Me and My Colon

So I now know more about my colon than I ever wanted to know. (Don't worry, I'll spare you the pictures.) A couple of weeks ago, I went to Urgent Care, then the emergency room, then was admitted to the hospital. The GI doctor says I have the classic symptoms of chronic ulcerative colitis (UC). Basically, it is inflammation of the colon which is in the Irratable Bowel Sydrome (IBS) family. Considered worse than general IBS but not as bad as Chrone's Disease (UC is infection of the large intestine while Chrone's is both the large and small intestine). I am still trying to learn about it. At first, I thought I might have gotten a bacterial infection (salmonella) from the ducks (another long story), but they said they tested and biopsied and there was no sign of that and that it looked more chronic (I guess it would have just been colitis then instead of ulcerative colitis). It showed infection all the way to the "left-side" which is basically the whole large intestine/colon instead of just part of it (colon goes up through your right side than over). Anyway, they treated me with a whole bunch of medicine in the hospital and gave me some prescriptions to take home.

One medicine I have to take 3 capsules 3 times daily. It is called Balsalazide. Possible Side effects: Headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, abdominal pain, trouble sleeping, or loss of appetite may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. (Probably explains why I am blogging at 5:30 AM.)

The other medicine tastes horrible! At first I had to take 5 pills a day, but luckily I am now down to two a day. It is called Prednisone. Possible Side Effects:

• problems with your vision;

• swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath;

• severe depression, unusual thoughts or behavior, seizure (convulsions);

• bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood;

• pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate);

• low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); or

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).

Less serious side effects may include:

• sleep problems (insomnia), mood changes;

• acne, dry skin, thinning skin, bruising or discoloration;

• slow wound healing;

• increased sweating;

• headache, dizziness, spinning sensation;

• nausea, stomach pain, bloating; or

• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

So when I thought I would at least lose some weight being sick, I have actually been voraciously hungry. Argh. From my understanding, I am supposed to stay on Balsalazide long term but not Prednisone - that only when my colon gets really inflamed. The GI said that the side effects of Balsalazide are far better than letting your UC go uncontrolled (some people have to have their colon removed, yikes!). Just listening to the doctor right now since I am relying he knows better than me.

Irronically, the medication that I was already on which interacts the worst and causes flare ups of UC is Ziana which is a topical acne gel. In fact, some people think that it might actually cause UC. Who would have thought that your most dangerous medication might be your acne cream?! Regardless, I stopped using it and am back to good ol' Neutrogena.

So, that is all I really know so far. Needless to say, I haven't been feeling my best the last few weeks. Randomly feel better and worse, but hopefully it will get better instead of worse over time. I cried at my 2 week check up with the GI even though he has already diagnosed me. I guess it just felt more serious and long term hearing it when I wasn't drugged up in the hospital. I also have over active bladder, so this is going to make it fun for me. (Maybe the next home improvement project should be a master bath upgrade since I will probably be spending a lot more time in there.) With everything else wrong with me, I was just frustrated and upset. Dr. Barkley (my PCP) said that when he got the medical records sent over from the hospital, he thought, "Boy this girl just can't get a break. She is too young to have all these problems..." Okay, changing subject because I am tearing up again.

On a happier note, we adopted a dog from the Great Dane Rescue of Charlotte. No, she isn't a great dane - we have no idea what she is. Her name was Flurry, then we renamed her Quarry, and then we renamed her again to Carrera. However, I will write a separate post about that since we has nothing to do with me and my colon.