Just realized it’s been over six months since my last health related update here, and figured it’s time to make one to keep track.
Since December, when I made the last one, we first tried big dosage of cortisone to treat the Crohn’s Disease with, but that didn’t help so in early February we switched to another kind of cortisone that doesn’t have as many side effects as the first one and added in Pentasa (mesalamine). But the inflammation indicators kept climbing all the way up to 1800 and something, so in April we added yet another med to my battery, Imurel (AZA, an immunosuppressive drug) with rising dosages every two week’s if safety blood tests came back ok which they all have so far. I’m now at the planned maintenance dosage, next safety blood test is on August 2, results I’ll hear on Monday the 5th.
I don’t wanna get my hopes really up but *knock on wood*, seems like Imurel is actually doing something to the bowel – the last 3-4 weeks I only had to take Imodium about every other day (instead of daily, like normal) and at last and this week it’s starting to get where even more days goes between. Mind you, last time the diarrhea went away some was last last year shortly before I learned that my bowels were actually in worse shape than ever before… so not trusting this betterment completely. But am deeply curious to learn the results of the next bowel inflammation tests at the end of August.
No side effects from those drugs, aside from some stomach pain that eating immediately before taking the Imurel pills prevents. The Docs warned about possible hair loss due to Imurel usage, but I figured after 4,5 years is unceasing diarrhea, hear loss is kind of a small price to pay if I can only get rid of the diarrhea. There’s… really no competition. The hair will grow back, and if it’s really bad, there’s always wigs.
Oh, forgot to say – am now forbidden to take iron tablets orally, by the gastoenterologist in February, because they irritate the stomach/bowels. I’ve been taking those during my periods because back in 2008/2009 I was hospitalized because of really bad hemoglobin levels, and after that it dropped like four times within one year and eventually the doctors diagnosed it as anemia caused by heavy menstruation (totally true). Taking iron tablets for 3 days during my periods has kept my hemoglobin very good since then, so I don’t like not being allowed to take them any more 🙁
The gastroentorologist said they’d give it to me intravenously when necessary, but reading the Crohn’s Disease forum, other people there have hemoglobin like 98 and their doctors have ordered them not to orally take the tablets but won’t give it intravenously either because “it’s not bad enough”. My hemoglobin was 74 when I was hospitalized. I remember what it was like back in 2003 when it was a little over a 100 when I also had to take iron tablets for the same reason, and then again in 2008/2009 when I was so tired all the time and didn’t have energy to do anything and felt like I might faint if I tried to say, walk home from grocery shopping. It was 98 and then to days later, 74.
Also, am not sure which service should handle it – the gastroentorologist because they ordered me not to use the iron tablets, or my GP who originally helped me with the iron tablet plan and has done the control blood tests at the start and later if/when I felt necessary. The iron tablets have been very easy way to avoid getting into that shape again and now I have to figure out to deal with this all over again. Ugh.
So that’s what’s been going on health wise.
Let’s see, what else.
A really tiny leakage in my bathroom-slash-toilet, around the toilet foot, seems to be just water but there’s also bad smell. Like maybe a seal or a stench trap isn’t working as it should. Called our maintenance company today; a plumber should come see it “this week”. Today didn’t, only one working day left – hope he’ll come tomorrow. Aside from the badsmell, it’s a small problem now but if it goes unattended over the weekend, might get to be a big problem.
I’m also suspecting my dishwasher is might be starting to break down. In the last month or so, four items have came out cracked. Do dishwashers do that when they start to break down? It’s spitted out various of its plastic bits and pieces over the years, at least one of its screws and I don’t suppose my Mom’s dog loved to jump on her front paws on its door when it was all the way down open and I was putting dirty dishes in helped any. It’s 15 years and 1 month old and some days old, the youngest of my house hold appliances along with my fridge which is exactly the same age. So it figures, it’d be first to go. My Mom & her SO had to already replace theirs and it was like 5 years newer time mine is.