A Personal Problem

I received a specific request for a blog containing information about my personal life, so here goes. I don’t think it gets more personal than this.

As many of you are aware, a few weeks after I returned from a Christmas vacation I came down with a severe intestinal problem… much worse than my normal digestive issues. I’m talking more than two weeks of my body almost immediately rejecting EVERYTHING that I put into it. It was like my own personal eating disorder; I dropped down to 113 pounds! When the problem didn’t stop, I started to become concerned that I may have picked up an intestinal parasite in Mexico, super disgusting.

A preliminary appointment and an overview of my medical history allowed the doctor to come to several conclusions:

• I was suffering from severe dehydration
• I most likely do not have Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• It’s possible, but not likely, that I have an intestinal parasite
• I could quite possibly have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
• Blood work had to be done right away
• I needed to be referred to a specialist immediately

Freaking great. I was really hoping to be diagnosed with IBS, which would explain the increasing problems I have had for the past few years, and is easily treatable. No such luck. Also, my test results have come back and I do not have an intestinal parasite and my blood work is fine. So tomorrow, on to the Gastroenterologist for more testing, which I can pretty much guarantee is going to involve very invasive procedures. Here are the details of what I will be tested for:

Crohn’s Disease
An ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Swelling of the gastrointestinal tract causes pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea. Symptoms also include abdominal pain and bleeding. It is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. Treatment may include drugs, nutrition supplements or surgery. There is no known cure for Crohn’s Disease.

Ulcerative Colitis
A disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the colon, which causes it to empty frequently. Symptoms include anemia, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, bleeding, diarrhea and joint pain. It usually starts between ages of 15 and 30. Treatment may include drug therapy, hospitalization and surgery. There is no known cure for Ulcerative Colitis.

As you can see, I have a major problem here. I keep seeing words like “surgery” and “no cure” and it’s really starting to freak me out. I can’t wait to go to the specialist tomorrow and get some answers. I guess on a brighter note I’ll get to finally find out what’s been wrong with me for all these years. I’m just crossing my fingers that the initial doctor at Group Health was incompetent and I actually do just have IBS (which isn’t that big of a deal).

In any event, the problem seems to have cleared up on its own for now, and I’m back up to my normal weight. Darn. I kind of liked being so skinny.

I’ll keep all you healthy people posted. Wish me luck…