Do you take any supplements?

@SW-User Oh, okay. So they don’t really provide value other than your body just needs them.

@ShaythePanTransMan Not as far as i'm aware. I think they are all just to fix deficiencies, but i'm no expert on that.

@SW-User well, that’s still good. That’s the whole point of dietary supplements. I mean...I think you get that stuff in your diet.

@ShaythePanTransMan Yeah, i think we all should get it all in our diets, but i have a digestive disorder called Crohn's so i don't absorb some nutrients properly in my small intestine. So i need extra. I had to have injections of B12 at one stage as even the suppliments weren't enough.

@SW-User oh, wow, that sounds hard

@ShaythePanTransMan Yeah, it's been a struggle, yet i am way better of than most who have this. Some can be really disabled by it.

@SW-User that’s good!

@SW-User Hey, mate. There's a B12 supplement that comes in a spray form that you spray under you tongue. Like you, I don't absorb B12 either (not having a terminal ileum or colon makes life difficult sometimes lol). The spray has certainly worked for me. Keeps my B12 levels in normal range, but you do have to use it daily. It's called BioCeuticals B12 Spray, give it a try.

@Bushranger Wow i see, so you've had the operation then? I didn't know about the spray. I do absorb B12, but just not very well, so i have to be on to it all the time.

@SW-User The spray should still help. I was lucky and only had ulcerative colitis, so surgery was an option. After 25 years and the drugs not working as they should do, it was the best decision I've made in a long time. How long have you had Crohn's for? Do you find that diet helps?

@Bushranger I have had Crohn's for about 15 years. The first year was really bad for me, hardly worked, lost about 15kg and was in and out of hospital. But then things started to slow down, and improve. I think changing my diet helped although i can't be totally sure. I was on a tablet called Mesalazine which was really good and no noticable side effects. I was expected to deteriorate and have surgery but it never happened. If i have a problem now it's that it's largely in remission but i get short intermittent periods where there's some kind of issue and i get really really fatigued. So i can be out running, surfing, going to the gym one week then the next be falling asleep during the day, feeling lethargic and needing to sleep. Well employers just see this as laziness and so do coworkers and friends etc, so it makes it really difficult to deal with. I am tough and could easily force myself to soldier on during these times, but when i have done i end up bleeding and off work for weeks. So it's another reason to avoid people but it really makes finding a full time job difficult. Nobody wants someone my age with a health issue where they may need to suddenly take a few days off to sleep.

@SW-User I can empathise with your situation. I'm glad that you're in remission, though. I hope it keeps going for you. I was on Mesalazine too, but it stopped working all that well for me. I was having 3 or 4 flairups a year. The only thing that really worked was Prednisone, but that's a real bastard. I was offered the choice of imunosuppresants or surgery. Picked surgery.

Make sure you find yourself a really good gastroenterologist. I've heard there's a few in Melbourne that are really good.

@Bushranger Yes i have heard that mesalazine stops working after a while. I have been very lucky so far. I was told that Prednisone was my next step then surgery.

I had a really great gastroenterologist, but sadly he died recently. So i'm not seeing anyone at the moment. Just hoping things stay manageable. Hope they aren't too bad for you. It's a tough thing to deal with. I've been really lucky compared to most... so far.

@SW-User I'm fine now. The only things I miss are not being able to fart or shit, lol. The bag can be a bit embarrassing at times, but I've learnt to live with it. Can even change it when I'm pissed, lol.

@Bushranger Wow i see lol... at least the pain has gone... that was really debilitating i found. For a few months i thought i was dying from something. Glad you feel ok at least. Back when you were first having issues, did you suffer from huge amounts of fatigue?

@SW-User Yep, felt like shit most of the time. I know what you mean about thinking you were dying, flat out getting out of bed sometime. But, as you know, staying in bed wasn't an option, needed to get to the toilet very quickly. I really don't miss passing blood, I think I was anemic for pretty much the whole 25 years I had it. Are you thinking about having surgery?

@Bushranger I really only had blood issues for the first year. Then it was about 12 colonoscopies that really knocked me around.
No, i don't think i need to consider anything at the moment while it's largely in remission. It really is just the intermittent fatigue issues that i struggle with. Although i know how to deal with them with rest, it's just that i don't have sick leave so any days off i take i don't get paid as i'm casual. Most employers won't accept that an employee needs to take time off instantly to sleep for a couple of days when it flares up, it doesn't matter what kind of doctors certificate you present.

@SW-User The problem is that it's a hidden disease. People can't see how sick you really are. How much warning to you get for the flairups? I used to be able to tell when they were coming on most of the time. I also used to keep some Prednisone for when it did, managed to keep going pretty well most of the time. But, like I said, Prednisone isn't something you want to keep taking.

@Bushranger This is so true and it's what i've told others. Most people need to either see limbs missing or bleeding to believe a person is sick. Anything else and they're just being lazy. I have been lucky so far to have avoided Prednisone or anything other than Mesalazine. They put my on sulphursalazine to begin with and i had a huge allergic reaction.

@SW-User That's bad shit. Lots of potential side effects with it too. One thing I have noticed now too, is that I'm no longer as compulsive with checking where the toilets are wherever I go. Even go rid of my phone app that located public toilets, lol. That's one of the advantages of surgery.

@Bushranger Yes, apparently some people are allergic to sulphur-based meds which i am. That's good that you've had some benefits from the surgery. I've been lucky so far, every day without problems is a good day i think.