Self diagnosis may be a bad thing...

Well I've had my colonoscopy and all that goes with it. Starting on Sunday when I had to cut out fruit, vegetables, cereals and red meat from my diet. It didn't leave a lot. On Monday I could eat some white bread so I had a couple of slices of toast in the morning before I started the prep procedure.
Which is- drink a litre of some strange tasting liquid every hour- and stay near a toilet. I had in all 4 litres of the stuff that afternoon.
This morning I had to go to the Endoscopy Unit for the procedure. Until then I hadn't felt hungry but I was just starting to feel a bit peckish when it was my turn to walk around to the operating theatre (I was pushed back in a bed).

I won't go into the details of the operation, except to say it involves a camera and various other bits of kit being inserted into your bowel and then being pushed through the large intestine, taking photos and samples along the way. I was glad to be sedated as there were times when it was quite painful- as if you were full of wind- which I was.
I won't get the results of the biopsy for a few weeks but the report the doctor gave me said that it was Crohn's Disease. You can read all about it here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001295/

It certainly ticks a few boxes (and you need to have read the link- although I'm not Jewish or a smoker!)
From the article
"The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. It is an autoimmune disorder. An autoimmune disorder is a condition that occurs when your body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue"

I'm immune compromised. I was advised not to eat shop prepared salads when I was originally diagnosed and I don't know if that includes pasta based ready meals that you can buy in any supermarket. When I was touring with Nicki Gillis last year I ate several of those and that may have triggered my symptoms, which included mouth ulcers, sore mouth and throat, and severe diarrhoea.
Looking at the article again:
"Crohn's disease may involve the small intestine, the large intestine, the rectum, or the mouth."

I'm hoping to see my GP tomorrow and I will discuss this with him.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying my food although I may need to adjust my diet if Crohn's is confirmed.