Ulcerative colitis & Crohn's disease

[Issac]

So about two years ago, I got these symptoms. I won't go into detail about them, but after a while they started to worry me. They dissapeared after about a month, and I was too ashamed to tell anyone. You know, it's hard to talk about what happens "down below".
about a year went by without trouble, and then it hit me again. After two months it didn't stop, so I got in contact with the hospital, and they cancelled other people to get me, because of my symptoms. They thought it could be something dangerous. So I did some small tests, gave some blood, and had to come back for some less fun test. Also, I got a lot of stuff home with me, to take samples and stuff to turn in. After that I got sent to a bigger hospital, to do even worse tests. And before that I had to drink 2 liters of the most awful drink in the world. Some laxatives... and it was surely hell. I even threw up twice drinking it and stuff...
Anyway, I made the tests, and later got a letter saying that I had to go to the hospital on dec 23rd... Hell no, We celebrate christmas on the 24th in Sweden, and the hospital is in another town.
So because of that, I had to wait to January to get the defenitive results, Five months after the symptoms started, and they had ended just then.
So, what did I have? Ulcerative Colitis. It's a chronic disease, I will have it for the rest of my life. It's not terminal, or deadly, or however you put it. It's pretty harmless.
However, it's quite common!
Soo, I just wanted to discuss this with anyone interested, or anyone who also has this.
Males aged around 20 are the most prone to get this disease, and they have no idea what it comes from. Stress is something that can set of an attack though.

So, what is this Ulcerative Colitis? Well, You'll have to go to the bathroom between 5 and 20 times a day, and most of the time it's just blood coming out. Yeah... Nice huh? You may loose weight, become tired, angsty, and it makes you more vurnerable to get bowel cancer. But the disease in it's own isn't dangerous. So that's a relief

(But it depends on how aggressive it is of course. Some people have to amputate some bowels!)

Oh, and a note on the topic title, Crohn's is basically the same thing, but on a different part of the intestines... It's further up the system.

TL;DR: I have a chronic disease, and want to talk to others about it, AND talk with others that have it.

Soo, any questions or thoughts you want to add?

 

[Zerosuit connor]

I have Mandibular Joint Disorder, meaning that the disks in my jaw are fucked.

 

[Gahars]

Ouch, sorry to hear that. Well, look on the bright side; it can always be worse.

As for me, I don't have any diseases. Well, there's a family history of kidney stones, so... Well, I hope that doesn't pan out. Plus the fact that I was born without a sense of smell, but really, that isn't so bad. Awesome, actually, especially when everyone else in the room is gagging over a fart.

 

[Issac]

I have Mandibular Joint Disorder, meaning that the disks in my jaw are fucked.

So it's like, if you yawn really big, your jaws crack and get stuck or something?

QUOTE(Gahars @ Aug 23 2011, 06:17 AM) Ouch, sorry to hear that. Well, look on the bright side; it can always be worse.

As for me, I don't have any diseases. Well, there's a family history of kidney stones, so... Well, I hope that doesn't pan out. Plus the fact that I was born without a sense of smell, but really, that isn't so bad. Awesome, actually, especially when everyone else in the room is gagging over a fart.

Ouch, I hope you won't have to deal with kidney stones

I know a guy who doesn't have a sense of smell, and he can't taste stuff either. Can you? I guess it's probably less sensitive than the majority of the people... I mean, you taste less if you hold your nose, or have a cold... smell is a big part of taste...

 

[Slyakin]

I used to have acute asthma; it was pretty bad to the point that I could never play outside with the other kids most of the time.

Now, however, I have a really bad problem with my left foot. I can hardly walk on it, but it's not a fracture or sprain. I'm getting it checked by a doctor when my mom decides to schedule the appointment (she thinks I'm faking, which only makes it worse for me).

For all I know, I might be getting it amputated. But that's a worst case scenario.

 

[emigre]

I have eczema. Other than that I'm ok. I regularly feel my testicles to make sure I haven't got any lumps there.

 

[Gahars]

I have Mandibular Joint Disorder, meaning that the disks in my jaw are fucked.

So it's like, if you yawn really big, your jaws crack and get stuck or something?

QUOTE(Gahars @ Aug 23 2011, 06:17 AM) Ouch, sorry to hear that. Well, look on the bright side; it can always be worse.

As for me, I don't have any diseases. Well, there's a family history of kidney stones, so... Well, I hope that doesn't pan out. Plus the fact that I was born without a sense of smell, but really, that isn't so bad. Awesome, actually, especially when everyone else in the room is gagging over a fart.

Ouch, I hope you won't have to deal with kidney stones

I know a guy who doesn't have a sense of smell, and he can't taste stuff either. Can you? I guess it's probably less sensitive than the majority of the people... I mean, you taste less if you hold your nose, or have a cold... smell is a big part of taste...

Thanks for the support. From what i've seen, Kidney Stones do not look fun... at all. Brr....

As for taste, I can, actually. I wouldn't know if I taste any less, though, since I've always tasted without a sense of smell, so I can't make a comparison. Considering how tied together they are supposed to be, I would have to imagine that my taste has been impaired at least somewhat.

 

[Issac]

I used to have acute asthma; it was pretty bad to the point that I could never play outside with the other kids most of the time.

Now, however, I have a really bad problem with my left foot. I can hardly walk on it, but it's not a fracture or sprain. I'm getting it checked by a doctor when my mom decides to schedule the appointment (she thinks I'm faking, which only makes it worse for me).

For all I know, I might be getting it amputated. But that's a worst case scenario.

So the asthma faded away as you grew older? Oh, NEVER think of the worst case scenarios! It will just keep you up at night and make your health worse. Just tell your mom you're honestly not faking it and that you are worried... A doctors appointment would be the best way to "call out your fake" if it was, so I don't see her reasoning there.

I have eczema. Other than that I'm ok. I regularly feel my testicles to make sure I haven't got any lumps there.

Is it extreme eczema or just "normal" eczema caused by t-shirts and shorts or heat in the hollow of the knee and on the arms? I had the latter when I was a child, but I think it was because of irritation caused by (over sized) t-shirts and such.

I think checking the testicles might be a good thing to do! I mean, checking all the known and easily accessible places for lumps should be on everyone's calendar once a month

QUOTE(Gahars @ Aug 25 2011, 01:14 AM)

Thanks for the support. From what i've seen, Kidney Stones do not look fun... at all. Brr....

As for taste, I can, actually. I wouldn't know if I taste any less, though, since I've always tasted without a sense of smell, so I can't make a comparison. Considering how tied together they are supposed to be, I would have to imagine that my taste has been impaired at least somewhat.

I think I've heard about taking care of kidney stones with ultra sound (or if it was lazer) where you break them up into smaller pieces so they're much more easy to deal with passing them out your system.

Oh, you're right about not knowing what others can taste... And I think it's all the same for everything in life. You only know what you know, and that's normal for you. Like if you got a donated sense of smell and taste (lol) maybe you'd go "WHOA!! too intense!!!!" when tasting something... Just as someone with hearing disabilities would think everything is really loud if he heard it like the most of us do, since he's not used to it.

Going out on a side track here, I think people suffer from stuff only if it's removed from them. Like sense of smell / taste. You are used to it and don't suffer, whilst I maybe would think everything tasted bland and dull if I lost my sense. (assuming you do have different sense of taste of course). Same goes for blind people; I think someone born blind don't suffer from not seeing as much as a person who have become blind would. Since the latter person know what he's missing out on. [/random thoughts]

 

[Gahars]

I've heard of that process, too. Hopefully it gets refined, because otherwise... Ouch.

As for your other point, I have often wondered what it would be like if I recieved a sense of smell. Discovering a new sense, and the effect it would have on my taste, would be an interesting experience. At the same time, it could be too much to take, or I just might come to miss the simplicity of four senses.

I always find it kind of odd when some people are taken aback by this. For them, it's difficult to comprehend, but for me... well, like you said, you can't miss something if you never had it.

You know, this whole discussion of smell and its effect on my taste is certainly food for thought.

 

[J-Machine]

I just want to start by saying how lucky you are that you have colitis and not Chrons. I have chrohns myself and I can tell you It is no picnic. Especially my restrictive diet. One day I'll be able to eat an entire block of cheese and a large poutine and feel fine and others I'll turn into a primitive gas torture device from my breakfast cereal. The other scary part is that even though this started in my small intestine it can randomly spread to an isolated spot ANYWHERE in my digestive track.

It's stressful and frustrating at times but like whats been said here, there is always someone who has it worse so I take it with stride and enjoy the heck out of the good days.

If you got any questions for me I have 7 years worth of experience and research. I find it helps to ask someone who's been through it before to help ease anxiety.

 

[Joe88]

just saw a commercial on TV about how people who took a prescription drug called Accutane (now banned) or any of its generic forms and are now suffering with Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

 

[Nujui]

I'm partly Autistic. I'm also Bull Legged and Flat Footed. So sometimes when I run or even walk I could fall, I also can't walk in a straight line most of the time.

I guess if you wanna talk about embarrassing stuff....I had to take special classes 1-3 grade so that my feet could walk in a straight line.


Funnny thing is they still can't.

 

[retKHAAAN]

just saw a commercial on TV about how people who took a prescription drug called Accutane (now banned) or any of its generic forms and are now suffering with Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

and it's been linked to suicides...

I took Accutane my first 2 years of high school. Actually, I was digging through an old box last night and found an old prescription for it

Funny that it should be mentioned