Help need explanation

[tmarland04]

My husband was diagnosed with Chron's in October. He is not currently on any medications for this. We are what this dx means. We don't know a lot of information on this disease and the internet just gives you facts. I am wondering what this means personally. He has flare ups with blood in his stool, weakness, nausea, abdominal pain and cramping. And he is scared and just looking for advice and wondering what this disease really is all about. Thanks!

[UncontrolledSarcasm]

  Hi.
I have had Crohn's for over 10 years. I am just recently getting a very long painful flare under control. There are lots of medicines and lots of systoms. I have truely learned that this disease effects us all very differently, with a few things here and there in common. I've also seen people rave about a medication, while that exact same medication gave someone else no relief. The physical part is just that....part. I find the emotional part a much tougher battle. I suffer from depression and mood changes now like I never did before. I have put my boyfriend through the ringer trying to keep up with my moods. I can be sick for months, with no real changes in the physical aspect.....but the mood swings between feeling hopeless and hopeful keep changing. One day I can cope with things and the next day I won't want to get out of bed and face the world. My best advise is to read up on all of the physical problems so you are as prepared as possible, find a doctor your husband feels comfortable talking to, and be as supportive as possible. Without my strong shoulder to lean on....I'd have given up a long time ago. It can be exhausting, but when under control and with support, it is livable.
Best wishes to you and your husband. Stick around this site. A lot of questions that you never even thought of will be asked and answered. It has done a great deal for me just knowing that I'm not alone.
Be well!

[Michelle19]

I have personally suffered with Crohn's for only 2 years but have just recently started a recovery from a severe flare.  The one thing I've learned lately is that everyone with Crohn's is different, and everyone gets sick from different foods!  I can't tell you how many articles I read saying eat a high-fiber diet, and then read another saying to have no fiber.  Or articles saying to limit dairy, and then others suggesting the opposite.

My PERSONAL experience is that corn always triggers a flare...my favorite food :(  It never had before, but now it always does.  Also, any kind of fiber when I'm flaring is out of the question.  Dropping to a low-to-no fiber diet was the best thing I learned from this flare, for me personally.  Read EVERY label of every food that you eat when you're flaring, and don't eat at restaurants.  You have no idea the incredible level of fat in restaurant food!  I should know, I work at one.  The earlier I get strict with my diet when I feel a flare, the better I feel faster.  The biggest mistake I ever made was to think that because my intestines were sensitive, I should have just SOFT, "healthy" foods.  WRONG.  Simple things like super soft broccoli, spinach pasta, whole-fruit popsicles, made me feel like I was dying.  I would be screaming in pain, fainting off the toilet.  I've since learned that during a flare, I can't have any alcohol, fruits, or veggies.  I would eat eggs (high protein and nutrition, but no fiber!) cream of wheat, regular vanilla boost, or the high protein version (not ANY other version or nutrition drink).  This seems to be stuff that my poor intestines doesn't have to struggle to digest, so it mostly helps with the CRAMPING and the PAIN, which for me were the worst parts.  I can deal with having diarrhea as long as its not painful!  

Make sure your husband finds a doctor that listens to every word that he says, since the disease can be so different and most doctors want to slap the same band aid on everyone.  Also, make sure that if he is prescribed medicines like Asacol when he's in remission, that he takes them even when he thinks he is perfectly healthy!  This is what always gets me...and it comes back to bite me by being worse the next time around.

Good luck!