I have an appointment today with my GP where I'm going to talk to her about this... thing growing on my butt. (Moved a few months ago, no GI and no insurance.) It's on the line between my butt crack...
I just heard that Whisper Falls by Toni Blake features a heroine who has Crohn's. I haven't read it yet, it doesn't come out until December. But I thought it was cool. It'll be interesting to see how...
Wow, Ivy, you rock! Thanks!...
A year or two ago someone posted a congee recipe that really helped me out. I wanted to pass it along to another Crohnie, but I can't find that old thread. Could the original poster, or someone who...
Cymbalta is used to treat Fibromyalgia. It helped me some, but there were other drawbacks for me. Going off of it was misery . Then I started Savella, which is the newest Fibro drug, and that seems...
I had mine removed during hemmie surgery (before I knew I had Crohn's), and they were back before the end of the week. If you really want to do this, and your doctors approve, you can try it, but be...
Well, you guys were right! I had to drink about 40oz of iodine and Sprite and had an iodine IV, but no enema. Whew! That test wasn't bad at all. I'd take that over a SBFT any day of the week....
I'm scheduled for an abdominal CT scan tomorrow, and I didn't think I'd ever had one before so I looked it up. Turns out I have. The first one was during my two week hospital stay, and I refused the...
The worst part of the test was that I had to be at the hospital at 6:30am, which meant leaving the house by 5:30. Ugh. Other than that it was no big deal. I never saw the camera pass either, but I'm...
If you have a Whole Foods near you, check out their store brand gluten-free bread mix. It's excellent, and cheaper than Bob's. (I haven't tried Bob's yet, so I can't compare taste/texture.) Snack...
I cut out gluten about 5 months ago, and while I do think it has improved my guts, I don't think it's done a blessed thing for my "Swiss cheese brain". In fact, between medication changes, dietary...
I liked Florastor- my guts were better when I was on it, and it helped clear the nastiness that grows on my tongue. Unfortunately, at approximately $50 a month I just can't afford it anymore. At...
Uh, if you're "coughing/blowing green" that's not just viral. It may have started out that way, but technocolor snot means that bacteria has set in. I can understand caution with the antibiotics,...
Potassium deficiency was what finally got me admitted to the hospital during my first major flare. They had to put me on a potassium drip for a couple of days, and believe me you don't want to do...
My Crohn's has been doing very well lately. Few to no symptoms, and according to my GI the latest colonoscopy shows no active inflammation. However.... I was out shopping this weekend and getting...
Obviously, I can't give you any answers for question number one. But for the rest: 2. Starting Imuran. What to expect, plus how serious would it be if she contracted Chicken Pox? I had a little bit...
Several years back I did a round of teeth whitening strips I got from the dentist and those turned my poop green. I've noticed that red velvet cake gives me red poop, and spinach give me green poop,...
It's shocking the first time surgery is suggested, but there is a good chance that it won't come to that. Within days of my diagnosis my doctors brought up the possibility of removing my entire...
To me, a doctor who ignores your symptoms or implies that it's all in your head is a huge red flag. "It's different over here" is a ridiculous excuse to give when refusing to treat a patient. Is this...
I'm a former massage therapist, and I've found that massage helps me quite a bit. Whoever said that you need to communicate with your therapist is absolutely right. There is a certain amount they can...
It's a little strange that her doctor won't give her Humira because of her age. Lots of women on Remicade have perfectly healthy pregnancies. There are some Crohn's drugs that are bad news if you are...
I was only diagnosed with Fibro a few weeks ago, but I've been dealing with Crohn's for a couple years now, and the "I won't let it change me" attitude seems to be pretty common among those with...
For your domestic trip, the best thing to do would be talk to the airline and the airport(s) you'll be flying through. If there are special forms or whatever you'll want to get those taken care of...
The comments don't surprise me at all. There will always be those who jump from "must allow access to restrooms in public buildings" to "they're going to make me let perfect strangers take a dump in...
I have my infusion every 6 weeks. From the time I arrive to the time I walk out the door it takes about three and a half hours. The actual infusion may only take about two hours, but they don't start...
I too tend to run around 97.3-97.6. If I'm 98.6 it's unusual and into the 99s is a fever. Has anyone ever checked you for Raynauds? It's a condition where the arteries narrow, restricting blood and...
Dr. Oz is the co-author of all those You health books. You: The Owners Manual, You: On a Diet, You: Staying Young, etc. Not just emotional stress, but also the physical stress on the body of being...
Hi Amber! I was recently diagnosed with Fibro, so I don't have a great deal of experience with this lovely disease. But I was diagnosed with Crohn's almost two years ago now, and I too lost a lot of...
Wow, I've never heard that, and I've been seeing a Rheumatologist for a year and a half now. Maybe no one mentioned it because I never wear make up. But I've seen two different Rheumatologists, and...
Do you craft? I find pill bottles to be a good way to keep track of small things that are easily lost, like needles or stitch markers....
We are born to have periods, but we're also born to be pregnant. Our modern lifestyle, where we delay child bearing and have far fewer children, means that we have many more periods than our...
I had a few problems along these lines when I first started having sex, lo those many years ago. When I talked to my nurse practitioner about it, she said that pain during sex can be a psychological...
I had some problems with neck pain after the reformer classes, too. I finally figured out that I was pushing my head back into the pad (when laying on my back on the carriage) to stabilize my body,...
It wasn't caused by fibro, but my Crohn's meds made a lot of my hair to fall out in late 2007. Most of it grew back in 2008, but my formerly straight hair grew back curly! And gray. Highlights hide...
Last year I took reformer classes, and they were a huge help. (Reformers are the torture-device looking equipment.) I found the classes very relaxing, and I think they did a lot to keep me limber. As...
If traditional couseling is something you just won't consider, do you have a spiritual advisor you could talk to? A priest/rabbi/whoever will have experience in helping people through difficult...
From your signature it looks like your daughter was diagnosed almost two years ago. One flare, although this sounds like it was a doozy, in two years with excellent health in between sounds pretty...
I haven't tried Bob's Red Mill, but Whole Foods has a store brand gf sandwich bread mix that is excellent. Much better than the first bread mix I tried. (Pamela's, I think.) They also have a tasty gf...
Les, Where in Texas are you? I'm in Houston. If you're in the area and looking for a Rheumatologist I'd be happy to pass her name on to you. Becky...
She started me right away on Lyrica, and it really seems to help. I took it for the first time on Thursday evening, and I slept for 10 hours that night. I actually woke up feeling rested. I haven't...
Be aware that the approval process is long and slow. Not as bad as SS disability, which can take years. But you should be prepared to support yourself for at least a couple of months while the...
I can't speak to the LDN, but I do believe that a gluten free (or more accurately, gluten-lite- I cheat sometimes) diet has helped me. According to the tests I don't have Celiac, but based on my...
I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling right now. That's pretty common when we're first diagnosed and the doctors are trying to figure out what works for us and what doesn't. It's also pretty...
I had a first appointment with a new Rheumatologist this morning, and she believes I have Fibromyalgia in addition to the Crohn's. I can't say I'm happy about it, but it's such a relief to have...
Visine in a drink was the cause of death in a CSI episode a few years ago....
Have you replaced any cleaning or personal care supplies lately? New box of the same old detergent, new bottle of shower gel? Companies change their ingredients all the time. You could be allergic to...
On the other hand, I just had a work up by a new GI- colonoscopy and pill cam. There is no active Crohn's anywhere in my system. Complete remission. And yet I feel like dog turd. She's sure that...
Gluten free hasn't been a magic cure for me, but I do feel a little better on it. Once you know what to look out for, it's not even that hard to cook for yourself. Eating out can be problematic, but...
I'm a wimp. I live on Tylenol for my joint pain- not that it does much good. I was prescribed tramadol about a year ago and all it did was make me nauseaous and dizzy. It didn't help the pain at all....
Former band member, currently overweight, whole body hurts... I think you are my secret twin! Massage helps me quite a bit. Just be sure that the therapist is well trained and knowledgeable. You...