Newbie after advice

[Traceyst]

Hello, hope you are all having a pain free day, I'm new to this network but thought I would try to seek some advice.

I have suffered with pain in my upper abdomen for a long while that would ease off within a day or two. Last year it became so bad, I had to be taken into hospital for further investigation as to what was causing this horrendous pain. I had emergency surgery and I was informed after the surgery that they had found a large mass on my bowel that they had to remove along with a quarter of my bowel. The mass was sent off for tests and when I went for my follow up appointment I was told that it was crohn's disease and diverticulitis. The confusing part is they said that they has removed the crohn's and diverticulitis?

A year on and I am still getting the pains in upper abdomen and the urgency to open my bowels which are very very loose. This is affecting my life as when I need to go to the toilet, I need to go! I can't go anywhere due to the urgency.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. The hospital discharged me after my results so I don't know where to turn and don't know much about both of the conditions so any help is very welcome xx

[patientj]

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease of the gut. It, along with ulcerative colitis, are the two major inflammatory bowel disease and one typically affects the upper gut, the other the lower.

Diverticulitis is caused by infection of diverticula. Diverticula are benign lumps and bumps in your intestines, but sometimes bacteria can get trapped in the pockets created by them. This leads to infections and inflammation, causing the pain and other symptoms.

When you had surgery, it sounds like they removed the section of the gut that appeared most inflamed at the time but that doesn't mean they didn't miss something or that the condition has returned elsewhere in the bowels.

I would go back to your doctor for some repeat tests and advice. They will have a better idea of what has been done in the past and how this could be affecting you now. I know that sometimes, following surgical treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases, they may remove sections of the bowel responsible for absorbing different parts of the bowel contents. It is possible that something similar might have happened following your surgery. I suspect you doctor or specialist might be able to provide some medication to counteract this, or recommend other changes to make life more manageable.

I hope you see some improvements soon

[Traceyst in reply to patientj]

Thank you for your reply, and thank you for the information I have an appointment with my gp on Monday so will let you know how I get on.

Again, thank you very much xxx

[Eternity78]

I strongly recommend seeing a GI consultant not just a GP as your condition needs more specific tests that only a GI is familiar with. Crohn's disease needs follow up as it can come back and flare up any time , at this point further investigation and medicine dosage adjustments are necessary to control your condition and alleviate the symptoms. liver dysfunction and/or bile acids Malabsorption (a condition that causes chronic diarrhea) can occur as a complication to Crohn's disease itself, or as a side effect of the surgery .

make sure to be tested for liver functions and (BAM) Bile Acid Malabsorption.

Crohn's patients should never be ( discharged) ..they should have a life-long relationship with a qualified GI consultant because this disease needs to be monitored by regular follow ups and meds dosages should be adjusted since the condition's severity fluctuate according to the immune system state.

it is not like having a stomach bug or parasite that can be treated with a course of antibiotics then discharged.

I truly hope that you can find a professional GI Specialist who can get to the root of your problem and provide you with a proper treatment plan and the best health care you deserve .

hope this helps and good luck 🌷

[Traceyst in reply to Eternity78]

Thank you for the advice they discharged me saying that they had removed the mass I have a go appointment on Monday as I have to stay at home due to my bowel condition. Again thank you.

[Traceyst]

Very helpful. .