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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Inflammatory Bowel Disease


~ photo taken in NUH Ward 47 Bed 3, 19 April 2013 ~

 This year, I celebrate my 7th birthday with Modulen (a special milk formula), my only food these days.


This time, I'm diagnosed with Crohn’s disease
one of the two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

spent a total of 6 days in two hospitals last month, half the time trying to find out what's causing my severe tummy ache.
will blog more about that if we find time and when i'm not in pain.

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is?
In short, IBD is an abnormal response by the body’s immune system. 
Normally, the immune cells protect the body from infection. In people with IBD, however, the immune system mistakes food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign substances and it attacks the cells of the intestines. In the process, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines where they produce chronic inflammation. 
 ~ taken from http://www.cdc.gov/ibd/

"Crohn’s disease is a rare condition. ...

Most cases of Crohn’s disease first develop in people who are between 16 and 30 years of age. ... It affects slightly more women than men.

Crohn’s disease is more common in white people than in black or Asian people. It is most prevalent among Jewish people of European descent."

~ taken from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Crohns-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Mummy feel very ridiculed when she read this cos I was diagnosed with Crohn's just before I turn 7, I'm male and Asian.

Crohn's Disease is a long-term problem and doctor thinks it'll stay with me for years.
Doc used asthma as a parallel, which made my mum felt a little better cos she's been reading scary stuff about Crohn's.


What does IBD mean to me now?
1) severe stomachache now and then
2) no food for 6 weeks except for my special milk formula, Modulen
which also means I get to
a) save my pocket money to buy toys
b) carry a cooler bag to school
c) play handphone games while my family is having their meals.

2 comments:

kkf said...

oh no! hope hann will get well soon!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm Hope Hann will be well soon..

I too suffered from a rare medical condition too.. For my case the condition will stick with me for the rest of my life and now I am on a constant dose of anti histamine daily.

But after so many years, I figure out that sometimes maybe we cant understand why it happens, but later on in life when we look back, then we can see the handiwork of God.