Conquering Crohn's

What Are We Missing??

2012-09-06T19:07:00.001-07:00

My New Friends

My life for the past three years has encompassed the quote, "Rainy with a chance of clouds", or even "Cloudy with a chance of sun". Until recently I have been trying to just keep my head above water. Today, most days, I am doing better than existing. It's been a long awaited step in the right direction. Yippie!

My last post promised an update on my new adventures in Crohns conquering. I haven’t been so good at fulfilling that promise, and it's been long in coming; but now I have a greater experience on which to draw!

My life in the past few years has essentially been a shell of what my former life was. My personality became a boring, cynical version of what was once a happy, bubbly, “otter” as my parents liked to call it. I have been through, and understand the despair of what it feels like to lack hope (see previous post on hope).

I keep hearing Winston Churchill say, “if you are going through hell, keep going.” When finally, earlier this year, I decided that God never wants us to give up hope, I could find the strength reach outside my comfort zone and explore new options. Romans 5:3-4 says “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” I was certainly not rejoicing at the time, but I have come to see how my perseverance of hope during total agony was only because God allowed it, and finally I saw the sliver of hope.

We have all come to think of some forms of bacteria as our friends. When we take antibiotics, or as females when we get those nasty yeast infections; that good bacteria needs to replaced. Massive doses of yogurt or probiotics should help! This idea of bacteria being good was revolutionary!

Fast forward to my life, and the present. I was doing all these things to try to correct the landslide backwards that was happening to my body. The things I was doing were all good. Unfortunately my body needed to be pushed the other direction. The pendulum was swinging the WRONG way. What if, just like good bacteria, we need good parasites too?! Some people call this “helminthic induced immune imodulation” After the initial shock of the idea, collect your thoughts, and remember that some bacteria is nasty, dangerous stuff. MRSA is NO joke! And people with C Diff are not healthy, happy folks. BUT, we NEED the good stuff too! In fact, without the good, the bad take over. The pendulum needed a push toward healing. I had to correct the autoimmune function, instead of mask it. Can that even happen??? The idea is that is gives our immune system something other than itself to attack…

So, I booked a flight to California, to see the great people I met through www.wormtherapy.com. After months of research, and even a quick panic attack at the crazy idea I was about to follow through with, I arrived in January in San Diego, CA.

When I got there, we took a quick trip across the border, to a doctor’s office in Tijuana, Mexico. They spent hours looking at labs, talking about my specific situation, and making recommendations. We (myself, and my in-laws that accompanied me) worried about it being dangerous to cross the border, that the trip would take hours to get back across the border, and that I would have reactions to the treatment to deal with. After initial discussion, we decided on treatment and dosage, then placed some clear liquid on a band-aid:

I put it on my arm, and waited the 11 minutes to feel the 15 pinches as each one made its way into my arm. Their journey, and mine, had begun.

God was so good! It went without a glitch. Nothing happened out of the ordinary, we breezed through the border without problems (in less than 1.5 hours, which was a miracle!), and the reactions were only minor itching.

We had dinner with the provider, and discussed the work he was doing with autoimmune diseases. Wonderful to hear, when these people are left with so few options! Then we spent the night in the hotel, and flew back home.

We waited…and waited…and patiently waited. I’ve never prayed for patience, for fear that God might try to teach me some. Whether I liked it or not, I was learning it. For 12 weeks, I waited for the process to happen. For these little guys to get established, they travel through my arm, into my lungs, coughed into mucus, swallowed, and finally through my stomach into the intestines; where they start to set up shop. My little babies made it to their destination, and started to grow into adults.

People ask me now if I think they are helping or working. My answer has become some version of the following “last year I was in the hospital three times, and spent $18,000 –with insurance- on health care, this year I have yet to be hospitalized, and have spent – including my Mexico trip, less than $4,000, and I’m on about 1/3 of the medication”. The year isn’t over yet, of course. It took 12 weeks to start seeing any benefit, and at the 6 month mark, I am pretty sure my overactive intestines killed them off; so I had to replace them. It’s a never ending process of establishing the right dose. I hope to get off all medication, and into a healthy place. I still take one step forward and two back. The process is far from perfect.

My body had been in such bad shape, for so long, that it will take time to repair, and reverse the pendulum. Could it be, though, that I’ve found a way to jump start the process?? Could it be that God created a way for our bodies to keep autoimmune diseases at bay, and our clean living accidentally got rid of what we needed? I sure HOPE so!

Now that I've seen this working in my own life, I've started reading this book to better understand:

Keep Hoping,

Rachel

P.S. I'd like if everyone would weigh in on what they'd like to hear more about!

Enjoying life: feeding the dolphins at Sea World

Rethink the Unthinkable

2012-01-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

Historic Subterranean Missile Launch Command Capsule (Oscar One)

My husband and I recently visited Whiteman Air Force Base. On the base you can go down underground and see where they used to have a secret launching pad for the nuclear missiles. They were set up in such a way that it took two separate people to turn a key at once in order to detonate them. They had all sorts of security and secret codes, with needed presidential authorization. Currently, this particular location has been closed for military operations but open for tours.

What struck me most, though, was the escape hatch. In case war did break out, and these people ended up stuck down there, they were provided a means of escape. They were each given tiny shovels that looked something like this:

After opening a hatch, which weighed enough to crush several men, and is set in a precarious angle. To get out, the must allow several tons of sand to flow into the tiny room in which they would be sitting. In the case they made it through that, they would be lucky if the sand didn't first fill the room, or that the sand did not become a large glass bubble (from the nuclear blast) in which they could only see through - and hope for escape. BUT, let's say that they are lucky. Then they must dig through many feet of gravel, followed by layers of road ties, then six feet again of dirt. They would finally make it to a nice thick asphalt. You see, because the location of this place was secret, even many military people did not know its location. So, they ended up covering the escape area with a parking lot!
When they shut down the site (which was reopened for viewing purposes) some of the personnel wanted to try the escape...just to see if it would have worked. But they didn't let them. Want to know why??? Because the escape wasn't necessarily meant to work. It was put there to keep people mentally hopeful, and not thinking about what might happen, should they really have a need to follow through with this. Since there are still similar "exit strategies" around our nation, what would happen should our escape route be nonviable? The people working there would lose hope! That is how precious our hope is! The idea that it is possible, though highly improbable, can keep us mentally sane. The military knew this force to be true. The idea that one has to dig with a tiny, very sturdy looking (ha ha) shovel, after the narrow escape of being squashed, through sand, glass, gravel, railroad ties, soil and asphalt, seems pretty improbable. But there is a chance. And that chance creates hope.
So....what does all this have to do with Crohn's? HOPE! I am convinced that we nearly lose our minds when we lose hope. I can say, I have been there. I am not saying this to be unrealistic, by any means. But, find something in your life to give you hope. And here follows my next blog...
I just found my next "hope" for my disease. I've been though many things, hoping they would help but here I go again. I've learned it's not a bad thing.

Wormtherapy.com...look it up. I am in week one, so I don't see any difference really (good or bad). But...there is an invisible difference. And maybe, just maybe, it's the most important one anyway.
More on my treatment to come!

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Rachel

The good days.

2011-09-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Those of us who experience extreme pain (and those of us who just get a glimpse of what others go through), all have those days. The "good" days... Contrasting those days, we look back at "great" days, and "terrible" days; and realize that good days should be appreciated.
A friend and I recently began talking, about how we had been having "good" days. In a way it is encouraging! Good days are always a much appreciated break from the bad ones, and a hope for great ones. But, in the good days somehow lie the foreboding that the bad ones might return. Life seems to be a cycle. Some of us have big, huge waves in our cycle, i.e. years of good "perfect" lives, followed by times that aren't so wonderful. For some of us it changes day to day. In the past month or so I've had of mostly good days, I've been trying to enjoy them to their potential, while preparing for what I deem the enevitable downturn that will come. As we speak my stomach sends a resounding "yes" to the recently quiet rumblings.
Usually, I write to Crohns patients, or those experiencing similar issues. This is for you, but also for everyone! How can we use our good days to prepare for those bad ones that will come? How can we invest in friendships while we have the chance? What projects can we get done, or prepare for? And what in the world really matters in life? Maybe we should concentrate on that.
And those of us with health issues...what can we do now. It is so easy to sit back, and think that we are doing "ok" now, ignoring the fact that even if our issue is under control, there will come a time when we will need to deal with it, or another one, in the future. Or, if we are doing really well (wouldn't that be wonderful!!), how can we help others learn more about how they can do better as well.
All this to say...I've had some good days. Through those God has opened my eyes to so many things that I'd love to be doing, and to share what I've been through and learned. At the same time, fear creeps in, that soon I will be in a state where some of my hopes won't be realized. For me, at this time, it is most likely reality. But what can I, and others, do in the mean time to make the most of what has been given us? I envy those with endless health and energy. Oh, what you can do! Don't take what you have for granted.
My next goal is to continue to research alternative methods that might help me. Be prepared! I am not your average patient, and poo isn't as far as I will go. (see the last post) On to helminths...

Ding dong! May I borrow some poo?

2011-09-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

Our doc went to a conference, and told us they discussed a new therapy. Something is terribly wrong with your intestines. Your bacteria is overrun by negative bacteria, and you need to fix that! So, you get out your Tupperware container, walk to your neighbor's house, and "ding-dong"..."may I borrow some poo??". Sounds crazy, but according to research, just might be they new "medicine" for many of us. It has been shown to help all sorts of things, infection being at the top of the list, but also some autoimmune disease and even obesity.

We finally tried it. We called it HPI (human probiotic infusion). Otherwise known as bacteriotherapy, or fecal transplant.
I started talking with a doctor in NY about the process. He was willing to look into everything, but wasn't sure about the efficacy with Crohns. Although they have seen amazing benefits with C diff patients, and some improvements among Ulecerative Colitis patients, the success rate hasn't been great among Crohns patients for some reason. I speculate that it is because one will encounter trouble getting the implant into the small intestines, which are more commonly associated with Crohns. But, I am getting ahead of myself here...
After many phone calls, and advise from a few friends, I found Dr. Silverman's protocal. He is a GI that has done this proceedure with some success, and come up with a list of test to do on the donor as well as how to go about doing the HPI on your own at home.
Since my husband was going to be gone for several weeks, I was staying at my in-laws while he was away. Since my family seems to be the genetic carrier for many intestinal related issues, we decided to look to his. My mother-in-law is a retired nurse, and was willing to help with the procedure. She also has had no real illness to speak of, especially intestinally. Also, she eats a great diet; which I found important. SO...of we go to the doctor! We brought our ideas, along with the list tests to be done beforehand. The last thing I wanted was something new!! Fourtunatly, he was very agreable. All the tests came back negative, and we were on to step two: infusion.
Before we started, I went again to get hydrotherapy. I figured having it all cleaned out might provide a better atmosphere for her good bacteria to take over mine. Plus, getting the mixture up there when full might not be the best proceedure. In any case, after my trip to the hydrotherapist, we set out to make our first concoction. Our first go round, we added her "poo" to some distilled water, mixed shortly with a blender (a designated one, that we got from a yard sale for this purpose!) and filled an emptied fleets bottle. We had to take out the filter and use lots of lube, but it worked. I took a nap, hoping to keep it intact for a few hours. Unfortunatly, round one kept for only about 45 minutes.
Round two. We mixed up the mix, but this time we decided to get a prescription for saline. Maybe that would keep our bacteria happy. We also tried a larger enema bag, trying to get the mix up there a bit higher, but it didn't seem to work quite as well, so we went back to the fleets. This round I held for a few hours (4 I think), and was satisfied that was a good time frame.
Per Dr. Silverman's protocol, we repeated this 6 times. I did see major improvement in the following days, but I was on a prednisone pack, and I guess it was masking my symptoms, because they all came back in a few weeks. We tried the proceedure again a few weeks later, to find that we didn't get the same results.
I am glad that I gave it a try! There were absolutely zero side effects, and I am always interesting in alternative methods to some of the toxic meds that are out there! I also think that it can be helpful. We don't know what took, or what help my gut got. Just because I don't see immediate or significant effects, doesn't mean we should all give up on the idea. Maybe someday, I'll do it again, not that I'm over the ick factor. In any case, I know what I'd do where I ever to encounter c. diff!! Ding dong...

Do what, where?

2011-02-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

So last week, I ventured out and tried some new things. We've all heard the saying, "if you keep doing the same thing, you will get the same result". Some therapies take a long time to do good (or harm). For instance, eating healthy can have a huge impact over the course of years, but in one day will not change a whole lot.

In any case, I got this idea from jini patel, and crohn'sboy, to get a colonic, and then to put in some healing herbs and probiotics.

Colonics are new to me, but not to humankind. As far back as 1500 BC, Egyptians used a type of enema to treat disease.In the early 1900's in Battle Creek, Michigan... John H. Kellogg, M.D., extensively used colon therapy, specifically colonics, on some forty thousand of his patients. In 1917 he reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association — that in all but 20 cases — he used no surgery for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in his patients! The popularity of colon therapy in the United States reached its apex in the 1920's and 1930's. At that time, colonic irrigation machines were commonly seen, and regularly used as a standard practice, in hospitals and physician's offices. But in the ensuing 60 to 70 years the public's use and access to this valuable health treatment greatly decreased.

So, I decided to give this a try for myself.

This is what the machine looked like. Pretty simple and retro, but seemed to get the job done.

If you've never heard of this before, here is the explanation of what it is:
"Colon Hydrotherapy is a safe effective method of removing waste from the large intestine without the use of drugs. By introducing filtered and temperature regulated water into the colon, the waste is softened and loosened, resulting in evacuation by natural peristalsis. This process is repeated a few times during a session." - Pam Craig, I-ACT President

The lady was very nice, and asked me all sorts of questions about myself and my family. Last year, she did 70,000 colon therapies on people in and around the city of Louisville. I didn't know there was such demand! I was told to lay on my left side while she insterted a tube, and then was transferred to my back. In and out went the water...it was a very subtle, and actually nice feeling.

The therapist kept asking me, "don't you feel a little different, Rachel?" I know she was implying me feeling a bit better, but I couldn't help but think, "of course I feel different! I've got water surging in and out of my colon, for heaven's sake!"

During the procedure, the most uncomfortable parts were some small cramps as it was cleaning, and the removal of the tube. I had them leave a bit of water in with some marshmallow root, comfrey root, and slippery elm bark (all known as healing herbs), as well as a few of the natren probiotics that I've been taking orally for the past two months.

After it was all over, they gave me a Vitamin drink, and told me to take it easy, as my colon had received quite the work-out.

Now, it is about a week, post-procedure. For the first 2-3 days I felt no intestinal cramping! It was seriously amazing. I've had a bit more of that come back, but it still is much subdued from what it has been for the past few months. Here's hoping that it continues to be as helpful!

Curious, anyone else had any experience with colonics?? Let us know! I'll keep you updated to my progress!

Keep on hoping!

Rachel

Back on the wagon..

2011-02-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Valentines 2011

It finally happened. I knew the day would come, but dreaded actually hearing it. I went to the doctor, and he said (my GI) that we have basically done all we can do. Ok, not everything...we can go to Mayo. Kinda scary.

I stumbled across this site, listen2yourgut.com. It has quite a bit of helpful information. One thing I found, was that I tried the shakes that they offer. It seems I can down these, when all else fails. The lady on the site greatly enourages a few things, including probiotics to reintroduce good bactieria, oil of oregeno to get rid of infection of things like MAP (more on that later if you don't know about it yet), and EFT (some sort of emotional release technique).

Right now, I'm feeling pretty good. Of course I always do when they put me on steroids. Then the downward taper off them seems to coincide with the downward spiral of how I feel, both in my attitude, and in my physical health.

That being said, each time I resolve that this time will be different. Resolve may not do much, but I believe hope does.I hear over and over that there is no "cure' for Crohns. I believe that to be true, in a sense. Many, many people have been helped through various means, though, putting their crohns into remission for long periods of time...so, that is the hope.

I am fully convinced there are lots of factors that affect the IBS patients colon. Some may be allergies, some infection, maybe toxic overload of some kind. Maybe hormones? Who really knows?

People like me get desperate for something to help. But it seems, eventually our "quick fixes" such as pain meds, and steroids all do us more damage in the long run. If only we could all figure out how to combat that?

I am contemplating doing an experiment, next, where I get a colonic done, and then do a retention enema with probiotics. I think some have found relief with this. Crohnsboy.com has a narrative with him trying one during a flair, and seemed to find some help. Also, a really interesting idea to me is the one of Human Probiotic Transplant (otherwise known as a fecal transplant). I can't find any doctors here in the US doing this for Crohns. Many have tried it for c-diff with extremely high success rates. Also, a doc in Australia has been doing thousands of them with good results? Will I have to travel to Australia? Surely I can talk some local GI into trying this??

Now that you've all pondered this wonderful thought, go enjoy your next meal. :)

This is the day...

2010-11-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

There is an old song that we used to sing in Sunday school “this is the day that the Lord has made, I will be glad and rejoice in it…”

Never did I know that some day it would be so hard. As a child you can’t even fathom what life is like as an adult. It’s probably good that we can’t understand that one day we will have to pay bills, eat our vegetables for our hearts, and do all those things that we dreaded doing around the house because now we are the only ones here to do them.

I guess I really wasn’t sick much as a kid. At least I don’t remember anything beyond your normal flu. And every time I was sick, there was something to go back to. The thought in the back of my mind was, “in a few days I will be better”. I could always count on the flu, or cold or whatever being miserable for days, but then magically it would get better. Why can’t all illness be like the flu??

Today I woke up determined that my day was going to be better than the last. I think it was worse. “Ok”, I thought, “step 1, determination is not enough to make myself better”. Perhaps most people instinctively know this step, but somehow I continually forget it. Go ahead, laugh.

On to my next normal course of action. What can I do to help myself? My day usually starts with, “God, please let my Crohns heal…at least to where it’s manageable.” My husband and I had a talk about God…the difference between trusting and doing and when to do each of them. I can trust God to make me better, and do nothing…and while that could help, for most people it doesn’t. I can do something about it! But if I do something about it, there is still no guarantee (especially with something like Crohns) that it will get better. I guess you need both. Meds and diet and rest can help, but only God can heal.

What else is there to do?? Seems like I’ve tried it all! It seems to me that I need something that will get me over the “hump”, so to speak. My body needs to heal. I tell my husband that when I eat my whole body gets angry with me. Makes it hard to muster down that dinner!

But, our bodies do have the amazing propensity to heal! Remember the flu, and how it got better “magically”? Perhaps that wasn’t a serious illness, but it shows we do have the ability to fight things, and to heal. What will be the thing that can help my body do that??

I am going to try a new vitamin. Crohns patients are notorious for being malnourished, and vitamins are more important for us than most. But getting a good vitamin can be more complicated that it seems. Most would go to the local drug store and buy one. After research though, I’ve found not all vitamins are created equal. My doctor suggested Drucker Labs, since they do a liquid vitamin shown to be effective. I will let you know what I think of it, when I finish the bottle. So far, I can say it’s the best tasting liquid vit that I’ve had.

Also, my husband found and article that showed a study they did, where Boswellia extract was taken in place of mesalazine (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11215357 ). Wow, that is great! This has been added to my regimine.

So, what’s next?? I think it’s time to do more research on food. There are tons of diets out there, but who knows what one to do! I’ll talk about that next time… Until then! Happy Thanksgiving.

Hope for Conquering Crohns - My story and what I'm doing next!

2010-11-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

How many people sit on their couch and think “my life is boring and no one wants to hear about it”? Most likely you are right. But when you get sick, things change. The pizza and chocolate ice cream that was amazing, doesn’t seem so good when they come back up. Get the picture? But that’s what makes life interesting. As you lay there with the flu, nausea, fever and the like, all you can think about is “when will it be over?”. That and “how many reruns of Seinfeld and Jerry Springer and Family Feud can they actually play in one day?!”. I wish most diseases were “over”, like a flu is.

As I sit in my apartment, I recall all of the activities of last year. It's been an eventful year! For most, it probably fits into the "boring" category that no one wants to hear about. But.. My life drastically changed in the course of a year. I suppose lives do that. We all have these times in our lives. People get married, have children, move to a new town...all those things that are "happy" times. There are also devastating things that happen to us, most of which include something like illness, death, or financial issues.
This year I've had many of those happy times. I am a newly wed, and moved with my husband into a little apartment, and we have had so much fun setting up our lives together. But all this is in spite of my devastating Crohns episode of last year. Those of you with Crohns can sympathize. I am sure there are many of you out there who have it far worse than I do!

Last November, I woke one morning to the sudden fever of 104 degrees, terrible arthritic conditions that left me literally unable to move, and intestinal distress that made my bowel habits unmentionable! OK, I soon will later actually mention the amazing wonders that can happen as you develop Crohns, for those of you who haven't experienced it. A healthy gut is a gift from God. Seriously. I will never take for granted again having a regular day in the world of bowel movements. Anyway, there I was lying in bed, not being able to move, and most of my family has taken off to see my sister perform. Thank God I had one sister who has been a nurse and was able to get me to the local hospital (it was a Sunday I think). Looking back that was quite a job, as sitting up and walking were something that caused extreme pain. They thought I had the flu. If only that were the case! So they put me on antibiotics and sent me home. If any of you have gone the rounds trying to figure out what is wrong with you, you will understand the frustration that mounted over the next several months as I visited the local specialist in infectious disease, rhumitology, and finally the GI; which resulted in a month stay in the hospital. I think back and remember some of the funny things, like being 27 and being prescribed a cane. I thought "I seriously am 97 and only been living for 27 years. Really, an old lady already? I am supposed to live a full life and have grand kids and all that jazz before I feel like this". Even my eating habits resembled "old" people, with hot tea and mashed bland food being something I thought I might not be able to choke down for much longer.

Now, my trouble with all this didn't just start then. I've had horrible stomach pain since I was about 16. There were tests and scans and all sorts of doctors visits that led to a whole lot of "we don't knows". So I was treated for acid reflux and the like, and sent on my way. Years later, my sister was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (a gluten -wheat/rye/barley intolerance), and so I decided it wouldn't hurt me to go on a gluten-free diet as well. I still eat that way, as I feel it makes me feel better than I otherwise would. So there were small signs, but no one really paid much attention til it was serious enough to make me lose almost 40 lbs in 2 months.

I honestly don't even remember what happened some of last November in the hospital. When I arrived there, I was 84 lbs, and had so many things that had started to go wrong, I don't even recall knowing they were there. My family tells me that I had mouth sores, and the "acne"on my face went crazy. My eyes were swollen, so I couldn't even gut my contacts in and had to wear glasses for at least a month. I just pulled out the admitting papers that I took a copy of. When I got there they put in a pic line, and started TPN (nutrition via IV), mega steroids, antibiotics, humira, pain and nausea meds, zoloft, iron and blood infusions and a few other things that are inconsequential. They said (much later) that I could have died. And in fact I wanted to at the time...

In December, I was feeling some better, but the steroids were starting to effect my mental health. Nothing seemed to be able to quench the panic attacks and depression that were caused by the high doses of steroids. I really felt like I was going crazy. It was the first time I had ever thought about suicide in my life. I can understand now how people with severe pain, accompanied with these mental issues think about this. Never before have I felt so scared about life. As I finally got off the steroids, months later, I felt much better mentally. But as you know with prednisone

I did quite a bit of research about Crohns as we all do when you get it. I think more people "google" things now before they ask their doctor about them than ever before. One big problem though is that there is so much info out there! It is difficult to sort through them all. And wow! What they don't tell us! Why does no one tell us about the side effects of prednisone, humira and the like. I had no idea it was well known that the prednisone would cause. No one really consulted me about the infections and lowered immune system I would have. That my cancer risk was so high with humira, and that they self injections would hurt like h*ll. I seriously cry almost every time I had to take those. And after all I've been through I'm not a big wimp!

Also, I started my research about our lives here is the west. We are so toxic! I found all this info about processed foods, pesticides, and even what is in our water. I'll explore more about diet and such later, but geez! Why don't they tell us about this stuff!! Someone please, before we all end up with auto immune disorders. Prevention is so much more worth it.

So, here I am a year later. I've come a long way from last year, but then not so far as I would like. I'm not about to die, but I still have all the symptoms of nausea, stomach pain, joint pain, and extreme fatigue. I have found a doctor that is willing to work with the things that I would like to try to do, to more naturally heal myself. The problem was that while I was on Humira, there was not much else to do, because it blocks all the immune stuff that we might try to help.

What am I going to do for all my fellow Crohnies out there? I want to write about my daily struggles...the ones we all have, and find that no one really understands, and perhaps provide some humor for the situation. I want to encourage you. I am going to read books out there about health, healing, autoimmune, Crohns, ect., and try to comment on what I am doing from what I've learned, and how it is affecting me. And I am going to try all sorts of things that I've been wanting to, but never done because of money or fear or just plain frustration at my disease. I want to try things that some have found to be helpful (like LDN, ALA, DLPA, VIT C, Mistletoe, acupuncture, massage and the like) and report on how they are helping me, and those who want to chime in, do it along with me, or share something that's worked for you! Please share suggestions along the way! I need your support!

That's my story...nothing too unique. I am 27, and have a long life ahead of me. I still want to change the world, but find it hard to do with the pain that I have, and hope that I can find a way to help others through this!

Lastly, all the fellow Christians out there, pray for my endeavor if you feel so led. I want to find healing for myself, but also help for others. While discussing some prayer requests, my husband and I noticed how many people mention health issues. They affect us so acutely and abundantly! In our fallen world, we can not get rid of disease for good. But perhaps we can help each other in our own way, to ease the pain and in such show the love of Christ.

Ready or not, here we go....

Conquering Crohn's

What Are We Missing??

Rethink the Unthinkable

Historic Subterranean Missile Launch Command Capsule (Oscar One)

What struck me most, though, was the escape hatch. In case war did break out, and these people ended up stuck down there, they were provided a means of escape. They were each given tiny shovels that looked something like this:

Wormtherapy.com...look it up. I am in week one, so I don't see any difference really (good or bad). But...there is an invisible difference. And maybe, just maybe, it's the most important one anyway. More on my treatment to come!

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Rachel

The good days.

Ding dong! May I borrow some poo?

Do what, where?

Back on the wagon..

This is the day...

Hope for Conquering Crohns - My story and what I'm doing next!

Wormtherapy.com...look it up. I am in week one, so I don't see any difference really (good or bad). But...there is an invisible difference. And maybe, just maybe, it's the most important one anyway.
More on my treatment to come!