Posted 1/19/2010 12:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I just read that someone just joined this site, and i'm also a new member so i guess i'll introduce myself!
I'm a 21 year old girl, and a senior in the Graphic Design program. I love art, music, TRAVELING, sports, and lots of other things.
On December 22, 2009, I was diagnosed with Crohns...
Backstory: I've had grastric problems since 16, but they have gotten much worse within the last few months. I spent all thanksgiving break in the hospital, after my GI tract shut down. After using an NG tube for 3 days, my intestines finally woke up and everything seemed back to "normal." After this happened, we did an endoscopy and colonoscopy, and that's when we discovered Crohns, possible celiac, some GERD, and a hiatal hernia. (I've seem to handle gluten fine, so we are quite confident i don't have Celiac.) Unfortunately the medicine didn't work, and again my intestines quit working! So I had an emergency surgery on January 6. They removed 12 inches of intestine (and my appendix that was 3 times bigger than normal and wrapped behind my liver-phew! glad to get that out of there!) I should have asked them to do some lypo while they were in there LOL. After a week's stay in the hospital, I'm now back at home and attempting to go to school tomorrow. The Dr. says I have an aggressive case of Crohns, so to put it to rest and keep me healthy, the next step is to start on Remicade. I was pretty sad to hear I'd have to be dependant on medicine the rest of my life, but my brother-in-law (who is also on remicade for arthritis) enlightened me, pointing out that it's better to be on an amazingly helpful medicine than be in pain and undergo surgeries the rest of my life.
So. Here I am. Finding other people living with this disease, because frankly, I don't want to do this alone.