I had a disease as a child that was worse than I thought.
88 replies, posted
When I was a little child my parents told me that the large scar I had on my stomach was from a disease that "ate a hole through my small intestine". I never really questioned it, just lived with it. All my friends were like "Woah, awesome!". It's pretty cool.
Anyways, I decided to google the disease. Holy shit.
Let's start off with some copy-pasta
[quote]
[b]What Is Necrotizing Enterocolitis?[/b]
As if the birth of a premature baby isn't stressful enough, there are a number of diseases premature babies can experience within the first weeks of life. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of them. "Necrotizing" means the death of tissue, "entero" refers to the small intestine, "colo" to the large intestine, and "itis" means inflammation. But knowing what the words mean is only the start of understanding this infant disease.
A gastrointestinal disease that mostly affects premature infants, NEC involves infection and inflammation that causes destruction of the bowel (intestine) or part of the bowel. Although it affects only one in 2,000 to 4,000 births, or between 1% and 5% of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, NEC is the most common and serious gastrointestinal disorder among hospitalized preterm infants.
NEC typically occurs within the first 2 weeks of life, usually after milk feeding has begun (at first, feedings are usually given through a tube that goes directly to the baby's stomach). About 10% of babies weighing less than 1,500 grams (3 lbs., 5 oz.) experience NEC. These premature infants have immature bowels, which are sensitive to changes in blood flow and prone to infection. They may have difficulty with blood and oxygen circulation and digestion, which increases their chances of developing NEC.
[b]What Causes It?[/b]
The exact cause of NEC is unknown, but several theories exist. It is thought that the intestinal tissues of premature infants are weakened by too little oxygen or blood flow, and when feedings are started, the added stress of food moving through the intestine allows bacteria that are normally found in the intestine to invade and damage the wall of the intestinal tissues. The damage may affect only a short segment of the intestine, or it may progress quickly to involve a much larger portion.
[b]Treatment[/b]
The majority of infants with NEC are treated medically, and symptoms resolve without the need for surgery. Treatment includes:
* stopping feedings
* nasogastric drainage (inserting a tube through the nasal passages down to the stomach to remove air and fluid from the stomach and intestine)
* intravenous fluids for fluid replacement and nutrition
* antibiotics for infection
* frequent examinations and X-rays of the abdomen
The baby's belly size is measured and watched carefully, and periodic blood samples are taken to determine the presence of bacteria. Stools are also checked for blood. If the abdomen is so swollen that it interferes with breathing, extra oxygen or mechanically assisted breathing (a ventilator) is used to help the baby breathe.
If the infant responds favorably, he may be back on regular feedings within 72 hours, although in most cases feedings are withheld and antibiotics are continued for 7 to 10 days.[b] If the bowel perforates (tears) or the condition worsens, surgery may be indicated. Severe cases of NEC may require removal of a segment of intestine. Sometimes after removal of diseased bowel, the healthy areas can be sewn back together. Other times, especially if the baby is very ill or there is spillage of stool in the abdomen, the surgeon will bring an area of the intestine or bowel to an opening on the abdomen (called an ostomy).[/b]
[Highlight]I had the severe case, lucky me.[/highlight]
Most infants who develop NEC recover fully and do not have further feeding problems. In some cases, scarring and narrowing of the bowel may occur and can cause future intestinal obstruction or blockage. Another residual problem may be malabsorption (the inability of the bowel to absorb nutrients normally). This is more common in children who required surgery for NEC and had part of their intestine removed.
[/quote]
Here's what the scar looks like 17 years later
[media]http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/6724/img0864v.jpg
[url]http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/3483/img0866g.jpg[/url][/media]
The little dent on the left of the first picture is where they had a colostomy bag attached so I could still shit.
I'm curious to what it'll look like if I ever get a six pack :v:
It sort of looks like you have a 2-pack :v:
Scary shit, man.
From now on, claim that a Werewolf slashed you.
You'll seem so rugged, you'll get all the ladies :smug:
Holy shit, lucky your still alive.
As a baby I had a double lung infection.
woah, nice two pack
as a baby I was in the hospital because I was born 4 months early
Looks like you were bit in half by a shark.
If anyone says ew when they see that just say
''you should see the other guy :smug:''
when i was a baby i had surgrey on my stomach to
Ouch man, that looks very sore.
[QUOTE=ZaurZawrZore;19064935]Ouch man, that looks very sore.[/QUOTE]
Actually I don't even feel it. Unless I do something like slide on a slip-n-slide or something.
wow that's pretty crazy looking.
That's a terrible scar, massive..
It's hard to tell if saying you had an intestine eating disease or you were in an accident is more amazing.
I only had Jaundice...
When i was a baby i was born. Nothing bad (praise the Lord..)
It's crazy how SO MUCH can go wrong with childbirth.
I was anemic for the first 6 years of my life. I was born 3 days late lol
A disease is a lame way to say how you got that scar. If somebody asks, say you got bit by a shark while trying to defuse a bomb on a plane full of 100 other people including the president of the US, Canada's prime minister, and Bruce Campbell.
oh god that looks terrible :geno:
Not to be a dick or something but maybe if you lose weight it won't show as much.
I was born a while early and had the umbilibcal cord wrapped around my neck, and apparently i was turning blue... O_O
that couldn't have been good for me...
I was dropped on my head as a baby and it broke my leg.
[QUOTE=Kylel999;19064739]It sort of looks like you have a 2-pack :v:
Scary shit, man.[/QUOTE]
very 'scarry' indeed
Oh yeah? When I was a baby my stroller went down the stairs. Only, there weren't any stairs there at the time as they were still being built.
Ten feet onto concrete and I still develpoed MOTOer functg9999
[QUOTE=gRuKz;19065405]Not to be a dick or something but maybe if you lose weight it won't show as much.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't doubt it. Aiming to do that starting next year.
Spillage of stool in the abdomen, eh? Nasty!
Hows your life been since then, had any other diseases or horrible illnesses?
Atleast you're the center of attention when you go swimming.
Now you can make up silly stories that make you sounds badass and get laid :smug:
when I was a baby I had a hernia removed on my crotch.
Unlike you, I don't have a manly scar :(
I wish you good health though.
it doesnt give you the creeps thinking something like ''if at my time there was no technoology to fix this i could be dead''
i would be scared :C