Paula's Experience with Crohn's Disease

Paula loved travelling. She loved to meet new people, see new places and witness different cultural traditions. She called herself "The Travel Queen". 

After returning home from 2 weeks in Dubai, she began experiencing severe abdominal pain and diarreah. She assumed these symptoms were due to certain foods she consumed in Dubai. She ignored the symptoms, thinking it would take a day or two of being home to feel back to normal. 

The symptoms got worse. She had no appetite, a terrible fever, dehydration, constant diarreah and was experiencing rapid weight loss. She demanded to see a doctor immediately.

After numerous colonoscopies and biopsies, Paula's doctor stated she was suffering from a condition called Crohn's disease, simply known as an inflammatory bowel disease. "It is most common with people between the ages of 15-35", he stated. Paula stood there, shocked. She felt as though her heart stopped and her world was over. She never knew anyone suffering from this disease. She had never even heard about this disease.

Paula went from a girl who loved travelling, to a girl who did not want to leave her house. She stated, "I could hardly go out and enjoy life because I couldn't leave the bathroom." Paula was on and off different mediciations, including high dosages of prednisone (steroids). The prednisone didn't help very much. The symptoms were still unbearable.

After trying nearly every medication, Paula was prescribed pentasa, along with other medications. Finally, something had worked to reduce the pain and frequency of diarreah!

Paula went back to college and receieved a bachelor's degree in psychology. She is now a mental health councellor. Paula stated, "Never in my life have I let this brutal illness bring me down, and never in my life do I plan to." She still travels often.