Got a new medication Prednizone. Doesn’t look like much in the bottle and it’s cheap. Could have side effects if used too long but hopefully it will solve short term Crohn’s issues. Might improve the holidays anyways.
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Category: Crohn’s disease
“We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus”
So I got some test results back that say I have inflammation in my intestine from Crohn’s disease but there is no infection. I will get a much heavier dosage of Remicade starting Tuesday so I hope it works quickly. I would have had a new higher dosage last Wednesday but the hospital ran out of the stuff and didn’t anticipate that the doctor would order the higher dosage. Had the intravenous needle inserted and a bag of saline started before they figured out they didn’t have enough Remicade. That’s one way to waste an afternoon.
I actually lost a little weight from my vast bulk probably due to the inflammation. The amount of medication needed is based on your weight. I suspect the doctors may put me on a liquid diet for a while if the new Remicade dosing doesn’t work quickly. I can tell that I have inflammation because it feels like the devil is poking a pitchfork in my rear end every time I have a bowel movement. Remicade treatment is a lot better than any surgical alternatives if the stuff finally kicks in and starts working.
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I have reached the final age bracket. I enter many sweepstakes and I have just noticed that when they ask your approximate age, I am in the 55 plus category. There isn’t any age group above mine. Even my cat is called a senior cat by the veterinarian.
Seriously, I never expected to last this long. I thought something would get me before I got this old. An infection caused by Crohn’s disease, industrial accident or a plane crash were all likely candidates. One time a large pipe came loose in a dairy plant and crashed down inches from me like a giant club. I flew in a small plane many times with a pilot having multiple crashes under his belt. Poisonous gases have been accidentally released in my vicinity. An industrial tank nearly exploded by me that would have leveled a city block. Doctors had been feeding me antibiotics like candy to avoid infections in my GI tract. I only have one eye working when I drive a car which is kind of exciting. You think something would have killed me but no I’m still here so far.
Maybe old age will be what finally gets me but you never know. It’s amazing that my age is grouped together with people that are 60,70,80 plus by these sweepstakes entry pages. Other ages are usually grouped by about 5 to 10 year increments so I feel that I am being unfairly grouped with 80 year old people. You know what, I bet I could get a senior discount at some businesses now. Maybe this age bracket is not all bad.
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Before the doctors can increase my Remicade infusion frequency the insurance needs to be sure it will help me. Insurance companies don’t like to spend $17,000 – $23,000 every six weeks for my remicade infusions. I sympathize with the insurance company because I don’t like going to infusions for the next twenty years even if they do seem to help my symptoms. I have mentally adapted to infusions because the procedure is starting to become almost routine to me. There is no way I could pay for these infusions if the insurance didn’t take care of the bill.
In order to justify increased infusion frequency, it is necessary for me to take tests that make me want to vomit. I have found out by recent experience that my mental threshold for causing vomiting is not that high. It was necessary for me to get some help with the home tests because I simply couldn’t comply with the repulsive procedure for the home test without making mistakes and a gruesome mess. I am sure other people can handle it but I just simply can’t do it no matter how hard I try.
The tests rule out any other condition that may be causing any symptom. So far they are all negative which is a very good thing. I already have sufficient pills, treatments and procedures for a fun time without adding anything new.
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There are a lot worse things in life than Remicade infusions but that doesn’t mean I have to like them. Doctor is going to increase the frequency of my Remicade infusions to every six weeks. It may be a good trade off if it reduces symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Having a needle poked in me and a 3 hour slow drip of Remicade is not my idea of a fun time. It seems to raise my blood pressure and I have been told there is always a remote danger of some type of random sudden dangerous reaction but that has never happened to me. The nurses monitor pretty close and there is always a doctor in the general area.
By the way, if the nurse can’t get a needle started in you just have them wrap your arm in a hot moist towel for about 15 minutes. Also, I have found it seems to help needle insertion success rate if you delay taking your blood pressure medication until after the infusion but I may be wrong on that. I have veins that seem to give nurses a lot of difficulty. The needle goes in and it looks like it is working but then it pops or something and they have to do it over. At one hospital they had to try five times before they brought in a specialist who did it without any effort. I always tell them right away to use the hot towel trick and it seems to really make a great difference in success rate.
I would be a lot worse without Remicade so I am glad someone invented the stuff. There are more experimental medications being developed so I may switch to them after several years because Remicade will eventually lose effectiveness. If I can hopscotch through multiple medications perhaps I can avoid any unnatural surgical plumbing arrangement for my guts. I would take that as a win.
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Another Colonoscopy in 6-9 months…..isn’t Crohn’s a blast of fun? I didn’t have any cancerous polyps in April 2017 but things looked so fascinating to the doctor that she wants to do another colonoscopy within a year to see if everything is hunky dory. The Crohn’s appears to be kept in check by the Remicade but the doctors always seem to think that cancer lurks in every polyp and I always have at least one to snip out. In addition I had a single fistulous opening, severe inflammation and some gross things I won’t mention. Remicade is not a panacea but things could definitely have been a lot worse for me. I doubt that my insurance will pay for another colonoscopy so soon unless the doctor gets special permission. It is good to know that colon cancer on polyps is easily treated if you catch it early but colonoscopies are really a bummer no matter what anyone says.
I suppose I could be more cheerful but I must admit complaining a little bit does make me feel better. Complaining about an illness is like a cheap medicine so why not indulge in it. The problem is most people don’t like to listen to you talk about it but don’t worry I write it down for my blog readers education and enjoyment!
