Chickens came to roost: My first hospitalization

On a Tuesday a few weeks ago, I woke up feeling lousy but as this happens about once a week with my UC, I thought nothing of it. I went to work and felt freezing all day and by the end I felt exhausted by the end of the day. I went home and took my temp and it was in the high 101s. I tried to sleep it off and stayed home the next day but my fever at times was up to 102.7 and the prior night I started having pain in the right side of my stomach/intestines. This is unusual since I have left-sides UC although my dr did find some abnormality on the right during my last scope which made my g.i. think I might have Crohns. This means that surgery isn't really an option. I have finally after 7 years had some healing being on remicade AND azathioprine (Imuran) for the past year and a half. Back to my sickness, my wife convinced me to go to the urgent care where they gave me fluids and sent me to the hospital. At the hospital they did a lot of tests but I was stuck in the e.r. despite being admitted bc there were no rooms. Still in the e.r. The next day, they told me I had c.diff. Finally that night I got a room after 24 hours in the e.r. The next day was Friday and my parents had just visited and left and it seemed like things were settling down or so I thought. Next thing I knew, a bunch of doctors stormed in and told me I had listeria in my blood and I had to go to a lumbar puncture. Fortunately the lumbar came up negative so I did not have meningitis. I was given lots of antibiotics, survived some bad headaches, and after a week in the hospital, was sent home for 2.5 weeks at home with a picc line and getting pumped antibiotics every four hours. I'm pretty convinced the real problem was the listeria and not sure where I got the c.diff. The funny thing is listeria usually comes from deli meats and cheese - two things I avoid. I like to say I made a deal with the devil going on two immunosuppressants but it actually works and there has been healing for the first time. I feel like I have to still go with the risk of the meds since it's he only thing that works and surgery seems out with the likelihood of Crohns. Just wanted to hear thoughts. I go see my gi next week and have to decide about my next infusion and going on Imuran again since they took me off while I was sick.

Like gary said, find out what you have. Once that is in order, you can think about what direction you want to go.

Well my diagnosis is UC but I know of people who have had surgery and then find out they have Crohns so since there is something going on on my right side I feel like UC with the possibility if Crohns is the best we are going to get. I also heard that the medical field is considering ending a distinction since so many times the two overlap and UC can really be Crohns. They are just labels that sometimes evolve.

Thanks "on the flip side". Fortunately, my insurance company should be paying according to them.