I've got soul but I'm not a soldier...

Universal truth: No matter what the weather is at any given moment someone is going to dislike it. This is all well and good, but there's really no point in complaining about it because there's nothing anyone can do to change it. Georgia (where I live) went through a drought a few years ago and water reserves were at an all time low. It was hot and dry and ridiculous and the state's leadership's answer was to tell everyone to "pray for rain".  Hint: It still didn't rain, at least not until the rainy season started. So I'd like to reiterate, there's nothing you can do so why complain? Or why even worry about it? Well, there ARE reasons to worry about the weather, particularly when the weather affects your body as much as it does mine...  I've been experiencing joint pain in my right elbow for as long as I can remember. I've had cortisone injections, used ice packs, heating pads, and topical creams. Nothing has really helped. About two...

Next week I will have my 4th Cimzia appointment. At my last appointment I received the blood work from after my first round of injections. Apparently my inflammation levels started dropping after the first shots! I'm feeling generally better. My joint pain has seriously decreased, and my stomach cramps are also getting better. My joints get a little twingy when it's super cold, but it's nothing like the intense bone ache from before. As far as symptoms or side effects go, there's nothing remarkable. I'm still not on a normal sleep schedule, sometimes I have a sore throat, and my hair is a bit thinner than it was a few years ago. However, anyone who has taken any of the 5-ASA drugs knows they cause your hair to thin and I've been on them for several years. I always have some intense fatigue for about 48 hours after the injections, but that is normal. So when I go into the office next week we will determine if I continue with injections every 2 weeks or ever...

Today is Christmas. But it hasn't "felt like Christmas". Cliché but true. I made candy, I did some shopping, I got my Starbucks in the red cup, and I even did 2 Holiday themed nail art pieces. I would post pics, but I have no pics. That will be explained later. I'm on week 5 of Cimzia. So far no negative side effects. The joint pain has been reduced drastically, and  stomach cramps are less frequent. However, I'm still experiencing some pain and intermittent nausea. The problem: I'm not sleeping. Here's the thing... I'm a sleeper. 10 hours a night and sometimes naps during the day. I can sleep like a pro. My body needs it to function. During the past two weeks I've been unable to sleep at night. I follow all the tips: No caffeine after 6 pm, only one caffeinated drink per day, no daytime naps, etc. I've even been getting up early when I can. When I wake up at 9 AM, I'm sometimes not going back to sleep until 5 AM. Sleep is sporadi...

So I thought I had finished my blogging for the day, but I was wrong. I need to take a moment to complain... Anyone who has a chronic illness might be able to relate to this. Or anyone who just finds that life is difficult sometimes... I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2007. I displayed symptoms LONG before that, and as a child I would often sit in the bathroom floor with my head against the cold marble of the bathtub after every meal just waiting for the nausea to pass. Since my diagnosis and treatment life has been different. Sometimes it's easier, sometimes it's not. But I can never really forget that I'm living with a disease because most of my life is dictated by my symptoms. I've said this in other blog posts, but in case anyone new is reading: I have fistulizing Crohn's. I have had 2 fistulectomies to date. I am currently being treated with Cimzia. My primary symptoms (currently) are nausea, stomach cramps, joint pain, and fatigue. I am on disab...

I know that I said I would post more, but whatever, I'm a liar. I'll post when I feel like it. This may or may not be frequently. Since I started seeing Dr. Wolf I've gone through several medication changes. A few weeks ago I started prepping to participate in a drug study. The drug is Cimzia, and it's already FDA approved, but Dr. Wolf is doing research to optimize dosing of the drug. In order to qualify I had to go through a series of tests: Blood work, TB test, chest X-ray, C-Dif test, etc. Fortunately all of the tests results were what they were looking for, and I'm a prime candidate for the study. It seems the other medications have helped my symptoms, but I still have lingering issues with joint pain, stomach cramps, and nausea on a daily basis. The goal is to make these symptoms minimal. So, last Monday I had my first Cimzia injections. The nurse injected two 200 ml syringes into my stomach. I thought that it might hurt, but it was relatively painless. ...

Since my last post regarding Crohn's disease I've had a few changes. I'm now seeing a different doctor. This one has doubled my immunosuppressants. Apparently everything we were doing before just wasn't enough to lower my inflammation markers. The past few weeks have been difficult. I hate complaining when I feel bad because I know how bad it can get and how quickly it can get there. However, I've been suffering from headaches and nausea for some time now. Maybe it's time to change my migraine meds? I don't really know. I also have a rash that the doctor attributed to an allergic reaction. It's itchy and seems to just keep getting worse. I know that some day soon things will start getting back to normal. When they do I'll be sure to let you know. But right now I just feel really out of sorts. I have to say I'm lucky. I'm now on Social Security/ Disability. If I get sick I can go to the doctor and receive treatment. I can get help. Not everyon...

I have Crohn's/Colitis. This is a subject I haven't really taked about before but it's such a huge part of my life that I feel it's necessary to discuss it here. Maybe this will be a way to express some of my concerns and vent some frustrations while alleviating some stress. Since I was a child I've always had strange stomach aches. Every time I ate I would get nauseous almost immediately afterward. My parents thought that I was just trying to get out of doing the dishes, but that really just wasn't the case. My stomach ailments got worse when I left for college. A lot of the problems I was having I attributed to the poor quality of food on campus. The Chow Hall wasn't exactly known for it's exceptional variety of nutritious foods and I remember being notified more than once during my tenure that they had failed their health inspections. Food contamination however, wouldn't cause the fistula that had developed starting in December of 2005. After doze...