My life with Crohn's

For those of you who don't know, Crohn's disease is an auto-immune disorder, where my immune system is attacking my digestive system...

I have lived with Crohn's disease for over 6 years now. I was diagnosed in January 2003, but I had been feeling symptoms of the disease as early as September of the previous year. For the unknowing, the definitive way to diagnose Crohn's is through a small-bowel follow-through, followed by a colonoscopy.

Living with the disease has actually turned into an educational opportunity. Since I have had four colonoscopies, I can educate others on what to expect. The best advice I can give someone who is about to have one done is to wear sweatpants, stock up on good quality toilet paper, and keep a book in the bathroom while doing the prep for the procedure. The sweatpants are a necessity, as you will not have enough time to unbutton your pants while you are cleaning out your system. The procedure itself is relatively painless, as you will be given concious sedation medicine, which will either put you to sleep, or make it so you forget about the whole procedure. The other bit of advice I can give is that after the colonoscopy, stay away from heavy, greasy foods, as your body is not yet accustomed to them.

My next post will be about other things I have experienced with Crohn's...


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