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Lets see who knows their "stuff" Small Bowel Follow through

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 4/26/2009 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hey friends!

Sooo I had a small bowel follow through last week.

It was the first time I really saw my guts on screen....     It was somewhat of an eye opener!

Anyway, so the X ray person was showing me the image and it looked like what I expected until she pointed out the small intestine.

It was like the diameter of a pc of yarn and all fringed up and inflamed looking.

So my expert team of Crohnies..   I go to the Doc on Thursday....     What do you think he will say?   Is it time for surgery?   

Can medicine help make this go back to normal, or once its gone, its gone?

(I stopped taking meds in Dec cause they made me feel sick..)

 

Posted 4/26/2009 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
That was the same thing as mine. They tried Prednisone with me and as powerful as it is on immflamation it did not work. My next option was surgery, in which I had in Feb. My surgeon was amazed as the diameter of the stricture, it was pencil thin.
I believe that if you have exhausted most options of medications that your doctor might bring up surgery. If you do require surgery, it is really not that bad as many people here can attest to that. Though there are some that have had some complications. No worries!
Good luck on Thursday!!!
Posted 4/26/2009 8:22 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for responding wolfie...

How long were you in the hospital?

How log were you off work?

How much did they take out?

Posted 4/26/2009 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
I was in the hospital 5 days. I was off work 2-1/2 weeks total. I have a physical job and went back only lifting up to 10# for 2 weeks. It has been 2 months and 8 days since surgery and I am able to do everything I did before. I should mention my surgery was done Laproscopic. They ended up taking out 18", it was more than anticipated because I had a Meckels 3-4" away from the bad intestines.
I see your from Michigan, are you up north of Wisc. or across the the pond?
Posted 4/26/2009 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
I am across the pond... On the lake side!
Posted 4/27/2009 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
You can live relatively normally for a long time with a string segment. It depends whether the narrowing is from scarring, inflammation or spasm whether medication will open up the segment. It does mean that you should watch what you are eating. Strings, seeds, nuts, gristle, skins -- anything rough and indigestible might have difficulty getting past the string segment and increase pain.
Posted 4/27/2009 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
It would seem that the most reasonable step would be to first go back on your medication. Surgery should ALWAYS be the last option. Keep what you have for as long as you can and remember that surgery is not a lifetime solution.
Posted 4/27/2009 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
Pencil sized narrowing in the norm for me. Over the years I have been able to live with it until it gets inflammed to the point that surgery is needed. Put the surgery off as long as possible. Docs will want to treat you with steriods first. Repeated surgeries is the norn, after my first surgery I have had surgery every 7 years.
Posted 4/27/2009 4:01 PM (GMT 0)

farmacist said...
It would seem that the most reasonable step would be to first go back on your medication. Surgery should ALWAYS be the last option. Keep what you have for as long as you can and remember that surgery is not a lifetime solution.

Farmacist has it right Curly go back on your MEDS why did you stop them was it they choice of the doctors or your choice stopping MEDs is never a good idea set you back if it is a stricture there are other things they can try before surgery like putting in a stint to open up the close part of the bowel which is no big deal they perform them when doing a regular scope its like a small tube plumbing pipe i call it i had 2 put in and it prolonged my surgery for almost 2 years,if you do require surgery they can do it open belly or by lap you heal differently from both if you have belly surgery than your looking at 2 to 4 weeks till your on your feet with no lifting or pulling on any thing heavy after wards,i think your wondering how long is it going to take before you feel normal again without pain well the pain you had before the surgery is different from the pain of surgery all together how ever they will give you pain meds in hospital to keep you as pain free as they can you will likely be given a pain pump i'm not sure if you had 1 before but what they are is this there is an IV were ever they put it and you will be given a little button you can press when you need something for pain but it is controlled so you don't over dose and if you don't press the button and its not on lock out you will get a dose maybe every hour a small one and the machine will beep to let you know that you just got your dose and say lock out on it,hopefully it don't lead to that you want to hold of surgery for as long as possiable cause once they start cutting in there you get scare tissue than your back in the OR getting that removed cause it can strangle the bowel of you don't want that. Start taking your MEDS again un-less the doctor told you to stop. Jenn yeah
Posted 4/27/2009 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everybody....
Bell:I never knew it was called a string segment, thanks for the info...
Farm and Can: I was off my meds because they made me soooo sick! I have tried Pentsa, budesodine, Immuran, Humira, I am sure there are more... They alll make me feel awful.... But I must admit, I am off meds and I still feel awful..

So, I guess I dont feel any better/worse when I am on meds.... I am not trying to sound like a jerk here... Am I making any sense? I guess I just do not see the point in all the meds if they do not make me feel better????
Posted 4/28/2009 1:45 AM (GMT 0)
Some meds don't work for some people. Ramicade did nothing for me..Imuran worked for a while then quit working..Humira might have been working but I could not take the side effects (turned my skin to paper and I was bleeding from sores and bruises all the time). I had a very good doctor for a few years before he retired and he told me that each case is slightly different and we need to find the right meds that will work for us.
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