I have found that my commitment to my disease is cyclical. When I got diagnosed I read everything, did everything I could...and then over time, it just became an inconvenient disease that took away my activities and landed me in the loo. And then it comes back to haunt you if you have not been carefully monitoring your system or perhaps, like in my case, you attempt to go off all of your meds (for personal or financial reasons) and then it bites you in the bum.
So, all of the sudden I am 25 yrs old, want a family, and should not even be attempting to get pregnant because I have active Crohn's and it is spiraling out of control. So I am back in the game! My GI says to me "You know you have to go back on medicine, right?" And I just tear up... I loved removing those toxins from my body. But it will not do me or my future babies any good to start off in the heat of the flareup. You start collecting more information, being open-minded about alternative treatments and start putting your trust back in your doctors. Back to Step 1.
Step 1:
Admit there is something wrong with your digestive system and make a significant effort to determine what is going on so that you can move on with your life.
If it helps- visualize!
Sad, ulcerated small bowel: Now you know why it hurts!
Happy, healthy duodenumStep 2:
Seek out the advice and consultation of experts. This step involves a number of invasive and horrific tasting tests. (But nothing a little flavor pack can't help:)
Step 3:
Play around with (in a safe and controlled environment) all the possible options to heal you.
What do these tests include? If you are new to Crohn's Disease, chances are you have a scheduled appointment for one of these tests just around the corner, or you just went through a slew of them! If you are old school Crohn's, you already know all this. Here are a few of the tests most commonly used to diagnose and monitor Crohn's Disease (from the perspective of a recent patient). If you have any thoughts or feedback on these tests or your own experiences, please share!
1. Blood tests: to search for elevated white cells which could mean infection/inflammation OR to search for decreased red cells which often means anemia; in addition, blood tests can helf identify nutritional deficiencies (ie. calcium, D, B12, etc.) A good blood witch can make all the difference!
2. Barium X-rays: the upper GI series includes drinking a chalky white barium shake, hopping up on the x-ray table and taking a series of x-ray shots as the liquid travels down from the stomach and into the small intestines. As explained by the technician on my last visit, most people take 1 photo every 30 minutes or so, as the liquid slowly progresses in your system and the tests lasts 2-3 hours. Superfast digestive tract- I was up on that table every 8 minutes!!! Done in 40 minutes! Phew! Warn them if you are fast or they might miss it and you will have to start over!!! Ewwwwwww...
Barium x-rays may also be administered through a barium enema, in which the doctor is looking for pictures of the colon, terminal illeum, etc.
What are they looking for? Ulcerations, fistulae, narrowing of the bowel, you know anything that isn't perfect, pink healthy tissue!
3. Colonoscopy (and/or Endoscopy): You prep the day before by drinking what you can only imagine as the worst jug of crap you will ever have to drink, although it is deceiving and looks like water. I believe it is 4 L total. Pat yourself on the back if you can get through 50%! Then you spend time on the toilet, catching up on your reading. The next morning you are admitted to the hospital and are sent to dreamland. The actual procedure is painless, done before you know it! Sometimes you will be groggy, slow-moving, but that is simply from being put to sleep. If you have an endoscopy, your throat may be a bit sensitive when you wake up.
What are they looking for? ulcers, areas of inflammation, questionable tissue to biopsy
Flexible viewing tubes allow digital video and photography to capture your insides at their best and worst. This procedure allows for a more detailed look, grabbing biopsies, and identifying the true degree of the disease. Note: Bring a friend- the doctor will follow up with you after the procedure and I guarantee you will not remember anything he/she says to you!
4. CT Scans: x-ray technique where you drink chalky barium substance again, lay down on a cold, hard surface and pass through a tube-like entrance, holding your breath whenever the technicians tell you to.
What are they looking for? A full view of the entire abdomen and pelvis.
To read more about these tests and why they are performed, check this Medicinenet article out.
GREAT Blog! I found you through Scottie Roy's blog. I'm going to add a link to you on my own Crohn's blog (http://brightsideofcrohns.blogspot.com/)
ReplyDeleteHere's to beating this disease one day at a time!
~Bright Side
I was able to survive senile dementia via a complete naturopathic technique.
ReplyDeleteAbout two years ago, when I was 56, I started feeling foggy and had occasional memory lapses. My wife, Mary, started to notice it, too, but I also have hearing issues so she thought that was the problem. My memory worsened very gradually over the years, and we lived with it, compensating as needed. I became less social. After some months thereafter, it got to the point where we couldn’t keep making excuses or ignoring it. I had gone from doing our grocery shopping without a list to going with a list, to having the list but not buying what was on it.
Mary went online to do some research, and it was during this process we had been fortunate enough to come across Dr. Utu Herbal Cure: an African herbalist and witch doctor whose professional works had majored on the eradication of certain viral conditions, especially dementia, ( improving the memory capacity positively), via a traditional, naturopathic process and distinguished diet plan. It was by the administration of this herbal specialist that I had been able to improve my condition for better. So to say, the encounter with the above-mentioned herbal practitioner was the first time we ever heard there was something that possibly can be done to improve my memory functionality.
By the existence of such an encounter, I was able to learn of the new approach by which this herbalist successfully treated dementia conditions, which included a distinguished herbal therapy and lifestyle changes of which I had undergone to a tremendous, positive effect.
It was after the completion of the herbal therapy I had started to experience a great deal of cognitive improvement when it came to rational decision making.
In brief, I was able to go through the dreadful hollows of senile dementia without any further hazardous damage to my health condition, and within a short period. Had it not been for the support of my wife, of whom had encouraged me to undergo the above-mentioned therapy and that of the herbal practitioner of whom now happens to be benefactor - I would have been long exposed to the further perils of this condition and of which had been apt to result to a calamitous end.
I would also wish for the same positiveness upon patients who may happen to be suffering from this debilitating disease, and would warmly beseech them to find a confidant like this herbal specialist with whose professional services I was able to attain a divine recovery.
For further information concerning this African traditional cure for Alzheimer's disease; feel free to contact Dr. Utu directly via email: drutuherbalcure@gmail.com