Tonia Moore IFBB Pro Female Bodybuilder

RE: My Struggle with Crohn’s/Colitis Disease & C.Difficile

Well I must say it’s been a quite an experience the last 3 months or so. Around April 2009 is about the last time I’ve been in the gym and that was probably only 2 times that month.  It seems that after applying for health insurance in April and it went into effect on May 1st is when I got hit with a ton of bricks. I started having major abdominal pain, constant diarrhea where I pretty much just could not leave the house, blood in my stool, mouth full of ulcers that prevented me from eating because it hurt so bad to put anything in my mouth, then a staph infection, and a cyst in a not so nice spot. Constant trips to the doctor. I then had a Colonoscopy and an upper Endoscopy  done on June 12, 2009 that diagnosed me with Crohn’s Disease an (IBD) Inflammatory Bowel Disease that is not curable. My GI Specialist immediately started me on meds one of which is EXPENSIVE called Pentasa $400 for a month supply and could not afford it so I had to switch to a cheaper medication called Balsalazide (Colazal) which still cost me $121 for a month supply. The other prescribed medication is Prednisone.

Starting my med treatment of course takes time to kick in and I did have some days where I felt they were starting to kick in finally and not feeling the abdominal so much. I still battled with the diarrhea. I got lucky most days that I was able to at least train my clients in the morning….I always prayed for just those few hours that I would make it through and be ok till I got back home. Somewhere along the way I started feeling worse. Then on July 6, 2009 the excruciating pain I had was unbearable and decided it was time to go to ER.

Going to the ER…..well while in the bathroom literally crying from the pain I felt I then thought it’s possible that I may have appendicitis since everything else hit me. I got a hold of my Mom & Sister to let them know I need to go to the ER so they came right away to get me and take me in. Luckily there was not a lot of people in the ER but it still took a while to admit me. Finally I get in ER, get a bed, they take blood, then schedule me right away for a CT Scan so I had to drink about 2 10oz cup fulls of Contrast 1 at that moment they brought it to me and the other an hour later which is not the best tasting drinking but it was cold so it made it a little more tolerable. The lab test showed my White Blood cell count very high which means major infection and my CT Scan showed that my colon perforated and waste leaked into my abdomen causing the major infection. The Doctors don’t know how I even made it that far….they said “any normal person would not have made it and should’ve been in the hospital a couple of days ago”If I would’ve have waited one more day it would’ve killed me. After that they admitted me into a room, of course hooked up to the IV and stuff…..I needed after being so malnutritioned from really not being able to eat. I also had my moriphine where I pushed that little button every 1o minutes to help with the pain. I mostly had to mentally get my mind into another zone till the pain would kind of go away except for any time I had to move the pain kicked in like a mother. It felt like someone stabbing me with a knife.

The next morning July 7, 2009 is when I went into surgery. When they moved my bed down to the surgery room the pain kicked in sooooo bad once that bed stopped. So my surgery….well they cut down the middle of my stomach, remove 1/3rd of my colon on the right side (ascending & part of the transverse colon) that had all the ulcers from the Crohn’s Disease & in which had perforated causing waste to leak into my abdomin. They  removed 600cc’s of pus/waste from my abdominal cavity & then irrigated it with saline water. The said cause of the perforation to my colon, by my doctors and pathologist, was that it was a C.difficile antibiotic related infection.

Soooo I stayed 1 week in that hospital & then they moved me to an extended stay rehab hospital where I pretty much was the youngest person there. They had to make sure my white blood cell count went down back to normal and be clear of the infection. It wasn’t until yesterday July 23, 2009 that I finally got discharged.

Time for Recovery now….I’ve lost soooo much weight and muscle it’s not even funny. Crohn’s disease effects the absorption of nutrients not to mention being laid up in a hospital for 2 1/2 weeks doesn’t help. I went from my muscle frame of 150lbs to a super skinny bony 98lbs. I can’t wait to get back up in weight and strength.

So that’s my story which has effected my life seriously in all ways. I just want to give thanks to God, my family, Mom, Sisters, and my friends for all their help and support and for visiting me in the hospital. My Mom & Sister Regina has helped me out MAJORLY!!! I don’t know how I would’ve made it through with out them & everyone else’s help

I also want to THANK  those who have so far have made donations helping me out financially because now I am pretty much broke and need help with getting back on my feet till I get back to work again. I’m self employed & have no one to support me so now that is my big stress. So if you’re reading this and can help me out with any little bit I would be very GREATFUL!! I know times are hard right now & I’m not the only one but I really do need whatever help I can get. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t so.

Thank you everyone for all your love & support

Donations can be sent to the following mailing address (I don’t have Paypal because they banned me…that’s another story)

Attn: Tonia Moore

PO BOX 848

LAKEWOOD, CA 90714-0848