Re: Crohns and Toxoplasmosis -- Crohns/IBD Message Board and Chat

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Date Posted: 13:25:55 01/09/06 Mon
Author: Nichole Hedglin
Subject: Re: Crohns and Toxoplasmosis
In reply to: Marcia pilato 's message, "Re: Crohns and Toxoplasmosis" on 21:25:37 11/13/04 Sat

Hi, my name is Nichole. I was diagnoised with Crohn's disease in July 2003, even though I had been experiencing symptoms for about a year and a half before that. I smoke about a pack a day- sometimes more, sometimes less. I've been seen by many different doctors (I was in the Army till they medically retired me because of this diease) and I've only had one doctor that gave me a hard time about smoking (and this was about two weeks ago- I am currently in Iraq, I work on computers for the Army). He told me that with the history of colon cancer in my family and the fact that I have Crohns is a bad combination. This is what I told the doctor, I take 13 pills everyday (two of them are for my immune system)- 10 of the 13 pills are causing damage to my liver and kidney's- I'm going to die from organ failure before the smoking kills me- I watched my grandfather die taking the same medication for rheumitoid arthritis. I find that when I smoke and I am experiencing bad cramps but I'm unable to go to bathroom all the sudden I have to go to the restroom and the pain goes away. My suggestion is to let your son enjoy his life and if he wants to smoke he will do it whether everyone has reasons why he shouldn't. No one understands the pain of this disease unless you have it. It depresses you and makes you feel as though you can't do anything you want or just live a normal life because what is normal? Normal isn't planning where restrooms are just in case on your way to work you have to go so you don't have an accident. I wish your son all the best... I'm 24 years old and I found out that I had this disease 10 days after I'd turned 22. I've had two colonscopy's, two anal/rectum surgeries, malnutrion, anemia, arthritis, my appendix removed a few months ago (which they found Crohns on it), three fistula's and the list goes on. I've found that doing what I please makes me happy and I'm not too worried about what anyone else thinks (including the doctor) because there is no cure and I'm going to have to continue to live with the pain. I'm in Iraq right now- somewhere I never thought I would be- but its worth it. This disease isn't going to control everything I do or want to do!

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