It was an experience I wish nobody would have to go through. 

I do hope that you're able to find answers (and solutions) to what you're going through.

But after reading this article you wrote, I can see there were warning signs. 12 years ago, I had a huge abscess, which was the most painful thing ever. My dr at the time had me schedule with a surgeon to drain it. In the time waiting for my appt, it burst. My right butt cheek is where it came through but it was way up in me. The surgeon said it was the size of a small football. I had two different surgeries that year to have drain tubes put in. And my husband and I joked that we should buy stock in the butt pad company. I've never heard of anyone else who used butt pads before (what we called putting the gauze between my butt cheeks). Of course back then we didn't know you could buy gauze by the brick and we were buying boxes of 25 individually wrapped gauze squares. Super spendy buying it that way. 

So, now in hindsight, I see that was probably an early sign of the Crohn's. But no one figured it out. Over the 12 years since the abscess, there were other things, mostly blood from my bum, and that is on me for not saying anything. But there was nothing else that alarmed me, so I attributed it to the after effects of the mystery abscess. It has drained off and on and bled off and on over the years. I would just buy a couple boxes of butt pads and deal with it. Now I know there is a fistula there that the dr says will never go away, and they put a seton(?) ring in to allow it to properly drain. 

I wish I would have read this years ago. I might have been diagnosed with Crohn's before I lost my colon, rather than after. But at least I have this website now and all of the people here to make me realize I am not the only one going through this. 

Thanks Eric!!

Crazy to think I had a doctor who kept telling me my weight loss and pains where all in my head. His advice was not to get stressed 😩 

Too many people are told that their illness is "in their head" - and many suffer for years because of it. 

For many of us, the diagnosis/treatment phase goes on way too long. By the time we get this life saving surgery, we are very ill indeed.