Personal Stories from people with Crohn's Disease

I am a 39 year old woman who probably had Crohn's disease most of my life. I've been in and out of hospitals all my life. Finally I was diagnosed 7 years ago when I became deathly ill. Since I've been on all the drugs they could put me on, none of which worked. In November I started Remicade therapy this IV drug, well its helped, but not as much as I hoped. I'm just getting off the Prednisone, and I'm still on 6-mp. I hoped someone else out there has had the Remicade therapy and could tell me how it went for them, what I could expect. I was hoping for miracles but it looks like I'm just going to get temporary relief.

---------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT STORY: It all started in 91 with a DX of hemorrhoids, a few months later it was IC. I thought I was cured with the Prednisone. I had always had trouble with bloating and gas. In my master's program, no insurance, I eat an apple in class on an empty stomach. I went to the school clinic. Tested for everything else. One day I read the newspaper where they are giving out experimental treatments for IC (actually my symptoms) free. I am treated and explained what I had besides too much gas, sleep problem, loose stool, etc. For the past 3 years I have been doing Hatha Yoga, Blood free for 3 years. Loose stool every once in a while and controllable gas. An understanding fiancee, dietitian and not easily embarrassed. Whenever I have symptoms I do Hatha Yoga which seems to help mostly. I don't no whether diet and Yoga will help anyone else. Trouble with sleeping has been my biggest problem, I used use antihistamines twice a night now, now I do yoga and meditate. Sometimes I can go without using Antihistamines. Good luck to everyone.

---------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT STORY: I HAVE CERTAINLY ENJOYED EVERYONE'S STORIES AND AM A FELLOW SUFFERER. AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER I HAVE HAD GASTRO PROBLEMS AND UTI'S. I CAN REMEMBER EVERYONE TELLING ME THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT I WIPE THE CORRECT WAY (YOU KNOW FRONT TO BACK NOT BACK TO FRONT) US WOMEN ARE DONE FROM THE START WITH THE WAY OUR ANATOMY IS WELL ANYWAY, AFTER GOING THROUGH CHILDHOOD OF THESE PROBLEMS, GOT MARRIED AND THREE YEARS LATER HAD MY SON WHOM IS NOW 16 AND THIS MAY WILL BE 20 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. ALMOST NINES YEARS AGO I HAD MY GALLBLADDER OUT AFTER SUFFERING FOR THREE YEARS OF PAIN, BECAUSE ALL THE TESTS CAME OUT NEGATIVE. THE DOCTORS KNEW IT WAS MY GALLBLADDER, BUT WE COULDN'T PROVE IT. FINALLY, AFTER BEING ON RICHARD SIMMON'S DIET, WE HAD BEEN TO A FAMILY GATHERING WHERE I HAD EATEN A LITTLE MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE. HAD PAINS ALL THAT NIGHT AND NEXT DAY WHEN I CALLED MY DOCTOR. HE SAID TO STAY ON THE "BRAT" DIET FOR A FEW DAYS AND WE WOULD GO FROM THERE. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE PAINS CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER WEEK. I CALLED THE DOCTOR AGAIN AND HE TOLD ME IF I WAS TO CALL HIM AGAIN HE WAS GOING TO PUT "MY BUTT" IN THE HOSPITAL. I CALLED AND HE DID! AFTER ALL THE TESTING THEY STILL COULDN'T PROVE IT WAS MY GALLBLADDER, EVEN THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST TOLD ME MY PAIN WAS IN THE WRONG SPOT. AT THAT POINT I COULD HAVE CARED LESS WHAT HE THOUGHT. AT ONE POINT THEY DECIDED TO DO A GALLBLADDER SCAN. THIS TEST WAS THE WINNER. THEY FINALLY OPERATED AND FOUND THAT MY DUCT THAT WENT FROM MY GALLBLADDER TO MY LIVER WAS IMMATURED AND MY GALLBLADDER HADN'T BEEN USED IN YEARS. IT WAS FULL OF GRAVEL NOT STONES. YEARS LATER I KEPT HAVING PAINS AND QUITE HONESTLY WENT TO A DIFFERENT GASTROENTEROLOGIST, BY THE NAME OF DR. MASSERELLI FROM VOORHES, NJ HE HAS AN OFFICE IN HAMMONTON, NJ ONCE A WEEK. HE PERFORMED A LAPAROSCOPY AND AN ENDOSCOPY AND THAT'S WHEN HE FOUND MY ILEITIS/CROHN'S. IT WAS A BIG ADJUSTMENT OVER THE YEARS GETTING USED TO THIS DISEASE BUT I AM LEARNING TO LIVE WITH IT. I FIND THAT IF I OVER EAT, I AM IN SEVERE PAIN FOR THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR DAYS. I NOW EAT UNTIL I'M JUST ABOUT FULL AND STOP AND FOUND THIS TO WORK A WHOLE LOT BETTER. I AM ALSO ON A SULFA DRUG CALLED SULFASALAZINE, I TAKE THIS BID. I ALSO TAKE AN IRON PILL EVERY NIGHT BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE UTI'S I HAD ALL THOSE YEARS WHERE BECAUSE I WAS DX AS "IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA" WHICH TOTALLY THREW ME FOR A LOOP. I HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT OF PEOPLE WITH ANEMIA TO THIN AND ALWAYS COLD AND I AM JUST THE OPPOSITE. THE BOTTOM LINE OF ALL THIS IS WE ALL HAVE CROSSES TO BEAR, SO MORE SO THAN OTHERS BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT SOMEDAY THEY WILL COME UP WITH A CURE FOR THIS DREADED DISEASE. SORRY IF MY STORY WAS SO LONG BUT IT FEELS GOOD TO LET IT OUT AT TIMES. MY HUSBAND AND SON DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE BUT HAVE STUCK BY ME ALL THESE YEARS. I AM NOW A MEDICAL ASSISTANT AND WORK FOR THREE WONDERFUL DOCTORS IN MARMORA, NJ. QUITE A CAREER CHANGE FOR ME SINCE I HAD BEEN A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER FOR THIRTEEN YEARS BEFORE GOING TO A VOCATIONAL SCHOOL FOR MEDICAL ASSISTING. I TRULY ENJOY MY JOB NOW, MOST OF ALL THE PATIENTS ARE REALLY NICE AND I ENJOY KIDDING AROUND WITH THEM.