It so totally is. My mom was diagnosed with it when I was about 12. She had a large part of her bowls cut out and was then on heavy duty steroids for several years, which she didn't handle very well at all, but she really didn't have many options back then. It kind of sucked for us kids too, as she got somewhat unhinged on steroids. Now, having dealt with a chronic illness myself, I have far more sympathy, but at the time things were pretty dire. She's doing way better on that Azocol or whatever asprin-y stuff they use that releases in the bowls nowadays, that and codeine which I'm convinced she's a bit too fond of, but it's better than steroids....
I had some sx of it in my 20s, got to enjoy a colonoscopy, and they said I had "the start" of what "looked like" it, and loaded me up with medications to enjoy but halfway through the drive home I decided I was *not* going to get that, and decided to just do the Crohns diet for awhile, and ever since then I've been fine. I wasn't totally convinced that the doctors were right, but that self-imposed treatment plan seemed to work for me...
I'm glad you have it under good control now, Two Bears, that's a miserable disease. My husband's biodad died from it, but he was anti-medical care, and wouldn't do anything until it was way too late.... I probably Would've done something if my sx had not been so mild, but I'm glad whatever I headed off at the pass got... .headed off at the pass. It's a miserable, annoying illness, and probably the start of my parent's divorce, as I don't think my dad enjoyed my mom on steroids any more than anyone else in the household did.
Anna
YEP ! ! !
