Crohns Disease Stinks

Crohn's Disease is awful. Diagnosed 32 years ago, and I still hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT! My Crohn's impacts my small intestine (the ileum), which currently has a blockage and food cannot pass. Imagine a water hose filled with cement except for a single, miniscule pinhole. All the water backs up, causing pressure, while water slowly,  continuously flows out of the pinhole.  That's me, right now. Laying around hugging my knees from the pain, wearing a diaper for the leakage.

There is no way to predict when a Crohn's attack will occur, nor how long it will last. Causes include spicy foods, lettuce, peanuts, and strangely for me, frappicinos (I call them “crappicinios"). Surgically removing the blocked area is common, but since the blockage can impact another part of the intestine, I always refuse surgery. The small intestine is 20 feet long, so if I had the blockage removed every time I get sick, I won't have a small intestine and would need a drainage bag. You can read more information on Healthline and searching for Crohn's Disease.

For me, there is a direct correlation between stress/emotions and Crohn's. Having commitments stress me out, even commitments I want to attend.  Also, there's a few interpersonal conflicts occurring with me as I grow into my next chapter.

More soon. For now, I need a nap.

Don't forget to click on the right hand link of thewritingtherapist.blogspot.com to donate for me to get a needed puppy to train before Jireh retires. Thank you.

Crappy Thing Called Crohns

So I started the year determined to be a full-time freelance writer. I haven't even written in my planners or bullet journal the past 2 days. My Crohn's Disease has me planted on the couch. Found this great article comforting me. 

With Crohn’s Disease, the Smallest Tasks can be Huge Accomplishments.

Something so simple as intestinal spasms can, rather, DOES dictate every minute of my days. There's no forewarning, no definitive precautions, nothing. One minute, I feel fine. Five minutes later, I am either keeled over in a ball feeling like my stomach just got hit with a wrecking ball OR sitting/standing with a massive diarrhea explosion in my panties. 

Needless to say, I try not to go out in public. I have days where I have to take three showers per day because I make such a mess. My way of attempting to avoid symptoms is to lay still with no movement. When I get up, liquid diahreah leaks out. It's horrible. I take Dicyclomine, which has lessened my flare ups, but stress triggers Crohn's.

At age 16, I was diagnosed and doctors have tried putting me on predisone - I won't go for personal reasons, and cutting the part of my intestines that is impacted - which I refuse because if you keep cutting out the problem site, another flare up appears elsewhere, and soon you'll have to poop out of a bag.

Crohn's is when your intestines spasm and form blockages where food can't pass through, so you vomit and have diarrhea concurrently. 

Welcome to my life.

Christmas Alone

Seems our illnesses really show up during holidays. Isn't it amazing how our mind and body react to external events?

My Service Dog is working full-time, around the clock, watching me and trying to make me laugh (which she does endlessly). She understands my behavior better than anyone and won't let me out of her sight. She stopped eating her food yesterday and will only eat when I eat. I may have to start eating dog kibble so she will eat.

Everytime I woke up last night, she was right there.

Got up, realized I am having Crohn's issues after pooping my pants. Found something to distract Jireh, cleaned up, put on Depends diaper, and back in bed. Merry Christmas. Gonna be a fun weekend!

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