From bad to worse

     I reconnected with my boyfriend in February 2012.  At this point in time my medicine wasn't really working, and I was having flare-up after flare-up with a small appetite.  I was worried when I was diagnosed about how to tell someone I was dating.  Crohn's isn't ever going to go away, and I will always have my moments where I feel great or I feel totally crappy.  Crohn's is a crappy disease quite literally, and those of you who have it know what I am talking about.  Although it isn't anything that is transmitted it is hereditary.  SO the conversation went a little like this... Me: "I have an auto-immune disease called Crohn's, which is a disease that attacks my intestines"  Boyfriend: "OK, that's fine."  I found out about a month later that the Boyfriend went home that night after date-night and researched what is Crohn's.  WOAH!!! Talk about sign of GREAT Boyfriend....sign #1 that he was a keeper.
     Well, as I was saying, I had started to get progressively worse.  I was already receiving Remicade every 6 weeks with a high dosage, but I was starting to flare-up after 3 weeks.  To go 3 weeks on medicine and then get severe abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, loss of appetite, more extreme weight loss, and mouth sores.  It was the absolute worse, I was missing work, canceling plans, and lying uncomfortably trying to soothe my pain.  So my gastro decided in April 2012 that we had exhausted our medicinal options, and sent me to a gastro surgeon.
     I'd like to take a moment and tell everyone of my readers how great my surgeon was.  His name is Dr. Todd Francone and he was AMAZING!  He had a very good bedside manner minus crying, but what man handles crying?  He has since left University of Rochester Medical Center and has moved to a location in Massachusetts.  For anyone who has to have Gastro surgery of any kind and you are in Mass. then go see him.
      Ok, my 1st meeting with Francone I went with my boyfriend with a list of questions in May of 2012.  I found out that the surgery would be by laser as long as everything went well so minor scars.  The doctors would be removing the part connection of my small and large intestine because that was where my infection had progressed so much that I had an obstruction (I was so swollen that food was not allowed to pass through & I ended up puking undigested food because my body was unable to pass it through my digestive tract.).  He also said he'd take my appendix so that no doctor could ever try to blame my pain on appendicitis.  Francone said that as long as everything went well my recovery would be 6-8 weeks.  I'd be on antibiotics when it was all over to keep infections away, and I'd have to be careful with movement because my abdominal muscles would be torn and I needed them to heal properly.  I'd stay in the hospital for 3 days then be released, and be on bed rest for 1 week after.  If things didn't go right there was a chance of an adhesion leak (my intestines don't connect and then a hole forms at the site of surgery and digestive fluids leak into my body).  My surgeon at the time of this conversation had NEVER had an adhesion leak, but I would become his first and that will follow in a later post.
My questions were:
"What's the likelihood of me waking with a colostomy?"
- Small as long as everything goes well, but if I have to cut out more then we'd fit you with a colostomy that would stay in for 6 months, and then we'd reconnect you intestines.
"Could it jeopardize my ability to carry a baby?"
- Most likely not because the surgery wasn't down in the rectal area.
"What will my eating habits be like after healing?  Do I still have to follow my Crohn's diet?"
- You should be able to eat whatever you'd like because the infected area will be removed, but it would probably be best to stick with your diet."
"How long until my body starts to attack my intestine again, and I show inflamed intestines"
- Without returning to your medicine it could return in 5 years, but with your medicine you should have no infection for 10 years.
"Will I have to have surgery again in 10-20 years?"
-Yes, most likely.

And that was the end of that consultation.  I went back for a pre-op 1 week before surgery in June 2012, and met with the nurse.  I brought my mom along so she could hear or ask any questions that she had.  The nurse said that because I have no other pre-existing conditions and before Crohn's have been healthy that my recovery should be quick.  She said that in 3 weeks my pain would subside, and I could start returning to my activities.  She stated that it'd take 6 weeks and I'd be good as new.  So my mother walked out of there thinking this was minimal surgery and I'd do great, which was an awesome outcome but I reminded her of what the surgeon said could happen, worse case scenario wise.  We left feeling good, and were given operation instructions.  Next time I would see my medical staff would be at the hospital the morning of my operation. (To be continued...)

On a completely unrelated note...Today it reached 52 for a high here in NY which is a big deal.  Spring may finally be here so I took the puppers for a walk.  They both enjoyed it very much, as did I.  Thank you spring for finally springing.