I have Crohn's Disease.

[Lord of Denial]

For the past 6 months I have been ill off and on and have lost 40 pounds without really dieting so a week ago I went to a specialist and had some blood test done and other tests run and a colonoscopy Thursday.

Well I got the call from the Doctor today that I have Crohn's Disease so I am not in the best of moods right now I was wondering if anyone here has or knows anyone with the diease?

[DoctorDoom]

It's an inflammatory bowel disease. The symptoms are abdominal pain, (possibly bloody) diarrhea , constipation, vomiting, and weight loss I think.

[Karl J Barnes]

For the past 6 months I have been ill off and on and have lost 40 pounds without really dieting so a week ago I went to a specialist and had some blood test done and other tests run and a colonoscopy Thursday.

Well I got the call from the Doctor today that I have Crohn's Disease so I am not in the best of moods right now I was wondering if anyone here has or knows anyone with the diease?

There was this girl that I worked with,Cassie, who has the diease. She was rail thin and could only eat a certain amount of food;before she had to stop. Everyone thought she was a Meth-head,but in reality, she just couldn't put on any weight. Sad. And the pain that she was in,sometimes was pretty bad,too. Isn't there any type of medications that help relieve the symptoms?

Oh and P.S.: Sorry to hear about your condition.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Yes, I knw some people with this disorder. It's a very unpleasant condition.

You have my sympathy.

[Athena Bast]

My boyfriend's father has that. He got part of his colon taken out a few years ago because he wasn't paying attention, stubborn old goat that he is.

[DonC]

Only person I know of who has it is Mike McCready from Pearl Jam.

From what I understand, though, it is treatable.

[Lord of Denial]

It's an inflammatory bowel disease. The symptoms are abdominal pain, (possibly bloody) diarrhea , constipation, vomiting, and weight loss I think.

I know.

I was wondering if anyone could had some experience with the it so I could get a picture of what to expect in treatment and meds and quality of life.

I go into in a couple days for counseling and to get my scrips for meds but I thought maybe some could give me first hand advice.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

I have a good friend who suffers from it. As I understand it, there's quite a range of degree to which one is afflicted by Crohn's Disease. My friend, for example, didn't suffer great weight loss and her diet is relatively unaffected. She does have episodes, however, when the disease strikes her more severely than normal and she has been hospitalized on occasion for it.

Your best bet is to see a specialist to advise you on the symptoms and potential treatments for the disease.

Best of luck.

[JeffreyWKramer]

I know.

I was wondering if anyone could had some experience with the it so I could get a picture of what to expect in treatment and meds and quality of life.

I go into in a couple days for counseling and to get my scrips for meds but I thought maybe some could give me first hand advice.

From what I can tell, the course varies markedly from person to person. Some people respond reasonably well to the medications, dietary restrictions, etc., while others do not.

Hopefully you'll be one of the good responders.

[Lord of Denial]

There was this girl that I worked with,Cassie, who has the diease. She was rail thin and could only eat a certain amount of food;before she had to stop. Everyone thought she was a Meth-head,but in reality, she just couldn't put on any weight. Sad. And the pain that she was in,sometimes was pretty bad,too. Isn't there any type of medications that help relieve the symptoms?

Oh and P.S.: Sorry to hear about your condition.

Yeah

Auto immune drugs, anti-inflammatory's, antibotics and other meds.

[Karl J Barnes]

I'd like echo Jeffery and Dr. H's best of luck.

[Karl J Barnes]

Yeah

Auto immune drugs, anti-inflammatory's, antibotics and other meds.

Okay and...WOW! Them's alot of meds! Hopefully,you're covered in some way, because that looks pretty expensive.

[Lord of Denial]

Thanks.

The thing that gets me down the most is it is a genetic disorder and I am praying I don't past it down to my 2 kids.

[Lord of Denial]

Okay and...WOW! Them's alot of meds! Hopefully,you're covered in some way, because that looks pretty expensive.

Yeah, I have pretty good medical coverage that I purchase for me and my employees so at least the money is not to big a concern.

[darkhanamaru]

I know.

I was wondering if anyone could had some experience with the it so I could get a picture of what to expect in treatment and meds and quality of life.

I go into in a couple days for counseling and to get my scrips for meds but I thought maybe some could give me first hand advice.

The big problem with the meds is the steroids.They help with the inflammation but can cause tiredness, mood swings, and lower your immune response. You will be much more open to infections and will need to ask your doctor about that. My boss just got diagnosed this year and they have been trying to get her off the steroids but she hasn't stabilized with diet and the other drugs but luckily most people do respond. It is a long road but most people can get it controlled but it will be something you live with the rest of your life. Take advantage of the counselling and pay attention to the diet recommendations so you can stay off the meds as much as possible.

[Karl J Barnes]

Thanks.

The thing that gets me down the most is it is a genetic disorder and I am praying I don't past it down to my 2 kids.

Oh,yeah that is serious. Do you have girls or boys? If boy's,then I'd watch out for them,since it seems that the male generally gets genetic disorders more easily than the female. I'm sure more qualified people on this site can give you better break down.

[DoctorDoom]

I know.

I was wondering if anyone could had some experience with the it so I could get a picture of what to expect in treatment and meds and quality of life.

I go into in a couple days for counseling and to get my scrips for meds but I thought maybe some could give me first hand advice.
Ah...well I'm sorry for your pain :(

[dan bailey]

As I understand it, there's quite a range of degree to which one is afflicted by Crohn's Disease. My friend, for example, didn't suffer great weight loss and her diet is relatively unaffected. She does have episodes, however, when the disease strikes her more severely than normal and she has been hospitalized on occasion for it.



Indeed. I was diagnosed back in 8/88 (& most likely had had it for some 12 years before that) with what turns out to be an extremely mild case. Last time I was in the hospital was, again, 8/88. As for "great weight loss," let's just say that that I've put on well over 100 lbs since then. *sigh* Certain things I just can't eat or drink -- most obviously, I guess, any carbonated beverage -- & that's that. For the last several years, I've taken no prescripted medications for the condition (I do take Prilosec OTC, but that's for acid reflux, not Crohn's ... the two appear to be unrelated). Every few months I'll have some intestinal pain that lasts a day or so, which of course isn't any fun, but it beats being chronically incapacitated.

On the other hand, a friend back home who happens to be 2 days older than I am has a rather severe case. Luck of the draw, I guess. (He was around 40 when he was diagnosed, whereas I'd just turned 17 when I first got sick with what was eventually diagnosed as Crohn's. Whether there's any sort of "adult onset" factor at work, I have no idea.)

[Winslow]

Man, I wish you the best, and hope medications and diet change work out for you.

[morna]

I have a friend with it and it goes into remission or a dormant state for periods of time - even years in some individuals. When a flare-up occurs extreme discomfort and weight loss, abdominal pain and all the other joys stated earlier manifest. My friend tries to do as much as possible without the drugs as they all have side-effects and can conflict or cancel other meds. She seems to do just fine for the most part and is living a full life. I wish you the best with all this. Health problems are no fun.

[StoneGold]

Could be worse, could be Cronin's disease.

[darkhanamaru]

On the other hand, a friend back home who happens to be 2 days older than I am has a rather severe case. Luck of the draw, I guess. (He was around 40 when he was diagnosed, whereas I'd just turned 17 when I first got sick with what was eventually diagnosed as Crohn's. Whether there's any sort of "adult onset" factor at work, I have no idea.)


Interesting. I need to ask a doctor about the adult onset thing. My boss is 38, 39 and her's came on really bad this year and she had to be hospitalized for three weeks. But when I worked at Mount Sinai, most of the younger patients (the hospital does a lot of research on Crohn's) were more chronic like you described your illness to be. Though a few people it should be said were really bad and needed surgery. But for the most part, they lived just like you described.

On an aside, it has struck me recently the amount of Prilosec that is consumed among people i know. Especially those who take a lot of medication. I wonder what it is doing to the bacteria in the gut?

[Jared_Humpherys]

I'm hoping you stay well, Lord of Denial. I know that can't be pleasant.

[StoneGold]

I had an ex who had it. So at the very least, I know it's not sexually transmitted.

[DarkBlade]

From what I know of Tadhg's cousin, stress is a major factor. But then, that tends to be the case with a lot of autoimmune and otherwise chronic conditions.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Ohhh man thats bad. Heres hoping its not a bad case of it. I do remember reading that the man who played Murphy Brown's painter on her show also suffered from Crohn's and his was a bad case and I think surgery was ahead for him.

[Black Atom]

My cousin has it. He got horribly sick with it last year due to an infection and that's when he first realized he had it. He was always one of those guys that could eat anything and remained rail thin, though he'd had problems with constipation for years. He manages it pretty well now by eating a lot healthier (less process foods which can clog you up) and ingesting lots of fiber to keep him regular. I don't think he's even on any medication anymore.

[macul]

For the past 6 months I have been ill off and on and have lost 40 pounds without really dieting so a week ago I went to a specialist and had some blood test done and other tests run and a colonoscopy Thursday.

Well I got the call from the Doctor today that I have Crohn's Disease so I am not in the best of moods right now I was wondering if anyone here has or knows anyone with the diease?

Our clinic deals with Crohn's quite a bit. Don't know much about it myself, but I'll be glad to get some information to you if you've need of any.

[Gordon Smith]

Sorry to hear about this. I wish you well with treatment and such.

[Thanos_6383]

For the past 6 months I have been ill off and on and have lost 40 pounds without really dieting so a week ago I went to a specialist and had some blood test done and other tests run and a colonoscopy Thursday.

Well I got the call from the Doctor today that I have Crohn's Disease so I am not in the best of moods right now I was wondering if anyone here has or knows anyone with the diease?

Hope all gets better for you..:)

[Fenris]

That's a real pain, LoD. I hope you have one of the milder cases of the disease.

[Lord of Denial]

Thanks everyone!

This board is filled with good people and it makes it a bit better when you get positive words of encouragement.

My doctor did call back to talk about a possible hospital stay because of my malnutrioned state and to repair a fistula that has formed.

Lucky I got a laptop for Christmas so I can come here to be cheered up. If they allow laptops and have internet that is.:)

[Thanos_6383]

For you,they should.If not,then CBR will avenge you:D

[Paul McEnery]

Thanks everyone!

This board is filled with good people and it makes it a bit better when you get positive words of encouragement.

My doctor did call back to talk about a possible hospital stay because of my malnutrioned state and to repair a fistula that has formed.

Lucky I got a laptop for Christmas so I can come here to be cheered up. If they allow laptops and have internet that is.:)

My last hospital stay, the Buggins managed to find a wireless signal to pirate off of. So make sure you're wireless ready!

[StoneGold]

Could be worse, could be Cronin's disease.

I refuse to believe no one thought that was funny.

[Ronald Bryan]

I refuse to believe no one thought that was funny.
No, it's just we were all already thinking it.

[mattx110]

In case it hasn't been said enough, good luck. You're a fighter aren't you? You won't let this stupid thing screw up your life. Just think of a potential hospital stay as time to work on your novel.*

*side note: you might want to start to write a novel.

[PatrickG]

For the past 6 months I have been ill off and on and have lost 40 pounds without really dieting so a week ago I went to a specialist and had some blood test done and other tests run and a colonoscopy Thursday.

Well I got the call from the Doctor today that I have Crohn's Disease so I am not in the best of moods right now I was wondering if anyone here has or knows anyone with the diease?

Mark Millar has it.

[Paradox]

Dr. Hfuhruhur offers second-hand advice:

I have a good friend who suffers from it. As I understand it, there's quite a range of degree to which one is afflicted by Crohn's Disease. My friend, for example, didn't suffer great weight loss and her diet is relatively unaffected. She does have episodes, however, when the disease strikes her more severely than normal and she has been hospitalized on occasion for it.

This has been my second-hand experience as well. My friend's wife has it, but she doesn't have to do much but take daily medication and go to the hospital for flare-ups. I'm not positive she doesn't do anything with her diet, but she seems to eat what everyone else does, at least when I'm around.

[Paradox]

StoneGold wears a condom to lunch:

I had an ex who had it. So at the very least, I know it's not sexually transmitted.

Really? How?

**ducks** :)

[zilch]

My wife's brother-in-law has this and if i remember next time i visit. i'll have him post something here or email you.

he had some sort of surgery that helped him, but more about that later.

Good news is that his doctor told him that belching and farting seems to help so that's a start...

[StoneGold]

Really? How?

**ducks** :)

Mostly because when she told me she had it, I made the same joke, and she took me seriously. While I didn't know much about it, I knew enough to know it wasn't. Actually, I think the extent of my knowledge about it was that either Millar or Busiek had it. All I knew was it was making someone's books late.

[fudgekp]

Yeah it was Mark that had/has it I believe.

[StoneGold]

Yeah it was Mark that had/has it I believe.

Still does. No cure, only treatments.

[Lord of Denial]

In case it hasn't been said enough, good luck. You're a fighter aren't you? You won't let this stupid thing screw up your life. Just think of a potential hospital stay as time to work on your novel.*

*side note: you might want to start to write a novel.

In the immortal words of Jesse Ventura ( Twicked a bit) " I got kid's, I ain't got time to bleed".

[milhouse123321]

yeah my dad (I'm 18 and living at home with him) has it
he drinks alot of beer (probably not a good thing) but ive seen him belching and sighing in relief almost as if it takes away the pain.
and yes.. im male, so kindasorta a little bit scared of the whole genetic thing