Far and Away

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You haven't heard from me in awhile.

I know.

I suck.

But guess what that means?

I AM FEELING BETTER!

Praise God!

The Cimzia is working.

To all you Crohnies out there.......maybe it will help you too.

I have just had my third treatment. Each treatment consists of two injections into my stomach.

Side effects:

I sleep like Rip Van Winkle for two solid days - no big deal.

Mild redness at the injection sites - so far, nothing to worry about. And my nurse had the bright idea to inject higher than the waistband of my sexy lowrise jeans, so the redness is less this week.

Itching. Nothing that Benadryl can't handle.

I am so excited and so hopeful about what this drug could mean for me, for all of you, for everyone......

I am back.

To my hippity, hoppity, mouthy, cocky, up and at 'em self.

And not a moment too soon.

Thank you Dr. Hank.

Thank you Cimzia.

Thank you God.

~

News Flash

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Reports of my death following a hysterectomy are greatly exagerrated.

I'm still here.

Like it or not.

~

Predicament

It is difficult to explain Crohn's Disease to anyone.

It is nearly impossible to explain it to children.

But mine are trying to understand. The best that they can.

But immunosuppression?

They can't get their little brains around that one.

And now they both are sick.

And who do they want to take care of them?

Mama.

And who wants to take care of them?

Mama.

What have the doctors told me to do?

Stay away from sick people.

What am I doing?

Loving on my children, wiping their noses, hugging them, sleeping with them, and praying that I don't get sick.

And washing my hands eleventy thousand times a day.

I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, as God wants me to do, and as the maternal instinct is directing me to do.

I can't worry about potentially getting a cold, when I'm already 'sick'.

God is just going to have to take care of the rest, as I take care of the little ones.

Miracle?

The Cimzia is working.

PRAISE
PRAISE
PRAISE GOD!!!!!

I had my second round of shots on Tuesday.

Side effect?

Exhaustion.

I felt like Rip Van Winkle.

Like I could sleep forever.

But.........

On Wednesday, I was up early, and full of energy, and had very little pain, and felt like a whole new person! I went and got my much needed hair cut and color, and started to fall asleep in the chair! Which is typical for some people, but highly unusual for me... Thankfully, I have a most supportive and accommodating husband, so I was able to come home and crash.

Today, I was filled with energy. None of the lethargy from yesterday.

In summation....no reaction to the injections this time (an improvement from the first treatment); just very tired for a day and a half (an improvement by a day), AND, I look great. Even I can tell that I look better.

We trudge on.........

A sidenote - I am getting my tubes tied on Monday. I don't want to, but I have to. As a condition of taking this drug. I cannot get pregnant. My battered and beaten body just can't do it again. And the drug is very potent. Because I am fiercely anti-abortion, I couldn't handle being faced with potential decisions that I can't even wrap my head around. So.......I'm taking matters into my own hands (with the loving support of Mr. Hurricane of course), and just getting it done. I am blessed with phenomenal, God-loving physicians, who communicate with each other, know me as a person, not just a patient, and seem to truly give a damn about me and my desire to live as long as possible to see my beautiful, miracle babies grow up.

So........it's not a big deal of a procedure, home in one day, no incisions, and the grandparents are here to help with the bambinos.........but........if you could take a few minutes of your day and say a little prayer for me and for us, I know that I would feel it.

Thanks again for your continued love and support.

It may be a few days before you hear from me again, but know that I'm still out here!

HH

Nothing

is working.

Three whites and two blues.

Nothing.

One more day.

Sigh.

Can U Tell Me Y?

~

Yesterday, I ate Chex Mix, Pizza, and Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream.

All of which are either fibrous or bulky.

Can you tell me why....TODAY.....all that is coming out of me is WATER?

Oh right.

I have Crohn's.

That's why.

Silly me.

~

Thirteen Days

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Today my guts woke me up.

I'll spare you the details.

But I wonder how many of you have ever been woken out of a dead sleep by your guts, not your bladder.

It sucks.

I have my next Cimzia treatment tomorrow.

Exactly fourteen days from the last one.

My guts lasted thirteen days.

This is progress.

And it means the drug is WORKING.

The drug is an immunosuppressor. It is a TNF blocker. What does that mean? It means my immune system makes too much of a protein called TNF. This drug tells my body to stop making that protein. (I'm not a doctor, but I think that's what all this means!)

Since this drug is working, I now know that my illness is in fact genetic.

A discovery that relieves me and haunts me.

Because it means there are others in my family who could potentially have or develop this disease.

Not just my babies, who I chose to have, knowing there was a possibility that they could carry the gene for Crohn's.

But for my brothers.

And their babies, who they had before we ever knew I had Crohn's.

For all of my other family.

For all of them, we wait.

And we pray.

But the drug is working.

There is hope.

Hope.

~