I'm so sorry to hear that things are not so good right now. I can't offer you any advice but I sure can give you all the good vibes / prayers / healing thoughts I possibly can that this resolves itself with a minimal amount of intervention.

Shell! I'm so sorry you're going through this. Just when the light at the end of the tunnel became blindingly bright! Hopefully, it will all get resolved with no further ado. (What is ado?)

I'm sending those big time vibes!

kathy

Shell, sorry about the new developments, but I have to agree that a Crohn's diagnosis may be a blessing in disguise (not that it is a good thing to have). You may now be afforded more options and a more aggressive approach to treatment. As far as having a goal of being drug free goes, I think it is time for a new, and more realistic, goal--long term functionality. If you get on the right maintenance medication, you can potentially have long term remissions.

If I had a goal of no medications for myself, I would have lost that bet years and years ago...My Humira for my enteropathic arthritis helps my cuffitis I think.

Jan

Thanks Jan,

I suppose I have been living the pipe dream for the last 30 years or more! I know that realistically it's unlikely that I will ever be completely med free, but I am still striving to at least be free of opiates and pain meds for the most part. Still, I know I will do whatever I have to and take whatever meds I have to in order to function.

I do think that a Crohns diagnosis would explain a lot of the complications I've had over the last 11 years and you are right, it would at least mean that I would get the right treatment to put me in remission, so there's always a silver lining in there somewhere!

Thanks again for everyone's continued support, it really does help to know that I'm not alone and have people out there rooting for me.

Shell

Hi everyone! I have a question regarding recovery after having a colectomy. Will my daughter have a tube in her nose or a drainage tube in her stomach post surgery? Could someone let me know.
Ty, candi

She may or may not have a NG tube. That is your doctor's decision. I did not have one. I had 2 JP drain tubes in my lower abdomen. They aren't a big deal. Hurts just a second when they are removed.

Shell,

I've said it before and I'll say it again - you are such an inspiration!

When I was faced with the prospect of a permanent ileostomy, it was Shaz' Harriet and your Wee Willie that helped me come to terms with things and appreciate that this was something I could live with.

By the way, digestive enzymes are also meant to help reduce scar tissue buildup.

Nikki

Thanks Everyone,

I'm going into town after work this morning so I'll have a look in our local health food shop to see if I can find these digestive enzmes that everyone keeps talking about. I'm open to any treatment that will help, in fact I was one of the first people here to try probiotics (acidopholis) even before we had VSL#3 for our sponsor.

Shell