Crohns and Colitis Exchange

Hi all. I am having horrible abdominal problems, and it is really frustrating. I have had problems with nausea and diarrhea for about 10 years. About 8 years ago a doctor decided that I was allergic to pork because she really didn't know what was wrong with me. I knew that I wasn't allergic to pork so I just learned to deal with the problems because I could not get any good answers.

In April of this year I had severe pain in my left side. I actually thought that I might have a blood clot in my lung or something because I know that most major organs like the gall bladder, etc.. are on the right side. I went to the doctor and he thought that I was probably passing a kidney stone. He prescribed pain meds and sent me for a CT Scan. The Dr called me within a few hours because he was very concerned with my CT Scan. He said that I had Acute Diverticulitis. He called me in some Flagyl, Levaquin, and Mepredine for pain. This was on Thursday. My husband took me to the hospital on Saturday because I couldn't hold anything down. I was severely dehydrated. I ended up having to stay in the hospital for 7 days because the infection was so bad.

Since then, which was a little over 4 months ago, I have had horrible problems. I am either constipated or I have diarrhea. I am nauseous every time I eat. I have lost 15lbs in the last 4 months. I have had acute diverticulitis 2 more times since the original time in April.

My doctor referred me to a surgeon. As it turns out, I have Diverticular Disease in a strange area. Most people get it in the lower left portion of the colon and mine is in the upper left portion of the colon. The surgeon wanted to do more tests before operating because he said that he would have to take out a large portion of my colon.

He scheduled a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy he found multiple ulcerations on my ileum which he said is a sign of Crohns Disease. He said that my ileum is inflamed and infected. The suggested diet for Crohns Disease and Diverticular Disease are different so I don't even know what I am supposed to eat anymore. It really doesn't matter because everything I eat makes me sick.

This is all very frustrating. I am 36 years old, and I am so tired of being sick. Does anyone else have Crohns Disease along with Diverticular Disease? My next step in seeing a Gastrointestinal Doctor which my family doctor is going to schedule when I see him on Monday.

My husband left his job on April 15th, and I ended up in the hospital on April 16th. We are now having to carry Cobra insurance because new insurance companies consider my condition as a pre-existing condition and it is not covered under the policy. We are currently paying almost $1400 every month for insurance, but compared to the cost of the multiple tests and hospital stays it is still cheaper to continue paying this excessive price for insurance.

Any help or feedback will be much appreciated. I actually feel a little better just typing all this stuff because I know that people on here will actually understand how I feel. My husband and family are very supportive, but unless you have been through this you can not possibly relate. I feel guilty a lot of times because I am sick so much. I know that my kids are tired of hearing me say "I'm sorry we can't do that today. I just don't feel like it." I think the mental strain is almost as bad as the physical strain. It feels like being sick defines my entire life. I have to plan everything around being sick. Having diarrhea in a public restroom is super embarrassing.