Colonoscopy results :)

Yay! I hope every day you continue to do better and better!

That's great news that you're doing better!

So your inflammation is patchy? That's definitely indicative of having Crohn's, it also affects my colon (crohn's colitis is what they refer to it as) it came on and off in my rectum over the last 2 decades but stayed constant in my colon, so I was surprised my rectum had some scaring but my colon didn't once the Humira put my CD in remission...it can be tougher with CD compared to UC because CD can affect the multiple layers of the tract lining where with UC it always remain on the surface of the intestinal lining making it a little tougher to get CD under control.

My CD only affected my small intestines for a couple of years when I first got sick, it was also affecting my colon and rectum and anus (with perianal crohn's skin tags) all at the same time, it cleared up in the small intestine (there was very little inflammation in the small intestine at that time when I first got DX) but stayed constant in the colon and anus with the tags and on and off in the rectum. You don't always get polyps with your CD either, I think it depends on how severe the inflammation is but I don't know.

Are your symptoms much better too?

Thanks everyone!! :)

pb -- when I was originally diagnosed the inflammation was pretty bad and continuous from rectum through transverse. I had the 2nd scope in Oct and the rectum was clear and that's why my regular GI thought it might be Crohn's -- not considering the fact that I was on Rowasa. He also removed a couple polyps at that scope. Today's scope has a lot less inflammation and mostly normal except for a few patches. Dr today didn't seem like he was inclined to call it Crohn's based on what he saw. Will have a better answer once the path report is back. I know the treatments are pretty much the same as far as meds go so it probably doesn't matter unless I ever needed surgery. Symptom wise I am doing very good -- 1-3 bms a day, fully formed (though if I eat a lot of high fiber fruits and vegs it gets a little softer because it moves things along too fast), rarely see any blood (maybe once in the past month). The only thing I don't like is that I get a lot of gas in the evenings and fart alot. I like farting freely without worry though ;) Glad you are doing better!!

gardener -- I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me. I will do what I need to do, but really didn't want to move up the med ladder. So very grateful for this forum and that original poster who told us about nopal. Such a bummer that it doesn't work for everyone (but what's new about that?!). Fiber has the opposite effect on me -- if I eat a lot it speeds things along too fast. I gave up eating whole wheat because of that. I have no problems with white breads & pastas though so I know it's not gluten. It's just the high fiber. Same thing happens with some fruits & veggies -- pears (even skinless), mangoes, broccoli all can speed things along. Nopal firmed things up for me, but I never got constipated. I hope you continue to improve and one day we can all say we had totally clear scopes!!

Good to hear things have improved.

Not true that one must have inflammation in the TI to determine if one has CD....Crohn's happens anywhere from mouth to anus, so that statement is false.
Your pattern of inflammation seems indicative of CD, because UC doesn't heal the way yours is.

Biopsies, pattern of inflammation, exclusion of other stuff helps determine a diagnosis.

Keep us posted of the results.
q

Yes but it's not all black and white with CD, as Quincy mentioned it is very possible to have CD without it affecting your small intestines...there are also 5 sub-types of Crohn's disease that explain varying symptoms depending on what common 5 areas CD affects, but some areas of the GI tract aren't even mentioned (which is wrong IMO)....UC also almost always starts in the rectum and moves up into the colon, but there are patients that didn't necessarily start out that way with their UC.

My CD actually started on the outside of my anus with perianal crohn's skin tags as a teen (with absolutely no other symptoms and every general practitioner said they were just hemorroides) and then moved internally in my early 20's.