I will step up and explain Crohn's Disease in more detail than was discussed in the thread.
Crohn's Disease is an autoimmune disease in which your body attacks the digestive system causing ulcerations anywhere in the digestive system, but *usually* at the end of the small intestine, where it connects to the large intestine. Symptoms are intense diarrhea shortly after eating, weight loss, fatigue and pain. The ulcerations and inflammation can completely obstruct the intestine. It can also perferoate the intestine. Both of those complications are life threatening and require emergency surgery. It is very similar to Ulcerative Colitis, except that colitis only affects the colon and if you remove the colon, (which is drastic with lots of side effects), colitis is gone. With Crohn's, you can't remove the whole intestine or you won't absorb nutrition. Crohn's is usually treated with immunosuppressants, to reduce your immune system so it stops attacking you. It is also treated with steroids and other anti-inflammatories. There is no cure, but you can go into remission for periods of time. When an area becomes too diseased, they remove the diseased section and reconnect the two healthy ends. 50% of the time, someone who has had a resection has to have another one. The disease usually returns just above the location of the resection. During times of severe inflammation and narrowing of the intestines, fiber has to be avoided, because it's very painful for it to pass through that area. You can also develop "fistulas" which are like tunnels that branch out from the intestine (almost like a bypass route). The problem is, they sometimes go to places that they shouldn't. These also require surgery. Secondary complications of Crohn's include eye irritations, mouth sores, leg rashes, rheumatoid arthritis, and pyoderma gangrenosum (wounds that don't heal, like gangrene). Post-surgery, there are often problems with absorption of nutrients. For example, I don't absorb Vitamin B12 anymore, which is essential for nerve, muscle and red blood cell regeneration, so I have to get B12 shots or use a nasal gel that provides me with B12. On the plus side, I don't absorb cholesterol anymore either, so my cholesterol levels are great!
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Dee