Today is March 18, 2011.
The date on my 1st post is wrong. Technical glitch, I guess.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 1984. I began having problems with it in 1983 but it took almost a year to get a diagnosis of UC.
Symptoms began with diarrhea, constipation and one hell of a jabbing pain in my left side.
The first test I had, that officially confirmed my diagnosis was a colonoscopy. When I had my 1st one, they did not give me drugs to put me out or make the test bearable. It was just…prep up…lay on your left side and shove in the tube…at least that’s what it felt like. It was a very uncomfortable test and I resigned to have it done as LEAST often as I could get away with.
I must have gone a good 10 years before having another colonoscopy. The 1st one I had scared me half to death and I didn’t want to repeat it EVER!
I had many, many flare-ups in the 1st 10 years and the Drs. I had in those 1st 10 years told me that I basically had to tough it out. Tough it out? I had two small children and I was sick almost all the time.
Fast forward to the move.
In 1994 we moved to a new town and had to find a new Dr. We went through quite a few Drs. before we found one we really liked. Our new Dr. was adamant about yearly physicals…which is a good thing. After a certain age you NEED to have that yearly physical, especially if you have a chronic illness.
Along with those yearly physicals came yearly colonoscopies. That didn’t sit well with me. I skipped them whever I could get away with it and never complained about any flare ups I had. You see, those first years of having this disease scared the hell out of me and I was afraid to seek help. I kept to myself and tried to never complain about being sick.
Let’s go forward to the past 5 years.
I finally decided I had enough of being ill and sought help with a major flare. I was given prednisone and finally had another colonoscopy. Much to my surprise, they put me out…or gave me a drug so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable and/or remember the procedure. It was the most pleasant colonoscopy I ever had! LOL
My flare was brought under control and I felt great.
Right then and there I decided the yearly examine was well worth the uncomfortable prep.
Now we’ll go forward to last year….2010.
It all started in January. A bad flare up sent me back to the Dr. It also coincided with my next colonoscopy. The flare up was bad. I was put on prednisone. As long as I stayed on the prednisone, I was fine…except for the unpleasant side effects of prednisone. I really wanted to get off of that drug.
I was on prednisone for 9 months.
NINE Months!
As soon as I went below 20 mg in a day, my flare up came back.
It was horrible!
I went to see my specialist and the news was grim….the meds I had been taking for 27 years was no longer working.
I was referred to a specialist at University of Michigan Hospital’s GI Unit.
The Dr. there was very nice. I had to do the prep and have a colonoscopy again in late September. He found 2 polyps and removed them. Otherwise, everything was good. The prednisone pushed me into remission enough for him to put me on a new drug.
Enter…Asacol HD 800.
I hate taking meds but I’ll do what it takes to get and stay healthy. I am a “new” grandma” and I want to be around to see my grandchildren have children.
The Asacol HD 800 kicked in and was working great. I tolerated it really well and its supposed to help prevent colon cancer…an enemy I hope to avoid all my life.
6 months after starting the asacol, I started to have another flare. Another trip to U of M hospital…another new drug.
Azathioprine
Tuesday, March 15 started my journey on azathioprine.
I was horrified when I was told I had to begin a drug that would suppress my immune system.
I have 4 babies living with me…a 3 year old boy, 2 year old twin girls and a 3 month old baby boy.
How am I supposed to be able to stay healthy when I’m living with 4 adorable little petrie dishes?
I am supposed to avoid sick people like…well…like the plague!
How do I do this living with 4 babies?
I guess I’ll find out.
I refuse to be the “grandma in the plastic bubble”
I am a hands-on grandma and my grandchildren are my ‘lil loves.
My new journey has begun and I need an outlet to help me through the depression I have been dealing with while trying to deal with this disease.
I’ll be blog-blabbing to help myself through it all.
🙂
My Journey With UC 