Hi all. I posted last month about experiencing a major hemorrhage last month, very unexpectedly. I had no problem leading up to it - no pain, no minor bleeding, only severe fatigue the day the severe bleeding began. I ended up having to have four units of blood and a two day stay in the hospital. I had both an endoscope and a flex sig that revealed ulcerations throughout my j-pouch, and severe gastritis in my stomach. No h-pylori, though I did have a round of flagyl. I have been off all meds that could cause stomach irritation. I have done very well since this event - felt fine. I did have a Prometheus blood work up that revealed one marker for Crohns, but nothing alarming. I didn't worry much about it at that point.

I had a follow-up scope yesterday expecting good news. I was totally unprepared for a diagnosis of Crohns. The ulcerations were still there, as well as a couple of very inflamed polyps. He took more biopsies at that time. His recommendation is "aggressive" therapy - whether oral meds or infusions. He started me on 40mg. of prednisone (which brings back horrible memories)that I will taper down on 5 mg. a week.

I have scheduled an appointment for a second opinion with my j-pouch surgeon whom I trust implicitly. If he concurs with the diagnosis, then we will devise a treatment plan at that point. I'm not sure I am comfortable with an "aggressive" plan since I am not symptomatic, other than the ulcers. I feel fine - no pain, no more bleeding, however I know that complications with Crohns can get bad quickly.

I would appreciate any thoughts regarding this. Are there others who have received a Crohns diagnosis this many years out from successful J-pouch surgery?? It just seems so odd to me.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts!
Beth