Posted 7/19/2009 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
I can look back now and see that I did have symptoms although I didn't connect it to my Crohns.. But I was diagnosed young and was like most young people, you don't want to deal with the fact that you have a chronic incurable illness.
I have been blessed to have a milder form of Crohns. But during that time I would get stomach aches frequently, I was constipated alot too and had to use stool softners all the time. Maybe thats why I didn't think of Crohns during this time, because I always associated diarrhea with Crohns. But I just brushed those off as if it were the flu or I ate something that didn't agree with me, or even I was just constipated. Didn't really think much about the Crohns. I now realiize that some bouts that sent me to the ER occasionally over the last 10 years of my remission were at least partial obstructions that the ER misdiagnosed as gastritis. I even had my appendix removed after one ER visit. Turns out my appendix was healthy. So yes, I had warning signs during at least the last 10 years of my remission. But because I had never educated myself about Crohns, I just took the doctors word that it was just gastritis. I could have avoided alot of it too if I would have just taken the maintainence meds my doctor wanted me to. So now I am a big advocate for educating yourself about the disease and ALWAYS taking some type of maintainence medication. Hope that helps. If you have other questions don't hesitate to ask.
Hugs
Gail*Nanners*