The ER Trips

7 years ago (June - July of 2004) I had the most painful time of my life. I had a series of Crohn's attacks. This resulted to 6 trips to the emergency room in a 2 month period of time. When these attacks came I thought I was going to die. In fact, my wife tells me that I said to her that I would rather die than go through it again. I don't remember saying that, but I don't doubt I said it either.

Before my first ER trip I had gone to a clinic and was referred to a G.I. Doctor at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, UT. Before I could get in to see him I had 3 trips to the ER at Davis Hospital in Layton, UT. I did my ER trips at Davis because that hospital is closest to our home. They gave referrals to a G.I. Doc at Davis Hospital and I really wish I had followed up with that referral. The G.I. doctor at McKay Dee was a joke.

My G.I. doc performed a colonoscopy, but did not get the scope into the terminal illeum, which is the end of the small bowel, where the small bowel and the colon meet.  This is the most common site in the entire digestive tract for Crohn's to show up, and he did NOT scope it. I was not aware of that until recently.

He diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and sent me back to my regular doctor for treatment. I went from 2004 until 2010 thinking I had IBS and being treated for it. By the way, the diet for IBS - more bulky fiber - is the exact opposite of the suggested diets for Crohn's disease.

In June 2010, the same painful attacks of 2004 were back. I went back to the ER and, for the first time, I was told that I have Crohn's disease. The ER doctor diagnosed it! He took X-Rays, and a CT scan of the abdomen. From that, he told me I have Crohn's. He referred me to a new G.I. doc and finally I was taken seriously.