First post ever

CT scans don't always show everything that is going on. A colonoscopy will have a lot more information. Have you done any stool samples to check for parasites, c. diff., salmonella, etc.?

That is weird, UC won't just clear up on its own. I would call your doctor tomorrow and ask if you can do some stool samples now. That way all of your bases are covered. It takes about a week for those to run. I'm really surprised the ER didn't run any at the least. The colonoscopy should help a lot. Remember that it only goes through the large intestine, so if you have Crohn's and it is in the small intestine, the colonoscopy might not see it. But since the doctor originally said UC (which will only be present in the large intestine down), I'm betting the colonoscopy will show something. In the meantime, Imodium (which is OTC, over-the-counter) might be able to help some with the diarrhea. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Dehydration will make D worse, and you actually become more dehydrated with D than you will with vomiting. Get some iron pills too, if you don't have any. Also, a very simple diet right now will be best. I would suggest either just liquid diet (so broths, Pedialyte, etc.) or the BRAT diet (bananas, white rice, applesauce, and white bread). Stay away from fibers, spices, and acidic foods (especially tomatoes and tomato sauce, as well as pineapple, etc.).

So a stool sample won't happen during the colonoscopy. What usually happens is the doctor will send orders to your local lab (like Quest) where you get bloodwork done. You go there and pick up a "hat" (a bowl that will go on the toilet) and some specimen jars (they will give them to you depending on what your doctor ordered). You then will go home, poop into the hat, put some of it into each jar (following directions), and then return them to the lab, who sends them out for testing. Some of the specimen jars may need to be frozen first (usually the c. diff. ones).

It's a bit like doing a urine sample to test for a UTI. It's not the most glamorous thing to be doing, scooping your own poop into jars, lol. But that's why I suggested you just call the GI and have them send the orders to the lab so you can get it done ASAP and before you start the prep for the colonoscopy (don't do it once you've started the prep).

lol, you eventually get used to it. I probably have to do one at least a few times a year. Not counting ER visits - there you just go in the hat and the nurses take it from there.

I know that c. diff. can show up in a colonoscopy in the way that it looks. It looks different from Crohn's. One of my GIs said he could tell from my colonoscopy that I had had c. diff. in the past. And in TX to qualify for a FMT, you have to have a colonoscopy to check for c. diff., not just a stool sample. But I don't think they can test for salmonella or anything like that with a colonoscopy, though.

Oh I forgot, went back and looked on the first er visit discharge papers from a month and half ago, I was diagnosed with uc and diverticulitis. But it miraculously cleared in 1 and 1/2 months per the next ER visit. Hmmm... Any idea how that happened?

Thank you all for listening to my need. I will post again after my appt. 😄

I am glad you had such a good GI! He sounds pretty well-informed. I was surprised, too, at the ER being ridiculous about testing. Did you ask your GI about stool samples?

Everyone says this and not many actually do it, but it helps to write down things you want to ask on paper ahead of time and bring it with you. Especially if you're new to the disease.

I can't count how many times I have left an appointment upset because I forgot to ask something in the moment.

Sheesh... you'd think I'd learn to finally write questions down myself!

We've ALL pretty much had that pain. That's what a Crohn's flare feels like. If it were an obstruction, it would be wave-like, almost like contractions. The constant pain could be almost anything Crohn's (or non-Crohn's) related. It's fairly common, and it's incredible how intense the pain can get.