Pain

Right now I'm resting on the couch, and my abdomen is I wouldn't say killing me, but I would say killing me. As long as I've gone with pain...you start developing a tolerance/numbness to it. I think that is kind of sad, but also from my stand-point I think it can be good.

Also, with pain management that is a blessing from God and a much needed help!! The spinal blocks help with the intensity of my pain. Right now I would probably be heading to the hospital if it weren't for the pain management. I tell this because so many people ask..."Well if you are on pain management, you shouldn't have any pain? Right?!" Pain is one thing that no one will EVER fully understand, and it doesn't work that way. Pain is pain. You have it or you don't. What can be controlled however with pain is the intensity, the duration, and the frequency. With my patch...that helps keep my pain neutralized and then the block helps the intensity. So they work well together.

I also believe that it is one of those things, you cannot fully understand until you experience it. Even as a nurse (I had the Crohn's pains in my knees, hips, and in abdomen, but didn't know why/what related to)....I didn't understand pain. I knew I had experienced a lot of it since being a child...but didn't like I said "understand". I knew that when my patients had it, I immediately wanted to take care of it!! Well now I understand more than I ever thought I could. I try not to get aggravated when people don't understand...because I myself know I didn't.


I am going to post some inserts from websites that discuss the pains that come with Crohn's Disease and where these pains are located.... most people just think abdomen and I post a lot about rectum/anus pain. Also, you have seen me post of joints/back, etc. but here is from websites to help educate more :)

*Back Pain*

"Crohn's can cause back pain. A portion of those suffering from Crohn's also develop sacroiliitis and inflammation of lower back joints as well as the sacroiliac joint, according to Digestive-disorders.

"When the joints become inflamed, joint stiffness and lower back pain results. This pain and stiffness can spread to the pelvis and buttocks. Arthritis may eventually occur because the inflammation that is present in the digestive tract due to Crohn's can spread into the other joints."

"However, if you are among the 15 percent that do have Crohn's-related arthritis in your spine that is causing back pain, inform your physician. He may have a recommendation for treating both the sacroiliitis as well as your inflamed gastrointestinal tract."


*Joint Pain*
"Although joint pain is most common in the ankles, elbows, knees and wrists, the inflammation resulting from Crohn's disease can evolve into several different types of arthritis affecting any area of the body."

"Migratory arthritis travels throughout the body and affects different joints at different times and is typically active when the digestive system is being compromised. Pain resulting from migratory arthritis can be experienced for days or even weeks and tends to abate with the recession of overactive autoimmune activity."


No need to copy and paste or describe about abdominal pain/rectal pain...I have told you so much and enough in previous posts! I think writing this helped...when I'm in pain I always try to turn it into something positive...and writing about it turns that physical and emotional feeling into something that I can see/something that others see...and that helps in a sense! Also, it takes your mind slightly off the worst of the pain!

So if anyone reads this, it was just a release of pain! Thank you for caring to take time to read! Love you all very much!