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blood transfusion for Crohn's disease?

iluvcatsiluvcats Posts: 5,153
edited July 2012 in All Encompassing Trip
I know someone recently diagnosed with CD. She was already thin and became thinner from an unrelated surgery last yr. Now she was walking around in pain and ill, did not know til last wk that it is Crohn's and possibly colitis.
I felt so sorry for her today as she told me some of her problems (not bathrm either)...
she is very anemic and has lost 20 lbs. So do people usually have transfusions? She can't due to her religion.
9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
10/10 - Brad in B'more
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • CareyCarey Posts: 2,361
    I am sorry to hear about your friend. While I don't know a lot about Crohn's disease, I do know that if she has a GI bleed and her hemoglobin is falling (to like the 7-8 range) they will likely recommend a blood transfusion. Hope things turn around for her and she gets better :(
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  • guitar59guitar59 Posts: 1,221
    My sister had 4, and sometimes it was more than one bag. She probably would have died without the transfusions. She still battles with being able to keep iron levels high enough. A hysterectomy was done, as her fibroids caused too much bleeding and they thought it might help if at least she didn't lose blood once a month. Crohn's is a nasty disease. A lot of pain and suffering and the medication is extremely expensive. :(
  • dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam Posts: 139,721
    sorry to read this..wish all the best..
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
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  • iluvcatsiluvcats Posts: 5,153
    thanks for the kind words. I hope she deviated from her religion and went ahead with the transfusion. I didn't ask her but I know a transfusion isn't allowed. I found a forum on Crohn's after I posted this.

    wow this is horrible and she has 2 kids too. I hope they don't get it (I think I read it is hereditary.)

    I told her about McCready and how he has it, and is trying to raise awareness about it. She thinks she may be able to lead a normal life once it is under control...
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • PissBottleManPissBottleMan Union City, TN Posts: 4,155
    I've been anemic at times with Crohn's...never needed a blood transfusion though. I was put on iron pills for a while.

    Hopefully, your friend has a good relationship with her GI doctor. Finding the medicines that work properly is an exhausting search. However, when she finds something that clicks, her life will start to get better.

    My life, while disrupted by Crohn's, is not dictated by this disease...at least, not anymore.

    PBM
    "We paced ourselves and we didn't rush through it and we tried to be as creative as our collective minds would let us be over some course of time instead of just trying to rush through a record"

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  • FrankieGFrankieG Abingdon MD Posts: 9,100
    I have Crohns but thankfully am in remission now.

    I have had 1 transfusion of 3 bags but not related to being anemic. (More related to I lost alot of blood during surgery.) :lol:

    I hope that you can convice her that her God will forgive her for receiving a transfusion in order to stay healthy and raise her kids. She should bw able to realize that her god would have her have a transfusion than possibly die, right?
    2003: 7/14 NJ ... 2006: 6/1 NJ, 6/3 NJ ... 2007: 8/5 IL ... 2008: 6/24 NY, 6/25 NY, 8/7 EV NJ ... 2009: 10/27 PA, 10/28 PA, 10/30 PA, 10/31 PA
    2010: 5/20 NY, 5/21 NY ... 2011: 6/21 EV NY, 9/3 WI, 9/4 WI ... 2012: 9/2 PA, 9/22 GA ... 2013: 10/18 NY, 10/19 NY, 10/21 PA, 10/22 PA, 10/27 MD
    2015: 9/23 NY, 9/26 NY ... 2016: 4/28 PA, 4/29 PA, 5/1 NY, 5/2 NY, 6/11 TN, 8/7 MA, 11/4 TOTD PA, 11/5 TOTD PA ... 2018: 8/10 WA
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  • iluvcatsiluvcats Posts: 5,153
    FrankieG wrote:
    I have Crohns but thankfully am in remission now.

    I have had 1 transfusion of 3 bags but not related to being anemic. (More related to I lost alot of blood during surgery.) :lol:

    I hope that you can convice her that her God will forgive her for receiving a transfusion in order to stay healthy and raise her kids. She should bw able to realize that her god would have her have a transfusion than possibly die, right?

    I am glad you are in transmission.

    I had read before that some pj fans (beside McCready) have Crohn's so that is why I asked about the transfusions. She has revealed only some details to me; has not said that she needs a transfusion. Since she is so depleted and anemic, I am afraid she needs one. She is hopeful about her recovery, but she sounds like she is in REALLY bad shape.
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • FrankieGFrankieG Abingdon MD Posts: 9,100
    iluvcats wrote:
    FrankieG wrote:
    I have Crohns but thankfully am in remission now.

    I have had 1 transfusion of 3 bags but not related to being anemic. (More related to I lost alot of blood during surgery.) :lol:

    I hope that you can convice her that her God will forgive her for receiving a transfusion in order to stay healthy and raise her kids. She should bw able to realize that her god would have her have a transfusion than possibly die, right?

    I am glad you are in transmission.

    :lol::lol:
    iluvcats wrote:
    I had read before that some pj fans (beside McCready) have Crohn's so that is why I asked about the transfusions. She has revealed only some details to me; has not said that she needs a transfusion. Since she is so depleted and anemic, I am afraid she needs one. She is hopeful about her recovery, but she sounds like she is in REALLY bad shape.

    When I was diagnosed i didn't know anybody who had it. But now, there is stories of everyone knowing a couple people with it.
    Being hopeful is great. That's definitely what got me through the worst times.

    The concern I have is the 'sounding like she's in REALLY bad shape part'. When I was in really bad shape, I didn't realize that i was. I had been living with pain so long that it was second nature to me. I had become complacent and let myself get really bad. It wasn't until years later that I realized how bad I was back then. I still regret not pushing for more aggrssive treatment. Depending on how close your relationship is with her, I would offer to talk to her about it and tell her that it is possible to be in complete remission and that she needs to fight for it. Just my 2 cents..
    2003: 7/14 NJ ... 2006: 6/1 NJ, 6/3 NJ ... 2007: 8/5 IL ... 2008: 6/24 NY, 6/25 NY, 8/7 EV NJ ... 2009: 10/27 PA, 10/28 PA, 10/30 PA, 10/31 PA
    2010: 5/20 NY, 5/21 NY ... 2011: 6/21 EV NY, 9/3 WI, 9/4 WI ... 2012: 9/2 PA, 9/22 GA ... 2013: 10/18 NY, 10/19 NY, 10/21 PA, 10/22 PA, 10/27 MD
    2015: 9/23 NY, 9/26 NY ... 2016: 4/28 PA, 4/29 PA, 5/1 NY, 5/2 NY, 6/11 TN, 8/7 MA, 11/4 TOTD PA, 11/5 TOTD PA ... 2018: 8/10 WA
    2022: 9/14 NJ ... 2024: 5/28 WA, 9/7 PA, 9/9 PA ---- http://imgur.com/a/nk0s7
  • LukinFanLukinFan Florida Posts: 29,072
    Wow- I'm really sorry to hear this
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  • iluvcatsiluvcats Posts: 5,153
    OMG, how did I type transmission? I'm so sorry.
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • FrankieGFrankieG Abingdon MD Posts: 9,100
    iluvcats wrote:
    OMG, how did I type transmission? I'm so sorry.

    :lol::lol: Don't be. No skin off my back. It gave me a good laugh!
    2003: 7/14 NJ ... 2006: 6/1 NJ, 6/3 NJ ... 2007: 8/5 IL ... 2008: 6/24 NY, 6/25 NY, 8/7 EV NJ ... 2009: 10/27 PA, 10/28 PA, 10/30 PA, 10/31 PA
    2010: 5/20 NY, 5/21 NY ... 2011: 6/21 EV NY, 9/3 WI, 9/4 WI ... 2012: 9/2 PA, 9/22 GA ... 2013: 10/18 NY, 10/19 NY, 10/21 PA, 10/22 PA, 10/27 MD
    2015: 9/23 NY, 9/26 NY ... 2016: 4/28 PA, 4/29 PA, 5/1 NY, 5/2 NY, 6/11 TN, 8/7 MA, 11/4 TOTD PA, 11/5 TOTD PA ... 2018: 8/10 WA
    2022: 9/14 NJ ... 2024: 5/28 WA, 9/7 PA, 9/9 PA ---- http://imgur.com/a/nk0s7
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