No, I'm not dead...
As some of you may or may not know, I have Crohn's colitis. I've had it for a little over ten years now. As a result, I have to get a colonoscopy every year. Normally they turn out perfectly fine. no inflammation, no major changes. This year, however, there were significant changes... and not necessarily good ones.
They noticed I had moderate to severe inflammation this time around in quite a few areas of my colon. And I had a rougher time during recovery as well. Instead of a day, it took a few days and I'm still feeling some of the after effects even now. It's been a little frustrating to say the least. My doctor did decide on another treatment course. It's called Remicade and it's mostly used for arthritis sufferers, but since it treats inflammation, it also helps with Crohn's. It's taken intravenously, so I have to go to an infusion center and sit with a needle in my arm for over three hours. So that'll be fun, but I talked with another friend of mine who has Crohn's and has been on the Remicade treatment for five years and she says it works wonders for her. So I have hopes.
There are some side effects. You cannot have any infections or anything while on it, because it aggravates them severely. As it stands, I have to get a tuberculosis skin test which is standard procedure. But, I think I'll pass because as far as I know, I've never been exposed to anyone with TB, so I'm not really worried.
So, that's what's been happening with me lately. hopefully once I get started with this new treatment, I'll be able to function as a semi-normal person without needing to be chained to the toilet.
They noticed I had moderate to severe inflammation this time around in quite a few areas of my colon. And I had a rougher time during recovery as well. Instead of a day, it took a few days and I'm still feeling some of the after effects even now. It's been a little frustrating to say the least. My doctor did decide on another treatment course. It's called Remicade and it's mostly used for arthritis sufferers, but since it treats inflammation, it also helps with Crohn's. It's taken intravenously, so I have to go to an infusion center and sit with a needle in my arm for over three hours. So that'll be fun, but I talked with another friend of mine who has Crohn's and has been on the Remicade treatment for five years and she says it works wonders for her. So I have hopes.
There are some side effects. You cannot have any infections or anything while on it, because it aggravates them severely. As it stands, I have to get a tuberculosis skin test which is standard procedure. But, I think I'll pass because as far as I know, I've never been exposed to anyone with TB, so I'm not really worried.
So, that's what's been happening with me lately. hopefully once I get started with this new treatment, I'll be able to function as a semi-normal person without needing to be chained to the toilet.