lizzacee

[bip]

Everytime I read your post  I smile.  You have a very high postive attitude. I love when people are like this cause I admit Im not postive to anything I think of the worst.

You gone through so much and your very strong. I wish you the best you are doing a very good jib on helping others.

[bip]

I went to my OBGYN and they said I have a 1cm cyst in my right ovary and it is dissolving and I have a smaal amount of free fluid near by my ovary.  Everything is normal down there I went to a urlogy he gave me DEXTROL  to help with the urination.  Anyways they called yesturday and They must of found something in my urine Im going to call this morning.....

[lizziecee]

Many thanks for your very kind words. I think having had Crohn's for so long, I do understand the social taboos that goes with discussing inflammatory bowel diseases, and try to help where I can. I just wish we had had the internet when I was first diagnosed. I sometimes felt like a leper with the bubonic plague!  Even my close friends don't wish to discuss the details, even though I am not at all embarrassed these days. I just figure it is no different to having an infected leg or whatever. At least my current gastro will explain complicated matters to me - like the current problem we are having over whether or not I should continue with weekly methotrexate injections. I gasped when he asked me recently if I wanted quality or quantity of life! Sounded like a death sentence. I did however laugh, and said: "I am greedy, I want both".

The current problem is that my monthly blood tests for the last 4-5 months have been out of range on some parameters like low haemoglobin, high MCV and high MCH, due to the mtx. I even had a call last week from the specialist IBD nurse at the hospital, who had just reviewed my bloodwork and she suggested I stop the mtx immediately. I told her that I had discussed it with my husband and he said only the gastro should make that decision, so I have an appt with him Oct 10th to discuss further. Apparently there are some serious long term side effects with this drug (which is chemotherapy) like lymphoma of the lungs, kidney failure, etc. Trouble is, gastro said there is nothing else he can prescribe to keep the Crohn's symptoms in remission (and I still have bad morning diarrhea despite taking codeine phosphate and imodium). I was on steroids for some 30 yrs or so and this has lead to severe osteoporosis. I broke a metatarsal bone in my left foot 3 months ago, spent 3 weeks in a wheelchair and on crutches, then blow me two months ago broke a bone in a toe on the right foot. My gastro sent me for a DEXA bone density scan and apparently my bones had thinned dramatically due to the steroids. But hey ho, I am still here, enjoying the restricted lifestyle I have with my 79 yrs young disabled husband. We own a holiday apt in the Fort where we live and this has been fully booked since Jan 1st, so this does keep me busy and we get to meet new people each week.

When I was dx with breast cancer, my surgeon was discussing my prognosis, in light of the cancer having already spread to my lymp nodes, and I thought he was joking, and trying to lighten the cancer situation when he said: "Liz, you will most likely die of Crohn's rather than bc." I asked him why and he said that so much is known about bc, new drugs coming along all the time, whereas Crohn's is still classed as an "orphan disease" in the Uk at least. Well, I believe I will die of old age disgracefully, wearing purple hats and red dresses!

Hope you are keeping well and you got the frequent urination problem sorted out.

Take care,
Liz.