No 13 year old wants to find out they have a very serious, incurable, chronic illness, but I was so relived to finally be getting some answers and that I was not crazy.
I don’t remember the exact date, but I finally got my diagnosis of Crohn’s disease 23 years ago this month. After years of childhood illness, countless pediatricians, 2 pediatric gastroenterologist, hospitalizations and even an emergency blood transfusion, we at last had an answer. My family and I were more than ready for a diagnosis, any diagnosis. Even though I knew virtually nothing about Crohn’s disease I was just happy that I wasn’t crazy, and I now had proof. I had the overwhelming urge to rub this information in the face of people, inside and outside of the medical field, who thought my condition was psychosomatic. IN YOUR FACE! BOO YA! (Too much?)
Just a month after my diagnosis in 1990 I celebrated my 13th birthday. We were happy to have answers, but this was just the beginning of my fight. I weighed 70 lbs. at the time of my diagnosis. I HATE Prednisone, but it saved my life in the the beginning. I actually doubled my weight in just a few months. I spent 6 YEARS, my ENTIRE teenage years on high dose Prednisone. Just what every teenage girl wants; a moon face, mood swings that make PMS look like a country picnic, acne, hump back, etc. I think I should have gotten an award for all of that. Seriously, where is my award? At 19, I finally successfully got myself off the Prednisone. I remember feeling so accomplished when I made my goal of being steroid free (another reason for that award). I did it so very slowly and it took me close to a year to get completely off of it. A few years ago Jerry Lewis went into drug rehab to get off of Prednisone. Some people thought that was odd, but not me; it’s hard stuff to come off. What a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship we have with steroids!
I was not planning on writing that much about Prednisone. Same thing always happens at support group. Some meetings can end up being no more that a flippin’ hate Prednisone rally. My mind went there organically today, so I guess you just have to go with it.
Blessings of health to all!
~BOTB
Belle of the Bowel 
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