When I had a hysterectomy in March 2009, a friend encouraged me to keep a blog about the experience. I gave that serious consideration, set up an account, even wrote a few things, but never posted them. Now I kind of regret that. I’ve mentored several other women who were facing that decision or just had a hyst, and I can’t say “Oh, go read my blog!” when directing them to information.
I enjoyed more or less four years of reasonable health and being reasonably pain-free for the first time since hitting puberty after my hyst and it was the best, although also the most-agonizing difficult decision I ever made. For that, I am eternally grateful and I made the best of it.
Alas, like many things in life, that was not to continue. In July 2013 I started having a lot of GI symptoms. Like a lot. I’ve always had a dodgy tummy. I have lots of food intolerances and a few full-on allergies and I could belch the Royal Navy under the table, but this was something different. Having moved six months previous, I was dealing with a new GP surgery who didn’t know me. In and out to the GP with it, being told it was probably just viral over and over again. Thankfully my gyane history taught me to be a bitch self-advocating patient, and after two lots of antibiotics didn’t do the job, I was referred to a GI specialist.
After lots of tests, I was diagnosed with Diffuse Small Bowel Crohn’s Disease on 6 December 2013.
This didn’t come as a total surprise. By this point, I had unintentionally lost well over 2 stone (about 30lbs to you non-Brits), and all of my own research was pointing to Crohn’s. On top of that, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) runs quite strongly in my family (thanks for those genes, Dad!).
For the most part, I can live with the diagnosis. It’s an answer. Although there is no cure, there is treatment. I’m no stranger to chronic illness. Just adds to the list of other autoimmune issues I deal with anyway. I’ll deal.
I used internet forums extensively when I had my hyst (http://forums.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/; http://www.hystersisters.com/) and sought similar when roads were leading to this, but discovered that ‘Crohnie’s’ seem to be more in the world of the blogisphere rather than closed discussion groups, so I thought I would dive in! Maybe one day my witterings may be useful to others. In the meantime, it will give me a chance to vent rant share my experience. Truthfully, I suspect this blog will end up mostly being about food.
Food. That’s what’s really been doing my head in. A foodie who loves to cook with a massive IBD flare. Good thing I like a culinary challenge!
I enjoyed more or less four years of reasonable health and being reasonably pain-free for the first time since hitting puberty after my hyst and it was the best, although also the most-agonizing difficult decision I ever made. For that, I am eternally grateful and I made the best of it.
Alas, like many things in life, that was not to continue. In July 2013 I started having a lot of GI symptoms. Like a lot. I’ve always had a dodgy tummy. I have lots of food intolerances and a few full-on allergies and I could belch the Royal Navy under the table, but this was something different. Having moved six months previous, I was dealing with a new GP surgery who didn’t know me. In and out to the GP with it, being told it was probably just viral over and over again. Thankfully my gyane history taught me to be a bitch self-advocating patient, and after two lots of antibiotics didn’t do the job, I was referred to a GI specialist.
After lots of tests, I was diagnosed with Diffuse Small Bowel Crohn’s Disease on 6 December 2013.
This didn’t come as a total surprise. By this point, I had unintentionally lost well over 2 stone (about 30lbs to you non-Brits), and all of my own research was pointing to Crohn’s. On top of that, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) runs quite strongly in my family (thanks for those genes, Dad!).
For the most part, I can live with the diagnosis. It’s an answer. Although there is no cure, there is treatment. I’m no stranger to chronic illness. Just adds to the list of other autoimmune issues I deal with anyway. I’ll deal.
I used internet forums extensively when I had my hyst (http://forums.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/; http://www.hystersisters.com/) and sought similar when roads were leading to this, but discovered that ‘Crohnie’s’ seem to be more in the world of the blogisphere rather than closed discussion groups, so I thought I would dive in! Maybe one day my witterings may be useful to others. In the meantime, it will give me a chance to vent rant share my experience. Truthfully, I suspect this blog will end up mostly being about food.
Food. That’s what’s really been doing my head in. A foodie who loves to cook with a massive IBD flare. Good thing I like a culinary challenge!
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