In 2007 my life changed forever when I was hospitalized for appendicitis and had to have my appendix removed. I was then notified of something beyond that, which we change my life forever. The doctors diagnosed me with Crohns disease. I had never heard of it before and when the doctor explained the disease to me, I became very depressed. It explained the stomach pains that starting occurring just a few years earlier, when I was a senior in high school. The doctor told me that there is no cure for the disease and that I would have to live with it for the rest of my life. It was hard for me to take something in like that, because I had been healthy, besides my stomach pains, throughout my whole life.
At the time when I found out that I had Crohns Disease, I was husband and a father of two, working full time to support my family. I was constantly in and out of the hospital and lost a total of 60 pounds in a few months. I had to have regular tests including, regular and special cat scans, x rays, and several ultrasounds performed because I was in so much pain. Blood tests were done on me every week, and I was often left so weak that I would have difficulty getting out of bed each day. I was off of work for eight weeks, which made my stress level high because there were bills due, and I know I needed to get better so that I could support my family.
After time I did get better and to this day I am doing well. I still have reactions from the disease, but they can be coped with pain medication and rest. I still have to go see a doctor on a regular basis, but it is just to make sure my Cohns disease is stable. The pain and difficulty of having and living with Crohns on an everyday basis, brought fascination and also an interest to the field of radiology. The urge of wanting to help and take care of others the way I was taken care of, also sparked my interest in this field. Radiologists interpret various kinds