NEW MEMBER TO THIS FORUM

Hi Congrads on your upcoming 16 years and welcome to Healing Well .Sounds like you have been busy over that time and it sure goes by fast.. it is great to find others that have so much knowledge and caring ..lol gail

Regarding your lactose intolerance, I too was lactose intolerant but taking a probiotic called primadophilus reuteri made by natures way has aided me with that, it also aids with high cholesterol (if you have that issue, if not it's still fine to take) and with vaginal health...IBDers tend to have bacterial overgrowth, so a good probiotic daily and indefinitely (flaring or not) is essential and has benefits.  BTW, pred actually does leave your body...my first baby (before CD) was also very large, with my second one being only a little smaller, that's common, to have your first baby be the largest one, of course it's not written in stone, but it's more common than not.

:)

Thank you all for your warm welcome. I also suffer from joint pain Margie11 and feel much older than my 41 years, but I have had a dexascan and no major problems have been found. I'm sure it is just part of the disease that lurks in my body and maybe some bone loss from the steroids. I do have periodic colonoscopies and so far they have all come back clean - last one was about 3 years ago. I have not sworn off meds and will gladly resume if I sense that a flare is beginning. My biggest worry is adhesions and what a mess it must look like in there with all that scar tissue just waiting to strangle my bowel or some other vital organ!! I am thankful for every moment I live disease free and believe that having this has made me a better person. I have known my husband since I was 16 and we were married the year after my surgery. We did break up at one point just before our engagement because I think he was having a difficult time with my limitations and the lifelong implications of having a spouse with a chronic illness. In retrospect, I think that was a good thing and helped to make our eventual marriage stronger. He has been with me through the worst times which were before we were married and must have come to terms with all of it because we did eventually get married.

I think all couples face struggles, we just knew about ours early on. Who is to say that after people get married they will not face similar adversity - almost everybody does. Whether it is illness of a spouse, child, or family member, or financial struggles, etc. For the younger ones out there - don't ever let this disease keep you from fulfilling any dreams or hopes you may have - relationships, marriage, children, a career, travel. As you get older, you get past the embarrassment and realize that this is a part of you like your hair or eye color. It becomes an important part of who you are. I found once I stopped being angry about the fact I was damaged, and accepted myself - disease and all - I was much more peaceful about the whole thing.

Nanners, I am interested to hear the circumstances behind your first relapse after your 20 year remission. Were you still following regularly with a GI doctor? Di you have any routine tests like bloodwork, scopes, etc.? Did you have any warning signs before your emergency surgery? Do you feel that your osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia are an extension of the CD or something separate?

One other thing, I did have an eye problem a few years back. Out of nowhere I developed iritis, an inflammation of the iris in my eye, common in CD people. Thought this may be the beginning of the end of my remission but it was treated and went away. Doctors kept a close eye but nothing else developed. That is the kind of stuff that makes me anxious - the stuff that comes out of nowhere with no warning.

Thanks so much - that does help and there is hope for me yet!! I have religiously followed with my GI doctor. I go once a year if I am experiencing no problems and they do routine bloodwork, etc. to check for inflammation. I have a scope every 3-5 years, although this last time he said 10 years as long as I was still symptom free. If I feel unwell he will see me sooner. I have no pain, but do have D and occasional cramping and feel this is very much related to eating the wrong foods, especially those with a high fat content. In addition, I have been left with urgency issues so when I have to go, I better be near a restroom. I also find that it takes me longer to overcome illnesses like stomach viruses or URI's. Like I said before, I do have joint pain and tire more easily so I need more rest than my counterparts the same age who do not have chronic illnesses.

Your comments, though, have made me reconsider my choice to discontinue medications. Perhaps this was unwise. I will discuss it again with my doctor at my next visit. It sounds as if you feel that if you continued to follow up and take medicine, you may have avoided those surgeries.

Thanks Again,
Kim