The Browning's Blog: June 2011

Monday, June 27, 2011

Facing the Music

So, I went to the doctor a week ago today. My report was not what I expected and I think I have spent the last week letting it sink in.

I really thought I was doing great. How many times have you went to the doctor thinking something was really wrong and the doctor basically tells you that you are fine? That didn't happen. I was going back though after the rounds of prednisone and I was expecting, "You look like you are doing great, have a great day and call me if you have a problem." I was expecting them to schedule a colonoscopy just because they had told me last time that they would like to have a more detailed look than what the one at Effingham got.

Well, after a couple minutes with the doctor, I said, "I think I am really doing well". He says, "Not really, I think you are on the verge of another flare-up and if we can't get these under control, your colon won't last you five years". I believe I was in shock. Okay, so here is the partictulars. When I was in my last flare, I couldn't go more than 45 minutes without being in the bathroom, and eventhough I was getting 2 to 3 hours of sleep at a time of a night, I would make it up for it with a minimum of 10 trips to the bathroom the first hour I was up--and always, always, there was more blood than anything. Now, there is no blood THAT I CAN see, and I am down to between 7 and 8 times a day, with 2-3 of those being within 2 hours of getting up AND I am able to sleep all night. Seemed great to me compared to what I had been doing.

The doctor says I can't say I am in remission until I have 4 or less trips to the bathroom a day, I haven't done that in over a year and a half. He says he won't do another colonoscopy until I can "cool down" and to start two new medicines, one, that if it works, I will take for the rest of my life and the other, a suppository-yea. They also did blood tests that showed my inflammation is still twice the normal and my platelets are high, which means even though I can't see it, I am still bleeding.

No exercise other than walking (I had started working out with some girls at work three times a week--that's done), no heavy lifting ( I didn't tell him I carried most of the 22 lb bricks to Andrew the week before--not to mention helping loading all of them at Menards) and the big one, I HAVE to learn to take it easy more. At that, I am failing miserably. I can't make myself sit down when I see things that need done and around here, there are always things that need done. I know my house being a mess drive me nuts so I can't just come home and sit in the middle of a mess and even pretend to relax.

So, that's that. I go back on the 24th of August and if he thinks I am doing better, they will schedule the colonoscopy. He is also wanting to do an upper GI because he said he can't rule out Chron's without it and Effingham didn't do one. He doesn't want to do too much at one time though so that may have to wait awhile. I believe the suppository is working, it is supposed to help the inflammation, and I have been having really weird feeling cramps, so I would say that is my colon coming down from the inflammation--I hope anyway. His biggest fear about the new oral medicine was that I would have an allergic reaction, so far, so good there, and hopefully it too, is starting to do what it is supposed to, although I haven't really seen a difference yet, I will pray I will soon.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Catching up- my baby boy graduates

What a wonderful, emotional weekend. The party for Saturday that I had been planning since December went off perfectly. It was EXACTLY as I envisioned it, some of Robert's friends got here at a little before 4 and our last guests left at about a quarter til 11.