Teeka & Others
I will share with you my mom's experience with this disease, Crohn's.
To begin, noone knows what causes it.  This came direct from all of her
doctor's.  In her case it came on as one of the symptoms of Lyme
although she had not been diagnosed with Lyme at the time.  The stools
were loose (they ran like coffee and had a very foul smell to them)there
was a floating-almost like tissue stuff in them at times, droplets that
floated like oil and sometimes there was {*filter*} with these stools. The
stools irritated the rectum and sometimes caused rashes.  Questran
controlled this problem and formed her stools for her.  Cloritrimazole
Cream with Desitin over it kept the {*filter*}area rash free.
During the resection surgery of her intestine the doctors felt that the
disease was difficult for earlier doctors to diagnose because every
invasive surgery was done on the "inside" of her intestines so, they
could not find anything causing her problematic diahrrea or the source
of reported {*filter*} in her stools.  The intestines appeared to be healthy.
That's when I took her to Mayo.  Mayo found the problem was on the
"outside" of her intestines.  "62 cm terminal ileum and 9cm cecum.
Severe active Crohn's disease is identified involving the distal 28 cm
of terminal ileum.  The disease extends to 34cm from the proximal margin
and 9cm from the distal margin.  The mucosal margins are microscopically
free of disease.  Grossly there is stricture formation 28cm, thickening
of the bowel wall, creeping fat, and deep linear ulceration.
Microscopically the ulceraltion extends into the muscularis propria.
There are also skip lesions and transmural inflammation.  Granulomas are
absent." This is the pathological report of the intestine they removed
from my mom.  I know you may not understand this but, I put it here for
Drs. who may read this post.  It takes a special microscope and special
staining to find Bb Spirochetes and I believe if pathologists use this
special microscope and staining process on the tissues, organs they
remove from patients they may find the Bb Spirochetes.  In my mom's case
it was Lyme Disease that brought on Crohn's.  I have no doubt it was the
Bb Spirochete living in that creeping fat and causing the transmural
inflammation, lesions and ulceration on the outside of her intestine.
Kathryn

Kathryn,

Here's what I have on the subject:

Lyme Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn's Disease
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/misdiag-links.html#dis...

Also see:

Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed As ...and,
other diseases/conditions and Lyme disease (Text Version)
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/6772/lyme-misdiagnosed-as.html

Lots Of Links On Lyme Disease
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/lyme-links.html

-----
Art Doherty
Lompoc, California

Medscape has issues of the Journal of Spirochetal and Tick-Borne Diseases
online.  See the article on GI manifestations in Children and Adolescents
with Lyme Disease....Crohn's is mentioned.   Lee

http://id.medscape.com/SLACK/JSTD/public/archive/1999/toc-0604.html

thanks Kathryn for your information regarding your Mom- I have had a lot of
responses regarding Lyme disease. i was tested for it once or twice -now am
having underlying neurological problems re MRI's
( headaches & fatigue) I am going to check out Lyme disease more. Please follow
up with me regarding how your mom is doing.
what part of the country do you live in -
evelyn