This afternoon I did what everyone who cares about me has told me not to - I did some of my own Crohn's investigation on the internet.
Might be a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted but I feel I should prepare myself for what's to come in dealing with this disease tagging along for the rest of my life.
So i've spent the past few hours reading a LOT of information. Most of which I thankfully already knew and some accounts of Crohn's from 'inspirational' (and some not so inspirational..) people.
It seems the arthritis I was diagnosed with a couple of years ago was my body's way of yelling "Hey! this is just a taster, you have NO IDEA what's to come!" (in my head thats followed by an evil laugh).
Apparently individuals with Crohn's disease involving the small bowel (thats moi) are at a higher risk of developing intestinal cancer. We are also at risk of malnutrition, for many reasons, including decreased food intake and 'malabsorption'. These risks are apparently increased following resection of the small bowel (what moi has just had).
The 'C' word and 'malnutrition' are generally two of the scarier terms in the NHS Dictionary but for some reason I feel OK with it. The chances of malnutrition are fairly slim living with a former chef with a passion for cheese and cream, and as for the other one,well if that happens I will cope with it. I have an amazing network of uber-supportive family and friends and I know they are always there if I happen to have a 'down-day', and after being called 'strong' for over a year and shrugging it off, I am finally starting to feel it.
I've decided I'm not 'living with Crohn's', it just happens to be living with me.
Remember to wipe your feet on the way out please :)
The highlight of my day (so far) has been watching the episode of Coronation Street I recorded last night. This hopefully goes some way to expressing the level of mind-numbing boredom I feel at the moment.
When my beloved comes home from work and when friends and family drop by to visit, I will say, "Oh i'm fine! Enjoying the rest!" - these are major porkies.
I am NOT fine. I am bored out of my tiny mind.
I am NOT enjoying the rest. I hate rest. I want to clean, cook, decorate the house, dance around the living-room with the cat to Hammer-time; all of which are apparently out of the question.
My directions to "lift nothing heavier than a kettle" limit me to using aforementioned kettle to make multiple cups of tea, with which I simply MUST have biscuits or leftover Christmas chocolates. Which then sends my mind into overdrive with images of myself being airlifted out of the house due to the excessive intimacy i've been sharing with McVities..
Of course I am sounding entirely ungrateful. I am not, I am over the moon my op was a success and believe me the after effects could have been a LOT worse. It's amazing to eat and feel no pain after it, something i've waited a long time for.
So i'll cope with the boredom for now and enjoy being healthy. I'll try to think of more creative ways to fill my days. Ooh.. poetry?
With Valentines Day rapidly approaching and Cupid furiously polishing his arrows in preparation, what better time to start a blog about that most romantic of subjects; inflammatory disease of the bowel and intestines?
Never really a good time to discuss having Crohn's Disease, as I have unfortunately experienced not many people are partial to discussing bowel issues over a cup of Tetley. I would have to admit to feeling exactly the same until I was diagnosed and forced to take a long hard look at what was going in (and coming out of) my own body.
I was finally diagnosed with having Crohn's in August of last year following a year of incredible pain, sickness, and sheer frustration at never getting to the bottom (or lets go for root..) of the problem.
Not much is known about Crohn's. I too was entirely ignorant about it until I was told I had it. No one knows how it starts or why and as yet there is no cure or guaranteed treatment.
I have been lucky enough to get an operation just over 2 weeks ago as, after months of experimental drugs, steroids, liquid diets and painkillers there was no other alternative.
My op was a success and I am now resting at home, healing well. Hence the blog.
Getting morbidly curious as to what quality of scar I will have in a few weeks time. Got to have some benefits to this disease and something to tell future generations...
"The shark was THIS big"
