WeAreCrohns.org - The Social Support Network for People Living with Crohn's Disease and Colitis

Francine

Well I might as well tell my story...

I started to get sick after my gallbladder surgery in 2002.  Doctor thought I would do much better after, but guess what, it got worse...  I started to lose weight fast, to my surprising joy at the time, I liked losing the weight I had carried on my body most of my life.

After going from 206 lbs to 140 lbs in less than 4 months without dieting or exercise, I started to worry.  I could not eat very much, I would be sick just drinking water..  So after many tests and 1 yr after 1st syrgery, got a 2nd one, I had an hernia in my stomach, I was suppose to get well after that, but kept losing weight, until I got to 90 lbs, then got another surgery to repair the damage caused by the 2nd one...  I was suppose to get better after that, well I got worse... I had met someone I thought was the love of my life in Dec 2003, lasted 6 months, but really he was in the relationship just for my car, he cheated on me while I was in the hospital 98% of the time..... when I decided to get my car from him and sell it he ended the relationship.. BIG surprise!!!! 

Anyway, now we are in May 2004, I am in Quebec, again trying to find out what was wrong with me, doctors say it's all in my head!!!  Ah well, I guess I went crazy after the bum left me!!

I spend another 3 months in pain, constantly,. can barely eat, down to 80lbs, I don't tell anyone until I meet my husband in August of 2004... We got married 3 months after, but we decided to keep the date that we met the day we celebrate every year... August 26th..  In January of 2005, my husband is getting frustrated on how the doctors treat me in NB' so he dragged me back to Quebec city to get serious and finally know what I have...

I spent our 1st Valentine's day in the hospital, but at least I had a diagnostic... I had Crohn's disease after all that time of being told it was all in my head!!!

Negative effect of the disease, I lost a part of my life I will never get back, am in debt up beyond my head... but the most positive part of it all, I got to meet the most wonderful human being.  He stuck by me through thick and thin, well it could be backwards, I was thin and now I am thick!!!  Oh well, the joy of steroids..... 

Yes I am in pain constantly, can't eat what I want, poop like crazy, body is banged up by all the surgeries...  but the BEST and POSITIVE part of having CD is my husband, my new job that I love, and most important, ALL of YOU Crohnies, and this site, all the new friends I met from around the world...   Before this site, I thought I was almost alone, and self pitied myself.

We are Crohn's helped me realize I am in better shape than most of the people here, some of you had it really rough and you are still here!!  It just proves that what does not kill you makes you stronger, amd STRONGER I am....  Thank you everyone!!!

14 months ago

emily

crohns has affected many off my relationships from friends to family my mane relationships would be with my 9 year old daughter that feels the need to look after me and to mother me this making me feel quilty as i feel like im stealing her child hood away i also feel like its affected my relationship with my husband who is my best friend i always thought he understood everything about me an till now and its making me push him away ive lost friends as all i want to do is hide away from the world and be left alone im sick of being sick and im sick off ppl keep asking how i am or exspecting me to be better over night i feel angry with everyone for not understanding what im going throw so no thinking about it crohns hasnt affected my relationships i have

14 months ago

Basmah

Well, before I was diagnosed with Crohn's, the only friends I had were outside of school. In junior high, I had acquaintances but I was also teased a lot because I was a little different ethnically and religiously. I was also very shy and therefore an easy target. I used to pray that I would get sick so that i wouldn't have to go to school. Then I went to high school and everything was great, until the middle of sophomore year when I got Crohn's. I sometimes wonder to this day if I have this disease because I used to wish for an illness

Anyways, In the beginning my relationships really suffered. i wouldn't let anyone outside of my family know how much I was truly suffering. I kept blowing off my friends whenever they invited me places because I was just "too tired". I didn't want to burden them with details, and they did stop trying after a while. It took me a couple of years trying to figure out what I want out of life, and I have gone back to my friends and made some new ones through college. In fact, I have another friend with UC thats in the same social group, so the rest of the clan are a bit more understanding. And to this day, my family has been my biggest support ever. There were times when I can be so snappy and moody, but they have stuck by me. I love them so much, and I wish  I could figure out a thousand ways to show them.

14 months ago

Jennifer

I was diagnosed my senior year of high school. As most people look back...you see that this is the time when most of your "friends" are fake. They're friends with you because you're cool...or you're friends with someone they want to be friends with...or they're friends with you because you can drive. I missed the last 6 weeks of my senior year. Prom continued without me while I was staying in the hospital. I almost missed graduation. A classmate had to help me hobble to my seat while everyone else easily walked on their own to their big day.

Crohn's Disease had an impact on more than one relationship in my life and I feel like the changes in all those relationships were for the best.

First, it changed my relationship with my parents. My father had been in and out of my life for..ever since I can remember. He didn't even know I was sick until my mom called and told him I'd been in the hospital and that she was really worried about me. Since then, he calls me every sunday and it's hard to get him to shut up. He lives about 6 hours from me...so we rarely get to see one another, but he always calls to check on me unlike before I was diagnosed when I was lucky to hear from him once a year. With my mother, my senior year I was a disrespectful little you know what. I had forever done everything that Mommy wanted me to do...been involved in school...only dated one guy...made straight A's...worked my butt off at a weekend job...all to make her happy. Like most teenagers I went through a little rebellious streak and the realtionship with my mother became strained. I was hellbent on moving out as soon as I graduated. I wanted to get as far away from her as I possibly could. Then, when I was so sick I could barely get myself out of bed to go to the bathroom and I had lost my appetite and hadn't eaten in a week....my mother was the only person I felt like was really, truly there for me. After going through all the crazy mess I endured between being sick, getting diagnosed, taking prednisone, being miserable, and losing all my self confidence...my mom quickly became my absolute best friend. Our relatioship is a lot less strained these days...and I'm actually glad that we were able to get as close as we are now.

My friend circle also changed when I was diagnosed. I had an absolute BEST friend that I never thought would abandon me. After my first hospital stay she asked me "It's not contagious is it?" When I told her no....she gave me a hug and told me she hoped I'd get better. That relationship no longer exists. She contacts me occasionally through myspace, but I've not seen her since graduation. I had another friend who I didn't really thing was such a great friend until I was diagnosed. She spent hours upon hours doing puzzles with me in the hospital. She called every evening to ask how the day had been and she was the only person who came and visited me before prom. She knows everything that I can't eat...she knows about my meds and when I have to take them. We grew so close that we had "poop parties"...she has a twin sister and we'd all go hang out in the bathroom when I was having a bad bowel day. It was weird at first, but they figured if I was gonna spend my day in the bathroom...they'd come too just to make it a little easier. That may seem strange to others...but "only the best of friends can have poop parties!"

While I was still on prednisone in September of 2006...I met the absolute love of my life. His name is Justin. We met online...strange right? So...I told him all about what was going on with me...we met...we started dating...and the rest is history. I love him..he's always there for me no matter what. He's completely understanding when it comes to my CD. He's a nurse...so when I get a belly ache...he always grabs his stethoscope and listens to be sure there's nothing "bad" that he can hear. He does his best to keep me destressed and help me chill out when I do get stressed out from school, work, and life in general. He loved me...even when I was a big fat blimp(from the prednisone)...and he loves me now that I've gotten better just as much as he did when we first fell in love.

My doctor and his nurses have also had a huge change in our relationship. When I first started to come in as a patient I was nervous and shy and wouldn't say anything unless I was asked. Now, when my doctor asks "How are you BMs?" I say "Fine. how about yours?" I have no problem picking up the phone and calling his nurses to let them know that I've got something going on...and Justin always has some sort of suggestion to solve my problems if it's something simple...haha so things are always relatively simple when I do call in. My doctor keeps asking "when are we graduating from college? I expect and invite!" I don't expect him to actually come, but I'll invite him and his nurses. I love knowing that I've got 3 people who are totally flexible with allowing me to try whatever means necessary to keep me well and are constantly encouraging me with school and everything I've got going on.

So...that was long...and some of it may not make sense, but hey...Crohn's has effected a lot of different areas of my life, but I'd never want any of it to change!

14 months ago

Dan

I hate Crohn's sometimes because I have lost a wonderful woman because of it...She had a disease as well and we didnot understand eachother's pain.  In a sense, we thought our own disease's was worse than the other one.  She thought Crohn's was something I would be fine with because it was not as bad as her disease...  We didnot make it, but I learned what Crohn's really was to me.  Something(one) that would always be there for me.  To be honest, I am happier this way knowing this.

14 months ago

janie

let's see...having crohn's has been rough to handle at times,especially when you work in the telemarketing aspect as i have in  the past...my last flare up was on my birthday(12/30/67)and since now, that i'm on medicaid,i've not had any major ones...i do have minor flares but nothing that i can't handle..it has affected me in good terms and bad terms...i have appreciated food better,i don't eat as much "junk" food as much,i eat as healthy as possible,but when i do flare even a little i lay down and relax for a while. and of course my best support has been my husband of 13 yrs.

13 months ago

Rhonda

PAULA, yes.... in the SAME BOAT... this has been the worse thing EVER aor ALL OF MY RELATIONSHIPS... I'VE EVEN BEEN TOLD "YOUR NOT SICK YOU JUST WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOU" Mind you, I was at a FAMILY function that day and was HURTING and NAUSEOUS and well you know potty..... I have NOT BEEN TO ANOTHER FAMILY FUNCTION AGAIN!

See, I think most of my Family really do not take this seriously... I have had stomach problems all my life. I was always called SARAH... like SARAH burnhart, the actress. IF THEY ONLY KNEW!   

21 hours ago