I have been MIA all over the internet for the past several months or more. I had been on a depression medication, Celexa, which was giving me nightmares (ones I didn’t much enjoy), trouble sleeping and so, rather than speaking to my family doctor about it and getting something different, I just quit taking it. One thing is for sure.. my doctor told me right up front at the beginning of all this.. It’s not unusual at all to feel depressed when you have Crohn’s Disease.
Not a good idea.
After several months of progressively getting worse, I finally talked to doc about it. He put me on something different (Effexor, which doesn’t have very many supporters if you search about it). After about two weeks, he bumped up the amount I take.. I feel better now, but wouldn’t mind feeling a little bit better than I do. I need to go see him soon and will talk to him about it then. Depression is no fun.
I notice a pattern with how I deal with things, and always see the pattern in hindsight, but when dealing with it at the time, I just can’t deal with it. I knew last summer and fall I was depressed, but I kept thinking it would be better tomorrow and I’d call the doctor, but then didn’t feel better and wouldn’t. There was always some reason for me to put it off. Not healthy, but at the time, I don’t know how to work around it. Ah well, knowing the problem is half the battle, right?
As for my Crohn’s Disease, I started Humira and am feeling so much better. I still get pain in a few different locations, and still use prescribed pain med to manage it – both my family doctor and my Digestive Specialist doc are fine with it. What would I do without them (both of my doctors.. and yeah, the pain med too.. but my doctors are awesome)? I just don’t know. Humira, used for both crohn’s and ulcerative colisit, is easy to do – self injection every other week with the pen (pen is called a self-injection pen or an auto injector – they are disposable, and Humira will provide a container for them for free). As long as I put ice on the injection location both before to numb it and after to calm it, I do alright. Sometimes it swells a bit, sometimes it bruises badly, sometimes it bleeds more than other times and sometimes it itches like crazy. GI doc gave me a cream to use for the itching, very helpful.
While everything is going well with me, my sister was just recently diagnosed with colitis. … sigh …
Edited to include:
I forget what search I did to come across this couple and their story about Ulcerative Colitis and surgery.. I got caught up in reading about Mark and Megan – while Mark is the one diagnosed with UC, it is very much a part of Megan’s life too.
They tell their story about Mark’s battle with UC, their choosing surgery and, the best part, they share pictures of things along the way. Their story is amazing, their relationship true (honest, open), they deal with things in such a positive direct manner.. If nothing else, at least skim through the few different links of their journey, skim the story and see the pics – nothing off-putting. (Since my dad had to have an ostomy this past summer – reversed in fall – it was nice to see such a direct and open story about Megan and Mark. And to Megan and Mark.. if you happen upon this link, know I through kudos to you both!) UC Story w pics.