Um, I'm not looking forward to this

[Warick]

I had a colonoscopy a few years back, and it wasn't really a big deal since they knock you out for it. The prep they give you tastes awful, and will give you serious colon blow, but drink it all, because if you aren't cleaned out, you will have to go through the procedure again, and you definitely don't want that.

When I went in, they gave me an IV, and some good meds, and told me to count from 1 to 100. I don't think I made it past 4, and I was out. It seemed like I blinked, and next thing I knew, I was recovery. Warning, when you wake up, you will fart.... often. They had a bunch of us in a large recovery room separated by curtain partitions, and you could hear people passing gas all over the place, and laughing.

 

[Eskimo]

They give you something during the procedure to make you very drowsy and you may not remember it at all after the fact.

The prep before the procedure can be tough because you have to starve yourself and drink about a gallon of this funny tasting liquid to clear out your bowels. You may think about not drinking it all, but just do it. If you don't get your whole colon cleared out they may need to repeat the procedure which means drinking even more of that stuff the second time around.

Crohn's is actually quite a serious disease and it can wreak havoc with most of your digestive tract and can have many extra-intestinal manifestations like rash and arthritis.

There are some meds that have been around for a long time for this condition. There is a new class of medications called anti-TNF alpha inhibitors that were a big advance in the management of this condition for those with the more severe form of the disease. The most popular one, Humira, involves giving yourself an injection every two weeks. The only thing is that you need a good drug plan because the medication is quite expensive ($2000 per month).

Anyhow, I'm sure you'll get through the procedure fine and hopefully they'll find some meds to manage your condition.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I have had it ...... no big deal ...... worse part is drinking that chalky stuff.

I've had that procedure and can agree with this 100%.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Damn dude, hope you feel better soon.

:signmast:

 

[Faerluna]

Warning, when you wake up, you will fart.... often. They had a bunch of us in a large recovery room separated by curtain partitions, and you could hear people passing gas all over the place, and laughing.

:laugh2::laugh2:

 

[Rogah]

While I've not had a colonoscopy, every time I think about them, I think about this Dave Barry column, which makes me laugh.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html

Hope all goes well for you.

A very funny take on a pretty serious issue. I wonder if there's anyway I can take that MoviPrep drug recreationally...

All kidding aside, best wishes to you CowboyMcCoy. Hopefully everything turns out well. God bless.

 

[notherbob]

I've been through a colonoscopy without anesthesia, it's not as bad as what you have already been through.

Actually, there is a very inexpensive alternative treatment that you can do that really works against the bacteria that cause Crohn's or colitis or IBS or whatever names exist for this chronic condition. PM me if you are interested in discussing it.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

They give you something during the procedure to make you very drowsy and you may not remember it at all after the fact.

The prep before the procedure can be tough because you have to starve yourself and drink about a gallon of this funny tasting liquid to clear out your bowels. You may think about not drinking it all, but just do it. If you don't get your whole colon cleared out they may need to repeat the procedure which means drinking even more of that stuff the second time around.

Crohn's is actually quite a serious disease and it can wreak havoc with most of your digestive tract and can have many extra-intestinal manifestations like rash and arthritis.

There are some meds that have been around for a long time for this condition. There is a new class of medications called anti-TNF alpha inhibitors that were a big advance in the management of this condition for those with the more severe form of the disease. The most popular one, Humira, involves giving yourself an injection every two weeks. The only thing is that you need a good drug plan because the medication is quite expensive ($2000 per month).

Anyhow, I'm sure you'll get through the procedure fine and hopefully they'll find some meds to manage your condition.

Most in conventional medicine seem to think it doesn't have anything to do with diet. I wanted to change to a liquid diet, primarily a juice diet and see if it helps.

So far, not eating food seems to help not exacerbate the symptoms. But I'm trying to throw it in remission. As you said, it can give you skin conditions. I had Hidradenitis supporativa under the axilla only, thankfully. But that was 3 years ago. And I put it in remission with diet, exercise and dial soap of all things. I have also taken accutane as well as minocycline for HS (which worked, but I'm afraid it aided in throwing my intestines out of whack).

I also had an appendectomy and I'm almost convinced that was Chron's that may have inflamed my appendix...

Also, pain is a difficult thing to deal with and I have even thought about seeing a pain management specialist just so I can function.

The GI guy I go to gets the disease, I think. He just doesn't get the pain I'm in.

Things I've began doing on my own are: drinking aloe, eating once a day and juicing 4, eating soft foods with no fiber. Juicing with ginger, carrots, cantaloupes and mangos. And some wheat grass and japanese green tea powder. Yeah, it sounds like a lot. But that's what I'm trying. Some of it seems to help.

I'm still on zofran, panthropazole, bentyl, nexium and some over-the-counter meds.

 

[StevenOtero]

I was hospitalized back in late April. I went into the ER with lower right abdominal discomfort (not any pain, just a weird feeling). I also couldn't pass any stool.

They did a CT scan and found that air was trapped in my colon and I had a bowel perforation.

Surgeon came in and said they were going to hospitalize me to monitor the progress of the hole in my colon. Fortunately it healed and never leaked into the rest of my system.

The day that I was going to get out there was bright red blood in my stool. They had me on a liquid diet, so there was really no stool, just the bright red blood.

So, I wasn't able to be released from the hospital, and they ordered a colonoscopy.

The worst part of the colonoscopy was drinking the prep they give you to clean out. You'll get through it, but you swear it takes forever to get through. The toilet will become your new best friend.

The results of the colonoscopy showed that I had infectious colitis, which was causing the bleeding, pain, and high white blood cell count.

I still have this lingering feeling in my lower right abdomen, and have been back to the ER since. CT scans, and everything else has come back fine.

My GI is one of the best in the country and he's leaving no stone un-turned.

My next follow up visit with him is in 6 months, so we'll see how it goes from there.

As of now I feel perfectly fine except for that lingering feeling in my lower right inguinal area that seems to creep up from time to time. Other than that....no problems.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

While I've not had a colonoscopy, every time I think about them, I think about this Dave Barry column, which makes me laugh.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html

Hope all goes well for you.

:laugh2: Thanks. I needed that.

 

[Hoofbite]

Why are you so opposed to surgery?

Sure it sucks but so do lifelong problems.

Chron's is pretty common in my family. My dad, aunt and cousin have all had surgery and all are way better off. My dad still takes some meds, not totally sure what but he's definitely better off.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I was hospitalized back in late April. I went into the ER with lower right abdominal discomfort (not any pain, just a weird feeling). I also couldn't pass any stool.

They did a CT scan and found that air was trapped in my colon and I had a bowel perforation.

Surgeon came in and said they were going to hospitalize me to monitor the progress of the hole in my colon. Fortunately it healed and never leaked into the rest of my system.

The day that I was going to get out there was bright red blood in my stool. They had me on a liquid diet, so there was really no stool, just the bright red blood.

So, I wasn't able to be released from the hospital, and they ordered a colonoscopy.

The worst part of the colonoscopy was drinking the prep they give you to clean out. You'll get through it, but you swear it takes forever to get through. The toilet will become your new best friend.

The results of the colonoscopy showed that I had infection colitis, which was causing the bleeding, pain, and high white blood cell count.

I still have this lingering feeling in my lower right abdomen, and have been back to the ER since. CT scans, and everything else has come back fine.

My GI is one of the best in the country and he's leaving no stone un-turned.

My next follow up visit with him is in 6 months, so we'll see how it goes from there.

As of now I feel perfectly fine except for that lingering feeling in my lower right inguinal area that seems to creep up from time to time. Other than that....no problems.

It often masquerades itself as pancreatitis. They sent me home with that diagnosis, but my enzymes were just barely spiked--not really enough to be pancreatitis. I'm not sure if they actually take a biopsy and somehow test for crohn's or if they determine that visually.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Why are you so opposed to surgery?

Sure it sucks but so do lifelong problems.

Chron's is pretty common in my family. My dad, aunt and cousin have all had surgery and all are way better off. My dad still takes some meds, not totally sure what but he's definitely better off.

It all just depends on what kind of surgery. I'm honestly not that educated about the disease. I've read varying reports on causation, etc. I guess it's the uncertainty and, yeah, i guess it's not the most glamorous of things to have a bag, but it's often temporary.

Really, my goal is to put it in remission for a long, long time.

 

[kristie]

Shango's revenge.

oooooooooooooooo:laugh2:

 

[Eskimo]

Why are you so opposed to surgery?

Sure it sucks but so do lifelong problems.

Chron's is pretty common in my family. My dad, aunt and cousin have all had surgery and all are way better off. My dad still takes some meds, not totally sure what but he's definitely better off.

The surgeries are usually mostly meant for the complications of Crohn's and they certainly will not cure anyone of Crohn's.

The other problems with surgeries of the abdomen is you set yourself up for having complications later on like adhesions and bowel obstructions.

The best bet is usually to aggressively manage the condition with the immunomodulators, biologics and antibiotics. There are other medications to use for the symptoms (nausea, diarrhea and pain).

 

[casmith07]

all of this is still with a gluten free diet? The girl that I know with Chrohns gets shots that really help it subside, and she just doesn't eat any gluten and she's generally fine.

But I suppose all cases are not the same.

 

[SC Cowboyfan]

Hope all goes well and you feel better soon.....

 

[Eskimo]

all of this is still with a gluten free diet? The girl that I know with Chrohns gets shots that really help it subside, and she just doesn't eat any gluten and she's generally fine.

But I suppose all cases are not the same.

Some people can have celiac disease (intolerance to gluten) and have symptoms similar to Crohns and I suppose it is possible to have Crohns and celiac.

AFAIK, Crohns will not routinely respond to a gluten-free diet. The big issues with diet and Crohns is that patients often become malnourished because of lack of appetite, nausea and possible issues with malabsorption of nutrients (especially in those who have had resections of small bowel).

Those with small bowel enlargement can often be lactose intolerant.

Those with more large bowel involvement often benefit from extra dietary fiber.

Those who are prone to obstructions of the bowel often need to avoid fiber.

Those with severe involvement of the terminal part of small bowel often need to eat a low-fat diet and have supplementation with medium chain triglycerides.

The disease is so different from individual to individual so a one-size fits all approach to dietary management is not possible.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Some people can have celiac disease (intolerance to gluten) and have symptoms similar to Crohns and I suppose it is possible to have Crohns and celiac.

AFAIK, Crohns will not routinely respond to a gluten-free diet. The big issues with diet and Crohns is that patients often become malnourished because of lack of appetite, nausea and possible issues with malabsorption of nutrients (especially in those who have had resections of small bowel).

Those with small bowel enlargement can often be lactose intolerant.

Those with more large bowel involvement often benefit from extra dietary fiber.

Those who are prone to obstructions of the bowel often need to avoid fiber.

Those with severe involvement of the terminal part of small bowel often need to eat a low-fat diet and have supplementation with medium chain triglycerides.

The disease is so different from individual to individual so a one-size fits all approach to dietary management is not possible.

Other diseases haven't been ruled out, but I'm feeling outstanding today compared to other days and I've been only eating once and juicing the rest of the time I "eat". This may sound gross. But I had a solid bowel movement two days in a row. That's really rare for me.

Changing my diet has made me feel better. My theory is drinking all sorts of vegetable juice is actually a good way to absorb nutrients. I haven't cut out wheat yet, but I assume there is a test for celiac disease?

I had an older friend with GI issues...the dr. said he was in terrible health. He went and got an allergy test and doesn't eat certain things. Now he's doing better.

Ah, I guess I'll just wait to see what they say.

 

[StevenOtero]

all of this is still with a gluten free diet? The girl that I know with Chrohns gets shots that really help it subside, and she just doesn't eat any gluten and she's generally fine.

But I suppose all cases are not the same.

She may have Chron's also, but being intolerant to gluten is called Celiac Disease.