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Friends living with Crohn's or Colitis


Mon, September 14, 2009 2:00 PM

So where should I start...Recently I have started dating a girl who has Colitis.  Now to be honest, I knew nothing of the disease and was very unaware of how serious it can be.  Needless to say my gf was diagnosed in 2005 at the age of 17 going into her senior year of HS.  I have only know her for about 2 months, but have seen how painful it can be i.e. flare-ups.  She has had several surgeries over the year, finally being "cured" last fall after receiving a J-Pouch (sorry if a butcher the medical terms).  There are several things of concern though that I have seen managing this at the young age of 21 that I feel should be shared.  Considering she is a college student, she does go out drinking once every two weeks, despite the pain she will go through the following days.  From what my Med school friends tell me, this is a definate no-no to do.  Second, she does not eat until she is in pain from being so hungry, a second no-no.  Third, most of her friends do not full understand nor try to learn causing her to go along with how all college kids live, which in my experience at school is quite unhealthy.  I am looking for support groups for her with other young adults who suffer from these illnesses.  She is starting to see that she needs to really maintain her health, but still is hard to do at 21 since she is still angry that she has to live with this.  I live in the Philadelphia area and would love to exchange info regarding Chron's/Colitis with others who have similar stories.  I know at that young age it is not only difficult to manage, but embarissing since most people my age are still very immature.  Needless to say I truly care for this girl and want her to be as healthy and happy as she can possibly be.  Please feel free to e-mail me to for any questions or comments: drd1434@mail.uri.edu

FPO drd1434
Joined Sep 14, 2009

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