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Worried Sister In-Law??

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 12/5/2007 1:35 AM (GMT 0)

Hello everyone and thank you in advance for any advice that you give,

 

I recently got engaged to my girlfriend and we plan on getting married in Mexico. My sister in-law has been diagnosed with Crohns Disease for over twenty years now ....she suffers from the symptoms periodically....She feels that she contracted Crohns when she visited Mexico many years ago....My fiancé has her heart set on getting married in Mexico and feels that this location is where her dream wedding is meant to be.......Now my sister in law is extremely distraught and is contemplating not going to my wedding because she feels that it is way too dangerous due to her Crohns disease.....Does she have anything to worry about?.....Is it indeed too dangerous for her to attend?......If she was to go can she take any precautions?.....If so what do you recommend??.....Please Help.... My brother is to be my best man and I really do not want this to become a big issue....Any input is greatly appreciated..

 

 

Concerned1

 

Post Edited (Concerned1) : 12/4/2007 6:48:40 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/5/2007 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome! Please advise her to visit our site to get info about crohn's. There are a lot of referral sites and folks with the same illness. Crohn's is not contagious or contracted by contaminated foods. It is an auto-immune illness like arthritis that just strikes at random. There are some heredity factors. I have had crohn's for over 40 yrs and it has never stopped me from traveling anywhere. Just have to check out every restroom along the way. Only thing I have heard is don't eat salads or anything but bottled water. I went to a medical clinic near Tiauana?sp a few years back, and I was fine. The food was different (like cilantro) in the soups) and I had some increased D. But then again, I drink wine when I am with my sis and it could have been that. Stress can bring on flares of this disease, so the more your SIL knows, the less she will stress out. Good luck and have a great wedding.
Posted 12/5/2007 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
Frankly I can see why your sister feels that way, I tend to agree, because I think it is several different factors enviroment, infection, and genetics. (I started getting really sick after a severe sting from a jelly fish in the gulf) A bout of Montizuma's Revenge is not something people like to risk a whole lot when they are healthy let alone when they have Crohn's. Are you going to a resort that has facilities availible that you would be ok puking and pooping in 20 times a day? It depends on how bad her disease is, but yeah I can see why she would consider not going. Would you want to go to a country who has questionable health care resourses if you could be so sick you need a hospital?

Yes, this could be/is a significant health risk to her and my suggestion is to support whatever she decides to do.  She knows what is best for her and I wouldn't think she would want to miss out if she didn't have to.
Posted 12/5/2007 4:36 AM (GMT 0)
I think it varies person to person and what risks she is willing to take. If you are going to a resort with modern facilities it shouldn't be too much of a problem if she buys bottled water, watches what she eats, etc. I personally still plan to do a lot of traveling despite my illness but it takes a lot of motivation and planning to go. Do you really need your sister in law there to have a happy wedding? I dont mean to sound insensitive but maybe she would be more comfortable staying home and your brother going alone and being your best man. I know I would feel way to guilty if someone changed their wedding plans on my behalf. And I have no problem with my husband traveling without me. I think if your sister and law makes your wedding a priority she can plan ahead, work stuff out with her doctor, bring some extra medication, stay hydrated, etc. But, not all crohnies are of the same mind set. I am very open about my disease and vocal about what I need. Others might not be as personally motivated to travel, too embarassed of what could go wrong if she got sick in public, etc. Like others say, support her decisions but let her know what her choices are. Tell her you understand how hard it will be for her to come and really appreciate if she does come but will not hold it against her if she stays home. I kind of understand what she is going through because I am traveling to Singapore soon for fun and then my best friend is getting married in DC. It is not very far but he wanted me to catch a ride w/ someone I have never met. I am not comfortable with the prospect of having an "accident" in my pants in some strangers car in DC traffic. I will be finding an alternate way of getting there. So be sensitive to her needs. When you get frustrated, think what would you feel up to if you had the flu. She may be feeling perfectly healthy now but the stress of traveling sends a lot of us flaring. She has to decide if it is worth it to her.
Posted 12/5/2007 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
She didn't get it from being in Mexico, it was likely all coincidence with her timing being in Mexico and her crohns being triggered...not enough is known but according to what is known it's more than highly unlikely she got it from being in Mexico...besides which she already has it so if she truly feels it had to do with being in Mexico (which is not very likely) then what does she have to really lose now by going back.

:)
Posted 12/5/2007 5:31 AM (GMT 0)
Pb4- Maybe she can give her crohns BACK to Mexico lol!!!
Posted 12/5/2007 5:35 AM (GMT 0)
LOL, wouldn't it be nice if it worked that way!!!! I'd give mine back to 1992....I'd just have to figure out how to get back there eh.

:)
Posted 12/5/2007 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
I have had Crohns for over 32 years. I go to Mexico on a regular basis. I have absolutely no problems. And PB4 is right, there is no way no how she got Crohns from Mexico. I don't drink the water only bottled water. Heck, they don't even drink their own water. Its best to eat at the larger resteraunts and ask for no ice in your drinks and you will be fine. They have alot of wonderful seafood places that I really enjoy. This is your wedding, you two do what you two want. JMHO
Posted 12/5/2007 3:02 PM (GMT 0)
That's weird, I started developing symptoms when I was in Mexico last summer. I would definitely go back though. Now that I'm on meds and have it under control it really wouldn't be much different. The plane ride might be a little tricky but that's just a couple of hours..from here anyways. The resort we stayed at was very modern and had plenty of restrooms everywhere. Ofcourse the change in food could cause problems but if she is careful I think she would probably have a fun time.
Posted 12/5/2007 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
A week or so ago one of our members went on vacation to Vietnam, she posted a couple of times about how unwell she was..........................She must have returned to the states by now but I wonder if on reflection she thought it was worth it.
Tess
Posted 12/5/2007 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
I agree it comes down to is how your disease is actting at that point in time. I have started hemmoraging so bad on a plane (Maryland to Kansas) they made an unscheduled landing and took me to a hospital. But I have also been to Korea and stayed a week with no problems with crohns. It just depends....
Posted 12/6/2007 11:11 PM (GMT 0)

Thank You so much for all of your input.....

My S.I.L travels quite a bit , cruises, islands, and she even plans on going to Europe in the next couple of years....So she is no stranger to going away....Should she take any different precautions than she would on any of her previuous trips if she decides to go to Mexico?...

Post Edited (Concerned1) : 12/6/2007 4:32:13 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/7/2007 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
My parents lived in Mexico and I've traveled there a number of times...you have to be far more careful in Mexico and most Latin American countries than in any European country.

Bottled water is a must. This means using it to brush your teeth, too. No salads or uncooked vegies. If you can't peel the fruit yourself, don't eat it. This means no fresh-squeezed OJ or other juices (unless they come from a can). Even with all these precautions, you can still get sick. 

My Crohn's-free best friend suffers, still, from the repercussions of an intestinal bacterial infection she picked up in Mexico...and had treated with Cipro...three years ago.

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