Fistula and crohn's

I wanted to share my story so far, in case it helps someone going through something similar.

Back in January, I had about 2–3 weeks of abdominal cramping. In February, I noticed a hard lump, and by the end of the month it turned out to be an abscess, which had to be drained. About a week later I developed a 39°C fever, and needed a second drainage — this time without proper pain relief, which was honestly brutal.

At the same time, I also had eye inflammation and joint pain. While all the investigations were ongoing, I was dealing with the aftermath of the abscess — the wound didn’t heal properly, and eventually they diagnosed a fistula.

Meanwhile, gastroenterology suspects Crohn’s disease based on the overall picture, although the biopsy hasn’t clearly confirmed it yet. Because of the fistula, I’ll be getting a seton placed soon to help with drainage.

So yeah… not exactly the prize I was hoping to win.

The good news is that with the seton and upcoming biologic therapy, there’s a decent chance to avoid major surgery, and the fistula may even close over time. Still feels like a long road ahead.

Wishing strength to everyone dealing with this — you’re not alone.