What tests and procedures have you had?

[Deleted]

This is a really great idea!

GI:
Endoscopy x2.
Abdominal ultrasounds focusing on:
Kidneys
Gallbladder
Appendix
Bladder
Ovaries x3
Various blood tests.
Parasite Stool Sample.
Transvaginal ultrasound - Cysts/Probable Endometriosis.

Non GI:
3rd Molars removed.
Vulva biopsy.
Bladder scope.
Thyroid ultrasound x2.
Implanon insertion & removal.
Holter Monitor - Heart palpitations.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but if I think of more I'll add to it.

[Deleted]

Months ago:
1. Urinalysis - nothing remarkable 
2. Blood test to check for celiac's - negative

More recent:
1. Abdominal ultrasound - found 1cm cyst in left ovary
2. Vaginal exam with transvag ultrasound
3. Chest xray- didn't find anything
4. Abdominal CT - found perforation, abscess. rushed to emergency surgery.
5. Open abdominal surgery for obstruction and perforation - removed 1.5 ft of jejunum
6. Colonoscopy - clear


also of note: severe anemia dx February 2012 - required iron IV infusions x2.

[racheliz]

Multiple blood and stool testing for parasites and other weird diseases
Flexible sigmoidoscopy x 2 (both non sedated) 

[anna7602]

Procedures:
4 or 5 colonoscopies (I've lost count)
Endoscopy (camera down the throat while awake- weird)
Abdominal and transvaginal ultrasounds
Barrium whatever-it's-called for a GI tract x-ray (is it really barrium swallow?)
Blood & urine tests

Treatments:
Some form of Asacol for almost EIGHTEEN years (wow)
Steroid treatment in 2007 for a bad flare-up
Accupuncture


Other stuff that may or may not be related to having ulcerative colitis:
Blood sugar on the high end of normal (my dad is diabetic, so it could just be genetic, but there's a theory I've seen out there that people with UC have a hard time digesting key vitamins & minerals that help the body process sugars correctly)
Sinus/migraine issues
Ovarian cyst

[rikki]

Hi! I'd only been on my phone the past week and just saw that the group was here. Yay!

Procedures:
Laparoscopic Ileocecal Resection- removed about 45cm of my small intestine
Removal of my appendix- nothing wrong with it, just removed it as they worked out a diagnosis
Many colonoscopies
Endoscopy (sedated)
Swallowed a teeny tiny camera and wore a monitoring machine around my waist
Ultrasounds

Treatments:
Remicade infusion every 8 weeks for the past 8 years. It's been a life changer.
Prednisone and other steroids as needed.

[Deleted]

anna7602 - How did you like accupuncture? Do you feel like it helped? Did it make your symptoms worse before they got better?
I had it done three times, and every time I went my symptoms got worse. I was so miserable after three sessions that I cancelled all of my future appointments for it, but I know a lot of people who have had great successes with it.

[anna7602]

Feb 27, 2013 10:06:35 GMT -5 @pixiechinchilla said:

anna7602 - How did you like accupuncture? Do you feel like it helped? Did it make your symptoms worse before they got better?
I had it done three times, and every time I went my symptoms got worse. I was so miserable after three sessions that I cancelled all of my future appointments for it, but I know a lot of people who have had great successes with it.

I had it done during pregnancy and right after I gave birth as a preventative measure, since my GI specialist said a lot of women experience flare-ups/issues after giving birth. I also had (TMI warning) insane hemorrhoids. I didn't feel a dramatic difference, but I also didn't have any UC-related issues (besides the hemorrhoids) throughout my pregnancy or just after, so maybe it was the accupuncture?

The accupuncture did, however, specifically help me with a nasty sinus infection I had during pregnancy. I couldn't take antibiotics for it. Not only did it clear my head almost immediately, it also, as the accupuncturist predicted, "opened the path" (her words) for me to give birth. I went into labor shortly after that treatment/the end of the sinus infection.

So, I would consider getting accupuncture treatments if I have another flare-up.

[Deleted]

Feb 27, 2013 10:04:38 GMT -5 rikki said:

Treatments:
Remicade infusion every 8 weeks for the past 8 years. It's been a life changer.
Prednisone and other steroids as needed.

yay! this is so good to hear. any bad side effects from the remicade? I read online about hair loss from prednisone-- I'm already losing some hair since surgery so I'm trying to avoid that drug. I am too vain to deal with hair issues!

[rikki]

Feb 27, 2013 17:55:00 GMT -5 tacom said:

Feb 27, 2013 10:04:38 GMT -5 rikki said:

Treatments:
Remicade infusion every 8 weeks for the past 8 years. It's been a life changer.
Prednisone and other steroids as needed.

yay! this is so good to hear. any bad side effects from the remicade? I read online about hair loss from prednisone-- I'm already losing some hair since surgery so I'm trying to avoid that drug. I am too vain to deal with hair issues!

None at all!  The Prednisone makes me blow up and look like a chipmunk, but the Remicade has been great.  Text/call me if you want to chat more! 

[bcv513]

I was only just diagnosed in December, but so far:

Colonoscopy
MRI with barium - this was 100 times worse than the colonoscopy. I honestly don't think I could do this again
Tons of blood work

Treatment:
Pentasa 500mg 8 times a day
Budesonide 3 times a day

Hoping this will put me into remission. The Pentasa alone wasn't cutting it.

[Deleted]

Feb 27, 2013 20:39:42 GMT -5 rikki said:

Feb 27, 2013 17:55:00 GMT -5 tacom said:

yay! this is so good to hear. any bad side effects from the remicade? I read online about hair loss from prednisone-- I'm already losing some hair since surgery so I'm trying to avoid that drug. I am too vain to deal with hair issues!

None at all!  The Prednisone makes me blow up and look like a chipmunk, but the Remicade has been great.  Text/call me if you want to chat more! 

awesome! my boyfriend has been researching treatments (I haven't had time - just trying to catch up at school!) and he really likes the idea of Remicade or the other biological medicine (forgot the name). we go in for my first GI appointment Tuesday. 

the increased risk of developing MS or lymphoma scares me, but these options seem to carry far fewer side effects than the traditional treatments/steroids. 

we've talked about you a few times considering how similar our stories are (age, same hospital, emergency surgery not having a clue with what's going on, etc) - he was very excited to hear that I went out to lunch with you and had no idea you had Chron's. oh - and the whole baby thing of course! 

[aimeedyan]

Gosh, I don't really remember everything... I think I've blocked some of it

Tests:
- colonoscopies (many)
- upper endoscopies (many)
- flexible sig
- CT scans (many)
- small bowel imaging with barium
- upper gi and small bowel follow through
- abdominal xray
- MRI

Surgery/Procedures:
- open double bowel resection (including appendix; it was stuck in the mass the leaky bowel created)
- stretching of esophageus during upper endoscopy to treat esophageal stricture

Treatments:
- iron infusions
- Remicade
- Humira
- Cimzia
- Steroids, 6MP, etc.
- LOTS of Vicodin

[hannamaren]

Tests/procedures
Colonsocopy
Endoscopy
Liver biopsy
Liver transplant
Partial sigmoidoscopy (short colonoscopy without drugs)
Barium swallow
Removal of gallbladder

Treatment
Imuran
Prednisone
Remicade
And now
Humira.

[OrangePixyStix]

(2) Colonoscopies
CT Scans
CT Enterography scan
(2) Stool Samples
Vaginal Ultrasound
LEEP and cervical biopsy

Initial medications: 2 rounds of antibiotics (Ciproflaxacin and Dificid), Pentasa, Prednisone, metronadazole

Current medications: Remicade IV treatment (now on every 8 weeks), mercaptopurine daily, BCP
Was told to take daily vitamins of Calcium, B12, and Folic acid for this treatment so I also take those daily.

[sno&2peas]

GI related
gallbladder removed in 2009, EF of 16% no stones
abdominal U/S just fatty liver found
coming up: colonscopy and endoscopy
Upper GI barium swallow- dx unprovoked acid reflux
, currently on Prilosec and taking some Fiber and some coffee to find a happy balance between constipation and diarrhea
Doctor thinks typical IBS due to gallbladder being removed but will do colonoscopy and endoscopy just in case. Lactose sensitivity since 21. Tested for Celiac- negative. Also will test for Hpylori and go from there...

non GI
multiple chest, neck,abdomen, and pelvic CT and Pet CTs since 2002
non-hodgkin's in 2002, dx with mediastinscopy, various bronchoscopies with dilations over the years due to radiation damage to left main bronchus closing off due to scar tissue, left lung permently collapsed now (stable they will leave it there because removing my lung will be a mess unless it's indicated by infection). Dr thinks lung is putting pressure on my diaphram and causing LUQ discomfort, I think I may have an ulcer too!

[dirtyred]

colonoscopies
endoscopy
breast biopsies
lumpectomy
radiation therapy 
CT, MRI
laparascopic hysterectomy
plantar fascia release surgery