This is actually something I meant to post a few weeks (months?) ago, back when The Bag of Health and Politics posted a similar article from medscape about Crohn's Disease.
Then I started doing my homework.
It will be nice to be Mistress of All Library and Information Things, but it would also be nice to be a blue jay. Since starting policy class, I've been communing more with the juvenile blue jays that visit the feeder, and I think I'll join their society instead.
Ha ha ha.
Did I mention that policy class begins by draining one's sense of humor?
Actually, the class is quite interesting. We're studying lots of anger-inducing subjects, such as patents, licensing, e-voting, and more. Studies show my use of the word "interesting" to have gone up two hundred eighteen percent since September 28. Studies also show A.'s flinging of thesauri has increased by three thousand percent.
My other class is about cataloging, which is something I should be able to handle in my sleep. However, there are multiple roadblocks like discussion boards, assignments and course texts that get in the way of watching Walker, Texas Ranger and naps. My discussion postings during naps have been unsuccessful.
Still, I hope that with good nutrition, beer and copious pills I should make it through the semester without any brain- or UC-related incidents. Last night, for example, A. and I were extremely hungry, so I reheated some mashed potatoes, made toast with honey, and fried up some chicken tenders in buttermilk-egg and rice krispy coating. For good measure I tossed the chicken in hot sauce and butter.
I feel great!
Unfortunately, A. doesn't. I walked by the bathroom this morning and heard, "Ow ow ow ow" accompanied by the requisite bathroom sounds.
I'd like to update more, once the semester is closer to being finished. The problem is as evidenced above: my UC is particularly quiet lately, and this blog usually serves as a venting ground for ass blowouts. However, I have (with the express approval of my speedy gastro man) started reducing my level of Imuran from 150 mg to 125. Woopwoop, I know, but my psyche feels happier. So far, all quiet on the poopypants front. Off to my figurative policy class now; licensing and standards and contracts, oh my!
Glad your UC is cooperating. I had one really good day with UC. And as soon as I started to crow about how I was feeling better, stuff hit the fan again. I hope that doesn't happen to you.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the date on your post is wrong...I checked your blog last week and this wasn't here. So I'm assuming it was really written on October 5th or something. Continued good health.
You are correct, sir! All fixed now, I actually posted this morning. After reading your post with the medscape link (er, ages ago, or at least a month) I found the UC one and started writing the post. Then I had to do something or other, so I saved it and promptly was avalanched by damn dirty homework.
ReplyDeleteI hope I don't have a relapse, too! There are some pretty mournful sounds coming from my abdomen...but so far, so good.
Perhaps the UC is dying, which would be a good thing. It was less than a month ago. I wrote that post on my birthday, which is September 9th. So it really was 29 days, or 4 weeks.
ReplyDeleteHah - singing its own dirge. Actually, I discovered the cause - the Crows are causing it angst. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteA quick question: I know you've said your illness advanced pretty fast. What kind of meds did you attempt before you and your doc decided the best option was surgery?
The first thing they gave me (oddly the only thing that worked) was a pretty large dose of Flagyl. Then they stopped that (thinking it was an infection), and nothing worked, ever again.
ReplyDeleteIt started with 12 Colazal tablets. That didn't work, so it was on to 12 Colazal tablets plus 30-50 mg of Prednisone. That didn't work, so it was on to the hospital for a week (megacolon scare, false positive). I really don't know what they gave me there. Anyway, after that it was 12 Colazal tablets, 50 mg of Prednisone, and 1 Canasa Suppository a day. That didn't work. Then it was on to everything plus 75 mg of 6-MP. That didn't work, so I got to take 16 Asacol pills instead of the Colazal (when I could remember to take that many pills) a day plus everything else, minus the Canasa. That didn't work, so it was on to Remicade at $5,000 a pop (5 infusions over three months). That didn't work, so it was surgery ($40,000). Surgery is the only thing that worked. It's a pretty definitive cure for UC. I probably have Crohn's, and am back on 6-MP, but doing really well bowel wise.
The disease and the steroids have combined to leave me with arthritic knees and ankles at 28. It wasn't so bad, but then a cold snap happened, I went for a hike, and my knees were in a LOT of pain. I went to the doctor, had an x-ray and it came back "normal." That means that the arthritis hasn't damaged the bones--yet.But they knees creak and pop if I stretch. The blood work, which is what they really need to diagnose me, comes back next week.
As for the ostomy, it's a lot better--and cheaper--than the medication for UC. A good month of prescription drugs was a retail cost of $1,000. A bad month--when the Remicade started--was more like $3,000. With co-pays and deductibles and all that, it was probably around $400 a month for meds (tough in grad school). The ostomy supplies: I get 20 bags (basically a 2 to 3 month supply) of my favorite kind for $100. I have to use a ring, which is another $57. So that's $50-80 per month, which while not great, is affordable.
Correction: I use barrier rings with the one-pieces. I get 30 rings for $57. I used to use paste--a mere $10 for a month's supply--but that doesn't work with one-pieces, which are cheaper than two-pieces. Even with a ring, I spend less on a one-piece than I once did on a two piece.
ReplyDelete