UPDATE 2018

Here is my year so far:

I've been under stress so I've had a bit of a flare. I'm on Rowasa as needed for that.

My arthritis is bad. My rheumatologist thinks he may need to double my stelara dosage.  So we shall see.

I went to donate blood today and couldn't because my hemoglobin is 9.6. Guess i get to start some iron for that. But i have no idea why it is so low! Ugh!

About a month ago, i fell off a chair and scraped up my entire side, took a chunk out of it and hit my head pretty bad. The wound got infected because of my suppressed immune system. It's all healing now! It's going to leave a huge scar. And i had some brain trauma so I have to go back to my neurologist.

Updates to come!

Pillcam Day 2: Agile Patency

I went in at 7:30am to swallow the pill for the agile patency.  It's purpose is to make sure everything is wide enough and nothing gets stuck. Tomorrow at exactly the 28 hour mark, 11:40am, i have to go back for an xray to make sure it passed and isn't stuck anywhere. Then I go home and wait for a phone call with the results and to schedule a time for me to go back again and swallow the pill cam and get hooked up to the device that reads the images for 8 hours.

I knew this process was going to take about 2 days but i didnt expect a 3-4 day event. And it really makes me think, what would I do if I was working? And this isn't the only time the doctor pulls me in for these tests with unpredictable timelines. I mean think about it: i couldnt go to work during these days...or at least tell them a time i couls be there. And honestly, how many jobs out there can you just tell them I may or may not be in all week and if i do come in, i dont know what times or for how long. Ok?...yeah i don't think that would go over so well! This is my week and how it doesn't seem possible to hold on to a job during weeks like this:

Day 1: Prep day aka laxatives!

Day 2: Swallow a pill and don't eat for an additional 4 hours. ..yes i know you're starving and about to pass out but wait 2 hours before you drink anything and 4 before you eat and try not to pass out, especially if you have to go to work!

Day 3: Come back in for an xray and then wait for us to call you and then come back exaxtly when we need you to either today or tomorrow. ..hope you don't have anything to do!

Day 3/4: Once again, drive back up here (40min for me) and swallow the camera capsule and have wires coming out of your shirt and don't expect to be uncomfortable if you have to be in public aka a job and i know you have no choice because we just made you take half your week off already! Oh and good luck keeping your job after you have had to be out so often for doctor appointments, hospital stays, testing, and of course,  actually being sick. And FMLA? Yeah, you used up those days in the 1st month plus we don't care.

Ok!! My rant is over! I'm just hungry and cranky and thinking about this fun crohnie life haha. Seriously though, the procedure isn't complicated by any means! It's just time consuming the way it has to be split up over 3-4 days. It is also frustrating when you can't eat and the hunger kept you up all night and you also couldn't have anything to drink after midnight, which you wouldn't notice when you're asleep but of course that wasn't the way my night went (even after taking my ambien).

So there you are! Day 2 of the Pill cam!

Low Residue Diet

I've been trying to diet and lose weight lately and I ended up losing sight of what I could and couldn't eat due to my Crohn's disease. I want to eat like everyone else trying to diet. Unfortunately,  eating raw veggies is just not a realistic plan and I ended up with a small bowel obstruction because of my poor choices. So I'm heading back towards a low residue/fiber diet and I wanted to share a bit of information for everyone!

Should You Try a Low-Residue Diet?

If a doctor has diagnosed you or a loved one with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) -- like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis -- or with diverticulitis, your doctor may suggest you follow a low-residue diet.

Never heard of it? The basic idea is that you'll eat foods that are easy to digest, and you'll limit those that aren't. 

What Is a Low-Residue Diet?

It's a diet that limits high-fiber foods, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, nuts, seeds, raw or dried fruits, and vegetables.

New Way to Ease Ulcerative Colitis?

"Residue" refers to undigested food, including fiber, that make up stool. The goal of the diet is to have fewer, smaller bowel movements each day, in order to ease symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, and stomach cramping.

Your doctor may recommend that you go on a low-residue diet for a short time when you're having a flare, or after surgery to help with recovery. But it's not a general eating plan for all people with IBD. 

Crohn's can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients from food. Ask your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist who can make sure your diet plan is right for you and let you know if you need any vitamin supplements.

On a low-residue diet, you can eat:

Grains

Refined or enriched white breads and plain crackers, such as saltines or Melba toast (no seeds)Cooked cereals, such as farina, cream of wheat, and gritsCold cereals, such as puffed rice and corn flakesWhite rice, noodles, and refined pasta

Fruits and Vegetables

The skin and seeds of many fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber, so peeling skin and avoiding seeds is part of a low-residue diet. You can eat the following vegetables on the diet:

Well-cooked fresh vegetables or canned vegetables without seeds, such as asparagus tips, beets, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, squash (no seeds), and pumpkinCooked potatoes without skinTomato sauce (no seeds)

Fruits include:

Ripe bananasSoft cantaloupeHoneydewCanned or cooked fruits without seeds or skin, such as applesauce or canned pearsAvocado

Milk and Dairy

Milk products are OK to eat in moderation. Milk has no fiber, but it may trigger symptoms such as diarrhea and cramping if you have lactose intolerance. You could use lactase supplements or eat lactose-free products.

Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on November 18, 2014

© 2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Fecal Transplant Study As A Possible Cure

Inflammatory Bowel Disease 'Cured' With Fecal Transplant

January 22, 2015 5:06 PM
By Jessica Berman

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are extremely painful and can lead to colorectal cancer. Now, researchers have effectively cured the conditions in mice, offering hope for human sufferers of so-called IBDs.

Waste material from healthy people is rich in helpful bacteria. When transferred to the digestive tracts of sick individuals, in whom there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria, the fecal matter helps restore the balance of healthy flora.

Some cutting-edge doctors have used so-called fecal transplants to treat severe bacterial infections, including Clostridium difficile or C. diff, which releases toxins as it grows, attacking the lining of the intestines.

Scientists also have found the transplants appear to reverse autoimmune diseases of the bowel.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, are life-long disorders that cause severe diarrhea, painful cramps and bleeding.

According to June Round, a professor of medicine at the University of Utah, such diseases are becoming increasingly common around the world, as more and more people eat a low-fiber, high-fat Western diet.

Round also blames the widespread use of antibiotics.

“So, I think a lot about the microbes that naturally reside in our bodies. And antibiotics can not distinguish between what is good and what is bad," she said. "They kind of wipe-out everything. So, there is a very clear-cut correlation between when Western civilization started using the antibiotics and the increased incidence of a lot of these autoimmune diseases.”

Currently, treatments for these conditions are supportive, designed only to ease the symptoms. So, the idea of a potential cure for IBD is very appealing.

In experiments with mice with inflammatory bowel disease, Round and her team found that fecal transplant restored the healthy balance of intestinal flora, returning the intestine to near normal.

But the notion of transferring fecal material from one person to another -- and in the case of mice, through a tube into the stomach -- makes many people say "yuck." So Round said researchers are now trying to identify the helpful bacteria in human waste so they can be put into pill form.

“You know, right now we have to do fecal transplantation because the [bacterial] communities are so complex, and we just do not know what organisms are doing the good thing," she said. "So, we just kind of put it all in there and hope for the best. So, there is no way of getting around it right now, but hopefully in the future there will be.”

The work is published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe.

Doctor Visit

Ive been cramping for days and cant stay out of the bathroom, when I actually make it in time that is. They've decided on definitely doing a colonoscopy or a partial one to check out my sigmoid where the crohns has always been and where im having the pain at. This is mainly to reduce the risks associated with the actual procedure.

As always, ill keep you posted!

And a special thank you to my fiance for putting up with me being in bed all week. I know he's bored and its not easy on him either but he's being super supportive!

Information

Here's some info on IBD, auto immune diseases,  and chronic pain