Introduce yourselves!

Hi, all!

I'm Cheryl from Michigan and I'm 50. I've had UC since 1980. It was fairly well controlled with sulfasalazine for many years, but I had a flare-up recently after some significant work-related stress. It fortunately seems to have quieted back down after upping my meds for a while. I haven't had to take prednisone for the UC since the early days. I was hospitalized back in 1982 with salmonellosis, which looking back I think was a pretty bad case due to the UC. Lately, I have been trying to chill out so as to avoid another flare.

I have always had rough mornings and recently was able to modify my work schedule for a later start time (after going through the embarrassment of having to explain why I was late to work on a fairly frequent basis and why I needed a schedule adjustment). I've been in my current job for over 25 years and am counting down to the time I will be eligible for retirement. 55 - woo hoo!

My hubby is fairly understanding about this disease. We are empty nesters with a daughter currently in grad school. This past fall, we got two Corgi/Yorkie puppies from a rescue organization and they have been keeping us amused. Other than that, I "chat" daily with some cyber friends on another forum, love getting together with a group of friends from work, read a fair amount, and am always planning my next Disney visit.

I have learned a lot about UC since starting to read here. I sure have a lot of questions to ask my doctor the next time I see him for a colonoscopy!!!

Saskia - I also work for the government! Do you have your shovel ready for the next 30cm of snow we're getting this weekend? We have a coupe of snow blower fairies living on our street. Lately every time we get a lot of snow they have it blown out of our driveway before we get home from work, which is great since our snowbanks are so high it's hard to shovel the snow up on top. They even come back after the snowplow goes by. Unfortunatley my husbands parents are in South Carolina this week so we have to go over to their place and shovel. They sure picked a great week to go!

Tara

malka said...
Judilyn, you are not the only senior citizen. I am 62 and retired a year ago. I've been married 42 years, have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three (gorgeous) grandchildren. Grandchildren are great! I am an attorney and was working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We've retired to New York and I spend my days going to museums. One son lives in London, so we visit the UK several times a years.

I was diagnosed with UC in 1975, but probably had my first flare when I was 20 (1966). I've been fortunate in that I have not had very many terrible flares, and have been in remission for six months now. When it was bad, however, it was truly awful. I try to remember that it is still lurking. I know that when I am feeling good I tend to go into denial - which is bad when a flare starts.

To those of you just beginning to cope, I am living proof that you can have UC for many years and lead a normal life.

Marian

Malka, I really like to think of myself more as "experienced" rather than "senior."

I'm Norene, I'm 48 and I live in the greater Seattle area and have lived here all my life (one of the few proud flannel wearing, wear a raincoat with a hood, never an umbrella (gasp!), hug a tree, Seattle-lites. I have been married to my sweetie for 10+ years. We don't have kids (just never seemed to have happened) but we do have 2 cats that we spoil rotten.

I'm an applications developer and I get to telecommute a lot so UC hasn't really impacted my career. I watch far too much tv (doesn't it seem odd how most UC'ers like McGuyver and CSI?), I like to tinker in my garden and I like to read alot and watch old movies. I used to really love to go out, but over time I have gotten tired and\or lazy so my remote has become one of my best friends.

My immediate family lives in the Seattle area, the rest are in the midwest. My husband's family all live here. My sister died last year of a hemmoraghic stroke. She was only 49 (she had the stroke at 48). That really put stuff into perspective for me.

The road to my UC diagnosis was sorta odd. I was having the trots now and then. A little blood from time to time, but I wrote them off to hemmerhoids. One day I got the trots so bad it made me dehydrated and I almost fainted. So I had the hubby take me to the ER. They gave me some iv fluids but couldn't find anything. I had to beg the er doc for a referral to a colon guy because I knew then that something wasn't right. Well, I saw the colon guy (who turned out to be a colorectal surgeon!), he did a sigmoidosocopy (OUCH!) and he said that things were pretty "beefy" down there and wanted to do a colonoscopy. He said then that I might have UC. Well, the colonoscopy came and went (man, great drugs to knock you out, but the prep wasn't any fun) and sure enough, I had UC or UC had me.

So here it is a year and 1/2 later. I cut out a ton of things from my diet, I eat only veggies that I can cook then mash with a fork, I don't drink at all anymore and recently, I cut out desserts (what was I thinking??).

I haven't really experienced a flare like the original one and I hope I never do again! But if I do, I do. Knowledge is power and I try to always be abreast of the current studies, clinical trials, etc.

Well, that's me. I tend to yammer on, whether in writing or verbally...

Alrighty! Here we go!

I'm a 35 year old male. Married for almost 12 years, been with my wife for 17 years. We have three children, girl, boy, girl, 6, 3, and 6 months.

I have two younger brothers, both married, no kids. One works in the school board and is an evangical christian, the other is doing missionary work with his wife in South America. My parents and my inlaws are all retired, and we have the only grandchildren on both sides, so our kids get a lot of attention and are spoiled.

I have been employed as a Police Officer for the past 2 years. I worked for a large transportation company for 12 years prior to that. I was heavily involved in labour unions for most of that time, along with political action, human rights, and health and safety.

I love my career and am enjoying it very much. It's always interesting, and always entertaining.

On the recreational side, I enjoy going to the gym which I hit 5 times a week. I run a lot, bike a lot and enjoy weights. Recently I joined a boxing club and have been involved in that. I also love computers, and am a myspace addict. I spend a lot of time at my wifes family cottage in summers, and we do a lot of home renovations.

I got my first flare three years ago last month. Was diagnosed three years ago this coming June. Was hospitalized last february and off work for 4 months. Back to full duties and feeling great now. In fact I am stronger, faster and have more energy then I did prior to my surgery. I have minor flares, but am able to keep them in check with a variety of medications. I hate this disease, but have learned to accept it and work around it.

I've met a lot of great people on this site, and this site was an emotional life saver during my bad flares and post operation.

Thanks for starting this thread Sherry. You rock! :)

Red_34 said...
Whereabouts in Michigan are you from Moo?

I'm in the Lansing area. I noticed that there is another Michigander on here, but don't recall who without reading back.

Saskia, yes that was probably me. Oh no! I've lost my anonymity!

Hedgehog,.  Not to worry, I still don't know who you are.  I only know one of the persons that attended the wedding.

Mitzo, just wait.....seems that the worst is yet to hit - this evening and tonight.  I am in Hunt Club and Bank area.  I don't have a large amount of space to shovel....besides, I need the exercise (oh, pay no attention, I'm just trying to cope with the huge amount of snow.

There was another member from Ottawa at one point, redheaded mama, but it seems she had surgery so her UC would now be gone.

I'm Amy. I'm 30 years old and I live just outside of DC in Northern VA. I'm a stay at home mom to my wonderful 21 month old daughter that makes me laugh every day - even if she has to play in the bathroom while mommy is going potty. I stay active with my daughter, we both can't stand to be in the house all day. We go to swim class, playdates, story time at the library, etc. etc. I love to read, I've been reading all about UC lately. I love comedies, my fave tv shows are 30 Rock, The Office, and most shows on HGTV. I've been married for almost 4 years to a great guy. He has been mostly understanding of my condition - he does like to make sound effects outside the door when I'm going to the bathroom.

I was officially diagnosed 2/29/08 but I know I've had UC since 2000. It was REALLY bad when it first flared up. I was going to the bathroom 10+ times a day, it got the point where is was nothing but blood and I had a lovely hemorrhoid at the age of 22. I was in denial and didn't have insurance so I never went to the Dr. Surprisingly during this time I had 2 jobs and an active social life - how did I have the strength?? After about a year of this I met my now husband. Shortly after we were together my symptoms mysteriously just disappeared. One day I was a mess, the next day completely normal BM's! I told my husband that he cured me! I went on symptom free for 2 years then had a minor flare and went to the Dr., they gave me levbid. The flares only lasted 2-3 months at a time and they weren't bad, never any blood just lots of D. I was blissfully symptom free for 4 years. Then I had a stressful couple of months in a row (thank you MIL) and the D came back 7/07. It went on and on and then the stomach cramping started so I finally went to a GI Dr and was scheduled for my first colonoscopy. When I woke from my wonderful drug induced nap my Dr. informed me that my colon is "very angry". I have universal UC, oh joy. So, now I am on 3 Lialda once a day. I'm also taking my multi vitamin, omega 3 and probiotics. I've been on Lialda a week so I guess it's too soon to feel a difference? I also just ordered VSL#3 so hopefully that will help as well.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Hey all,

I'm Mark. I'm 27 and living currently in Austin, TX, but grew up in Colorado (too skinny to take too many more CO winters). I work as a coordinator of a ethical review board (mostly pharmaceutical research studies). I am single and live alone in my apartment in downtown Austin. I love my job, which is good cause lately I don't have the energy for much else it seems. I love music, and I have learned to love cooking as my combination of dietary restrictions and picky eating habits have made me learn.

I first came down with crohn's disease in 93'. I was 13 and my family had just moved to Aspen, CO from Boulder. Despite my excitement about moving to Aspen (I loved to ski and snowboard), I had a hard time adjusting socially, and kept it mostly to myself. I came down with my symptoms w/in 4 months of moving, and after much soul searching, I think that anxiety and stress played a major part in the onset of my condition. I was hospitalized for severe dehydration, and upon diagnosis was given prednisone and told to ween off when I could. Nothing about my diet, or probiotics to combat the antibiotics that I was given when they thought I had parasites, or the side effects of the prednisone. Eventually I learned that certain foods (dairy, fried foods, sweets) upset my condition. I learned that stress had a huge impact, and I learned to relax through deep breathing techniques. I graduated from high school in 98' and after traveling for a bit in New Zealand, and working in a couple of kitchens as a cook, I enrolled at CU Boulder's Kinesiology and applied physiology school with the intent of becoming a physical therapist. Four years later I was not ready to head back into school, and I got an opportunity to do some research with a classmate for a small naturopathics company. It was fun, but I wanted to move to a warmer climate and to a larger city, and I knew that if I didn't get out of Colorado then I never would. i was seeing a woman at the time and she wanted to move as well so we chose Austin.

I have taken almost everything under the sun, mostly in my early days of Rx. about 3 years ago I went au' natural and went off the entocort, and started on a combination of exclusion diets, probiotics, aloe vera (body balance), and massage every month, and relaxation techniques. After realizing some of the affects that the drugs i had taken had on my body I was very disillusioned with the medical establishment. I didn't get worse, but I wasn't getting any better either. Recently I've come to the conclusion that what I have to gain is much more that what i have to lose, because at this point my quality of life is not all that good. I started on Humira about 3 weeks ago. I'm still having most of my symptoms, but my diarrhea has completely stopped. Unfortunately my inflamed ilium makes passing solid BMs very uncomfortable. Sorry, but this is the only place I really feel like I can tell anyone and they will understand and not just pretend not to be grossed out. I hope that as my treatment continues I will start to feel better and can start to have less pain. Reading some of the stories about the people that have gone on Humira and into remission...I don't know why I always still have hope. Every time I try something new, I think maybe this will help. I'm not even looking for a cure anymore. I just want to make it a little better. I f I can find enough small things to piece together, maybe I can live a halfway normal life.

Wonderful to meet all of you. I'm very excited to have found the site today, and plan to utilize it frequently.

Warmest regards,

Mark

I took out your last name for security purposes :)

 

Post Edited By Moderator (Red_34) : 3/9/2008 6:45:17 AM (GMT-6)

thanks Red_34, I'm not too savey on this net stuff so your posting about telling about myself is great.

I'm 52, married to a great guy and we have one boy aged 17.  Been dealing with Sigmoid Proctitus since I was 34.  I'm a stay at home mom. We just finished building our home.  We did all the work except for the sheetrock.  We love to travel, sail, ski and scuba.

My father was diagnosed at age 70, his brother at age 65 so I'm hoping I haven't pass the gene on to our son. Currently taking 150 mg Imuran and Canasa 1000mg 2x a day until this flare up is under control.  Was taking 4800mg (12) Asacol, but swapped it out for the Canasa. 

Greetings. I'm an unmarried 32 Male from Los Angeles.

I was diagnosed with Severe UC in December of 2006, unsuccessfully treated with prednisone and Asacol since then
with no improvements once i begin prednisone taper.

I started Imuran yesterday and hope my body tolerates it as this is my last hope.

I spent two hours reading many of your stories.

It really sucks being young and having something so debilitating. I've suffered consequences at work because of my illness. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise as i work in the entertainment business, but still, have some ****ing compassion. The prednisone gives me a short fuse, and working 12-16 hour days with catered meals and no breaks doesn't really help the gut.

I've decided to slowly transition out of the business end of things into the creative end and will hopefully be able to work from home one day.

Currently on

Asacol 3, 3xday
prednisone 20mg....tapering
Imuran 50mg 2 days
Massage once a week for stress

I've edited your signature in accordance with the rules of the forum (see below.) We are happy to have you here, and thank you for your understanding.

Judy

1. No discussion of any illegal activity or threats of violence. (ie. illicit drug use, including medical marijuana use, threats of suicide or self-injury, or threatened or intended physical harm).  Discussions of suicide or self-harm that are deemed negative and therefore potentially injurious to others are also not permitted.

Post Edited By Moderator (Judilyn) : 3/9/2008 11:39:54 AM (GMT-6)

Hi, I'm a 48 year old female from Massachusetts.  I was first diagnosed at the age of 22, about 6 months after I quit smoking, and 6 months before my wedding.  I had seen a general md because of my symptons and he diagnosed it correctly after doing a lower gi.  He put me on prednisone immediately and told me to make sure I don't get pregnant because the baby would be born deformedbecause of the drugs.  (just what I wanted to hear right before my wedding).  I was then referred by a family friend who was a doctor to the head of GI at Beth Israel Hosp. in Boston.  He immediately started to taper the prednisone and also put me on Azulfidine.  He then informed me that I would be able to have children without any problems, which instantly made me feel alot better.  I tapered the pred without any problems and was taking the azulfidine for probably 10 or 12 years.  I went into remission right away.  After taking the drugs for all those years and being in remission, I got cocky and thought "why put all these drugs into my system if I'm not having any problems"......So, I discontinued the Azulfidine for probably 10 years, with only occasional problems which would be just D maybe twice every six months, lasting maybe 2 days.........Then I went to a rheumatologist because of the aches in my hips.  I had been putting up with the pain for probably a year or so, and I was taking alot of ibuprofin , which I didn't realize was a no no, Tylenol wasn't touching the pain. The rheumotologist put me on Celebrix for the joint pain, another no, no.  However, she should have known better...  So, I started seeing another GI, closer to home.  This flare started 2 years ago and is pretty much in remission right now, but only for the past month or so.  My current GI put me on Asacol, which wasn't doing a thing, and wasn't dissolving.  She put me on a pred taper and I asked to be put on the Azulfidine because I had such good results.  So, I am currently on Azulfidine and Rowasa enemas...........

I own/operate a home daycare which I have been doing for the past 20 years.  I am married, 25 years last week.  (we just got back from a cruise yesterday to celebrate). We have 2 children, 22 year old boy & a 19 year old girl who is currently attending college.  We love to camp.........so relaxing.  I found this forum last year and I think it is great.

                                                                                          Donna