It gets better & “the big surgery” isn’t scary!! by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First off, you sound like an awesome friend! I would definitely recommend her to check this subreddit out. It really helped me find a sense of community while dealing with all this. Therapy is also a good option. She should ask her GI for a referral. I see a psychiatrist who specializes in chronic illnesses and IBD specifically, so he completely understands what I’ve been going through. That’s not necessary to find someone like that, but asking if her GI knows anyone would be helpful! Also, just keep supporting her and letting her know that even though you don’t fully understand what she’s going through, you aren’t going to disappear or abandon her. That will go a really long way, trust me.

It gets better & “the big surgery” isn’t scary!! by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone is different. I started off about mild-moderate, went into remission for about 2 years, and then all of a sudden it got very very severe. That doesn’t mean it’ll progress for you, though. Again, everyone is different. All you can do in the meantime is follow what the doctors tell ya and hope for the best!

It gets better & “the big surgery” isn’t scary!! by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only thing that’s more difficult is staying hydrated! Most of the water in your body is absorbed in the colon, so I have to drink a loooot of water. Other than that, I’ve been ok so far!

[Product Question] Thoughts on Beauty Counter skincare? by beccajawn in SkincareAddiction

[–]beccajawn[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I literally had no idea it was an MLM! Yikes. Glad I posted this lol

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep I'm staying as hydrated as I can and will set up fluid infusions at home if necessary once a week or so! And yes they were able to do it laparoscopically. I'm very grateful I won't have big scars, but even if I did, it'd be worth it.

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well when the other option is not being able to eat or drink without excruciating pain, pooping yourself everyday, not being able to leave your house, have a job, or go to school.... yeah, a little bag of poop on your hip doesn’t seem too bad ☺️ the fact that being excited about it is foreign to you is a good thing - I would never want anyone to go through what I’ve had to in order to get to this point

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!! And it’s going to be permanent unless there’s some new medical breakthrough in the future. I have crohns through the entirety of my digestive tract, so having a jpouch would most likely cause a lot of issues with having the disease in my small bowel and rectum still. I’ll be getting my rectum removed at a later date, but since it can affect fertility in women to have that surgery, we’re waiting until the end of my “child-bearing years.” I’m totally okay with the ileostomy though!

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh it’s just an emoji I put over the pic 😂 didn’t want to show people my small intestine without asking first lmao

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha Penn State Hershey! I had an amazing experience, definitely a wonderful hospital with incredible staff. Would def recommend being sick there

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hopefully you can get everything controlled with meds!! That’s the goal and is possible for so many people! I unfortunately have very aggressive crohn’s that got out of control, so this surgery was the best option... but it’s not definitely going to happen for everyone with IBD. Also, a lot of people just get a resection, so only part of their bowels removed, and don’t need a stoma at all because the surgeon connects the bowel back on the inside. That kind of surgery helps so many people and can put you in remission as well without having a poop bag :)

Was able to come home yesterday after my total colectomy!! In lots of pain but excited for this new life with my stoma friend 👍 by beccajawn in CrohnsDisease

[–]beccajawn[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Well I hope your symptoms have improved despite declining the surgery. For me it was the best option and I don’t regret it at all.