What triggered your Crohn’s or Colitis?

What is considered normal?  I suppose that is to be flushed out – but from those I have discussed the question of “What triggered triggered your Crohn’s or Colitis?”  There always seems to be some type of physical injury or stress that puts our bodies over the edge.  In my case it was a car accident that triggered my Crohn’s, nothing as serious as having to be hospitalized, but at the same time, grade 3 whiplash was nothing to shrug a shoulder about.

A History of Bowel Troubles

Looking back, I honestly can say that the accident did not cause my Crohn’s but rather, that the increased stress that the car accident put on my body limited its natural ability to keep my Crohn’s at bay.  Looking back, as early as 1998 I started to work with my family doctor to diagnose a few annoying stomach related issues, most notably sever gas, boughts of uncontrollable diaherra or evacuation.  I remember having life down to  a science, after the third trip to the toilet I was “usually” safe to wander away from home or jump on the bus to head to/from University.  Even as far back as high school, I recall questioning my doctor about the amount of “gas” that seeped out of my body.    The diagnosis at that time, “I probably swallow air while sleeping, try to sleep with my head elevated”.    Similarly, following a “Barium Enema” and a heap of blood work during my University days – I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

For those that are curious, Wkipedia defines IBS as:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause. In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements. Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.

It is interesting that many of the symptoms of IBS are identical to Crohn’s and Colitis.  Was this a miss diagnosis or simply, my body was generally capable of keeping my Crohn’s in check – however, many of the “typical” symptoms persisted.  That was until the car accident.

Diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease

Within two months of the car accident, blood became a normal occurrence with each visit to to the bathroom; within six months my – my episodes of diaherra progressed from an episode or two a day to an ongoing basis.  What was even more concerning was the variety of other symptoms that progressed:

• mouth ulcers, at times up to a dozen at a time – try kissing someone in that state
• persistent low grade temperature
• a persistent cough (the ulcers progressed from my mouth and down my throat)
• skin rash and mucous lesions
• weight loss
• blurred vision (almost like a was looking through a milky film)
• instant intestinal gas that could be triggered with pressure / compression of the abdomen, and
• stiff joints – to the point where the “arthritis” was so sever that I could not bend my legs

When these symptoms hit, I was still seeming my physiotherapist 3 times a week. The sudden onset of sever arthritis without any new injury that I could recall sustaining had her baffled.  My family doctor prescribed antibiotics to try to keep the cough and diaherra under control however within a few days his professional recommendation was to visit the emergency department.  The truth of the matter was that even the emergency department was at a loss.  I wish I had the inclination to write down each possible diagnosis they threw at me – the truth is that most of they I could hardly pronounce, not to mention write down.  Although my Rheumatologist did have a frank conversation with me asking what was the chance I could have an STD, as the symptoms matched identical to Syphilis.  Approaching my the end of my first week in the hospital, my health was worse – not better – and my bleeding had progressed to a point that my doctors were considering transfusions.

About the same time, I was scheduled for a gastroscopy which probably saved me from some more serious complications.  The scope revealed severe ulceration and inflammation of the large intestine with signs of progression to the small intestine.  Many of the ulcers were nearing the stage of perforation of the intestines – I had Crohn’s Disease.

I always joke – the proper medication does wonders – and within a week of being on intervnious prednisone I was on my way home.  All in all, it took a week to figure out what was wrong, and a week to get better.  In total I lost about 30 lbs – and went home barely able to walk without assistance, but I was home.  And more importantly, I was home without surgery.