Valerie's Story

Shaz, I just read your story & parts of it made me cry. I hope one day I will reach to where you are now. Mine still bothers me and especially when it comes to making love to my hubby. It doesn't bother him and he's very wonderful about it all. BUT IT BOTHERS ME!!!!!

I had never even heard of Crohns Disease before. I had had trouble with my bowels for many years. Food would go right through me & I practically lived on the toilet but I was told by Doctors I had nervous bowel syndrome. Yeah right!!!

Finally in Dec 99, I got so very very sick, vomiting and no control over my bowels!!! Fever, dehydration, bad bad pain. Well, anyway, after 2 days of suffering and taking pepto bismol & over the counter medicine and nothing helping I went to the Emergency Room at a local hospital.

There, this quack doctor took my appendix out and said my bowel was obstructed. He sent me home the next day on medicines and a bland diet. Unfortunately, the same things happened all over again and now the pain was worse. I went back to this same Doctor who hospitilized me. I won't even tell you how poorly I was treated there and meanwhile was getting even worse!!!

I was so weak and hurting and dehydrated. Now this may sound crazy to you but its the truth. I fell on my face and prayed to God and He told me to get up, get dressed and he would give me the strength. But I needed to get out of there or I was going to die. Just as I was getting dressed my phone rang in my room, it was my husband. He said "I am coming to get you, you're not getting any better, just worse". I said, "Come on. I am getting dressed"! He had to help me get in the car and said he needed to take me to Mobile which was over 100 miles away. I said, "Please take me home first and bathe me". They had left me laying in my own waste in that hospital!!!!

Anyway he took me home, bathed me and called the hospital in Mobile. They said to bring me in right away. There a wonderful Doctor found me. PRAISE GOD!!!

Anyway, I vomited all the way to Mobile, only now it was blood. Ok, to make this very long story short , I ended up with not just Crohns disease but gas gangrene. I almost died and was on life support for 2 weeks. When I finally woke up in ICU. I had a bag on one side if me plus other bandages, because I had been cut wide open. I had to be put in Hyper barracks chambers. I was in hospital for 2 months and on a feeding bag. The Doctors all say its a miracle I am alive. If you were to see my body you would agree.

I live with pain everyday and I am waiting still on my disability. I don't have to tell you my medical supplies are VERY expensive. Anyway, I am 32 years old and it has taken me about a year to accept my bag. I finally can change the wafer and everything by myself but in the beginning forgot I couldn't and I tried. As you know wafers are too expensive to waste.

Your story has encouraged me and I really like the way your brothers had jumped in there and helped you cut out the wafers. You're one tough cookie!! You say you swim with it well you got more guts than me. I have had more then one accident with mine too. I don't go anywhere too much. If I do my hubby takes me. I hope one day this will change for me.

GOD BLESS YOU!

******VAL******

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