Who has some helpful advice or tips in beginning to deal with crohn's disease?

Question

I work with someone who has finally been diagnosed with something...crohn's. He has always had colon problems & has been through annual colonoscopies....but he doesn't take very good care of hisself & it tends to put him in the hospital for the night every 5 or 6 months. He is in his mid-20's. What advice can I share with him?

Answer 1

i have crohns. its been such a struggle. both physically and emotionally. the best advice you can give him is to be stress free and if he smokes then now is the perfect time to quit. cigarrette smell really makes my stumach hurt!!!!!!!!

dont tell him to change his diet. food has nothing to do with crohns.

Answer 2

Like most people that will post here, I have Crohn's and I got it in my early 20s.  

I would say he should keep a food log and then note how he feels afterwards.  That way, he can isolate what foods his body can't handle very well.  

Make sure he has a good doctor.  My doctor has a team that you have to meet with to cover all your issues.  I initially saw him, a GI doctor specializing in Crohns, a nutritionist to help me with my diet some, an endocronologist to see how my bones were and if prednisone had hurt them any, and a psychologist to help me understand the emotional side of a chronic disease.  It is total centralized care.  My doctors are at Vanderbilt University in TN.  

You need to be there for him and treat him just like you would before he was sick.  

Go to www.ccfa.org.  This is a great site that will provide good information out there.  After I was diagnosed, I found a website that pretty much convinced me that I had a year to live.  Wrong.  There is so much bad info out there.

Answer 3

He needs to take better care of himself. With an illness as severe as Crohn's, nutrition is important, however much tummy pain it can cause. The illness may make him not care, and be depressed.  I know mine did with me.

Answer 4

I've had Crohn's disease for 9 years. Just tell him to eat healthy, not so much c**p from outside. Certain foods will make him feel ill, he will learn that on his own over the years. If he smokes, tell him to quit. And drinking only in moderation. He needs his daily exercise as well. The best way for him to start is to buy a book on Crohn's and read up on it.