Starting a Support Group

A fellow Crohnie I met on Twitter and I want to start up a support group for fellow Crohnie's here in BC, specifically the Lower Mainland.
We were thinking about getting together and talk, support each other, exchange experiences, laugh, have some fun, maybe wipe some tears....who knows!

Interested...??

send me an email and we'll get acquainted....

crohnieisland@yahoo.ca

or leave a comment here

Let's Connect! 

You Might Be A Crohnie If....

If you know exactly how much intestine you have........left....
you might be a Crohnie

If hearing the phrase "you're so skinny, you should eat something" makes you want to scream....
you might be a Crohnie

If you could bottle your disease and sell it as the new celebrity diet and make millions....
you might be a Crohnie

You Might Be A Crohnie If....

If you can produce enough gas to power a small rocket....
you might be a Crohnie

If hanging out at the hospital on a Friday night is your idea of fun....
you might be a Crohnie

If there are more holes in you than a dead gangster....
you might be a Crohnie

Death of an Abscess....?

I've been "dealing with" a nice little abscess in a not so wonderful place on my body, since around Christmas.  And being the procrastinator that I so very much am, I was hoping (and praying), that with meds and changing my diet, it would just "go away".  And no matter how many times I do this method, it never happens.
So, I sucked it up and decided to go in to hospital.
Pulling up the Emerg, I can see inside and...ohhh goodie...it's busy.  Every chair was occupied, so I knew there would be a wait.  I checked in at the registry desk and then stood and waited for the triage nurse to call my name for assessment.  I've learned over the many years that after you check in and before triage, don't sit down, especially if it's busy.  Why??  Because when the triage nurse calls you for assessment, you'll lose your seat.  So I stand and wait.  My name is finally called and I go through all the questions, blood pressure, temperature, etc.  She was impressed that I actually took my jacket off BEFORE sitting down in front of her.  She said I was the first today she didn't have to ask.  I also had my spreadsheet with me for the questions about when I was in last and for what.  She liked that as well.
All done, I now can sit and wait my turn.....just over 5 hours later, they finally called me in and took my to the minor surgery room.  I got in to my fancy blue hospital "gown" and then laid on the table and waited for the doctor.  He finally came in after about half and hour, but I never get all worked up waiting, as others do, cuz I know they're busy.  I thanked him for finally getting me out of chairs and not for the wait, but so I didn't have to listen to everyone bitching about how long of a wait there was.  People just don't get it and how it works.  Someone would be called in and the people still waiting would comment, "but I was here first".  C'mon people!  It's not a restaurant.  I mean, what do you think the triage nurse is for!?
So, he put the topical cream on to start the freezing process (yeeeeah, never works) and left to let it "take effect"...bbbwwwwaaahaaahaahaa.....
The nurse came in and gave me two shots of Morphine and an anesthetic and she left to let it "take effect"...bwwaaaahaaaa... (injected morphine doesn't work as well as IV morphine)
The doctor came back to start lancing, but first had to inject the abscess with freezing.....yes, I said INJECT the ABSCESS.  But of course, the topical freezing he applied earlier would make it so I wouldn't feel the needle going in......BWAAAAHHAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Let's just say....I felt it....and felt it....and felt it.....he told me he was going to fill up the abscess until I couldn't feel it.  I said just give me the whole thing!  LOL
Luckily he said there was a small hole there already so he just made the hole bigger....I won't go in to details....but even with the freezing I could feel it drain....ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  The thing about abscesses is, it's the pressure from the abscess that hurts, not the abscess itself.  The fun part was when he was pushing on it to squeeze all the crap out.  He kept apologizing and I said, I'd rather go through all this once and not have to return...so do what you have to do, squeeze and push away!!!
He put some gauze on it, antibiotic prescription, cleaned up, dressed and on my way home....8 hours later, but oh my god!!!!  what a difference. Thank god for doctors and nurses
RIP.... one abscess, amongst many.

You Might Be A Crohnie If....

If there is a refrigerator in your bathroom....
you might be a Crohnie

If your license plate says "GOT2GO"....
you might be a Crohnie

If you can eat junk food  with no problem, but get flare ups from salad.....
you might be a Crohnie

You Might Be A Crohnie If....

If you get excited when toilet bowl cleaner goes on sale....
you might be a Crohnie

If the dog farts and people look at you.....
you might be a Crohnie

You Might Be A Crohnie If...

If you have to pass gas and HOPE you just pass gas.....
you might be a Crohnie

If you can run to the bathroom and take down your pants in world record time......
you might be a Crohnie

If you have a hospital bag packed and ready to go, just in case.....
you might be a Crohnie

You Might Be A Crohnie If.....

If your family and friends give you gift cards to the local pharmacy.....
you might be a Crohnie

If you go in to Emergency already with your jewelry removed and just carrying your medical card......
you might be a Crohnie

If you start to get worried when you get down to the last 3 rolls of toilet paper in your house.....
you might be a Crohnie

Crohnie Quote of the Day

we all have a story to tell

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You Might Be A Crohnie If.......

if you can actually spell G-A-S-T-R-O-E-N-T-E-R-O-L-O-G-I-S-T.....
you might be a Crohnie

if you can tell how you are feeling by the shape, color, smell and volume of your poop.....
you might be a Crohnie

if all the toilet seats in your house are DOWN.......
you might be a Crohnie

You Might Be A Crohnie If.....

If the staff at the local hospital know you by your first name.....
you might be a Crohnie

If you are told 'You don't LOOK sick' 10 times a day......
you might be a Crohnie

If your intestines talk to you loudly and you tell people you're just hungry.....
you might be a Crohnie

You Might Be A Crohnie If......

So, along the lines of "You might be a redneck..." and "You might be in Canada..." by Jeff Foxworthy, I thought I would do some for Crohn's Disease.

If you map out your trip to the corner store based on how many public washrooms you pass.....
you might be a Crohnie

If you own stock in bathroom tissue......
you might be a Crohnie

If you hold the world record for the amount of times going to the bathroom in an hour......
you might be a Crohnie

Crohnie Quote of the Day

"It doesn't get better; you just get better at handling it"






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R.I.P. Customer Service

What the hell has happened to customer service these days?? 
Or, should I say, where has customer service gone??
One store in particular seems to not give a shit about its customers.  This grocery store here in Surrey, BC, in particular the Clayton area, does not take complaints from its customers seriously.

I shop, or should say, shopped this store at least once a week and always when the store opens at 7am.  I always buy their bread because they sell it in a pack of 3, but for some reason, in the morning, there wasnt any, forcing me to purchase something else, or go somewhere else.  Keeping in mind, this is THEIR brand of bread.  Then this starting happening regularly so I asked why.  The employee seemed surprised there wasnt any and said that the delivery must be late.....really....everytime??
But last week took the cake.
I arrived a little early to the store (6:55am) and waited for the store to open at 7am.  At 6:58am I noticed 2 employees arriving in their cars and headed in to the store via the employee entrance.  Not that big of a deal.....except one of these people opened the store......at 7:05am.  I went and got my milk and headed to the bakery to get my bread and surprise!! no bread.  There wasnt even space for the bread.  The usual space was filled with other bread.  There wasnt even any single packs of their bread. 
I went to ask the woman that opened the store, and again, she acted surprised and gave me the line that the delivery must be late.....really?!!  C'mon people!!  But what got me pissed was, she said, "it happens".  So, as I'm leaving, I said, "it seems to happen regularly at this store, guess I'll go across the street to get my bread"
When I filed a complaint with head office, they said they sent my complaint to the manager of the store and will be contacting me.  A couple of days later I got a message from her and she said to call her back or she will call me back.  I called back twice and all I got, after being forwarded on by customer service, was the phone ringing, and ringing, and ringing.  Wasnt able to leave a message.  And surprise surprise!!  she didnt call back. 
Obviously not caring at all about the customer.  And I'm just one who filed a complaint.  What about those that didnt.
My biggest thing is....if you say you open at 7......be open at 7!!!!  AND have stock out and ready at 7!  There is no store loyalty anymore, people go where they can save money, so if a business wants to survive, they need to go back to better customer service to keep the customer.  Or, like me, go somewhere else. 

Congratulations Pricesmart, I'm taking my money elsewhere.  Keep it up and I wont be the last.

Crohn's and the Public Restroom, Or Lack There Of

I was recently sent this article from the author, Simon Owens, and thought it was a very good read and very interesting as it has happened to me and more than likely happened to you as well.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/12/20/the-grassroots-movement-to-change-the-nations-public-restroom-laws

Thanks Simon

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Crohn's and Colitis Breakthrough??

Check this article out in today's London Free Press, London, Ontario.

http://www.lfpress.com/2013/01/02/a-london-based-trial-is-a-boost-for-crohns-and-colitis-sufferers

Interesting indeed.


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