Update

  UC = ulcerative colitis     Remi = Remicade     BM = bowel movement  

I have now finished all of my loading doses of Remicade and am due for my first maintenance dose in about a week. For most of the time since my last post, it has been a waiting game. I was waiting for the effects of the Prednisone to wear off to see if the Remi was really going to keep me in remission. So far here are the results…

 I was symptom free until mid-June, which was about six weeks after my first Remi infusion and five weeks after my last dose of Prednisone.   At that point I saw some mild symptoms (a spot of mucous every few days, abdominal pain a few times a day, gas, and a teensy amount of blood... but BM’s stayed regular). I should admit here that this is after a few weeks of consuming my trigger foods (alcohol, coffee, chocolate) on a fairly regular basis due to Memorial Day BBQ’s and graduation/end-of-school year celebrations as well as travelling for a couple weeks. The main reason for the mild flare-up, however, was the fact that I started my period. (Luckily, I’m on a pill that limits the frequency of this issue.) Menstruation has always been a trigger for me, so my doctor and I both agreed that the best plan was to just wait for a couple weeks, let things settle down, and see if it resolves itself. Fortunately, this plan seems to be working. I cut back on the trigger substances and got into more of a regular routine with my meds, diet, and exercise, and things seem to be clearing up. The only symptom I am left with at this point is occasional mild abdominal pain. I have faith that this, too, will pass, especially since I have another infusion coming up in about a week.

 As far as how I’ve been tolerating the Remicade, things are going swimmingly. I have had practically no side-effects. The only three things that could be attributed to this new medication is a very mild sensitivity to UV (went tanning a couple times that triggered some dry/flaky skin around my mouth – resolved if I cover my face with a cloth for part of the tan), slowed healing (more on this later), and during my last infusion I experienced some mild itchiness on my hands and feet that only lasted about twenty minutes or so. Other than that, I have been blessedly free from side-effects. No headaches, no nausea, no skin issues, and I have not gotten sick at all in the three months since I started the Remi, though not for lack of opportunity. If this continues to work as it has, I will thank my lucky stars, because this is definitely doable and liveable for the long term.

 I can’t say my fitness goals have gone so well. Remember that sprained ankle? Well, it only got worse. It turned into a multiple repeated sprain, meaning it was sprained in about three locations, and I kept re-injuring it because I kept trying to run and exercise on it. So finally, two weeks before my scheduled half-marathon, I realized I was doing more damage than good and stopped exercising. The healing of my ankle has been agonizingly slow. At one point I was in so much pain I couldn’t put any weight on it at all and was hobbling around on crutches. It has gone up and down and plateaued quite a bit, and I have no doubt that some of this is due to the immunosuppressing effects of the Remi. At this point I can walk on it, but it is still a bit sore. I’m still wearing a brace at all times, and it still starts to get worse if I walk around too much on it. I have seen the doctor once already, but I’m considering going in again to get signed up for physical therapy.

 My current struggle is trying to figure out how much to exercise while not infringing on the healing of my ankle. I’ve recently been doing weight-lifting and strength-training that does not involve my ankle (no barbel squats or deadlifts! :-( Booo!) as well as swimming laps at the local gym, which I figure is pretty safe. However, I would LOVE to start running again; I’m just not sure when is a safe time to start. I’ve been dealing with this ankle injury for going on three months now, and am getting a little frustrated and anxious to get back to being my active self. It’s summer break, and I want to be out there running, biking, surfing, skating, skiing, hiking, etc.

When my ankle took me out, I spent quite a bit of time on my butt (no exercise). Pile on top of that all the BBQ’s, end-of-schoolyear celebrations, dating, and travelling, and I have gained a bit of my weight back. My body fat has gone up. However, I am *yet again* re-motivated to get back into peak physical condition. I have cleaned up my diet and started busting my butt in the gym, can barely move at times due to sore muscles… and am yet again fighting tooth-and-nail for my health and fitness.

These photos, taken a couple days ago, are what I am considering my "before" pics... a baseline for more progress pics to come.

T H I S    W E E K ' S    H E A L T H    L O G
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My Condition: Mild/moderate ulcerative colitis since 1995, severe pancolitis since 2011.

Current Symptoms: Occasional (mild) abdominal pain, 2-3x per day.

Prescription Meds: Remicade, Asacol HD (4800mgs), nightly mesalamine enema.

Side-Effects: Very mild sensitivity to the sun, slowed healing ability, one instance of temporary itching during infusion.

Supplements: Creatine, BCAAs, CLA, glucosamine, whey protein (post workout), casein protein (before bed), Omega-3, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, biotin, multi-vitamin.

Diet: Breakfast – smoothie (berries, yogurt, whey protein, soy milk). Lunch – large salad with albacore tuna and low-cal dressing. Snack – protein bar or apple with natural peanut butter. Dinner – Grilled chicken breast, sweet potato.

Exercise: Mon – upper body “push” weight-lifting (45 mins), swim laps (25 mins). Tue – core/abs/lower back strength (45 mins), swim laps (25 mins). Wed – rest. Thu – legs weight-lifting (45 mins), swim laps (25 mins). Fri – upper body “pull” weight-lifting (45 mins), light jog (15 mins), swim laps (30 mins).

Stats: Height 5'7", weight 152 lbs, body fat 20%.

Have Tried: Imuran, Lialda, Endocort, Prednisone (dependent), Canasa, Cortico-foam, probiotics, L-glutamine, licorice, various other supplements, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, FODMAP diet, various other dietary changes.

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