 20 years, but not limiting my ability to function. We don't know if we can blame Crohn's, but I'm going to because that is all l got. Endoscopies and colonoscopies did not identify the inflammation. That is because my Crohn's is not located in those sections of my digestive system.

Three hospital stays in three months

I'm thankful that I don't feel sick. But it's scary too because I don't know when I'm sick. The first symptom of Crohn's was a small bowel obstruction that kept me on my back for 6 weeks and put me in the hospital three times over the course of 3 months, ending with surgery. The pathology report of my bowel described many damaged aspects of my bowel that included a thick stricture or narrowing of the small bowel that obstructed the bowel near completely. It was called severe Crohn's Disease and with a poor diagnosis. I'm not sure what poor prognosis means yet. Probably that additional surgeries are in my future if I don't find a way to be in remission long term.

Feeling powerless

I feel powerless. Physically I seem fine, but emotionally I'm struggling. I'm not the kind of person who can set the knowledge of Crohn's aside and just live my best life. I am recently diagnosed 9/17/22 and my insurance pharmaceutical company has already denied both the preferred treatment and second treatment options. So we either appeal or go to a third option. I guess it doesn't really matter where I start as not one treatment for Crohn's shows that no more than 50% users are in remission at one year.

Anxiety and Crohn's

I was in therapy for anxiety for almost a year before I was diagnosed with Crohn's. I worked hard and thought I had gotten it under control then boom Crohn's. Everything I accomplished gone. I am anxious, angry, defiant and sad. I'm not able to sleep and when I do sleep it's not for long My insurance company, the same one that is denying my drugs suggested I enter into a short term intensive therapy designed for people with chronic diseases. I signed up. I'm going to them. I just don't know how you turn your mind around especially when all I want to do is understand everything that is happening to me and I want the best outcomes and I feel like I'm in a battle.

Wishing to go back in time

I wish I was a time traveler. Either go back in time before the disease or go ahead of time so I know how it's going to end. I guess that's everybody's desire. Thanks for reading. This is the kind of stuff I do when insomnia gets me.