bellus quies's Journal: God Damn It or My Intestines Hate ME

Yep, my Crohn's is at it again. Its been so good for the last few months ever since I was in the hospital last November. I've been lucky that I didn't have any problems during the 3 week span that I didn't have insurance between jobs.

But last night, it had to happen last night when I had purchased concert tickets. It had to happen on an otherwise good day. But we had gone to a cool new Mexican restaurant for lunch around 3PM and hadn't had any dinner. But my intestines started cramping up around 8pm when we were starting out to walk to the club. I had 2nd thoughts about walking, wanting to have the easy out of the car if intestinal things got worse. But I didn't because I defaulted into the "suck it up" mode.

So we made it to the club and I was still feeling crappy so I just had a sprite to drink and my boyfriend had a beer. Then the first act was a mix of me sitting down against the wall, trying to feel better, wishing to feel better, but I was still crampy and nauseated. So after the first act we left and started to walk home.

I don't know what it was, but the walking made things worse and the cramping increased, and the nausea too. Until we were a few blocks from the apartment across from a park when it was just too much and my lunch decided to come up. So it was 11pm and I was hunched over by the side of the road throwing up feeling like crap. So I then asked my boyfriend to go get the car and I'd just wait on the grassy knoll by the side of the road because I didn't want to move at all. When I got home I was feeling a bit better nausea wise though I was still cramping. SO I curled up in bed with my heating pad and fell asleep.

Now, the next morning I'm feeling a bit queasy and empty. And I need to figure out the whole HMO stuff, because I got a letter saying that I needed to pick a preferred provider, even though I picked one the first time. SO I have to get that in order to get my card so that I can get an appointment with a normal doc so that she can set me up with a specialist. so much red tape, it's frustrating even more compounded by me feeling ill.

Rawr. Intestines be sill.

Sorry to hear it

[Ethelred Unraed]

One thing I've tried is omega-3 fish oil capsules, which apparently help keep things in check -- of course you have to take them every day and in larger doses (2000-5000 mg), but some studies show that they do help IBD sufferers, in particular Crohn's patients.

Another drug that seems to help long-term is Entocort [entocortec.com]. I have taken it for some time and haven't had any major problems for quite a while. I do still sometimes get a bit queasy, but that's about it.

Now if only I could gain some weight. ;-P

Cheers

Re:Sorry to hear it

[Com2Kid]

• Now if only I could gain some weight. ;-P

My dad has Crohn's. I think he consumes around 3000 calories a day. Deep fried food combined with sugary everything.

Doesn't hit him in the gut at all. The doctors are amazed that he has managed to continue living though.

Not that he is doing too well with managing his Crohn's, one more flair up and he will likely die. :( (he is getting minimal nutrition from his food as it is, too many surgeries, too much removed.)

Just remember to take it seriously BQ (and you too E

Re:Sorry to hear it

[Ethelred Unraed]

I'm supposed to eat 3000 calories a day, but generally I don't make it anywhere near that much -- largely because it's precisely the high-fat foods that tend to make me a bit sick. Chicken fat, eggs and some cheeses make me rather queasy.

Sorry to hear about your dad -- best of luck to him.

As for me, yeah, it's monitored pretty closely -- I see my gastroenterologist every couple of months for blood tests, ultrasound and whatnot. Haven't had a flare for years. (Not since my wedding, ironically perhaps. :-

Re:Sorry to hear it

[bellus quies]

Just remember to take it seriously BQ (and you too Ethrel!) this is a terminal disease if not monitored very closely. (and even then...)

That's definitly something that I need to improve on, because it's too easy for me to become complacent when I'm feeling OK. Being proactive is something that I need to work on.

if it makes you feel better...

[Abm0raz]

...your intestines probably hate me, too. Everything else seems to hate me, so why not them? :)

-Ab

ps. If ethelred wants some of my weight, he's more than welcome to it.

Re:if it makes you feel better...

[Ethelred Unraed]

If ethelred wants some of my weight, he's more than welcome to it.

My wife is already first in line for the yet-to-be-discovered liposuction-to-implant process. ;-)

Not that I think she needs it, mind you. But she moans about being too fat as if she's this huge blimp. (Normal behavior in other words. ;-) )

Cheers,

Ethelred

Re:Have you tried blueberries?

[bellus quies]

Cool, thanks.