Is 25 'old' to get Crohn's?

Just been remembering a conversation I had with my stoma nurse a few weeks ago where she said that the people she knew with Crohn's usually got it in their teens and that I was quite old by comparison. I was 25 years old when I was diagnosed.

I don't know why, but that made me feel a bit depressed. Almost like she was saying I was too old to have got this crappy disease. But in a way it does feel like that, since most people do seem to get diagnosed in their teens or early 20s.

I just don't get what makes Crohn's strikes at 13 in one case and 23 in another case. If it's diet (on top of genes), then you think Crohn's would always strike at a similar age. Like, why would one person get away with eating crap for twice the length of time before Crohn's was finally triggered? It doesn't make sense to me, just as it makes no sense whatsoever why Crohn's has periods of remission, 'cos if it's an immune system cascade shouldn't it just keep going on and on? (As it actually did in my case.)

Sorry, these are just dumb ramblings. It's late at night and I'm a little depressed :-/

I was diagnosed at 49 yrs old. NCOT you have read more than I have and you know that we just don't really understand this disease at all. You are going through a grief process, which is totally understandable and you seem to be in the "Why me?" stage. There may be scientific logic to the origins to this disease, but it is elusive and we only have clues. The way I see it is that the older you are when getting diagnosed, then the luckier you are...you don't have as many years to live with it. Sorry you are having a rough night...get some sleep and maybe tomorrow will be better

I was diagnosed at 60 and am already being told that I need surgery.  None of the medications have helped and in just a few years time, I have developed strictures in my colon and rectum. This is an unpredictable and very depressing disease.  I have been putting off the surgery out of fear of the operation itself and what life will be like afterwards. I know it will be a life changing decision to go thru with it and cannot handle the thought of it at this time.

I am hoping to find courage at some point. 

 

I think that's in the usual average age span to get Crohn's. I started having symptoms around 17-18 years of age myself. But I didn't actually get diagnosed until I was 29! It is known for being a young persons disease to start out with. But as we can see it decides to attack people at all kinds of ages.

I was nearly 27 when diagnosed....mainly because the nurse practitioner at student health thought it was extremely odd that I had come in with the same severe GI symptoms two years previously with no identified cause. She referred me to a GI who happens to specialize in Crohns, and the diagnostic process went very quickly from there.
Looking back on before I was diagnosed...I'm pretty sure I had two acute flareups before, one at 22 and the other at 25. And I'm pretty sure those long stretches of just feeling exhausted, lethargic and achey for months on end during my early twenties were Crohn's related.
From what I've read, it seems that people are most commonly diagnosed between ages 15-30. I wish healthcare professionals would keep their anecdotal stories to themselves...I don't think they realize how they affect patients.
Personal example: about four days after my first colonoscopy & diagnosis I had a small bowel CT scan. The radiology tech looked at me and said "You're really lucky,all the other people I've met with Crohn's have had at least one abdominal surgery."

Thanks guys - I do feel a bit better after reading your posts! However, while I do get depressed hearing of children with this disease, I do not feel "luckier" by comparison. Assuming I live to the average age of 80 for a UK female, I'll have had 55 years of dealing with this crappy disease. If I'd been diagnosed ten years younger it would have been 65 years.

Also, somebody who is diagnosed young might go into remission for many years. From the time I was diagnosed I never had a remission, so that was 13 years without a break. No, I don't feel one whit luckier for going through this in my 30s instead of 20s. If anything, in one sense it was worse in that I lost my life from the ages of 30-38. If I was going to lose 8 years of my life, I'd rather have lost it from 16-24, personally.

@ep49 - I wish you luck with finding that courage. If I can help you in any way with making a decision, I will. Don't be put off by my depression: I'd find something to be depressed about if I won a million pounds, that's my nature >_>. But physically, I am miles better off than I was pre-surgery.

@starreyedgirl - It's completely unprofessional for anybody to tell you you're lucky, except unless you really were lucky by avoiding certain death, or something. That did not apply to you. With the benefit of hindsight I'd have asked that radiologist if all the people they'd met with Crohn's had also been diagnosed 4 days ago.

@Larasmom - Interesting theory. Think I see where the doctor was coming from, but I have not heard of Crohn's sharing a common gene with diabetes and arthritis before. Crohn's isn't really considered an autoimmune disease anymore either :-/

Anyhow apologies for another self-pity party, folks. It's been a long day and I'm just even more tired and low than I was last night :-/ I'll get over it... <_<.

Hey NCOT...I see your point and "lucky" was a poor choice of a word. We are ALL unlucky that we got this disease whatever age we were at diagnosis, and you have had a really rough go. I guess I was just speaking for myself...I went through many years of infertility treatments and a miscarriage before I had my kids. It was a really challenging time in my life, and when I look back on it, I'm glad I didn't have Crohn's to contend with on top of it. My dad, who loves poker, is fond of saying "You have to play the hand you are dealt in life." I guess that sums it up. Sorry you are so down.

Hey NCOT,
I wish I had magic words to motivate you to re-claim your life. You are finally stabilizing physically and it's time for your life adventure to begin. I know you get super depressed, but you are also bright and funny and have a lot to offer yourself and the world. If I lived near you I would definitely without a doubt wish to be your friend. When do you go back to the psychologist???? Your life is not over....try to go live it.

Thank you for those kind words, gumby; I too would be your friend if you lived close to me. I truly don't whinge like this face-to-face: I promise... >_>.

I dunno; it's like I improve just enough to feel better, start thinking a bit about the future, etc., but then depression comes sweeping in again and an inner voice tells me it will always be that way; that no matter what I do, I'll be battling depression throughout it. I hadn't realised to what extent being ill kept my depression at bay. It wasn't like I was a happy bunny, 'cos I wasn't, but at least for some of the time I was battling something external rather than my own mind.

Seeing the psychologist in a fortnight - and not a day too soon, clearly... :-/

Okay, I'm gonna go and watch something with my mum, which will probably make no difference whatsoever, but at least I won't be whinging on HW for a couple of hours... >.> Take care for now, gumby.

Edit: Thanks, ClassyRose; I just saw your post.

Yes, I saw your last thread. That sucks to have surgery and not even get some period of remission from it; I hope something can be found which puts you into remission :-/

Oh, and I watched something with my mum. She managed to pick a film where literally everyone in it died: really great choice for a depressed person <_<. Bit gruelling and harrowing to watch in some places, but well done. (Won't say the name just in case it's a spoiler for somebody.)