When first diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, my primary complaints were:
I did not have constant pain. Pain came and went through the day. I didn't realize it at the time but my more recent experience is that the pain was related to eating.
As my disease progressed, so did my drug treatments, especially the prednisone. Prednisone at first worked very well, but as time passed, its effectiveness declined and the side-effects increased. Before my surgery in 1998, I was in pain almost constantly and I attributed much of this to the prednisone.
Since my surgery, I've essentially been in remission. I've still had plenty of Crohn's related issues to deal with (3 fistulas, 2 kidney stones, constant diarrhea, partial small bowel obstructions, cramping, abdominal pain, etc.) but those have been the exceptions. In general, I've felt pretty good.
In fact, my normal has been feeling good. When I feel bad I turn to my various coping mechanisms to get me through the bad part until I feel well again.
Since the beginning of this latest bout (last Wednesday), the only times I've been pain free where after I got the dilaudid injection in the hospital and for a short time this morning before I consumed anything for breakfast.
The unwelcome thought creeping into my mind lately has been "is this my new normal?"
I have reveled in my ability to run and do other things despite my Crohn's Disease but this constant pain is something new to my life with Crohn's. It provides me with a very strong desire to begin the biological drugs.
I did have a couple of hours pain free this morning and in general I seem to be improving but it seems like it's a 2 steps forward and then 1 back type of situation.
Oh yeah, I started my prednisone taper last night.
- Anemia
- Diarrhea
- Cramping
I did not have constant pain. Pain came and went through the day. I didn't realize it at the time but my more recent experience is that the pain was related to eating.
As my disease progressed, so did my drug treatments, especially the prednisone. Prednisone at first worked very well, but as time passed, its effectiveness declined and the side-effects increased. Before my surgery in 1998, I was in pain almost constantly and I attributed much of this to the prednisone.
Since my surgery, I've essentially been in remission. I've still had plenty of Crohn's related issues to deal with (3 fistulas, 2 kidney stones, constant diarrhea, partial small bowel obstructions, cramping, abdominal pain, etc.) but those have been the exceptions. In general, I've felt pretty good.
In fact, my normal has been feeling good. When I feel bad I turn to my various coping mechanisms to get me through the bad part until I feel well again.
Since the beginning of this latest bout (last Wednesday), the only times I've been pain free where after I got the dilaudid injection in the hospital and for a short time this morning before I consumed anything for breakfast.
The unwelcome thought creeping into my mind lately has been "is this my new normal?"
I have reveled in my ability to run and do other things despite my Crohn's Disease but this constant pain is something new to my life with Crohn's. It provides me with a very strong desire to begin the biological drugs.
I did have a couple of hours pain free this morning and in general I seem to be improving but it seems like it's a 2 steps forward and then 1 back type of situation.
Oh yeah, I started my prednisone taper last night.
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