Community Forum

Have a question, or want to share your own tips and experiences? Join the discussion in the community forum. You must be registered to participate. Our forums are moderated by Crohn's & Colitis Foundation staff to facilitate a safe environment.

surgery or cimzia/humira?

Fri, November 07, 2008 8:16 PM

I am 17 and ive had crohns for about ten years. in the last couple years i developed a rectal stricture and it causes constant constipation. ive been getting remicade for several years now and ive had about 20 rectal dilations but neither of the treatments seem to be helping anymore. weve tried to avoid surgery at all costs, but ive missed a lot of school. im starting to wonder if surgery could be a chance for a normal healthy life. i want to go to college next year (if i can graduate this year) and i wont be able to miss this much school. would anyone honestly suggest that surgery could be the right move for a seventeen year old girl? has anyone had success reconnecting after surgery for the rectum?

daniellemarie
Joined Nov 7, 2008

Sat, November 22, 2008 1:00 AM

Reply posted for daniellemarie.

Hi Danielle,

I found myself in the same boat you are in about a year ago. I graduated high school in 07 and was due to go to college the next year. My Crohn's had other plans for me. The end of my senior year I became debilitatingly sick, and even had to prolong my graduation. Since I had already gone through one surgery a few years prior and currently was living with an ileostomy (due to be removed and my bowel reconnected that year) another surgery was the last thing I wanted.

After trying remicade and humira, both with no lasting sucess, two abscesses formed and the surgery I had tried to avoid no longer became optional. I had surgery in the end of July. They removed more bowel and revised my ostomy, which will be taken down later next year (by my choice to wait).

Let me tell you, I wish I wouldn't have waited so long! I know the thought of surgery seems so final and uncertain, and the thought of a possible ostomy is disgusting. However, after living it I can tell you that my quality of life has improved SO much that it was worth every second. I am now 19, and have had my temporary ostomy for about 2 years now (I got it at your age with my first surgery). I was able to have a fairly normal teenage experience with it, in fact, it was much more normal than it would have been had I not gotten the surgery. In fact, I have now been able to keep up regular attendance along with the more fun side of college (parties and social life) that has gone fine. It would have been interrupted had I stayed sick and not had my surgery.

As much as I resisted surgery I am now thrilled I had it. It has changed my life for the better! And most likely, it sounds like you won't even need a temporary ostomy. I have been in your exact shoes, so if you have any questions or want to talk feel free to e-mail me :)

Best of luck!

Dana

dananabanana@hotmail.com

danamb
Joined Nov 22, 2008

Related Topics

Small bowel resection

jess123
Joined Jan 9, 2022

Hi, I'm preparing to have an ileocecal resecti....

read more

Potential Surgery

cjckelso3
Joined Oct 20, 2024

My GI is recommending full colon removal. I ....

read more

Issues after complete sur...

Rolo
Joined Feb 25, 2024

Hello, I have had all 3 surgeries to complete m....

read more

Welcome to the Crohn's & Colitis Community!

This website is associated with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.

Please read our Top 12 Rules before posting messages and sharing stories. Always be courteous and sensitive to others!

Intended audience. The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Online Community is intended for patients and their caregivers, family and friends. The Community is not intended for industry representatives or advertisers and these individuals are not permitted to participate on the site.

Meet the Crohn's & Colitis Community! Browse our site to see what our community is talking about and find issues important to you.

Join in and share your stories. After you feel comfortable with our site, register to share your thoughts on a regular basis.

Stay secure. Remember that our site can be viewed by anyone on the Internet. With the exception of our registration and personal pages, search engines are available within this site. To guard your privacy, follow these simple rules: do not share your address, phone number, details about your family, or anything else you would feel uncomfortable with others reading. If you post your personal email, be aware that you may receive spam e-mail from spammers who gather addresses off of the web.

Read and react to posts with care. If you don’t agree or are offended by someone’s post, take a step back and think before you reply. Since we can’t talk in-person to each other, we must recognize that we may be misunderstanding stories or posts. Please be sensitive to others’ feelings and ask for clarification before acting out.

Search before starting new topics. To keep our message boards easy to use, please use the search bar to locate topics of interest before starting a new thread. If you start a new thread, please use obvious subject headings and words that will catch the attention of others. Topics will be archived after 21 days of inactivity. To view past topics and posts, click on archive topics within each of the forums.

Stick to our guidelines. To keep this site safe for everyone, please do not post: doctors' names, treatment facility names and treatment specifics, contact information for others without their consent, links to websites with uncertain content or advertisements, requests for fundraising, items for sale, requests for study, survey and/or questionnaire participation or provocative information.

Sharing photos. Please use good taste and appropriate images when adding photos to your profile or personal stories. Photos should be in .jpg format.

Not following the rules? Crohn's & Colitis Community moderators routinely scan the message boards and will delete tasteless posts. If you post inappropriate messages or pictures or use offensive language in a post on multiple occasions, you will be notified via email and your account will be inactivated.

Report foul play. Help the Crohn's & Colitis Community moderators by reporting anyone that posts inappropriate messages or pictures by clicking the 'Report Abuse' button under the message or emailing ccfacommunity@ccfa.org.

Questions or concerns? Please feel free to email us at ccfacommunity@ccfa.org with any questions or concerns. We want you to feel comfortable here.

Terms & Conditions. By posting your story, questions, concerns and other information on the Community, you grant the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation or its authorized agent permission to publish, reproduce, record and use your stories as Crohn's & Colitis Community or the authorized agent sees fit in any medium or forum in a manner which helps to further the Crohn's & Colitis Community mission. You agree to release and hold harmless Crohn's & Colitis Community from any and all liability by any third party that may arise from the release of information to any third party or by any third party and agree that all text and other content made by you, for you or the person for whom you are the parent/guardian, shall be the exclusive property of Crohn's & Colitis Community. The Crohn's & Colitis Community cannot verify every claim made by a third party contributor to our Community and is not responsible for the authenticity of information posted.

Thank you! The Crohn's & Colitis Community is successful because of members like you!

Thanks!
The Crohn's & Colitis Community Team

*Any postings on the Crohn's & Colitis Community site should not replace your physician's advice. Always check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health.