New here.... but NOT new to Crohn's & it's additional symptoms

Hello everyone.
I just discovered this forum while doing my occasional research on Crohn's to see if there are any new treatment options.

So, I figured I would join & make friends with other folks like me, who live with the never-ending excitement & unpredictability associated with the condition!!


I'm 39 & was diagnosed almost 6 years ago, although looking back I realize I've had it for MUCH longer but never knew it.
All the descriptions of cramping, diarrhea, multiple trips to the bathroom, hemorrhoids, anal skin tags, etc. are things I can relate to.

I've been watching my skin tags grow for the past 12-15 years. They started as one small single little tab... barely noticeable; and have become a rather large family of them. (both in qty AND size).
Sometimes I wonder which I dislike more..... the extra flaps hanging around, or the "surprise attack" when I'm out & about, that makes me run for the nearest restroom in a panic! LOL!!!
I'm sure a lot of you know exactly what I mean huh?!

Anyway, That's it for now
I look forward to chatting with you all & sharing new info or experiences.

Thanks!!

Hey Howlyncat!
Nice to meet you!

Yes I DO have a sense of humor.... I think that has been one of the most helpful things in dealing with Crohn's.
Although, it took a while to finally be able to laugh about it...

I also noticed that this DOES seem to be the largest support forum by far! This section has more topics/posts than any of the others. (with the UC forum a close 2nd).
So I definitely don't feel all alone!!

Thanks for the warm welcome!!
It's nice to chat with some fellow chronies... most people don't really understand what it's like.... even when you describe it to them.

I hate my anal skin tags too...infact that is how my disease started, not internally but instead with the perianal crohn's skin tags which every doc told me were hemheroides but of course were wrong...it was about a yr and a half after i had my first baby that they got completely out of control with alot of pain. I went in for an emergency hemheroidectomy (had them banded) then I started having frequency of bowel movements (still formed though) and then the urgency got worse and then came the D...crappy disease...I agree with you tboy, I don't know which I hate worse either the painful, large and many anal skin tags or the uncontrollable urgency (and frequency)...probably hate them all the same LOL! I sure am sick of this disease almost 19 yrs later now (at least that's how long it's been affecting me internally, externally with the tags started in my teens but absolutely no other symptoms until shortly after having first baby in my early 20's).

:)

Hi tboy...another tag person here. I like your description of a family of tags. I too started with one tag that got very large right before my ileum ruptured. They just kept multiplying since then. I'm afraid I can use them to count on instead of fingers and toes soon!

My one GI looked at it this way...they are a good indicator of your disease activity at least. he was always the optimist!

depends which day you talk to me which part of CD I am most tired. Today it is the tears at the bases of my tags. Tomorrow it may be the exhaustion. I guess the thing this forum taught me most is that everyone has it worse at some time and it is good to be around people who can laugh at poop accidents!

Welcome and join in the fun!