Trick or Treat Halloween Mini Flare and Fissure Return

So exactly one year ago I wrote this post about my mini Halloween flare. Even after sleeping pretty decent (thanks to day light savings time) I still have minor cramping but it seems to be better than last night. Even though last night was Halloween I didn't have any candy (I did have some vanilla ice cream with syrup on top which may have done the trick). For dinner I ate a chicken sandwich with mashed potatoes and my family ordered out so we all shared some chicken quesadillas which were pretty tasty. Anyways, probably around 9:45 p.m. or so I felt to feel really bad. I was at my parents place and sometimes right before I leave I get this deep cramp and feel like I have to go the bathroom. When this happens I usually drive a little faster so I can reach the nearest toilet. So while driving home I thought "how much longer can I really hold this". There was a Chick-fil-ia near by and it was just about to close by luckily they were open. I went to the bathroom and felt much better afterword. During my bowel movement I had some blood in my rear but I cleaned up nicely and drove home to my apartment and then  had another bowel movement. After this I thought I need to sit in the tub. So I sat in warm water for a while and felt a lot better. What I think is interesting though is that I usually feel dehydrated after sitting in the tub that long and usually get some cold water which makes me feel better. After my bath I put on some cream to my rear that my GI had prescribed for my fissure. The past few days I have been lifting weights and believe that perhaps this could have made the fissure worse (just a theory though). Before bed last night I took Vitamin D which usually is a good booster for the next day. Of course I could be completely wrong about all this given that from time to time I do have a mini flare in the week prior to taking Humira. All in all I still feel pretty good and hope everyone had a nice and safe Halloween!

Anal Fissure Returns Fall 2015 (Almost 2 Years To the Week)

So I wrote in this previous post about an anal fissure almost exactly two years ago. In addition to this had an episode of this early this year around March which I discussed here. I have had some minor bleeding on my bottom starting on Wednesday. I had more issues on Thursday (bowel movements had a little blood in them). On Friday before I left for work I had a bowel movement and basically the whole toilet was in blood which wasn't good. Add to that the fact that my sleep the night before wasn't that great (I thought I heard something outside my apartment around 12:30 A.M.). I called the office of my GI and they gave him the message and then he called me back a little bit after lunch (my phone didn't ring and he left a voicemail to use the Hydrocorisone 2.5% /Pramoxine HCI 1%  cream that he gave me and to keep doing what I was doing in terms of taking hot baths. I apply the cream right after I take a hot bath which seems to seal everything up. It is odd because I am a little scared to have a bowel movement because worry about blood. I had a bowel movement this morning that seemed fine and no sign of blood. 

My plan is to continue to monitor how I am doing and only call my doctor if things get worse (i.e.-blood in the stool). I can't really complain as I have no cramping or really any pain. My sleep last night was pretty good and I felt refreshed today. More to come with my current pain in the butt :-)

Cheese Enchiladas + Frozen Custard + Light Sleep = Crohn's Pain!

So last night I did somewhat of a no-no I had cheese enchiladas (love those things) with some refried beans and rice at a Mexican place I had never been to before (they were really good) followed by a frozen custard sundae right after. I actually could feel some gas passing as I was driving which wasn't good. When I returned home I had to go to the bathroom and had some partial bowel movements (which can happen every now and then anyways), The meal was quite good however I felt like I had ate too much. Oh add on top of that at work we celebrated the birthday of one of the partners and went to Olive Garden and had unlimited bread sticks and salad (I have the five cheese Ziti which was okay nothing great).

Anyways, I had some minor pain today. I also woke up in the middle of the night and checked my phone (not sure why). Hopefully tonight I will get to bed early and allow my gut to heal. For some reason if I get a really good and deep sleep my stomach feels like it heals. Perhaps the gut has to rest like every other body part. I will probably take it easy this weekend. My birthday is coming up soon so I know I will get to go to my choice of eating out/desserts (have to be careful since I really enjoy chocolate).

On a follow up note from my last post. My dad is thankfully back to normal. It appears he had some minor side effects of diarrhea from his antibiotic however is back to normal now.

P.S.-The picture I have above does make me want some more-until I realize the pain :-)

Father Recently Took Antibiotic Having Bowel Issues

So the past few days my father has had some diarrhea after taking multiple rounds of antibiotics. The reason for giving him antibiotic was he recently had a minor procedure and he had a urinary tract infection afterword and of course antibiotics are usually taken to get rid of any type of infection. Yesterday he really didn't seem himself and said he had to go to the bathroom right after he ate. What is odd though he doesn't have any pain. He called our internist and he told him to take a bunch of Metamucil which is suppose to make things better. He took a probotic yesterday however I told him you really have to start taking that before you take the antibiotic. If that doesn't work then he will go in for some testing next week. I urged my dad to go to our GI instead of the internist (I trust our internist but it never hurts to have a specialist look it). At this point I doubt that it is c diff given he doesn't have any pain. If however things get worse I would change my mind about that. Hopefully, things get better for my dad since I really do care about him.

Feeling Pretty Good Lately

So this weekend was a little interesting. On Friday I was feeling pretty good (I actually had a date that night but had to drive over an hour an half away). I took my vitamin D on Thursday so it really gave me some energy on Friday. However, before I took the vitamin D I was having some minor cramping and blunt pains in my stomach. Anyways, Friday night I was feeling good and stayed out pretty late and had a minor amount of alcohol. I got home pretty late and was really tired. I think I went to bed around 1 A.M. and woke up 6 A.M. on Saturday morning so I was really tired. I slept a little around 8 or 9 but was still tired. I actually didn't feel too bad early in the morning but after lunch it was pretty tough.

On Saturday I went to bed around 9 P.M. and was really really tired. I woke up Sunday and probably got 9 or 10 hours of sleep (however still a sleep deficit since I only got maybe 5 the night before). Sunday I felt pretty good and felt like I had good energy. My father at dinner made the comment that I looked tired though. This evening as I write this I feel pretty good but feel a little tired around 9:30 P.M. and plan to go to bed a little earlier tonight. 

I am glad I am still in remission and every day am thankful that I am not on the toilet or throwing up. I started Humira 3 years ago this month and haven't really looked back ever since. Hopefully this will continue for years to come. 

Health Update: Flare Up Friday, Sleep, Stomach Pain, and Crohn's

Well this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday (Friday) I felt pretty tired and had stomach pain throughout the day. What was interesting however is that I really didn't have any loose bowel movements (I had maybe one or two). Add in to this the fact that the night before I woke up because I heard some popping noises in my apartment. My sleep wasn't that great which I think lead to the stomach pain. I took my Vitamin D pill on Thursday which actually I think helped out on Friday but still I felt not too great on Friday. When I came home from work I immediately sat in the tub with hot water and felt a little better. Around 5 P.M. I felt so tired I actually put on my pajamas and went to bed for about an hour. Before I fell asleep I remember a stabbing stomach pain in my stomach. After about an hour of sleep the pain went away (still some but greatly reduced). Last night I decided to eat lightly and ordered a Whataburger grilled chicken salad and had it with some dressing. What is interesting though is my weight is around 164 pounds (I was 160 a few weeks ago). I really would like to get back to 160 in order to fit into my work pants a tad easier. 

This morning (Saturday) I woke up and felt pretty good. I am scheduled to take my Humira tonight and usually I feel pretty good a couple of days after taking that. Vitamin D seems to make me feel really good. I call taking Vitamin D living life in high definition.

Feeling stomach pain made me remember to my days when I was really ill and it is somewhat burdensome to go back to that. Every day I am lucky and grateful that I have  drug that makes me feel relatively little pain. I started taking Humira almost 3  years ago and haven't looked back since. 

Anal Fistula Gone and Anal Fissure Appears (Not Crohn's Related)

So the past few weeks have been interesting. I have been to my GI two weeks in a row. As I mentioned in my last post I had a fistula and I finished my antibiotics and seemed fine (I took a probiotic with each antibiotic I took to reduce the risk of c diff-since I had c diff for a portion of 2013 and it isn't fun!). Anyways last Monday at work I went to the bathroom and noticed plenty of blood in my bowel movement. I was somewhat shocked and right after called my GI to schedule an appointment. My GI was able to squeeze me in the next day (which is pretty good!). My GI has told me that generally the end of the year is busy because people are trying to reduce their health insurance deductible. Well I went to my GI and he examined me (I had to roll over and assume the position so to speak so could "check things out". After he examined me he said I had a anal fissure. I asked him if he thought it was related to Crohn's and he said no because fissures end up in unusual places for patients with Crohn's and mine was more of a garden variety of anal fissures. My GI prescribed me some cream (Hydrocortisone Acetate 2.5% Pramoxine HCI 1% for my rear)  (it is somewhat hard to apply to that area of the body) and I have been using that after I take a hot bath.

Last night I had a mini flare up (only a few hours after I took my Humira which was interesting. I was watching TV with my parents and went home and on the way home I really had to go to the bathroom. After going to the bathroom I felt 100 times better. Today (Sunday March 1, 2015) I have felt fine and back to my normal self.

Dealing With A Fistula for Crohn's: Hot Baths Are The Answer

So a few weeks ago I went to my GI and was having some issues with my bottom and I thought it was a hemorrhoid.  However, after an examination it seems as if I had an anal fistula which is what I was a little worried about. I never really felt bad during the whole process however my rear did hurt some when I tried to lay down to sleep. On a Monday while I work I had to go to the bathroom and felt some type of foreign substance seems to pass in my stool which turned out to be puss from the fistula. According to my GI (puss must pass). My backside was feeling a little weird but after that I was feeling pretty good (there was some blood as well). After I saw my GI had to call him within 48 hours and let him know how I was doing. I have a follow up with him this week.

After my GI told me I had a fistula I asked what the plan was. I had been taking hot baths which probably seem to help the most out of anything. He told me to continue taking hot baths and he prescribed two antibiotics (I quickly pointed out my history of c diff and he said to take a probiotic-in order to reduce the chances of c diff).  I still remember my meeting at the Mayo Clinic on the fecal transplants where they said they really didn't have anyone catch c diff who took a probiotic before they took an antibiotic. My doctor prescribed Flagyl and Levaquin (just a note Levaquin was one of the antibiotics I took right before I was diagnosed with Crohn's) . The only side effects I have noticed was feeling somewhat dizzy and a little tired. My backside feels great and I really don't even feel anything is wrong with me. Everything I have read seems to indicate the surgery may be required (I have been looking up colon and rectal surgeons online and have a few that I will ask my doctor about).

2015 Getting Off To A Good Start!

You probably thought I got hit by a bus due to the lack of posting on my blog. I am perfectly okay and doing well however have been so darn busy with work and a designation I am trying to get. Anyways, my health is still very good. The only slight annoyance is that I have blepharitis (which is an irritation of the eyelids). An ophthalmologist I saw gave me some antibiotic drops and some scrubs which seems to have helped. Today was the first day in a while I actually wore my contact lenses for the full day and really didn't seem to have any issues. Usually it takes a few days or so before my eyes get all red again. Anyways, that seems to be somewhat under control.

My Crohn's is really under control. A few weeks ago I took my Humira shot and didn't inject it properly I think because some liquid came out (more so than normal). My stomach had cramps for the next couple of days after but slowly went back to normal. The biggest thing I have noticed is that when get 8+ hours of sleep I feel amazing. Today while I was getting my car washed I read a Time magazine article about the important of sleep (not using an iPad, iPhone, or anything else that lights up before bed was mentioned). I do have a tendency to watch T.V. right before bed and sometimes look at my iPad (on top of the fact that I also work out around 7 P.M. which is a big no no. Anyways, sleep seems to still be beneficial. 

I have my regular update with my GI in April this year and as usual I will type out my list of questions and symptoms (to try to make his job a little easier). I really have no complaints. I switched over beginning January 1, 2015 to a new insurance (my father had a group plan policy from the company he retired with and due to COBRA rules I was able to stay on until this year). The policy seems to be okay so far. The Humira I order is still covered and they are still able to ship the produce from a specialty pharmacy to me. 

So I have stopped posting updates to new therapies in Crohn's because they now seem to happen all the time!! Every day it seems as if there is a new study, new drug in trial, or new insight that was not known before. The goal of this blog has always been to inform and educate people about current and new information related to Crohn's. I think down the road as I get more time I will post more Weekend Links of some good articles (sometimes those take a while to collect). It truly is amazing how the treatment for Crohn's continues to improve and the knowledge is rapidly expanding. Hopefully, one day we will find a cure and help people and families end the pain and suffering due to Crohn's disease (and ulcerative colitis). 

Ganglion Cyst and Herrmorids..It Isn't Even February Yet!

So this past week I notice it was hard to sit down without some pain. After I typed in some of my symptoms to Google (isn't it wonderful to have a semi-doctor at your fingertips?) it appears I could have a hemorrhoid i my backside. I have had this before (I believe) and it really seems as if working out, hot baths, and drinking lots of water seem to help. The most pain I probably feel is when I lay down I can feel discomfort in my tailbone area. Every day though this week the pain as slowly gone away. Today I feel the best I have in a while and seemed to get a reasonable amount of sleep last night. On Friday I was tired most of the day (not sure why). I was thinking yesterday I would have to call my GI but the issues continues to improve so I will continue to monitor it. I usually only call my GI when I feel things are not improving and I really need help. 

So yesterday I went to an orthopedic doctor (actually his specialty was in hand surgery) to look at a bump on my wrist. I actually have known for a while what this bump is (known as a ganglion cyst). I can still remember around 2008 going to a baseball game on a date and the girl asked me what it was (like it was some alien-form). This event made me a little self-conscious about it however I really have cared less over time. The past week or so the ganglion cyst did hurt some on and off with radiating pain but really not too bad. When I first came in the nurse said the we would have to take an x-ray (I thought this was a little odd since I knew what caused it). On a separate note when I filled out the paperwork they asked multiple times if this was work related or from worker's compensation (I am pretty sure the they way they bill this is very different from the regular people like me). So I went to get the x-ray taken and the technicians asked me my age and I told them 28 and they thought I was 20. I told them I get that all the time :-) (maybe Crohn's isn't so bad after all). Anyways, the x-ray was done very quickly and then I went back to the office and the doctor had the results right then and there. So the doctor explained to me I had three options. The first was to just wait and see, the second was to aspirate it with a needle, and the third was to cut it out. We both agreed that aspirating it with a needle would be fine. He told me if it comes back in another 5 years he could aspirate it again. He put some rubbing alcohol on it and then put some freezing chemicals on it (I really didn't feel much). Then the doctor stuck the needle in my cyst and some jelly like substance came out (if you YouTube ganglion cyst you will see some fools trying to do this themselves). The feeling was kinda neat because I could see everything coming out. The only issue is I wish he would have taken more out. After all this the doctor put a band-aid on my hand and wrapped up my hand and told me not to lift anything heavy for 10 days (I have been careful every since). This morning it looks like my cyst is a lot smaller but there may seem to be a little more left (I can wait some time for this). 

In other health news I continue to have minor eye issues (my left eye today had some redness even though I haven't worn my contacts for over a week). I am not sure if it is the lack of moisture of what. The eye doctor told me I should change my contacts to daily, however I am not sure how that would fix the issue if I am still having some redness if even after I take my contacts on. 

My Crohn's seems to be under control. It seems as if I have more health issue with non-related Crohn's things than Crohn's related things. I actually didn't believe I would still be taking Humira (I thought I would have to lost a response to it by now). I take every day with as a gift and am grateful that I have my health and always in the back of my mind remember those dark days when I was in the hospital with feeling pretty lousy. I still remember my GI telling me when I got out of the hospital that on a scale of 1-10 (10 being bad) that my intestines were a 10! I wonder what grade he would give my intestines these days. 

Current Update: 5 Bowel Movements in One Day (Solid), Waking Up At Night, Humira Leaking

So the past few days have be somewhat odd health wise. Let me start with Saturday. So Saturday night I took my Humira shot and there was more leakage than normal. It is somewhat hard to inject on the stomach (even though I do have some fat). I held the pen in for a while and didn't pull away (the key is pulling it out once the color changes to yellow). Speaking of which I switched insurance companies and my GI has to pre-authorize my Humira so tomorrow I have to get him to call the company that delivers it to refill my prescription. I always get a little sad when I don't get my full Humira injection since I know the Humira is blocking the pain. Anyways most of Saturday I was pretty tired and a little irritated (I usually am this way when I don't get my sleep). Also I worked out over the weekend trying to shed some pounds. Right now I am about 169 pounds (I would prefer to be closer to 165).

Since I was tired Saturday I got some high quality sleep on Saturday night. I went to bed around midnight and woke up around 10 A.M. All I can say after this is wow what a difference! My body felt relaxed and in the zone the whole day and I really felt good.

This bring us to today. So at about 3 A.M. I woke up for no apparent reason and was wide awake. I first tried having a snack and that didn't work. After the snack I tried watching T.V. and that oddly enough did work (even though they tell you  not to watch to TV or look at your iPad before bed). Anyways I watched T.V. for about an hour and then passed out and woke up at around 8 A.M. thinking wow that sleep was way too short. It was odd though because when I woke up I strangely felt I had enough energy to last me throughout the day. While at work today I noticed the urge of having to pass gas and also having many bowel movements. Usually I track how many I have but I haven't done that in a while since I usually only have about 1-2 per day. Well today I would estimate I had about 5 bowel movements. What is interesting though is that they were all solid and seemed to be in shorts spurts. After the end of the day I felt a little light headed (I guess from all the dehydration). I felt I had lost a few pounds in the bathroom but when I weighted myself tonight it was basically no change.

My theory is that the Humira does work when I take it properly. Also sleep seems to play a role in my Crohn's as well. When I get 9+ hours (which is rare) my stomach is great but when I don't get a great rest it feels as if someone is very gently attacking it. If my symptoms continue I may go to my GI. Usually these things (especially if there is no diarrhea) come and go.

In other health news my parents think I need to get my lymp nodes checked out around my neck-I keep playing with them.