Cat's Exercise Diary

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 8, 2016

Another update for today: My friend at work ended up not being able to walk, her kid is sick so she had to run home to attend to that situation. So, I decided screw it, I'm going to the gym. I went. It wasn't super easy. My finger definitely gave me some pain. It's a bit more swollen than usual but I don't think ice is needed just yet - I'm just keeping an eye on it. In the gym I was having some throbbing pain, but now that my workout is over the throbbing in my finger has gone, thankfully. Moral of the story: Don't ever cut yourself with a hedge trimmer, because even 3 weeks later it'll still be difficult to work out.

But, I did my workout and I feel really good aside from my finger. I really needed that. I was feeling stressed and anxious earlier, and now I'm not. Depending on what my finger feels like tonight/tomorrow, that'll determine my future workouts. I really would like to either take a bike ride or get my new kayak out on the water this weekend, so that's what I'm hoping for. I'm not sure if I can properly work the brakes on my bike with my messed up finger (it's my index finger on my right hand), and I know from last weekend that kayaking definitely made my finger not happy. So, will just play it by ear and see how it's feeling.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 11, 2016

Update 7/11/16: I was quite active this weekend. As I said, I had hit the gym on Friday. On Saturday, I had a very stressful visit with my grandmother (long story short, she's got bad dementia/alzheimer's and she was in a mood and talking about how everybody wants her to die so they can take her money and she was alternating between yelling and crying). So I walked the dog that afternoon to de-stress.

Sunday was a very active day. I started the day by taking my new kayak for a test run. It's pretty good, the only issue is that it's a bit too light (it's an inflatable kayak). It got stuck in weeds very easily and also any current/wind could easily blow it off course. So it was a bit of a challenge because of those things. I will aim to find calmer, less weedier waters for next time.

After kayaking, I had lunch and then went grocery shopping. Then I walked the dog. And after that I did a bunch of cleaning - straightened up the house, did 3 loads of dishes, vaccuumed, bleached the sinks and the toilet, etc. My house is super clean now! And I was exhausted after doing all that.

Today my lower back feels a bit sore - I think I tweaked a muscle just a little bit when I was kayaking. My finger also isn't super happy, it's a bit more swollen and tender than usual. I think it's upset about the kayaking and maybe just the cumulative amount of stuff that I did yesterday. So today I'm taking it easier, it's probably a rest day although I may walk the dog if the weather allows (it's hot & humid and we might get thunderstorms). I'm hoping to work out tomorrow, probably at my home gym. I've got a bunch of new equipment (foam roller, resistance band, yoga block) that I'd like to try out. Will see how I'm feeling, particularly my back and my finger, and will go from there. Hubby's working late every evening Tues - Fri this week, so I'll be on my own as far as workouts go. So I can basically do whatever I want - if I want to take out my new kayak for an hour, or if I want to ride my bike to the gym, I can do that. So I'm hoping to have some good and varied workouts this week, assuming my body plays nice and allows me to do so.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 12, 2016

Update 7/12/16: My back and finger are both feeling somewhat better today. Not stellar but not awful either. Definitely tolerable. So I'm giving myself the green light to do some exercise today.

I'm going to take a lunch break walk with my friend at work. She's in a different department though and I think she only gets a 30 min lunch (I usually take an hour lunch). So, at any rate, we'll do at least a half hour of walking today and I'll see if I can sneak her away from her department for an hour if possible.

This evening I'm hoping to do some weights in my home gym. I will of course listen to my body, and if my back or finger give me any trouble or pain then I'll stop doing that particular exercise and will ease up on my workout in general.

I'd kind of love to do a bike ride tomorrow evening. We might get thunderstorms again so I will just play it by ear. I think my finger is doing well enough that I'd be able to work the brakes on my road bike.

Speaking of biking, it's amazon prime day so I glanced at the deals to see if there was anything good. I didn't think I'd buy anything, but I saw a small upright exercise bike for a really decent price. My current exercise bike at home is huge and pretty clunky (I bought it secondhand). So I bought the small upright bike and am putting my old clunky recumbent exercise bike out on the curb. My home gym is a pretty small space anyway so anything that saves space is a bonus - I'm really excited about this new bike. I use an exercise bike for the majority of my cardio during the winter months when I can't get out on my actual bike. So this will keep me biking all winter long. I'm excited!

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 13, 2016

Update 7/13/16: Bleh. My friend cancelled on me yesterday so we didn't walk. And I did something to screw up my back - it's been aching since Sunday/Monday off and on. It was mostly okay yesterday up until about an hour before I went home from work - then it started really hurting. So instead of doing a workout, I went home and did some stretching and used my foam roller to try to get my back feeling better. I think that helped. It still hurts a bit, but not as much. I don't want to exacerbate it, so I think it's safest to not work out today. That's frustrating. Guess I'll see how it's feeling tomorrow and go from there.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 14, 2016

Update 7/14/16: My back is still aching, but it's improving. It's not as bad as it's been the past few days. So that's encouraging. I've been putting my heating pad on it in the evenings, and I figured out how to sleep so as not to aggravate it (I usually sleep on my left side, but after sleeping on my left side I'd wake up with bad back pains, so last night I slept on my right side and for some reason felt far less pain this morning).

I ordered a new exercise bike online and it should be arriving today. I'm sure there'll be some assembly involved, but if I can figure out how to put it together myself (hubby is working late again tonight), then I'm going to test it out tonight. My hips have been aching a bit from the lack of exercise lately, and I know my hips are always fine with me biking. And I am hoping that a bit of gentle cardio will help my back, too. So that's the tentative plan, presuming that I can put the thing together by myself.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 15, 2016

Update 7/15/16: My back is continuing to improve, just a little bit of pain first thing this morning and no pain currently. I walked the dog yesterday and that didn't aggravate it either. So that's encouraging. I'm thinking that I'll try doing some weights today and see how that goes. I won't push myself too hard or anything, but I think I can do it.

Amazon lied, my exercise bike didn't show up yesterday. It's still in transit, it mysteriously got delayed even though I have prime. Hmph. So I'll test it out whenever I receive the stupid thing.

Tomorrow I'm going to my grandma's old condo (she's in a nursing home now) to help my family clean it out so that we can sell the condo. My grandma has hoarding tendencies including she hoards food even if it's way past the expiration date (she'll keep rotting, moldy food in her fridge). So that's going to be a fun time, hah. But I will be getting my exercise in that way - hauling stuff to the dumpster, hauling stuff to the thrift store, and for the few things that are worth keeping, hauling that to the storage unit. So I'll be lifting and moving a lot of things out of the condo tomorrow. Possibly doing the same thing on Sunday as well, depending on how much progress we make tomorrow.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 18, 2016

Update 7/18/16: I spent the weekend at my grandma's condo, both Saturday and Sunday. My grandma has been a lifelong hoarder so it's been a massive undertaking to clean and empty out the condo! I spent basically the whole weekend at the condo, lifting things, carrying things, moving and organizing things. My grandma had so much stuff and a lot of it was heavy - expired cans of food that I carried to the trash pile, books that I carried to the donate pile, etc. I definitely got both my walking and my weightlifting in, that's for sure.

Today I'm taking it easier, it's a rest day although I might walk the dog. Tomorrow I plan to lift weights. I did finally receive my new exercise bike, and I got rid of the old exercise bike (put it out on the curb and somebody took it, yay). It's supposed to get really hot and humid out at the end of this week (95+ F) so I'm thinking that indoor workouts are going to be the name of the game. So I'll probably be using my new exercise bike at some point this week. I can use my treadmill at home and of course I have weights at home too. So I'm pretty well set to do an indoor workout or two.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 20, 2016

Update 7/20/16: I rested on Monday and did a good weights workout yesterday, as planned. It's been awhile since I've done a full, proper weights workout, so that took a lot out of me! I felt really good but really exhausted too. And after my workout, I tried doing laundry.

I had such jelly legs that I nearly fell down the basement stairs carrying my laundry down! I was okay, but just really unsteady on my feet. Note to self, don't do anything that involves stairs immediately after a workout.

I feel quite good today. We're at the start of the heat wave, so I won't be walking my dog until maybe Sunday at the earliest. No outdoor exercise of any type, it's just going to be too hot. So, I'm thinking today's a rest day to recover from yesterday. Tomorrow I'm going to do weights again, in the little gym at work on my lunch break. Friday I will also go to the little gym on my lunch break, for a cardio/stretching day. I'll do a ride on the stationary bike and I'll do some good stretching as well. Saturday is probably a rest day - my parents are coming to town to celebrate my brother's birthday and then after that hubby and I have to go pick up his new car (new to us anyway, it's my grandma's car but it's in good shape with low miles). Sunday I am thinking I'll do another weights workout at home, or if the weather is okay I might ride my bike to the big gym for weights. I think they said the heat wave will finally start to be over on Sunday, so I'll just keep an eye on the weather and play it by ear. If it's still too hot I will stay at home and work out.

On the subject of working out at home, my home gym is really just about perfect now. I recently got some new gym equipment and I love it. I got a new upright stationary bike and I used that yesterday to warm up - I really like it! I also got a new TV for my home gym.

I know, that doesn't quite count as gym equipment, but it's much nicer than my old TV. And it has a built in Roku box, so I think I can get some workout shows/channels on it. (Not that I tried yet, I watched 2 episodes of Forensic Files yesterday during my workout, ha ha.)

Keno132 · Jul 21, 2016

Great fitness blog you got going here Cat!! This is great. Glad to see things are going well for you

-an old friend

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 21, 2016

Update 7/21/16: I rested yesterday and hit the little gym today. I was not feeling great going into my workout - I've got a bit of a headache, and my lower abdomen was somewhat crampy. It stayed crampy throughout most of my workout, but it wasn't bad enough that it stopped me from working out. I'm still somewhat crampy now and still headachey as well. I think it's this crazy weather, we're in a bad heat wave with high temps & high humidity. High heat & humidity tend to cramp up my guts, and changes in the weather can give me headaches, so I'm presuming that's the cause of my current symptoms.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 25, 2016

Update 7/25/16: In my last post, I had mentioned that my guts were a bit crampy during my workout last week Thurs. Well, by Friday it had turned into what I suspect is a flare - lots of cramps, lots of d, lots of nausea. Getting up in the night to go and I've lost about 4 lbs just from Friday through now. No chills nor night sweats yet so I have some but not all of my typical flare symptoms.

Sooo, I'm waiting for my GI's nurse to get back to me - I called this morning and explained the situation and requested to have a course of Entocort. The nurse was on board with the idea, she just has to run it by my GI to be sure. So I'm just waiting on the call back now to confirm that that's what they're going to prescribe for me.

In the meantime, exercise is not happening. I feel very weak (probably from the lack of appetite and the weight loss) and a bit light-headed and still crampy & nauseous too. I don't think lifting weights would go over very well right now. I know I need to rest and I'm going to rest as much as I can. I'm just hoping to get the Entocort script as soon as possible (hopefully today!) and get started on that. It usually takes a week or two to kick in for me, so the sooner I start it, the sooner I can start feeling better and then hopefully get back to exercising.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 25, 2016

Another quick update for today: My GI put through the script for Entocort (actually the generic, Budesonide, but same thing). That's a huge relief. I really hope it kicks in quickly. There is a bicycling event that I'd love to go to on Sunday, so I'm hoping for the Entocort to have kicked in by then. Honestly, at this point, I'd just love to have an appetite - I've only eaten about 3 spoonfuls of mac & cheese and maybe 8 chips today and that's it. I don't have any appetite, and when I do eat it seems to go poorly. I'd lost about 4 lbs as of this morning and I've had 7 or 8 episodes of diarrhea plus eaten almost nothing all day, so I wouldn't be surprised if I've lost even more weight. The Entocort will help me heal and will give me my appetite back, and hopefully I can get back to the gym really soon too.

Cat-a-Tonic · Jul 28, 2016

Update 7/28/16: I still don't have much appetite, but I've been eating somewhat more normally the past couple of days. I'm still having some diarrhea but it's down to only a few times a day (it was about 20 times in a day last week Friday). My weight is still down about 5 lbs. I haven't done any exercise yet but I'm hoping to soon. They're predicting thunderstorms off and on today, so if it's not raining tonight, I'd like to try and walk the dog. I think I can do it, and there are porta potties just outside the dog park if I have to make a run for it. So it just depends on the weather now. If not today, I'll aim for tomorrow. I just want to do something active, even if it's just walking, and the flare has improved enough that I feel like I can be okay on a walk.

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 1, 2016

Update 8/1/16: I tried walking the dog yesterday and unfortunately it went pretty badly. I felt quite light-headed and a few times I felt like I might pass out. I literally had to give myself a "don't pass out" pep talk. And I felt really unwell for a good chunk of the day after that walk. Seems like I tried to do too much, too soon.

The good news is, today it feels like the Entocort has finally kicked in. I actually have an appetite for the first time in a couple of weeks, I feel more energetic, and I feel much less unwell than I've been feeling. And I've only been to the bathroom once this morning rather than 5-10 times. So there's some definite improvement.

I'm thinking, after the disastrous walk yesterday, that I should give myself a few more days before I attempt any further exercise. I think that in a few days, I'll try a walk on my treadmill at home. That way, if I do pass out, at least I'll be at home and my husband can help me (he was at work when I walked the dog yesterday, so there was nobody then to help me). I'll see how that goes and take it from there. I know I need to heal from the flare first and foremost, but I want to incorporate fitness into that healing process as much as I can. So we'll see what happens, just going to take things a day at a time right now.

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 8, 2016

Update 8/8/16: Still flaring, haven't done any exercise. Still feeling weak and fatigued and a bit dizzy and just incapable of doing anything physically demanding right now. Very frustrated but trying my best to heal. Hopefully someday soon I can get back to the gym...

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 10, 2016

Update 8/10/16: Today's the first day that I feel like the Entocort has really started kicking in! My post from 8/1, that apparently was just a fluke. I felt okay for that one day but then went right back to feeling crappy again. Today, though, I not only feel significantly better, but I also have a headache. That is important - I always get bad headaches/migraines from Entocort. This time around, I haven't had a headache yet, but today I have one and it feels like a typical Entocort headache to me. That says to me that it's actually finally working.

I want to start slowly and not push myself too much. So I think I'm going to take a short walk on my treadmill tonight. Since I had such a difficult time trying to walk the dog the other week, I don't want to walk outside. On the treadmill, if I have an issue, I can just hit the "stop" button and go lie down for awhile or run for the bathroom or whatever. So that's the plan, just a short walk on my treadmill to see how I do. I'm not planning any workouts as I don't know what tomorrow will bring, I'm just going to take things day by day and do what I can do.

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 11, 2016

Update 8/11/16: I walked! I took a 30 min walk on the treadmill at 3 mph, so I did 1.5 miles. That felt really good! Although I was completely exhausted at the end of it. The steroids have given me some energy, but the flare has definitely sapped a bunch of my energy. So I felt quite tired at the end of 30 mins.

Today I feel a little worse than yesterday. Still headachey, and the sinus involvement with the headache has given me a bit of dizziness as well. My guts aren't great, either. And I still feel a bit drained energy-wise. So today I'm probably just going to rest, won't try to exercise at all today. Will see how I'm doing tomorrow and will go from there.

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 12, 2016

Update 8/12/16: I started feeling better as the day went on yesterday, and when I got home from work, the hubby and I decided to walk the dog. It was quite warm & humid out, which sometimes sends my guts into crazy cramps, but I was okay yesterday. We walked a bit too far and all of us were exhausted when we got home. Still, it felt good and I feel okay today as well. That's very encouraging.

I'm thinking, since I've been fine walking and since I feel okay today, I'm going to attempt a short weights session. I'm going to go to the little gym on my lunch break and just do a few things to see how it goes. Obviously I won't push myself too much, but I think I can do it. I know steroids always make me gain fat and lose muscle, so I want to be as proactive as possible about keeping fat off and muscle on. I think I can do it!

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 12, 2016

Another quick update for today: I hit the little gym on my lunch break. It was a fairly difficult workout - turns out I still don't have a lot of energy nor stamina. Pretty early on into the workout, I felt shaky all over (the "baby deer legs" feeling). I slowed down and took my time and made it through. Pretty proud of myself for that.

Earlier today my colon had been getting a little grumpy and pushing on my bladder, so I was peeing like every 15 minutes. The workout seemed to calm everything down, which is definitely good. My bladder and guts both feel better, although I can tell my guts still aren't super happy. In hindsight, it was probably reckless to hit the gym so early on. The steroids literally started taking effect on Wednesday and I'm in the gym on Friday, maybe I should have waited a bit longer. But I'm terrible at being patient!

I'll definitely take it easier tomorrow. I plan to go visit my grandma and I may walk the dog, but that's about all the activity I'm going to be doing. Other than that, I'll be resting and watching the Olympics.

MissLeopard83 · Aug 12, 2016

Cat-a-Tonic said:
Another quick update for today: I hit the little gym on my lunch break. It was a fairly difficult workout - turns out I still don't have a lot of energy nor stamina. Pretty early on into the workout, I felt shaky all over (the "baby deer legs" feeling). I slowed down and took my time and made it through. Pretty proud of myself for that.

Earlier today my colon had been getting a little grumpy and pushing on my bladder, so I was peeing like every 15 minutes. The workout seemed to calm everything down, which is definitely good. My bladder and guts both feel better, although I can tell my guts still aren't super happy. In hindsight, it was probably reckless to hit the gym so early on. The steroids literally started taking effect on Wednesday and I'm in the gym on Friday, maybe I should have waited a bit longer. But I'm terrible at being patient!

I'll definitely take it easier tomorrow. I plan to go visit my grandma and I may walk the dog, but that's about all the activity I'm going to be doing. Other than that, I'll be resting and watching the Olympics.

My mom and I have been binging on gymnastics. I love the Olympics for gymnastics and diving - that synchronized diving is so cool!

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 14, 2016

Yeah, I love watching the Olympics! Well, most of it. The golf is pretty boring.

I love watching swimming, diving, track & field, cycling, gymnastics.

Fitness update 8/14/16: Ughhhhhh. I should not have gone to the gym on Friday. That evening, my hip arthritis was quite angry with me. Fortunately, with a soak in epsom salt and keeping my heating pad on it all evening, it was okay as of Saturday. My guts, however, were not okay. Things got really angry all over again on Saturday. Nausea, bathroom trips, urgency, sleep interruptions, and for some reason I'm also not able to control my body temp very well. Last night, I was okay at bedtime but woke up an hour or two later and was insanely hot. So I got up and turned on the AC. Woke up another couple hours later absolutely freezing. I felt chilled to the bone. So I got up and turned off the AC. I think it's a dehydration thing? I can tell I'm definitely dehydrated so I'm trying to sip as much water as I can.

I may end up going to urgent care for IV fluids and tests. My GI had ordered stool tests, but I didn't do them at first because I was on the steroids and thought they'd skew the results. Then I started feeling better. But now all bets are off, I guess I honestly don't know if this is a flare or if it's an infection or what. However, I've been to the bathroom so much that I'm feeling pretty empty now. I don't think I have anything in me to do a stool test with, and I'm not exactly keen on eating right now. So I don't know, if I can get myself rehydrated then I'll probably skip urgent care and will just pick up the stool test kit from my GI's lab tomorrow morning.

Obviously exercise is out for awhile longer. I have to learn to be patient and to let myself heal. I love the gym, it's my happy place and exercise chases the depression away, and I've definitely been depressed in this flare, so that's a big part of why I've been hankering to get back to working out. My body is yelling at me that I need to heal, though, so I will try to listen. It's really hard, though. I hate feeling like this and I hate not working out. Stupid broken body.

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 20, 2016

I'd love to do a fitness exercise but there's none to give. I'm still flaring, badly. I ended up at urgent care on Tuesday to get IV fluids, and I was in the ER today (Friday) also getting IV fluids. I feel like I'm getting worse instead of better.

Weirdly almost all my bloodwork and stool tests that I've done this week are normal. I don't have any bacterial infection, no c diff nor anything like that. CRP, ESR, and fecal calprotectin all normal (but that could be due to the fact that I've been on Entocort for nearly a month now). The only thing that came back abnormal was that my potassium was pretty low, which is likely due to the fact that I'm having a lot of diarrhea (10 - 20 episodes every day) and of course I've been dehydrated (hence the IV fluids). Other than that, on paper, I look like the picture of health. Well, aside from the fact that I've lost about 9 lbs now.

I see my GI on Monday and I'm going to beg, plead, cry for him to help me. I'm currently on Entocort and it's obviously not helping, so I'm going to ask to switch to pred as I'm hopeful that might work better on this stubborn flare. I'm also going to ask about doing EEN for a bit because food is just not my friend right now. Even very bland foods - literally today all I've eaten was a banana and an english muffin, but still I've been running to the bathroom with watery diarrhea many times. (Does that count as exercise? If so, I am apparently in training to win the IBD Olympics.)

Cat-a-Tonic · Aug 28, 2016

Still flaring and spent a week in the hospital. Home now, very weak and doing EEN and prednisone (Entocort just wasn't working). Slooooooooooowly recovering but it's baby steps. At the hospital, they told me to walk/move around as much as I can, because lying/sitting all day will of course put me at increased risk of a blood clot. So, today, I tried walking on my treadmill just to see what my current capabilities are. It was pretty sad. I could walk at 1.2 mph, for one minute. That was my limit. Man, this flare is brutal. I'm still fighting though and I'm going to get back to working out someday, hopefully soon...

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 6, 2016

Slow but steady improvements. I've tapered from 40 to 35 to 30 mg of prednisone and doing okay on that front. Still on EEN, going to start introducing bland low-FODMAP foods (broth and jello to start with) tomorrow. That will be a big test, I've been on EEN for 2 weeks so I'm on pins and needles wondering how my body will react to food.

Walking-wise, I'm doing okay. I'm trying to walk as much as I can, even if it's just around a store or walking the dog around the block. Yesterday I got over 4,000 steps on my fitbit which is the most I've had in weeks, I felt pretty proud about that. I know walking helps my guts so I'm doing as much as I can (without overdoing things of course). Today it's very hot outside so I'm going to walk for a few minutes here and there on my treadmill.

So yeah, I'm slooooowly but steadily recovering from the flare and getting back to myself. It'll be awhile yet before I can properly work out, but I'm confident that I'll get there. Baby steps!

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 14, 2016

Not much new to report. I'm still slowly improving every day, but still also not well enough to go to the gym. I vacuumed my house yesterday and that took several hours because I needed to take a lot of breaks. My stamina, my energy, and my strength are all not where I'd like them to be. My weight is still down, too. I had lost 17 lbs and so far I've gained 3 lbs back, so I'm still down about 14 lbs from where I was before this flare. I'm sure that pred is also robbing me of muscle mass but not much I can do about that right now. I just need to continue to heal.

Walking is still going okay. The most I can do in a day is about 5,000 steps right now. Which isn't too bad. I'm trying to do more, but my body lets me know when it's had enough, and I try to listen very carefully to my body because I don't want to get worse again. Still doing the low-FODMAP diet. Jello ended up giving me watery diarrhea both times I ate it, so I stopped eating jello and have had solid stools ever since - I guess add gelatin to my list of trigger foods. It's apparently not sugar that was triggering me because I've had some candy and some gluten-free cookies and those sat fine with me (I am avoiding fructose because it's not allowed on low-FODMAP, so I've only had foods containing sugar and not fructose nor any sugar substitutes like xylitol nor sorbitol).

So yeah, I continue to take baby steps towards health. It's a little frustrating that it's taking so long, but on the other hand I'm very happy to be going in the right direction. I just gotta keep going!

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 16, 2016

I'm definitely getting more stamina day by day. Yesterday I got just over 8,000 steps on my fitbit! Up until that point, the most I'd gotten was in the mid 5,000s. It was my dog's birthday yesterday and I wanted to take her on a proper walk through the park, not just around the block. So we went to the park and had a walk, and I felt pretty good the whole time. Didn't get tired out, my guts didn't yell at me. It was satisfying to be able to do that without issue.

I sorta messed up after that, though. Goat cheese is allowed on low-FODMAP, so I made myself a couple quesadillas using just goat cheese and corn tortillas. I baked them so that they wouldn't be too greasy. They were still really greasy, though, must have just been the particular type of goat cheese I was using? The grease set off my GERD in a big way. I had literally the worst heartburn I've ever had - the pain was pretty intense for a little while. I took some extra reflux meds and got things somewhat under control. But, I then had to sleep propped up, because lying down made me feel worse again. I have a hard time sleeping sitting up, so I didn't get much or very good quality of sleep. And when I woke up, there were some big thunderstorms rolling through the area, and that apparently set off a barometric pressure headache. So I went to bed with awful heartburn and woke up with a throbbing head and feeling exhausted. Not great. I've had some tylenol and a bit of dark chocolate which has helped take the edge off the headache (I can't have more than a small bit of chocolate or that'll trigger the GERD all over again). I'm just sort of hanging in there today. At least the flare itself is quiet (my stools are formed and perfect and I'm only going 1 to 3x per day), I know my current symptoms are temporary and will be over with soon. I'm going to eat very bland today so that my GERD stays quiet, and I'll probably go to bed early because I'm so tired. Won't be walking as much today as I did yesterday. But hopefully on the weekend I can take my dog on more walks. I just need to be more diligent about what I'm eating.

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 20, 2016

I've had to cut back on my walking because I caught a cold. I was almost up to 10,000 steps per day but now I need to rest for a bit and recover. Bleh! I did manage to do some yard work before this cold hit me, so that was good. It was exhausting - I trimmed the hedges and pulled some weeds, which was a lot of work. I felt really good and accomplished though that I was able to do that. So, hopefully once I get over this cold, I can pick up where I left off. The guts are a little bit iffy but that always happens whenever I catch a cold - it feels like, my immune system turns on to fight the cold, but it also wants to fight my digestive system a little bit while it's on. Once the cold is gone and my immune system isn't active (or as active?) then I should feel better again guts-wise. And then I should be able to walk more and do things like yard work and a bit of actual exercise again. At least I hope so! Gotta get over this cold and then hopefully I'll be back on track.

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 26, 2016

My cold is still hanging around but getting better day by day. I have started walking again with no apparent ill effects. I have gotten in about 7,000-8,000 steps each day over the weekend. So that's good. I also bought myself some hiking boots, as I want to take some hikes in the autumn to see the beautiful scenery. The trees have just started changing color so it's the perfect time for some hiking. Hopefully soon this cold will be fully gone. The flare hasn't made a peep lately so hopefully the pred is working some miracles. I've tapered down to 10 mg pred as of yesterday, and the only ill effect there was a headache (which seems to happen every time I taper, so no big deal and my guts were fine with it). I just need to get over this cold and then I might actually be able to properly exercise! In the meantime, I'm walking as much as I can. It's cool but sunny here today so I'm planning a lunch hour walk. As long as it doesn't rain (which it has done a lot lately), then I feel like I can get outside and go walking.

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 26, 2016

I did get out and walk on my lunch hour, it was really nice. Very windy, cool but not cold (about 65 F) and very sunny which makes it feel warmer. I took my jacket off and got some vitamin D. I really enjoyed my walk. I still have a pred taper headache but it's not quite as bad as it was, I think, and my guts are fine. My cold didn't bother me, either. I brought kleenex and a cough drop with me just in case but didn't need to use either.

Once I get over this cold, I'm going to slowly and carefully try to start lifting weights again. I plan to start out with lighter weights than I'm used to - both to not piss off my guts, and also because I'm pretty sure I've lost a bunch of muscle mass anyway - I lost 17 lbs in this flare and gained about 10 back, but I'm sure what I gained back was much more fat than muscle. And pred can rob muscle mass anyway so double whammy. So yeah, slow and careful will be the name of the game, I don't want to push it too much too soon and I know I probably won't be able to do as much as I was doing before this flare, especially in terms of lifting. We'll see. First things first, I need to get over this cold.

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 29, 2016

I still have a lingering cold - I'm still coughing up mucus and blowing my nose an inordinate amount and my voice still isn't back to normal. But, walking seems to be going okay, it's not making me any worse. It rained the past 2 days so I stayed indoors and didn't walk as much as I'd like. Today it's sunny and gorgeous outside so I did take a lunch hour walk. I had ordered some new hiking shoes and they arrived yesterday, so I took them out for a test run today. They seem fine, which is good because they were really cheap (like, suspiciously cheap). I walked through a park which is rather hilly and has gravel paths, so footing was slightly iffy in spots, but I didn't fall and felt quite steady on my feet in my hiking shoes. I'm quite happy about that.

Tomorrow and Saturday it's supposed to rain again. I'm going to try to get on the treadmill those days. Sunday is supposed to be nice again, so I might take my dog out with me for a hike. And hopefully soon I'll get over this stupid cold already.

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 30, 2016

I hit my 10,000 steps yesterday! First time I've done that since before this flare started. That encourages me, I'm going to aim for that every day.

Today it's cool and rainy so I'm walking indoors as much as I can. I am planning to walk on my treadmill tonight for awhile. I might try again to get my dog to walk on it with me. She needs more exercise but she hates rain, so on days like this, we need to figure out a way to get her to do some exercise indoors. I've tried and failed to get her to walk with me on the treadmill in the past, but I'll keep trying.

Cat-a-Tonic · Sep 30, 2016

Scratch that, I'm going to be resting up this weekend. Ugh. I tried tapering from 10 mg down to 7.5 mg of pred today, which went badly and I ended up in a lot of pain, so I'm back up to 10 mg and waiting on my GI to let me know how to proceed from here (I am just going to stay at 10 mg until I get instructions from him). The pain sucked and my body is telling me to rest, so rest it will be. Blehhhh.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 3, 2016

I'm back up to 10 mg pred and doing better, the LLQ pain is gone. I did end up taking my dog on a hike yesterday and that went pretty well. She got tired out before I did, ha! Today and tomorrow it's supposed to be nice weather out, sunny and low 70s F. So I am planning to take lunch hour walks both days. Wed - Fri it's supposed to be rainy, so I will probably end up on the treadmill those days.

I want to get back into weight lifting as well but I am really nervous about pushing my body too much, too soon. With how quickly my pain came back with that taper fail on Friday, that makes me even more nervous. I'm still waiting to hear back from my GI on a couple of things, the taper and the possibility of LDN, so I kind of want some answers there before I even think about lifting weights again. I'm sticking with just walking for the time being.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 4, 2016

Going to try tapering pred again tomorrow - my GI wrote out a prescription for some 1 mg tablets, so I can taper from 10 mg down to 9 and then to 8, etc. He recommended I go down by 1 mg every 5 days. So tomorrow I'm going to try 9 mg and see how that goes.

It's a gorgeous day today and there's talk of rain for the rest of the week, so I'm going to walk my dog tonight as I had to run some errands during my lunch today. I'm not planning any walks beyond tonight because I want to see how tapering goes first.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 5, 2016

I tapered from 10 to 9 mg of pred today. So far so good, I've had ever so slight abdominal discomfort but nothing like last week when I tried to taper from 10 to 7.5 mg (I was in a lot of pain then). I honestly don't even know if it's real pain or if it's just me being nervous about tapering because of how last time went, it honestly is so mild that it could just be from me being nervous.

And another bit of good news - apparently today's rain all happened in the morning, this afternoon it became sunny and quite pleasant outside. So I'm thinking I will walk my dog tonight. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain more, so I'm presuming that the weather will keep me indoors then. And I realized, I don't have to jump right from walking to lifting weights. I can bridge the gap, so to speak, by doing some bodyweight exercises. So I'm thinking I'm going to try that tomorrow, just a few to see how it goes, and obviously it won't be very intense, I will take things very slowly.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 7, 2016

I did some bodyweight and yoga exercises yesterday and that went pretty well. I didn't have nearly as much strength or stamina as I had before this flare started, but that's to be expected. I know both the flare and the pred have robbed me of a fair bit of muscle.

I was completely exhausted after doing 10 squats, unweighted, so that's not great. I went slowly and paid attention to form, but even so, it was not easy. I'm just going to keep at it, do that as often as I can, and build myself back up.

I do have a couple sets of light dumbbells - I have a pair of 3 lb dumbbells and a pair of 8 lb dumbbells. So I used those briefly yesterday, and that went fine. I'm going to use the 8 lb ones as a sort of bridge back to lifting heavier weights. It's going to take a bit to get myself anywhere close to where I used to be, but I've got determination and I know I can do it.

I don't have any solid workout plans for the weekend, but tomorrow I'm going to be very active. The hubby and I are going to spend a good chunk of time cleaning and organizing our basement and throwing away a lot of unneeded/broken junk. So there will be a lot of lifting, hauling, taking things out to the trash can or curb, etc. Our basement is pretty full of junk right now so it's going to be a lot of work, but I'm excited to do it. I'm so ready to get rid of a lot of junk!

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 14, 2016

I've had a rough time lately. Tried a slower pred taper but still ended up failing. I tapered from 10 mg to 9, stayed on 9 mg for 5 days. That went okay. Then tried tapering from 9 mg to 8, and once again ended up with significant abdominal pain and also nausea and extra bathroom trips this time. Fun. So I haven't worked out, or even walked much, because I've felt crappy. I'm recovering and am back on 10 mg, and going to stay at that dose for a few weeks at least before I try tapering again. My body is clearly not ready to taper so I'm going to give it some time.

Once I recover a bit more, I'm going to go back to walking as much as I can. I do hope to walk my dog a bit this weekend if the weather holds out (scattered rain is in the forecast). So we'll see. It'll also depend on how I'm feeling. I may just stay home and rest all weekend, although I could always walk on the treadmill if it is rainy.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 24, 2016

I'm still on 10 mg pred and doing okay for the most part. Worried about what's going to happen when I try to taper again, but for now just trying not to think about that. Staying at 10 mg for at least a couple more weeks before I try tapering again.

I haven't been walking as much as I should, and my joints have been unhappy about that, particularly my hips. So, yesterday I made an effort to walk a lot (hike, actually). I took my dog to a state park where there are bluffs you can walk up - basically you hike up 500 feet on some rocks and then you can look down on a beautiful view of a lake below, and then you can take a forest path back - it's a big loop, about 2.5 miles total, and fairly challenging. So I took my dog to give that a try. I was honestly more worried about my dog than myself - she's a corgi with stumpy short legs, plus she's 8 years old so not exactly a puppy anymore, and I wasn't sure how she'd do with so much uphill walking and climbing over big rocks. But she did great! My stamina wasn't where I'd like it to be, so I was out of breath a lot and taking rest breaks, while my dog was gung-ho about climbing on every rock. She was pulling me along at some points!

We both made it, it was a great walk and I'm really glad we did it. It was fun and really good exercise.

Today's a rest day because I'm sore from all that uphill walking and climbing on rocks! Tomorrow I hope to get to the gym for some bodyweight exercises and walking on the treadmill. Supposed to be cold & rainy tomorrow and Wednesday, so indoor exercise will have to suffice. Good thing I have a treadmill.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 25, 2016

I had an insanely stressful day today (work has been a bureaucratic nightmare) so I went to the gym on my lunch break to relieve some stress. That worked, fortunately, and went well for the most part. I did some walking, some bodyweight exercises, a bit of yoga, and some weights. The weights went better than I expected - no abdominal pain at all, and I felt stronger than I had expected I would. I was able to lift almost as much as I had been lifting before this flare, and I even was able to add in a few more reps at times to make up for the slightly lighter weight.

The bodyweight exercises didn't go as well. I was doing lunges, and I felt something go "pop!" in my left foot. From there, it was painful to put too much weight or walk a certain way on that foot. I don't think I broke anything - I've broken bones before and that was much more painful than this "pop" was/is. I don't know exactly what I did. It's not painful all the time, only when I step or stand wrong really. So I'm just going to keep an eye on it. If it's still painful in a day or two then I'll get it checked out.

(It had me a bit worried because a colleague of mine literally just broke her foot at work like a week ago! So I had that on my mind, but I really don't think I fractured anything.)

The good news is, I was able to finish my workout with only minor adjustments (I wasn't able to do squats as that was causing too much foot pain, but that was the only exercise I aborted before finishing my reps). So I feel pretty good overall, and now am just being a bit careful when I walk and trying not to walk too much, and trying to rest that foot as much as I can. It's not swollen so I don't think I need to ice it.

Obviously I don't have future workout plans, need to see how my foot is tomorrow and go from there.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 26, 2016

I did some googling and self-diagnosed my foot injury. Sounds like it's "turf toe" which is characterized by pain, a popping feeling or sound, and over-extension of the toe (I was doing lunges at the time so I probably did over-extend my toe). Yep, that sounds exactly what I experienced yesterday so I think that's the culprit. Treatment is essentially the same as for a broken toe, tape the big toe to the toe next to it, try not to move it too much, wear hard-soled shoes. I can do that, I broke my big toe in college so I know the drill. I think I'll be okay to exercise with this as long as I avoid things like lunges for a bit. The internet seemed to say it'd likely take 2-3 weeks or so for things to heal. Okay, I can work with this.

So I'm heading to the store on my lunch hour today to buy some tape to immobilize my toe. Today's going to be a rest day, tomorrow will see how I'm feeling and will tentatively try some exercise, likely mainly arms and try to stay off my feet/toes for the most part. I might try the stationary bike again and see if my guts are okay with it this time - if so, that could potentially be easier on my toe than walking. We'll see. Last time I tried the bike, my guts gave me some pain - but, that was also right around the time that I had a taper fail, so that could have been partly to blame too. Sooo, we'll see. It'll be interesting seeing what I can and cannot do with yet another physical limitation, hah. My body loves throwing challenges my way, and I have to be creative sometimes to work around them. Fun.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 28, 2016

I took a couple rest days which went well. Yesterday I had almost no foot/toe pain so that feels like some good improvement. Today, I went to the gym and did a modified workout. No lunges, obviously, and I did the bike instead of the treadmill to warm up. The bike went fine - no abdominal pain whatsoever. I was able to do some leg exercises - I did squats and a wall sit with no pain. As long as I kept my foot flat and didn't bend my toes, I was okay. I did a lot of arm exercises - biceps, triceps, overhead press, chest press, etc. I feel pretty good. I'm satisfied with the quality of my workout even with working around an injury.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to walk my dog - as long as I wear hard-soled shoes that don't bend too much, I'm fine with walking. Sunday I'm hoping to do some more weights in my home gym.

Cat-a-Tonic · Oct 31, 2016

I was pretty active all weekend long and that felt good. Saturday I walked the dog, and Sunday I both lifted weights in my home gym and walked the dog. My guts felt a bit unhappy yesterday after all that activity, but that could be because I got a bit constipated. I always forget to take my psyllium on the weekends - as long as I take my psyllium, I have fairly normal and regular stools. But if I forget, the low-FODMAP diet seems to constipate me a bit, so I'm thinking things just got a bit too backed up and my guts didn't like that. Today I'm back on the psyllium and hopefully that'll get things moving along again.

I think today's mostly a rest day. I'm planning to hand out Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters once I get home from work, so that leaves me basically no time to exercise anyway. Tomorrow I plan to hit the gym for weights again - still doing a modified version of my usual routine and avoiding certain things like lunges as I'm still recovering from turf toe in my left foot. I haven't planned anything beyond tomorrow just yet.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 1, 2016

Welllll, nevermind. Last night at bedtime my bad hip decided to start aching quite badly, and it's still hurting today. (I have what appears to be inflammatory arthritis in both hips, but the right hip has always been worse than the left.) It's a cane day, that's how bad it is (I almost never walk with my cane, I only use it when absolutely necessary). So that sucks. I guess it's a rest day today. Will re-assess how I'm doing tomorrow. Between my toe and my hip and not being able to taper off of pred, my body feels like a wreck lately. Not happy but oh well.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 7, 2016

My flare decided to come back. Ugh ugh ugh. I don't know what to do anymore. Won't be going to the gym for awhile longer, can barely eat right now. Pain is up and energy is down. Going to be resting for the forseeable future. Not happy about it.

scottsma · Nov 7, 2016

Well no one can say you don't try Cat.Your head and heart are willing,but your body dictates otherwise.At least you managed to enjoy your birthday. Feel better soon.
Due to awful weather,I haven't been on little blackie since Friday.So I'm determined to get cycling every fine day during winter.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 7, 2016

You must not get too awful of weather in winter then! We get lots of snow and bitter cold, so I have to put my bike away for the winters as I just cannot ride in those conditions. I still can do plenty of outdoor winter activities when my body allows me to - I have snowshoes which are a great workout, and I've been ice skating as well the past few winters. I also have hiking boots so I could go for hikes when it's not too snowy/icy. Now I just need to get out of this stupid flare already! GI didn't call me back today but I see him in a week so we'll see what he says.

scottsma · Nov 8, 2016

Well we managed to get out on the bikes today and I thoroughly enjoyed it.But it was very cold and damp.I was careful going over wet fallen leaves,it's rained for 3 days.I also don't like to wear too many heavy clothes when cycling.I just wish my guts would allow me to leave the house early morning.I have to wait 2-3 hrs before I feel comfortable.At least I get the housework done and the lunch prepped before we go out,so I can have a lazy afternoon.Take good care of yourself.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 8, 2016

Carol, my guts are always worst in the morning as well, I've never been able to be a morning exerciser. I tried once or twice but never had good results, so I always exercise either on my lunch break or in the evenings. I'm not sure what it is about mornings, even before IBD I was never a breakfast person, would always feel nauseous if I tried to eat in the mornings. I'm just not a morning person it seems!

My GI did email me back this morning. He wants to do more tests but he didn't specify which ones. Guess I'll find out Monday at my appointment. I think I'm doing a bit better today but that may just be because I haven't eaten much of anything for the past few days. I'm down 5 lbs since Friday. I keep apologizing to my dog for not walking her, I feel like a bad pet owner when I am too ill even for that. There's nothing about this illness that doesn't suck.

scottsma · Nov 8, 2016

I'm sure she's just as happy being with you.Alfie loved the outdoors and he was a real "water" dog.Rivers,streams,lakes,sea and muddy puddles.I used to walk miles each day when he was young and pre crohns.But when I was dx'd things changed somewhat.He got his morning walks,but only after 3-4 false starts.Bless him,he knew the drill and only got excited when I was actually in the front path,lead in hand and jacket on.Even then I had to turn back sometimes.But he got long walks to the coast in the afternoon and we used to go to the woods etc when my hubby was off at weekends.I really miss him and my life back then,even though he's been over Rainbow Bridge for almost two years.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 8, 2016

Is Alfie the dog in your avatar photo? He's a cute dog, I bet you miss him lots. My Lily just turned 8, but many corgis live to be 14 or 15 so I'm hoping we have lots of years left together. She gets a bit antsy when she's cooped up at home, but seems happy if I am just able to give her some petting or throw the tennis ball down the hallway for her, so I do what I can. I still feel badly though when I'm not able to properly walk her, she needs to get out and socialize with other dogs and sniff all the good outdoor smells and pee on everything.

She's not a water dog at all, though! Hates swimming, hates baths. Loves hiking and walking, though. We live about a block away from a large, fenced-in off-leash dog park, so we take her there as often as we can. That's where she gets to socialize with other dogs.

scottsma · Nov 9, 2016

Yes that's Alfie in my avatar.He was 12 when he "died".He had cushings disease.We were told 3 years previous that he had Lymphatic cancer after lots of tests and cash.But I researched his symptoms and told the vet my suspicions.Of course it was too late then.We kept him going for a while,then had to make the decision to say goodbye. We've always had dogs,8 all together,mostly 3-4 at a time,but my head had to rule my heart and say no more....No bike today it's 3c and wet,but maybe tomorrow.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 9, 2016

Lily is my first ever dog, I never had any dogs growing up. I think one at a time is enough for me, I couldn't imagine 3-4 at a time! Although I live in a small house in the city, so we really only have room for one dog anyway.

I'm really, really depressed and terrified today. The election results, I just don't have the words. I'm hoping to get outside on my lunch break and just breathe some fresh air, even if I'm not well enough to take a walk. I honestly don't feel like doing anything but curling up in a ball and crying, but I hope some fresh air will help.

scottsma · Nov 10, 2016

Most of the world feels as you do Cat,but it must be horrendous for the anti Trump folk.

U.S. politics are of course mention on our daily news if warrented,but never has there been so much cover than this election....but you never know,he might prove us all wrong and turn out to be your best president ever ?????....hahaha (not funny,I know)

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 10, 2016

Ugh, no, but I'm guessing he's going to at the very least be in contention for worst president ever.

I spent most of yesterday crying. Today I'm a bit better, haven't burst into tears yet so far today, have only gotten misty-eyed a few times but have held myself together so far. It's like grieving. I'm grieving not only for my country but for all the people I care about. All my female friends, especially my nieces (who are bi-racial) - this country is now more dangerous for us women. All my LGBT friends and minority/ethnic friends. All my disabled/chronic illness friends - what happens to us when they repeal Obamacare? It's really terrifying. Nobody knows what's going to happen but the possibilities do not look good at all.

I haven't been able to exercise yet, but I'm feeling a bit better day by day. I'm going to try to walk a bit more today. I'm just trying to do as much self-care as I can. Yesterday after work, I couldn't face the prospect of looking at TV or facebook, so I went to my craft room and just sewed for a couple hours. I fixed a couple of seams that had ripped on my clothes, I tailored a couple pairs of pants, I made a couple throw pillows that are going to be given as xmas gifts. That felt really good, it made me feel accomplished and much calmer. So I'm just going to try to craft as much as I can and stay away from TV and facebook for a bit. Today I'm going to the craft store to buy some more sewing patterns and yarn, and maybe more fabric too.

Speaking of exercise and emotions, this whole year in general has been awful and has made me mostly sad but also somewhat feeling like I want to hit something. I told my hubby this, and my hubby told my brother, and brother gave me boxing gloves for my birthday.

So now I can hit things! I don't have a punching bag, but I can shadowbox until I get a punching bag. My boxing gloves are pink, too. I love them. Once I stop crying for real, I'm going to start learning how to box. If I now live in a country where sexual assault is endorsed by the president, I guess I better learn how to fight back!

scottsma · Nov 10, 2016

You're always industrious Cat and although I know you struggle with this damned illness you don't let it win.Good for you,you're an inspiration.

I really hope Trumpton (it's a kids TV cartoon here) doesn't turn out as bad as you think.Surely he'll have guidance etc.I see on todays news that the riots have already begun....No cycling again today.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 10, 2016

I'm not familiar with that cartoon character but I'll google it later. I don't even want to say his name, although this morning I was cheering myself up a bit by thinking of all the mean/negative words that rhyme with it. Dump, rump, stump, lump, frump, grump, clump, chump...

There have been riots in the news in larger liberal cities like Seattle, but I don't think there have been any in my city yet (which is odd, because I live in a VERY liberal/progressive city, but we're not a very large city so maybe that's why). Although I don't get to the downtown area of my city much, and when we have riots here they tend to be downtown, so maybe I just missed seeing that they were happening!

I do try to be industrious, I get antsy just sitting around doing nothing. My dad actually gave me a really nice compliment the other day. I had said once, quite awhile ago, that when I'm sick/flaring I feel kind of worthless. Like I'm not contributing to anything if I'm just sitting there sick and not doing anything, so that's a big part of why I crochet - I can do that even while I'm really ill, and that makes me feel worthwhile. I'm doing something, even if it's something small, and at the end I wind up with a finished project that I can use or give as a gift. Well, my dad said to me the other day that I'm never worthless, and I should never feel that way, even if I'm so sick that I'm not able to do anything. That was nice to hear. My dad does not say things like that often. I think he's starting to turn into a big softy in his old age.

I try to never let the illness win for long. Sometimes I give it a day, where I just have an all-out pity party for myself and cry, yell, feel negative, feel whatever emotions I need to feel. I seem to need days like that every so often to just let everything out (I'm an introvert and do tend to internalize things a lot, so periodically I just have to release the pressure and let everything come flying out so to speak). Aside from those days, I do what I can to be okay and not let it win.

Sorry to hear you weren't able to cycle today! Still cold and rainy there? It's actually quite a nice day here, sunny and warm-ish (temps in the upper 50s F) although a bit windy. It would be a nice day for a walk outside, I might take a brief walk after my trip to the craft store.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 14, 2016

I've had a rough few days. Tried tapering my pred from 20 mg to 15 on Thursday and that didn't go well and I've been feeling really rough ever since. I see my GI today and will be begging him to help me. I feel like I'm both going to be on pred forever and flaring forever. I hate this. I know he wants to do more tests, and I'm on board with that. I also want to try LDN and I hope he's okay with that idea. Hopefully between more tests and different meds, I can get out of this nightmare.

Yesterday afternoon I finally started feeling somewhat human again so I pushed myself a bit, probably a bit too much. When I feel well, sometimes I'm compelled to just do everything I can, because I don't know when I'll feel well again. So I walked the dog, took down the Halloween decorations and put up xmas lights (I know it's too early, don't judge, it's been an extremely difficult time lately and I wanted pretty lights to make me feel happy). Did a lot of general straightening up around the house. I did 2 loads of dishes and some meal prep. I also worked some on making and photographing items to sell on my Etsy shop. And when hubby got home from work, we went grocery shopping. So I did a lot, too much. I think I'm paying for it today. I've felt a bit nauseous and just run-down, weak and even a bit shaky & dizzy this morning. No appetite either, I haven't had an appetite in awhile now and have lost more weight. A few weeks ago my weight was 147 and I think now I'm at 140. So not a crazy amount of weight lost but obviously not a good thing either.

Mentally and emotionally I've been feeling bad, bad, bad. Not only is the constant flare/inability to taper pred getting me really down, but I've basically done nothing but cry since the election. I'm so depressed and I don't know how to get out of this funk. Usually exercise helps my depression a lot, but I haven't been well enough to exercise hardly at all lately. I'm going to try to walk more because I know that helps, but aside from that I don't know what to do. I'm terrible at yoga (and don't enjoy it) and don't have access to a pool, so walking is basically my only option when it comes to the more gentle forms of exercise. Ugh.

scottsma · Nov 14, 2016

Ah Cat sweetheart,you're really having a tough time eh.? Please get better soon.I understand your compelling need to "do something" and if you're able,then walking is your best option until you feel ready for something more strenuous.A walk can lift your mood too so that's not a bad thing.Even if you don't feel like it,once you get out there you'll soon cheer up.I bet Lily's enthusiasm will help with that.
I've been indoors all weekend feeling below par,and I had to force myself to get little blackie moving today.I didn't notice how windy it was before we left,and I found it really hard going today.Hubby kept asking if I wanted to turn back,but I don't give in easily so kept going.I feel much better for the effort,but I was really glad to get home.I had my bath and PJs.on by 3-30pm. I hope your appointment goes well.Good luck.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 14, 2016

Thanks, I'm heading to my GI appt in a few mins so hopefully very soon we will have a good plan of attack. I'm very nervous but cautiously optimistic. In my GI's last email to me, he said "let's do more tests" - and since I've met my out of pocket max for this year (meaning, anything medically that I have done should now be covered 100% by my insurance and I shouldn't have to pay anything out of pocket for the remainder of the year), I'm going to give my GI carte blanche to do any and all tests that might even give a sliver of an answer as to what's going on. Drain all of my blood and test it! Stool samples, well, I haven't been eating hardly anything lately so might have to wait a bit on those.

Scan me, scope me, heck I'd even be open to exploratory laprascopy if it'd be enlightening. Dissect me and figure it out already!

As for walking, yes, Lily is always up for a walk. I don't get home from work until around 6 PM, and it's already completely dark out by the time I get home, so walking her after work hasn't been happening lately. So, I got myself one of those dorky headlamp things, a really bright LED light to stick on my forehead.

I think I could walk Lily in the dark with one of those, even if I just go around the block. Although I might pick up some pepper spray as well because it is slightly scary by itself being a woman walking alone in the dark, and even worse now that our president-elect seems to condone, er, let's just call it bad behavior from men towards women.

(But that's a whole other rant for another day.)

I've had bike rides like that, sometimes the wind can really try to break your spirit. Good for you for pushing through even though it was tough! Gosh, even thinking of a tough windy bike ride still makes me wistful for my bike. There's no way I'll be well enough to do a ride before winter, so I'm just going to have to hope for an early spring. Sigh!

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 14, 2016

My GI gave me some hope today. He wants me to try some IBS med called Lotronex, but if that doesn't work or doesn't work well enough for me, then he said I can try LDN! Yippee! I am going to give this Lotronex stuff a shot, but I googled it this afternoon and haven't read particularly great things about it. I'm definitely much more hopeful for LDN and am SO HAPPY that my GI is open to me trying it! So, for now I have to play nice and be a compliant patient and try the med he wants me to try first. Then I get to try the med that I think might actually work! And who knows, I could be surprised, this first med could work great. It's good to have a solid backup plan though!

I am hopeful that one of these meds is going to help me feel better. I might even get back to the gym soon! How nice would that be! The gym is definitely my happy place and I so, so want to get back there as soon as I can.

Hubby just texted me that he's going to be late getting home from work. Maybe this is serendipity, I had just written earlier today about taking Lily on a nighttime walk with my new headlamp thing. I might take her for a quick jaunt around the block while I'm waiting for hubby to get home.

scottsma · Nov 15, 2016

Good news re: your appointment Cat.Now you have a plan.....I used to use a small hand torch for Alfies evening walks.Although we do have plenty street lighting,there are shadows.Not trying to scare you,but carrying a light means a would be assailant would probably see you before you see them....there,I've scared you haven't I ???
It's not a bad day,calm so far and quite mild,so we're going on the bikes when I get some housework done.....and sitting on this PC. isn't helping,so I'm off to look busy.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 15, 2016

We have some streetlights as well, but I feel better with a headlamp too. At least if I'm attacked, I can blind my assailant with it.

It's very bright! I did use it last night to take Lily for a stroll around the block, and that went well for the most part. There was one point where a police car was going through the neighborhood with a siren on, and... I couldn't tell if it was children or dogs, but there were sort of feral howling sounds coming from the woods near my house! I'd never heard those sounds before, it was disconcerting. Nothing came out of the woods though. Still, super weird!

The weather looks nice today so I'm planning to do some walking on my lunch break. Hubby and I have a dinner date tonight so probably no walking Lily in the dark after work. According to the weather report, we may actually get some snow next week, which will make Lily very happy (snow is her favorite thing) but it sounds like it's not going to stick, so no snowshoeing just yet.

Oh, and I didn't get to try my new med just yet - my pharmacy was out of stock, but they're getting more in this afternoon, so I'll get to try it then.

scottsma · Nov 15, 2016

One thing I used to love about snow....clean dogs !!! hahaha.
I don't expect your new meds will start to work straight away,but it's a start.Usually I'm not half as sick as most people on the forum and opted NOT to take meds at all.I just wish I could just "go" once in the morning then forget about it .I "go" back and forwards from rising until almost lunch time,most days.Today,I actually got on my bike ready for the off,then had to dismount and run upstairs.And I had just "been" immediately before I left the house...Sigh. Despite that,we had a good couple of hours,non stop,except to cross busy roads.I always dismount,and use it as an excuse to have a rest hahaha.
It's 5pm here,and dark so our day is almost done....enjoy yours and your dinner date.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 15, 2016

Oh goodness, I honestly would be terrified to not be on any meds. I know the monster that lives in my gut would not be quiet if I didn't take any meds! Do you do anything as far as diet, supplements, etc to keep things relatively quiet? Obviously you're exercising which is great, and for me I feel like fitness is a key component to me treating my illness, but in the same vein I also know that exercise isn't enough on its own to get/keep me in remission. I'm definitely all for the meds!

On the subject of diet, I'm still trying to stick to low-FODMAP and for the most part am doing fine with that. It is hard to go out to eat, though, because so many restaurant foods are not FODMAP friendly. The one thing I can easily eat at restaurants is sushi!

Yum yum! Rice, fish, seaweed are all perfectly safe on low-FODMAP. So that's what hubby and I are getting tonight, going to one of our favorite little sushi places for some deliciousness.

I'm also just about to head out for a walk! It was cloudy all morning but finally the sun came out and I'm excited to get outside for a bit.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 15, 2016

I had a nice walk through some woods.

My injured foot still isn't fully healed though (a few weeks ago I felt a "pop" and then some pain in my foot - I self-diagnosed myself with "turf toe" and am self-treating it) and I forgot to put my squishy gel pad thing on my foot today, so it was a slightly painful walk at a few points when I stepped wrong - the pain is just behind my big toe, like in the ball of the foot. So I just had to make sure to walk carefully and deliberately and then I was okay.

It was a nice walk. The weather is gorgeous - mid 50s F, sunny, not windy. I only saw a bit of wildlife - one fat squirrel and one woodpecker who was very loud and boisterous.

I also saw some deer tracks on the path. It was a nice, calming walk. Just what I needed.

I also just picked up my new meds! Just took the first pill, here goes nothing. If this works, great, and if not, then I get to try LDN, so either way I'm good.

scottsma · Nov 16, 2016

Glad you got out for a walk Cat.Weather is cooler,windier with a few short sharp showers,so no bike today.Going into town for a little shop,then a look in at the auction house.It's viewing day on Wednesday.I love to see what other people have had in their homes,also if there's something worth bidding on tomorrow.
As to meds,I was on Asacol supps for years when I was first dx'd with Proctitis.I now have crohns colitis.My symptoms are stop and go,C & D.I try not to take my subscription Loperamide unless I really have to,the same with laxatives.I have tramadol and amitriptilyne daily.My diet is somewhat restricted but that's through choice mostly.I do have nutrition powder daily,and fish oil supplements.And chocolate !!!

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 16, 2016

YES CHOCOLATE!

Sorry, I'm in a bit of an odd mood today. My appetite came back in a huge way, not sure if it's the new med (my appetite started coming back before I started the new med) or if it's the 20 mg of pred fully kicking in, or a combination of both maybe? Whatever the case, I'm HUNGRY.

Chocolate is wonderful. When I was in the hospital and was doing a liquid diet and the nutritionist/dietician lady told me to go low-FODMAP when I transitioned back to food, I immediately looked at the low-FODMAP info to see if chocolate was allowed. That's literally the first thing I looked for, ha ha. And fortunately, it is allowed! Dairy is restricted on the diet, so milk chocolate is only allowed in small amounts, but I am allowed to have as much dark chocolate as I want, and dark is my favorite anyway.

Peanut butter is also allowed, and I found these heavenly dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I literally buy like 8 bags of them at a time when I'm at the store, ha ha. (They are small bags, I promise!) So yes, long story short, I completely understand the importance of chocolate to one's well-being. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't have chocolate!

scottsma · Nov 17, 2016

I've had the Reese's peanut butter cups,but I feel really guilty every time I stuff one (or 3)
in my mouth.My chocolate stash is hidden in the tea towel drawer,because my hubby wouldn't know where to look for a tea towel (drying cloth?).I don't eat loads mind you,just a few chunks every day.I like dark choc.with chilli or ginger.Glad you're feeling better.I don'y know how you manage being on pred.for so long,I hate it,although it does clear things up pretty fast for me.No bike again today,still too windy.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 17, 2016

I've hidden chocolate stashes as well. I also don't eat tons, but I try to have a small bit each day. Dark chocolate supposedly has health benefits anyway, so really it's health food, right?

I am not doing so great today. Had a bit of a fight with hubby yesterday (long story, don't ask, but I'm right and he needs to apologize) and I think I'm having a reaction to my new med. I'm quite gassy, a bit headachey, and my face is red and feels a bit hot like I'm getting a rash. All of these are apparently side effects of Lotronex, and in my googling, it said to discontinue taking it if a rash appears as that can be a sign of an allergic reaction. Great, so it's only been like 3 days and I've apparently already failed this med.

Well, the good news now is that I get to try LDN!

And I'm really hopeful about that. I emailed my GI just now letting him know what's going on and that I'm going to discontinue this current med. I think I'm going to give it at least a few days for the Lotronex to get out of my system and the rash to go away, then we'll start looking for a good compounding pharmacy to get me the doses I need to get started on LDN.

In the meantime I'm just trying to be nice to myself. I'm taking it easy diet-wise today because I overdid it yesterday (I really wanted cake and had a cupcake for dinner, which was not the wisest decision). I took Lily for another walk around the block last night, and I'm hoping to take a lunch-hour walk today as this is supposedly the nicest weather day that we'll have for quite some time. It's going to be in the upper 60s F and sunny today! And by Saturday, they're saying it's going to be in the 30s with high winds and possible snow. Seriously, I need to enjoy the nice weather now because it's apparently going to not stay nice for long!

scottsma · Nov 17, 2016

I agree with giving the Lotronex a few more days.You seem certain that the LDN is the med for you,but what will you do if it's not ? This is the reason I told my GI I would try to
manage without meds.I have a fear of nasty side effects,and going from one med to the next.I do get quite sick sometimes but manage to cope ,so far.I think I would know when I need help.Sorry about your breakdown in communications,but it too shall pass.Men should realise we're always right,even when we're not.hahaha

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 17, 2016

I know, I have really high hopes for LDN. If it doesn't work for me then I'm back at square one with really no good options, so I kind of have to pin all my hopes on LDN right now. I need it to be a miracle for me! Since I'm not fully diagnosed, my GI won't even consider biologics nor immunosuppressants at this time, so my options are very limited. If LDN doesn't work then I honestly don't know what I'll do.

My husband, let's just say he did something stupid and reckless yesterday and I called him out on it. And all he was able to say to me was, "Don't be mad." Um, no, that's not an apology, and I have every right to be mad, and I am still gonna be mad, so don't tell me how to feel. Fortunately, he's working really long hours from today through Sunday, so I won't have to see him hardly at all, and hopefully he'll come to his senses and apologize for being an idiot.

Oh, I meant I was going to stop the Lotronex as of now and give it a few days to get out of my system! Not that I was going to stay on it a few more days. Sorry if that was confusing. I'm definitely stopping it as of now, the rash on my face means I'm possibly allergic to it according to google, so I don't want to keep taking it if I'm allergic. I'm going to stop it now and give it at least a few days before starting LDN is what I meant. Which is fine because I think it'll take a few days to find a good compounding pharmacy anyway and get the prescription over to them, etc.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 17, 2016

I took a walk today. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! But I wasn't feeling super well. Lately I've been having periods of what I'd call mild light-headedness. Like, I'm not going to pass out, but I also don't feel well and maybe doing a lot of walking isn't the best idea during these times. So, I went to a pond that I like walking near. Usually in an hour, I can easily do 2 laps of walking around the pond, but today I only felt up to doing one lap. Still, I'm happy that I was able to do some walking, so I'm satisfied with one lap.

Might or might not walk Lily around the block this evening, depending on how I'm feeling. I kind of just want to crawl into bed when I get home, it's been a long week and I'm still not feeling very well. I think the mild light-headedness is a pred side effect - my blood pressure has risen since being on pred (it's usually low, like 100/60 is normal for me, and now it's what most people consider normal, 120/80). I read somewhere that if you typically have low BP and it rises to the "normal" range, you might feel symptoms of high BP just due to the rise, even though your BP isn't actually high. So, I think that might be the culprit. Wish I could just get off the darn pred already!

scottsma · Nov 18, 2016

I was going to suggest you check your BP.My doc. told me not to let it drop below 100 top 60 bottom.I was feeling light headed for a few days last week but my BP was ok.126/64 I think,which is actually low for me.Your numbers sound worrying to me as you have no margin the play with.Feel better soon,and don't do to much.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 18, 2016

Yeah, my BP was just checked at my GI's office on Monday, and I see my GP next week Wednesday so they'll check it again then. I'm still not feeling very well today but I think I'm on the mend. I stopped taking the Lotronex after my morning dose yesterday, so it's now been about 24 hours since I've taken it. It constipated me a fair bit. Well, it seems to be not affecting me so much any more after only 24 hours! I had 4 bathroom trips the first hour that I was awake! Definitely not constipated any more!

I am exhausted today, not sure why as I slept quite well last night (maybe it's just from all my bathroom trips this morning?). The hubby and I had a chat and he apologized for being a reckless idiot so things are better there. I need to just get through today and tomorrow, then Sunday I can finally rest. Tomorrow I have to go to my aunt's house for a family early thanksgiving get-together. We do this every year, my mom's whole side of the family gets together and eats turkey and then we all play bingo and win silly little prizes. I'm looking forward to it, but I know I'm not going to eat a lot and it's honestly exhausting just to think about. And I have to pick up my uncle on my way, because he's got this weird type of dementia where he has no spatial awareness (he gets lost extremely easily and cannot drive). So I have to pick him up, eat, play bingo, and just generally pretend to be a human for a few hours. I can do it, but it's going to take a lot out of me. The exhaustion today is the worst! I'd be doing okay if it weren't for the exhaustion.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 21, 2016

I'm getting my BP under better control (drinking more water, eating less sodium, have increased my vitamin D intake, and also bought a BP monitor so that I can keep an eye on things). I've also tapered down my pred successfully! I haven't been able to say that in awhile. I went from 20 mg to 17.5 mg with no issue. Phew!

Took my dog on a long walk yesterday. Wow, it was so cold! It was 25 F when I got up and I waited until it warmed up to 30 F (which is still below freezing). I bundled up in many layers, all of them involving fleece, but I was still freezing, particularly my face. I did buy a new warm face mask thing for winter so I will definitely be using that on our next walk!

We got a little bit of snow but it didn't stick. We're supposed to get more snow this week but it should be less than an inch and I don't think that will stick either. So no snowshoeing just yet, but regular walks can still happen as long as I don't freeze. Lily loves the cold so she was quite happy with our walk yesterday. It's supposed to be a colder and snowier winter than usual, so Lily will be super happy.

She's so ridiculous, she came from California and her first winter with us was the first time she'd seen snow. But it instantly became her favorite thing, she's obsessed with snow and much prefers cold weather to warm.

scottsma · Nov 21, 2016

That's good news about your BP and decreasing steroids Cat.Try not to get over enthusiastic with your monitor though.I check mine every 2 weeks or so and when I'm going to the docs or the hospital I take it daily for a week or so before I go and take my readings with me.Mine always goes through the roof when I'm at the hospital.They say it's "white coat syndrome" but I'm not aware of being nervous,ever.Also it's acceptable to take you BP reading 2 or 3 times to get an average.And try not to offer visitors a BP reading hahaha.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 22, 2016

I'm trying not to check my BP obsessively. My current plan is to check it twice per day - once in the morning shortly after I take my pred, because that's when it feels like my BP spikes. And once in the evening to make sure it has gone down a bit after the spike. So far so good on that front. I'm also journaling what my BP is doing (I'm keeping a food & symptom journal anyway, so this is just another data point to add to it - I'm a big nerd for spreadsheets and data points so I love stuff like this, ha ha).

I did walk Lily around the block last night. Brr, it was cold! And I messed up yesterday. I don't have the constant crazy appetite on pred, but it sort of comes and goes. Yesterday I did have a huge appetite and ended up eating too much, which set off a bad attack of reflux/heartburn. The heartburn was so bad, I could feel the pain from my chest through my back. Not a fun time! So I need to really be careful when I get the bouts of crazy appetite and be super mindful not to overdo things.

It's supposed to rain for most of today and tomorrow, so I probably won't walk Lily for the next couple days. Thursday she will get a lot of exercise, though. Of course Thurs is thanksgiving, and we're going to visit my grandma and then have dinner with hubby's parents. So Lily will get to visit and walk briefly with grandma, and then she can run all around at my in-laws'. They live out in the country so there is a lot of land and woods for Lily to run around in. There's also a farm just up the road from them where hubby's aunt and uncle live, so we could also walk over there and have Lily look at the cows (she's mostly terrified of them, but they seem to get less scary to her the more she sees them). So yeah, Thursday should involve a lot of walking.

scottsma · Nov 22, 2016

Sounds like Thursday will be a good day for all of you.It's nice to have something to look forward to.We had a months worth of rain last night and strong winds.It's calmed down today,but still rainy.Supposed to be OK tomorrow so we're hoping to get the bikes out.
I got some triple strength cranberry pills today,buy one get another for a penny.Also got some probiotic 3billion for the same deal.Bargain.....and they'll last well into the new year.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 23, 2016

I take cranberry pills every day and have done so for years. I'm prone to UTIs, I started getting them recurrently when I was in college. I got something like 6 or 8 UTIs in one year. Then I started taking cranberry, and now I'm down to about 1 UTI per year. I'm not sure what is up with my bladder, I've had both bladder and bowel issues for my whole life and neither issue is fully diagnosed. Once my guts (hopefully) calm down more, I might pursue some testing on my bladder. The bladder has felt worse lately, too - I'm thinking it's a pred thing but not entirely sure. Going to taper my pred down to 15 mg on Friday so maybe that will help a bit.

It's pouring rain here too so no walkies for Lily. I once tried to teach her how to walk on the treadmill but she either wasn't having it or didn't understand it. She hops on, but then hops right back off again and doesn't actually walk on it. So my hopes of being able to exercise her indoors have not come to fruition.

I just checked the weather report since I have a 4-day weekend thanks to the holiday. Tomorrow looks cold but dry, Friday they're saying light snow. Saturday, though, might actually warm up a bit and looks fairly nice. So I am thinking I might take Lily hiking on Saturday. Hubby works all day that day so it'll just be me and the dog anyway. I just got Lily one of those hiking harnesses for dogs, the kind with the little saddlebags on the sides so that she can carry her own treats and poop bags. I'm excited to test out her fancy new harness, and I've been wanting to get out in the woods for a nice long hike. So I think Saturday is the day. Now I just need my pred taper on Friday to go well because I obviously can't hike if I'm in pain/nauseous. Wish me luck!

scottsma · Nov 23, 2016

I hope your taper works Cat and also that you're able to get out for a walk.If you're like me you can't plan things to far ahead unfortunately.We went along the coast on the bikes today and I really enjoyed it.It was cold but clear and there were loads of dog walkers,joggers and cyclists out and about.But the cystitis has come back.I thought it was too good to be true,clearing up in 24hrs.So back to drinking lots and will double up on the cranberry tablets.Have a good day,mines almost over as it will be dark in an hour.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 23, 2016

It's true that it's not easy to plan ahead as plans often change thanks to my wonderful health.

I like to have things to look forward to, though, so if I'm feeling reasonably well then I do like to try to plan things sometimes. I know it's not a guarantee that I'll be able to go hiking on Saturday, but I'm hopeful. I was able to successfully taper from 20 mg to 17.5, so hopefully going from 17.5 to 15 will go equally as well. I try to think positively!

That stinks that the cystitis came back so soon! Or that it was never really gone in the first place. Rest up and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I just need to survive tomorrow - first it'll be a bit stressful seeing my grandma (even when she's having a good day, it's always a bit stressful to see her because dementia is never easy) and then it'll be stressful seeing my in-laws for thanksgiving dinner (I think they voted for our icky president-elect, and I predict my father-in-law is going to get drunk and start an argument about politics). Sooo with all that stress, I really do need a hike on Saturday to look forward to!

MissLeopard83 · Nov 23, 2016

Cat-a-Tonic said:
I take cranberry pills every day and have done so for years. I'm prone to UTIs, I started getting them recurrently when I was in college. I got something like 6 or 8 UTIs in one year. Then I started taking cranberry, and now I'm down to about 1 UTI per year. I'm not sure what is up with my bladder, I've had both bladder and bowel issues for my whole life and neither issue is fully diagnosed. Once my guts (hopefully) calm down more, I might pursue some testing on my bladder. The bladder has felt worse lately, too - I'm thinking it's a pred thing but not entirely sure. Going to taper my pred down to 15 mg on Friday so maybe that will help a bit.

I just caught up on my reading, but I was thinking you might want to look into what my mom and I have - interstitial cystitis. There were times where I was sure I had a bladder infection, but I had a UA done and nothing was found. My bladder wall actually sloughs off and I see bladder tissue in the toilet. It scared me at first, but I know it's normal with IC. It seems to get worse as I get older, too, because the frequent bathroom trips are annoying (although they lessened greatly after my ovarian cyst was removed; I guess it was pressing on my bladder). I would caution about the cranberry supplements if you have IC, though. My mom drank cranberry juice like crazy, but cranberries have a LOT of acid so it can make IC worse.

http://www.ichelp.org/about-ic/symptoms-of-ic/

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 23, 2016

MissLeopard, I've heard of IC but I don't know if I have it. Cranberry supplements have helped me a lot for the past 15+ years, and I've always read that cranberry tends to make IC worse, so that right there doesn't sound like IC to me.

I kind of think it's just my bowel issues affecting my bladder? Like, when I was a kid I was a bedwetter up until the age of 12ish. And now they've come out with studies just recently saying that almost all cases of childhood bedwetting can be attributed to constipation - even if the child doesn't feel constipated, the colon can still be full of stool and push on the bladder and cause nighttime urination episodes. So for me, apparently my bowels and bladder have had intertwined issues going back to my childhood. And I wonder if now there's just inflammation or whatever that's pushing on/irritating my bladder? I don't know. It's something to look into. I will keep IC in mind as well.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 28, 2016

I took Lily on a walk on Saturday. It wasn't easy though. My guts were feeling a bit unsettled before we even left the house. Then, in the car on the way to the park, I suddenly felt everything in my guts shift in a very bad way. I had to hold it in and not poo myself while I quickly drove to a gas station! Fortunately I made it, did not mess myself in the car. I had some imodium with me in the car so after I used the bathroom I took one of those and didn't have any further incidents, thankfully, and was able to walk with Lily (I made sure to drink lots of water, walk slowly and take lots of breaks - luckily, there are lots of benches to sit on in this park).

Yesterday hubby and I raked the yard which is always a big job, lots of exertion. My guts fortunately didn't complain though (things are a bit backed up now because of the imodium, so I actually haven't been to the bathroom since I had to stop at that gas station!).

I can't walk Lily tonight because rain is in the forecast all day (I probably technically could walk her, but we'd both be miserable - she really hates rain). Tomorrow's looking like really nice weather though, so I'm thinking either a lunch hour walk and/or walking Lily after work. I feel like I need to do as much walking as I can right now to reduce stress.

I'm stressed because I have an MRE on Friday and I'm sure that the contrast stuff I have to drink beforehand is going to make my guts very unhappy. My paperwork says that the oral contrast "may cause diarrhea". Um, yeah, it's definitely going to! Like, I'll probably be lucky to not crap myself in the MRI machine.

So, Friday is going to not be a fun day. I'm not looking forward to it. I tend to buy myself presents to cheer myself up or to bribe myself to get through hard times, and I've literally already bought myself 2 presents (cute stuffed animal and a new scarf) just because this stupid MRE is stressing me out. And I'm not even worried about the results! I know it's going to come back normal, my test results always do (my illness loves to hide, plus I've been on pred for months now). I'm just worried about the stupid contrast and the crazy diarrhea it's going to cause me. Ugh.

I'm having an IUD put in in mid-December, and even though the nurse warned me that when they put it in, "it's like having contractions, the cramps are extremely painful", that worries me far less than the stupid MRE. I can deal with pain and cramps, but I don't want to crap myself in front of other people nor in my car. Priorities, right?

scottsma · Nov 28, 2016

The Crap problem is forever on my mind Cat.I'm terrible in the mornings,which really annoys me.I try not to take loperamide (Imodium) because to be honest I'd much rather have urgency than not go at all.Rock and a hard place.I had the problem you're worried about when I had MRI.If I'd known time was almost up I wouldn't have pressed the button.Glad you managed your walk though.There'll be plenty rotten weather when you can't make it.I've done a couple of walks over the weekend and today but it really does my back in now.I used to walk miles daily,back in the day.Much rather cycle now.
Try not to worry over much about your test.It's only one day in your life,and you'll be home before you know it.The MRI staff will be more than used to accidents.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 28, 2016

Yeah, I know the hospital staff have seen it all, but I'd still rather just not have it happen. I've been packing myself a bag in preparation for the worst, there's a large plastic bag to sit on in the car (I might bring a towel to sit on too), plus wipes and pads and of course a change of pants. And I bought myself yet another present to deal with this (I love building Lego sets, so I ordered myself a small lego set to build once I'm home from the MRI as a gift to myself for surviving it).

Most people are scared of MRIs because of the claustrophobia aspect of it. Not me!

I just really don't want to poop myself. So far in 7 years of this illness, I've only crapped myself once, and it was at home (I thought it was a fart, but oh no, it was not!). Only my hubby was there and I honestly don't think he even knew what happened, and I immediately got my clothes rinsed out and into the wash and myself into the shower. Still, it was utterly humiliating and I spent that long shower just crying. So, I think back on that awful experience and I know it would be even more humiliating to have that happen in a public place, where I can't immediately clean myself up, and where people would know what happened. I really, really just do not want that to happen! And I think it happening in my car on the drive home would be almost as bad. I'm an adult, in spite of this illness I'm just not supposed to crap my pants at all, and certainly not while I'm out in public. Not at the hospital, not while I'm in the car. Once I'm home, that urgency can hit me all it wants to. But I don't think it's going to wait that long and I'm just dreading it.

I do feel slightly better about it since I had that episode on Saturday, though. Feeling that sudden urgency while in the car and being able to hold it long enough to get to a public bathroom and not messing myself, that did give me a bit of confidence. I know this contrast stuff is just like prep though in how it affects me and I also know there aren't a lot of public bathrooms in between my house and the hospital (fortunately it's only about a 10 minute drive to get home). I'm mapping in my head where the gas stations are along the route!

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of them. I go to the University hospital in my city, and there aren't a lot of gas stations nor fast food places to stop at for a quick bathroom break in the university area. So the drive home might be a really, really loooong 10 minutes.

I'm probably overthinking all of this. Maybe it'll be fine. Or maybe I'll crap myself and somehow life will go on anyway. Either way, I just want Friday to be over with already.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 28, 2016

Okay, so I bought myself another present.

I had been wanting some new slippers, cute ones that I can wear during the scan. I had been looking at some online, but it's hard to know whether they'll fit because slipper sizes are so vague. But I was just at the store, and they had super cute ones with faux fur on the inside, and the outside looks like fuzzy lambs. Cute! And they have hard grippy soles, so that's good for walking around the hospital in. But no metal so I can wear them in the MRI machine. They had exactly one pair that fit me, plus they were 25% off and I found out the whole store is 15% off today on top of that, so of course they had to become mine.

New cute slippers make me happy.

I also bought some super heavy-duty extra long "5x protection" (whatever that means) incontinence pads, so hopefully if I crap myself it'll all stay in the pad. I got bladder incontinence pads because I figure that if I do have an accident, it's going to likely be mostly/all liquid anyway. I'm NPO for 4 hours before my scan, which means at 9 AM I have to stop eating & drinking, and I'm not a breakfast person anyway (food first thing in the morning makes me nauseous) so I'll have only had liquids that day anyway. And the contrast sounds to be similar to prep in terms of the effect it has, which means "pee out the butt" type of BMs. So, hopefully these pads work well if it comes to that.

I feel a bit better now that I got these pads (and slippers, ha ha). I can get through this. It might suck somewhat but I can do it!

I wish I could go to the gym today. It's been a stupidly stressful day at work. I still don't feel like I'm well enough to do a proper gym workout though. I might try a walk on my treadmill when I get home. Maybe that will help.

scottsma · Nov 29, 2016

It looks like you've got everything covered Cat,but you probably wont need it. as the saying goes "fail to prepare,prepare to fail.Ask to go to the bathroom immediately before your scan.This time next week you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 29, 2016

I definitely am a person who plans ahead and plans for everything! Hah, you should have seen me pack for my trip to Japan. I was only allowed one suitcase for 3 weeks of being literally on the other side of the world! That was so stressful to try to figure out what to bring and what to leave at home. I agonized for months over all those little decisions about what to pack. So this is relatively easy compared to that, ha ha.

I will definitely use the bathroom before the scan! In my paperwork, it even says "You may use the bathroom at any time while you are drinking the contrast." So I'm going to take advantage of that for sure. Even if it doesn't hit my guts right away, drinking that amount of liquid is going to make me have to pee at the very least!

I slept really poorly last night. But today's a better day at work, the stressful issue from yesterday is being worked out. Today looks like the nicest weather day for some time - temps in the low 50s F and sunny. So I'm definitely getting out for a walk today! I really need to get out, get some sunshine and fresh air and just clear my head.

Also, I'm still waiting on my GI to figure out how to prescribe me LDN (I apparently am his first LDN patient, which is exciting, but we have to figure out what to do in terms of getting it compounded, etc). He emailed me the other day to say he's working on it. So I haven't started LDN yet, but I'm hoping to very soon!

scottsma · Nov 29, 2016

You're very like me Cat,(not your arty-farty side hahaha) I make lists for everything,even stuff like giving the house a good clean.And I couldn't imagine going to the shops without a list.Did some walking round the shops today and was nearly on my knees by the time we got back to the car.It was a nice bright day but there was black ice,so no cycling again.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 29, 2016

Yes! I definitely write lists for everything! Even if my list only has one item on it (current shopping list just says "toilet paper"), I still write that list.

I will even email lists to myself so that I can see my lists on my phone. I love spreadsheets, too. At work, I am known as the spreadsheet queen, I literally have spreadsheets for my spreadsheets, ha ha.

That does trickle over into my "artsy-fartsy" side, too. I made a patchwork quilt for my cousin's new baby, and I had a certain number of each type of fabric square and wanted to make a pattern. So I opened up a spreadsheet and made myself a spreadsheet of which fabric should go where. I put that spreadsheet on my tablet and set that up next to my sewing machine, worked like a charm! And I have a dry-erase board next to my sewing machine with a list of all my current and ongoing sewing projects, so when I sit down to sew, there's no question as to what I should sew.

MissLeopard83 · Nov 29, 2016

Cat-a-Tonic said:
Okay, so I bought myself another present. I had been wanting some new slippers, cute ones that I can wear during the scan. I had been looking at some online, but it's hard to know whether they'll fit because slipper sizes are so vague. But I was just at the store, and they had super cute ones with faux fur on the inside, and the outside looks like fuzzy lambs. Cute! And they have hard grippy soles, so that's good for walking around the hospital in. But no metal so I can wear them in the MRI machine. They had exactly one pair that fit me, plus they were 25% off and I found out the whole store is 15% off today on top of that, so of course they had to become mine. New cute slippers make me happy.

I also bought some super heavy-duty extra long "5x protection" (whatever that means) incontinence pads, so hopefully if I crap myself it'll all stay in the pad. I got bladder incontinence pads because I figure that if I do have an accident, it's going to likely be mostly/all liquid anyway. I'm NPO for 4 hours before my scan, which means at 9 AM I have to stop eating & drinking, and I'm not a breakfast person anyway (food first thing in the morning makes me nauseous) so I'll have only had liquids that day anyway. And the contrast sounds to be similar to prep in terms of the effect it has, which means "pee out the butt" type of BMs. So, hopefully these pads work well if it comes to that.

I feel a bit better now that I got these pads (and slippers, ha ha). I can get through this. It might suck somewhat but I can do it!

I wish I could go to the gym today. It's been a stupidly stressful day at work. I still don't feel like I'm well enough to do a proper gym workout though. I might try a walk on my treadmill when I get home. Maybe that will help.

I wore Always Discreet Underwear when I had my ovarian cyst surgery (similar to the ones you get at the hospital) and those things are much more comfortable than Depends (essentially the same thing but less bulky). You might want to even try those - some places like Big Lots have sample packs so you only have to buy 2 or 3 in a pack rather than a great big one.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 29, 2016

Thanks! I was hoping to find something like that but I didn't see any when I was at Target yesterday, I only found incontinence pads, not full panties. We apparently do have a Big Lots store here, I don't think I've ever been there but I might stop by and check it out.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 29, 2016

Okay, so the weather wasn't quite as nice as advertised. It was only mid 40s F with fairly high winds, so it was pretty chilly out and a walk didn't happen after all. I did end up going to Big Lots, though, and found those panties that MissLeopard had mentioned (thanks again!). I got 2 sample packs and they seem promising. I'm thinking that I might wear a pad into the MRI machine, then use the bathroom after the scan & before I leave the hospital and change into the panties while in the bathroom, because that would make me feel more secure about the drive home. I think that while I'm at the hospital, a pad will (hopefully!) suffice.

(And holy cow, what a random store Big Lots is! I don't think I'd ever been there before, it's just a mishmosh of everything. Kind of reminds me of a store I went to in Japan called Don Quixote - if you want to buy groceries, Japanese cell phones, and socks, all while listening to blaringly loud Japanese pop and being blinded by strobe lights, then that's the store for you.

)

Oh, and as for walking at home on my treadmill - I forgot that xmas gifts have sort of temporarily taken over the guest bedroom/home gym, so the treadmill is currently blocked by piles of gifts. Oops! I need to wrap those and move them elsewhere!

scottsma · Nov 30, 2016

Yes,Cat.Get them wrapped and then they're done.Did you not have that on your list hahaha...:wink:

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 30, 2016

Ha! I have done everything but wrap them. These are mostly my hand-made gifts, too - blankets that I've crocheted, a quilt and pillows that I sewed, etc. And I recently went out and bought big gift bags that would fit big things like blankets and pillows. So all I need to do is to put them in the gift bags and I'm done (although I still need a place to put the wrapped gifts, my house is not large and the gifts are too big to fit under the xmas tree).

Speaking of sewing, my mom asked what I want for xmas. I was bold and asked if a new sewing machine wouldn't be out of the question - I've been ogling one that is computerized and has over a hundred stitches, including monogramming (I could have sooo much fun being able to monogram anything and everything!). My mom said it's in her budget, so I'm getting a super fancy new sewing machine for xmas! I'm already dreaming about all the things I'm going to monogram. Lily has her own towels (our old towels) for doggy bathtime, so I'm totally going to monogram her name on her towels.

So excited! Yes, I already have 2 sewing machines, but so what. My "main" machine right now is older and has quite a few quirks and I've had to fix a few things on it as best as I could - it's sort of held together with glue and hope at this point. And my backup machine is the most bare-bones sewing machine ever and I don't really like it, I only use it when absolutely necessary. So now the bare-bones machine can go into storage or be donated or whatever, and my hope-and-glue machine can become the backup. You know, for when I don't need to monogram something.

Ha ha.

I'm nervous because a co-worker has a tummy bug and she was in all morning (she finally went home sick around noon) and I just really don't want to catch it. I know those viruses are very highly contagious, ugh. Trying not to think about it while also washing my hands a lot and not touching my face. I'm pretty sure I'll be okay but you just never know. Incubation time for those viruses looks to be up to 48 hours, so in 2 days time I will know either way whether I caught it. Hopefully not!

Back to the subject of treadmills, there is a small gym in the basement of the building that I work in, it's free for employees and usually empty. So I'm keeping a pair of walking shoes at work and sometimes will sneak down there for a 5 or 10 minute walk. That's been going pretty well, I did that yesterday and today. I can do that on bad weather days when I need a quick break from work.

MissLeopard83 · Nov 30, 2016

Cat-a-Tonic said:
I'm nervous because a co-worker has a tummy bug and she was in all morning (she finally went home sick around noon) and I just really don't want to catch it. I know those viruses are very highly contagious, ugh. Trying not to think about it while also washing my hands a lot and not touching my face. I'm pretty sure I'll be okay but you just never know. Incubation time for those viruses looks to be up to 48 hours, so in 2 days time I will know either way whether I caught it. Hopefully not!

Two people are out sick today due to a stomach bug - one threw up while at work and left early and the other called out last night. I'm worried that means it's spreading around work and I REALLY don't want to be sick. I'm nervous because I felt icky before work and my guts have been really torturous all day. I've had a LOT of bathroom trips. Stomach viruses are the WORST! I hate having belly aches and nausea.

Cat-a-Tonic · Nov 30, 2016

My stomach & guts have been unhappy as well but I am hoping it's just because I'm worrying myself into it and not because I caught the bug. I definitely relate to your nervousness because I'm very nervous myself. I have an MRE on Friday, so worst case scenario is that the bug hits me right when I'm in the scanner. That would be horrible! I think these things tend to hit quickly, though, so I should probably know before then whether or not I caught it.

I think my one co-worker is (so far) the only one at work who has this, so I'm trying to be hopeful that she's just got food poisoning or something non-contagious like that. It always makes me feel ill when other people around me are ill, though, and I saw her run to the bathroom and then heard her puking, so that did not do good things for me mentally. I definitely stayed far away from her and only saw her briefly today, and she works on a different floor than I do and she was using a different bathroom than I've been using. So I might be okay, although if she does have a bug then she may have infected others at work who could still in turn get me sick. Ugh. I'm sorry to hear it's going around your workplace as well. I hope we both manage to avoid it! Like you said, I REALLY do not want to catch this!

Cat-a-Tonic · Dec 1, 2016

How are you today, MissLeopard? I'm okay, I didn't seem to catch the bug (yet) (knock on wood). I gave myself quite a lot of gas from being so worried yesterday so I'm pretty gassy today, but other than that I'm okay. Hopefully you are as well.

scottsma · Dec 1, 2016

It's bad enough struggling with this damn disease without worrying about others spreading their germs willy-nilly.I hope the germs decide that you two are not worth invading,and pass you by..Cat,re gift wrapping.You won't be surprised to hear that I am absolutely crap at it.Luckily I don't need to buy many gifts and use the shop bought gift bags......Been down the coast on the bikes.The wind was a problem as was the low lying winter sun,but it was behind us on the way back.Did 6mls and really enjoyed it.

Cat's Exercise Diary

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Super Moderator

Well-known member