at the time though there was a bout of gastro going around my work so of course I just wrote it off as that. when everyone else started getting better and I didn’t, I had a feeling something was not quite right, next thing I knew I had lost five kilos…then another five… 12 kilos in total bringing me down to a very scary weight! I went to see my GP, she has been fantastic through all this, and she prescribed some blood tests testing for celiac and lactose intolerance and a stool sample. I was absolutely devastated at the time because I had always had such an appetite and such a passion for food, the thought of not being able to eat bread or pasta was terrifying (if only I knew what was to come!). A week or so later after a negative result on the tests, another doctor’s appointment I had lost all ability to get out of bed or stay awake for longer than a few minutes, my G P recommended I have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy so they could figure out what was wrong.

The day of my surgery I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and immediately started on prednisolone. By reading this website, I have been one of the lucky ones, the main side affects I had from this medication were a bit of hair loss and instead of depression there were a few days where I did feel abnormally elated, quite strange given the circumstances!! since then I have been taken off prednisolone and am now on salofalk and imuran (was taking iron supplements too but have since gotten my iron levels back up to a normal range). Overall I am fairly healthy, and in comparison to some of the other stories I have been reading I feel absolutely terrible for feeling sorry for myself and my state, there are others who have this disease far worse than I have at the moment even though my specialist has told me I was one of his worse cases when I first came, my heart goes out to you, it really does.

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is something which takes a bit of adjusting to, only know that I am better I am starting to realize what this means.

before this I had never taken any over-the-counter painkillers (such as pandol), antibiotics or anything, the sickest I have ever been would have lasted for less than a week before I would be back playing the sports I love. Assuming the sick role has been so difficult for me because I have always felt a sense of pride of how healthy I was, I did everything right, good diet, heaps of exercise, why should this happen to me?? Now when I think of myself I don’t see myself as I used to be, I see my disease. I hate what is happening to me and that I have no way of controlling it and I feel so guilty that only now am I starting to feel this way when everybody has praised me for the last few months on how well I am handling this, I feel like I am letting people down by feeling this way now.

The main reason I stumbled upon this site is that for the last week or so I have had quite severe joint pains, mainly in my back. Reading some other peoples posts, imuran seems to be the most likely cause for this (other than the disease itself), however I have been taking imuran for about 6 months with no previous problems. Truth is I am actually quite worried about my kidneys, as the pain seems to be in the right spot and I have also had a slight fever all week. I have had a blood test done this week, just my usual one which tests for everything under the sun. I really don’t want to go back to the doctor as after visiting him every week I was getting a little sick of him!! and he just told me that as long as my blood tests remain fine I don’t have to come back for 6 months!!

As a psychology student at university, one thing that did particularly bother me about the medical system here in Australia is that I was not referred to see a psychologist or a dietician (I know they say it’s not diet or stress related but realistically…how can it not be) or physiotherapist or any other allied health service. Managing a chronic illness, or any illness, involves a much more multi-disciplinary approach than purely the ‘fix the symptoms’ mentality of the medical profession. I was just wondering if any other countries the multi-faceted approach is utilized more than it is here?

I think that’s all for now! Feels good to finally get that off my chest.

Medications:  Salofalk (mesalazine): 4g/day, Imuran (azothiaprine): 100mg/day

Daina’s story is now entered into the 2011 Ulcerative Colitis Writing Contest!!!

You can Join too, click here for details

A disease that burns the inside of your belly before causing bodily fluids to erupt from your most embarrassing orifices doesn’t sound too funny. But for comedian Ben Morrison, who was hit with a Crohn’s disease diagnosis during his senior year of high school about a decade ago, finding humor in his situation has been the only way to stay positive and even keep the little known intestinal woe under control. He’ll be bringing his Crohn’s-related stand-up show “Pain in the Butt” to town this weekend, and he spent a few minutes chatting with the Independent last month.

It must be interesting to have gotten into comedy due to an ailment.

The funny part is that stand-up happened right before it got kind of bad, and then I wound up using the stand-up routine to help with coming out of remission and going through the next round. I got diagnosed in 1997, my senior year of high school, and I did stand-up two years later in new York City when I was in remission. when I came out of remission, I wrapped it around the stand-up as a way of dealing with it coming back.

So the humor helps?

Oh yea. oh man, we’re talking about my butt. What’s not funny about that? Not only does the humor help, but so does the fact that you can talk about this and point out things that are funny. Not everything has to be viewed through this veil of shame. This allows you to open up a dialogue of sorts about this. I don’t think that’s possible without saying it’s okay to laugh.

Crohn’s disease seems to be a relatively recent medical phenomena.

It is newer. There’s no clear answers for any part of having Crohn’s — there’s no answer to the cause, no answer to the cure, no answer for why it gets bad or goes into remission. It’s just a big question mark. I found that humor is a way to supplant those answers with tangible ways of wrapping your head around it.

Have you gotten a good response?

I’ve been doing the show for a long time now, eight years. It’s allowed me to meet incredible new people. for patients who watch it, it’s a real catharsis. Nothing I’m talking about didn’t happen for every one of them. It’s also a great introduction for what your friend who does have Chrohn’s is going through. It allows people to be open about what they have and what someone they know has. the symptoms of Crohn’s all involve poop or things coming out of your body. It’s hard for people to even talk about what’s going on with them, hard to talk about what dirtied their drawers. the answer to all that is probably pretty funny. Did you blame the fart on the guy next to you? How’d you kill the smell? We all want to know.

Do you do other comedy too?

“Pain in the Butt” is just my love theater piece. I’ve been doing stand-up for 10 years. I live in L.A. And I have a bunch of big shows coming up. My other stand-up is very removed from the Crohn’s. sometimes I pull the material into my stand-up and sometimes it goes the other way around. I’ve been able to lead a fantastic life as an actor and comedian and writer and not have Crohn’s debilitate me. I’ve been very lucky. I just believe beyond anything that not fearing it by discovering our own funny way of addressing it has allowed me to not be put in the position where Crohn’s is winning.

So you believe that the humor actually helps keep it at bay?

The show is all multimedia…and one of the slides I show is a close-up of what looks like an intestinal system. But as you pull out, you discover it’s a drawing of the human brain. they look so similar. There’s a reason you have a gut feeling. You’re talking about what’s going on in your gut. your brain, I truly believe, can do mind over matter.

I know it sounds stupid, but I don’t view myself as a victim of Crohn’s. I view myself as someone who has Crohn’s. the funniest people I’ve ever met are Crohn’s patients. It has a funny byproduct of making people talk about poop. Once you develop a dialogue, you just start cracking jokes. Once you remove the stigma of talking about it, it gets kind of fun to share stories. the amount of empathy we have for each other is just incredible. the storytelling aspect is what’s missing in the therapy for Crohn’s. I believe in the healing role of storytelling.

What can we expect from your shows?

They’re all-ages. the point of the show is anyone at any age can watch it. I’m very specific about how I handle my writing so I can maximize the humor, but there’s no need to shock. And no one has normal digestion anymore, I swear. the difference between people who have a tricky stomach and full-blown Crohn’s is getting increasingly smaller.

4•1•1

Ben Morrison’s Pain in the Butt show comes to Carpinteria’s Playhouse Theater on Friday, February 4, 8 p.m., and the Dos Pueblos High School Theater on Saturday, February 5, 2 p.m. for more on Ben Morrison, see benmorrison.org. for those seeking more information about the Santa Barbara Support Group for Crohns and Colitis, contact Karen Clark at 805-252-0491 or .

Story help (Click-ability)Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.

DECATUR — every year, more than 1 million people in the UnitedStates have heart attacks, according to information from theNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Almost half of themdie.

Getting help fast is important in improving the chances forsurvival, the institute advised. of those who die from heartattacks, about half die within an hour of the onset of theirsymptoms and before they make it to a hospital.

According to the American Heart Association, most heart attacksstart slowly with mild pain and discomfort, and it’s notimmediately evident what’s going on. Knowing all potential symptomscan be important in getting help in time.

Chest discomfort usually occurs in the center of the chest andmight feel like intense pressure, squeezing, pain or fullness. Itusually lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back,the association advised.

“A person having a heart attack will tell you it is the worstpain they have ever experienced,” Decatur cardiothoracic surgeonDr. Marvin Derrick wrote in an e-mail.

According to the association, pain also can manifest in one orboth arms, the jaw, neck, back or stomach. Shortness of breath alsocan occur independently or along with chest discomfort. Other signscan include lightheadedness, nausea or breaking out in a coldsweat.

The most common heart attack symptom among women is chest painor discomfort, the association explained, but women also are morelikely to experience some of the other symptoms such as jaw andback pain, nausea and vomiting and shortness of breath.

Don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help, theassociation advised. Call an ambulance immediately.

“Do not take them yourself to the hospital,” wrote Derrick.“Emergency medical personnel can begin instituting treatment at thescene. Remember time is heart muscle. At the hospital, doctors canoften open the occluded vessel within minutes and save a patient’slife.”

my son is almost 3 years now. he is speaking very little. just words and no sentences and i feel that he even does not understands every thing i say.
what can be the possible cause and what should be the right approach to deal with this.
Please share if you have faced similar problems. Now i am really getting more and more tensed day by day.

He might just have a speech or learning impediment that's not necessarily adhd. there are tons of books about childhood adhd! if you are getting that worried, I would take him to a doctor. But I think you could easily find answers at the library. I hope things get better.

It sounds more like a developmental disorder than ADHD.

I'd see a physician.
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Related to ADHD
Watch few minutes video with Dr. Mary Ann Block to find answers you are looking for.

cchrint.org/2009/09/15/no-mor…

Dr. Mary Ann Block
"Because of my medical training, my goal as a physician is to look for and treat the underlying conditions causing the patient’s problem, rather than just covering up those symptoms with drugs. I have seen and treated thousands of children from all over the United States, who had previously been labeled ADHD and treated with amphetamine drugs. by taking a thorough history and giving these children a complete physical exam as well as doing lab tests and allergy testing, I have consistently found that these children do not have ADHD, but instead have allergies, dietary problems, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid problems and learning difficulties that are causing their symptoms. All of these medical and educational problems can be treated, allowing the child to be successful in school and life, without being drugged."

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I would recommend you reading following booklet for parents

fightforkids.org/Psychiatric_…

and following less than 2 minutes video about psychiatry diagnosis

youtube.com/watch?v=n3JQ8OVHV…

…and

Psychiatry – NO SCIENCE-NO CURES (4:54min) Do psychiatrists and by them prescribed drugs help people?
youtube.com/watch?v=UHu7Ik361…
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you can also google or yahoo "adhd fraud" – you get good links like
adhdfraud.org/
Articles, essays, and other information pertaining to the fraud of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)–Compiled by Dr. Fred Baughman

Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD has been an adult & child neurologist, in private practice, for 35 years.