Pt. 3 Diagnosed with IBD. . . Now What?

Hello Elizabeth, Thank you for writing about your experiences with IBD. I just found your blogs and have read them, feeling as though we have walked the same walk but at different times. I had some of the same situations and experiences with doctors - back around 1979. I had lost weight - from 106 pounds or so (at 5'2") to 85 pounds. This was after going to the doctor for a year or so, trying to figure out what was happening to me. I couldn't eat, like you, without running to the bathroom. Thinking about this now, I must have been severely malnourished. The doctors (I ended up going to a GI doc) told me I had stress. They ran a few tests but nothing came up as a diagnosis. After feeling like I was dying, and down to 85 pounds, I marched back to the doctor, an Internist, and ordered tests to be taken. He gave me a stool sample test, a barium enema test, a blood test. He said I had too many white blood cells and put me on 500 mg. Tetracycline. After a week on this, my symptoms went away. No more low grade fever, no more runny stools and I could finally eat without cramps and running to the bathroom. Later the doctor told me to use this antibiotic if I should get a re-occurance. I followed that advice and as the years went by, I had few symptoms and if any, they weren't as bad as the original which lasted over a year. One day I ran into my old GI doctor in an elevator and told him about the antibiotic that helped me. He was surprised, but made no comment. Since then, I've had two colonoscopies, with visible scarring from inflammation in the past. The last test was very uncomfortable during the pre-test phase (cleaning the colon). I almost passed out towards the end of the bottled drink. This I should discuss with the doc next time. Now, I notice symptoms if I have too many hot chocolates at home or even when I buy cold chocolate drinks at restaurants and even some hot coffees out. This has made me curious about the cleaning of their equipment. I realize it may be just the irritating effect of the chocolate in some cases. I don't take anything for this but do eat lightly, like rice, and cooked veggies.....nothing raw and nothing spicy. And, I get more rest. I'll close my comment, as it is getting kind of long. Thank you again, for the help you are giving people like me. I wish I had this information many years ago. Kindest regards