I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in July 1998. Of course I was in denial...didn't take my medications...missed doctor's appointments until the pain and suffering had became so severe that I would have done anything to stop it!
On October 11, 2004, I almost lost the battle when I had a perforation of my bowel and had to have emergency bowel resectioning surgery. My surgeon had to cut off 15 inches of my intestines (small & large) because they were so ravaged from the disease. I went into remission for a couple of years (or so I thought)
The disease actually moved down to my rectum! It became so severe that I developed a rectovaginal fistula. Remicade, Flagyl, nothing worked. The disease progressed so much that I could barely sit, move or even breathe. There was NO SEX LIFE. THE THOUGHT OF IT SICKENED ME!! I was laying in bed one day sick and in pain when I attempted to pass gas (which had been passing through my vagina because of the fistula) and the air came out of the "side" of my vagina! So not only did I have the fistua on the inside, but now one had developed on the outside. That had to be one of the most excruciating painful things that I had ever experienced with this disease.
So in June, 2007, I decided to have the sigmoid ostomy procedure done. I'm still coping with it, but at least I can do more things with my kids and have a better quality of life. I hate that IT MAKES NOISE LIKE A REAL FART! SOOOOO EMBARRASSING! LOL
