Disease of the Bowels

by Marcella
(Belfast)

My mum has suffered with Chron's for 13 years now! Her consultant put her on Asacol.. This pass 5 months, she has been suffering with constipation, its been bad.. Her doctor sent her for a ct scan and she has been for a colnscopy.. Her consultant from the hospital sent a letter out, asking for her to have it redone, a few days later she got a phone call from the receptionist, asking her to come to hospital, her consultant wanted to talk to her and would she bring someone to accompanie her! She went this morning, he told her that part of her bowel is Diseased, she has to go for a major operation on the 13 of march to have part removed and if nessasary a bag put in... When he was talking to her about her Bowel, he said the ones who did the ct scan, said it looks like she has cancer..:( he said it looks like a core of an apple, but he is Not sure if it is, he said it could be the chron's! My mum is a smoker, he told her she has to quit for the Operation, he told her she is at High Risk! Heart attack, and other bad complications could happen... If they seen cancer would they not have bought her into hospital more sooner?? Also what is worrying me is what he said about the high Risks..:( does everybody get told this before having an Operation?? She is a heavy smoker but today she has only smoked 3 I know she will give them up but will need help from doctor with a patch or something.. She has 6 children and 19 grandchildren. Were so close family and love her so much, I'm really breaking my heart, I couldn't live without her, I'm trying to stay positive.. Please Help me with Answers I asked for...

Comments for Disease of the Bowels

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Crohn's and smoking
by: Annette

Hello there,

I am so sorry that your mum has such complications and that you are so worried. I can tell that you are very scared and I really feel for you.

Sadly, your mother must give up smoking if she has crohn’s disease because it can certainly make the disease worse as well as cause other horrific risks.

I know that you want to hear a simple solution but I am not sure there is one. Her doctors need her to change her lifestyle habits including smoking as it will give her a much better chance of coming through any operation.

Sometimes people go into denial when they are told bad news and maybe, your mother is doing the same. She doesn’t want to face up to the possibility of just how serious it is.

The doctors always highlight the risks prior to an operation because they want their patients to survive and to go onto live normal, healthy and productive lives but people have to take responsibility for themselves too and it is down to her to give up.

There are a lot of ways that she can give up smoking including patches but do understand that she is addicted to nicotine and the effects of nicotine are as strong as a heroin addiction so should be taken seriously.

I think once the shock has set in, she will do all she can to give herself a fighting chance of coming through the operation but bear in mind that she will need to continue to be careful after the operation too. No smoking, alcohol and keeping an eye on her diet.

Here is a link to information and smoking and I hope this helps:

http://www.crohnsandcolitis.com.au/smoking-and-crohns.php
http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/relatedconditions/a/smokingguts.htm
Disease of the Bowels
by: Lydia D.


Unfortunately, the worst thing you can do if you have Crohn's is to smoke. This not only because it triggers and/or exacerbates the Crohn's, but the already high risk of cancer, stroke, heart attack due to the disease is increased even further by the hardened arteries and increased blood pressure known to be caused by cigarettes.

I am certain that your mother has been told this many times in the past by her doctors.

I am not sure what answers you are looking for. Your mother is an extremly high risk patient wrt an operation and the doctors obviously want to make sure that she changes her lifestyle to decrease the risk of her dying on the operation table. If she is overweight, then she will be at even greater risk.

I think that you can only support her and keep her away from smokers and keep your fingers crossed that any operation has a successful outcome.

Lydia D.

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