I already shared one post concerning Humira, but I just joined and want to write down my story. It will be long so I apologize in advance, and this will be more of a coping mechanism to just get it all out.
I was 16 when I got my wisdom teeth out on December 29, 2009; little did I know this routine procedure would lead to what would be the one thing that ruined my life. My dental surgeon thought I had an infection because my cheek was swollen and had not gone down, so he prescribed me an antibiotic to fight this "infection". Come January 2010 (I turned 17), I was taking this little pill that I enjoyed taking because it was pink (can you tell I'm a girl?). This being the only medicine I had to routinely take, I did not mind and I always took it on time and never forgot a dose. My next dental visit, the swelling had not gone down so he sprayed out the spot where the hole was in my mouth and out comes a piece of food: the cause of the swelling. I stopped the antibiotic but what I did not know was this did not stop the C. difficile bacteria damaging my colon.
Basically, I was taking an antibiotic that was a dose large enough for an adult man (I was a 17 year old girl weighing 100 pounds and probably 5'1"), and was taking it for an infection I did not even have. My memory is a little blurry but the first thing I remember was the stomach pains. At first I thought it was cramps, but as the months went on it got worse. I also started noticing blood after bowel movements. This went on for several months; I would wake up with extreme pain, go to school and just hold my stomach with my face down on the desks, and I would get home and lie on the couch. In March, we had a class trip to Washington DC which I remember as running to the bathrooms and walking around hunched over because I could not stand up straight (due to my mysterious stomach pain). Finally, May came around: Junior Prom. Within two weeks, I lost 15 pounds and had to have my dress hemmed last minute. My friends, our dates and I went to dinner before the prom; unfortunately, I could not even swallow a bite of bread, let alone take a sip of water without extreme stomach pain. There were teachers at prom who knew I was having issues and were on call to let me in to a private bathroom, where only I could access so I was not embarrassed. Throughout the night, I sat the entire time I was there because standing just aggravated my stomach pains. I stood up once for the cupid shuffle and was sitting one minute later. I had to leave prom early and lay on my couch, while still in my dress, because I could not stand the pain.
After this I was admitted to the hospital because the pain was so bad and I missed a full week of school by just lying on my couch in agony. I stayed in the hospital for two weeks while they pumped me full of liquids and diagnosed me with c. diff. and ulcerative colitis. The doctor said it was one of the worst cases he has ever seen and if I continued to ignore the fact I needed to go to the hospital, I could have died; mostly due to the c. diff. because it can become fatal if not treated. After the 40 mg of prednisone made my cheeks, and body, blow up like a balloon, I felt okay. I had a PICC line that I had to use for a month after I was released from the hospital. People at school still did not understand but I did not want to explain anything. I have been on more medicines than I can remember but it was the azathioprine that kept me in remission throughout my senior year and first two years of college. The biggest issue I had with the azathioprine was it was ruining my long blonde hair, something I once loved which was now falling out, thinning, and unable to grow past my chest. So other than that, I considered myself pretty lucky. I had some problems, here and there, but nothing lasted long and I almost forgot I had a disease.
This past July, my first true flare began and it was like I was never feeling normal. I started getting pain again and slowly I was running to the bathroom much more. In August, I had my second colonoscopy and my diagnosis changed from ulcerative colitis to Crohns-Colitis. My bathroom visits were becoming frequent and disturbing and have only gotten worse. It is now December and I still do not have my flare under control, but I should be getting a phone call from my doctor because I gave in and told him I was ready for Humira. I am on Entocort but I really do not think that is helping much. My pain is unbearable when I have a BM. I dread going to the bathroom since it is never normal or it is excoriating pain. I pray for some miracle but it has yet to come. I just hope Humira works for me and I can be spared of the side effects (I am really trying to be optimistic). I feel like I am leaving so much out but I am trying to not make this any longer than it already is. Okay, I am done! My story, the "short" version.
I was 16 when I got my wisdom teeth out on December 29, 2009; little did I know this routine procedure would lead to what would be the one thing that ruined my life. My dental surgeon thought I had an infection because my cheek was swollen and had not gone down, so he prescribed me an antibiotic to fight this "infection". Come January 2010 (I turned 17), I was taking this little pill that I enjoyed taking because it was pink (can you tell I'm a girl?). This being the only medicine I had to routinely take, I did not mind and I always took it on time and never forgot a dose. My next dental visit, the swelling had not gone down so he sprayed out the spot where the hole was in my mouth and out comes a piece of food: the cause of the swelling. I stopped the antibiotic but what I did not know was this did not stop the C. difficile bacteria damaging my colon.
Basically, I was taking an antibiotic that was a dose large enough for an adult man (I was a 17 year old girl weighing 100 pounds and probably 5'1"), and was taking it for an infection I did not even have. My memory is a little blurry but the first thing I remember was the stomach pains. At first I thought it was cramps, but as the months went on it got worse. I also started noticing blood after bowel movements. This went on for several months; I would wake up with extreme pain, go to school and just hold my stomach with my face down on the desks, and I would get home and lie on the couch. In March, we had a class trip to Washington DC which I remember as running to the bathrooms and walking around hunched over because I could not stand up straight (due to my mysterious stomach pain). Finally, May came around: Junior Prom. Within two weeks, I lost 15 pounds and had to have my dress hemmed last minute. My friends, our dates and I went to dinner before the prom; unfortunately, I could not even swallow a bite of bread, let alone take a sip of water without extreme stomach pain. There were teachers at prom who knew I was having issues and were on call to let me in to a private bathroom, where only I could access so I was not embarrassed. Throughout the night, I sat the entire time I was there because standing just aggravated my stomach pains. I stood up once for the cupid shuffle and was sitting one minute later. I had to leave prom early and lay on my couch, while still in my dress, because I could not stand the pain.
After this I was admitted to the hospital because the pain was so bad and I missed a full week of school by just lying on my couch in agony. I stayed in the hospital for two weeks while they pumped me full of liquids and diagnosed me with c. diff. and ulcerative colitis. The doctor said it was one of the worst cases he has ever seen and if I continued to ignore the fact I needed to go to the hospital, I could have died; mostly due to the c. diff. because it can become fatal if not treated. After the 40 mg of prednisone made my cheeks, and body, blow up like a balloon, I felt okay. I had a PICC line that I had to use for a month after I was released from the hospital. People at school still did not understand but I did not want to explain anything. I have been on more medicines than I can remember but it was the azathioprine that kept me in remission throughout my senior year and first two years of college. The biggest issue I had with the azathioprine was it was ruining my long blonde hair, something I once loved which was now falling out, thinning, and unable to grow past my chest. So other than that, I considered myself pretty lucky. I had some problems, here and there, but nothing lasted long and I almost forgot I had a disease.
This past July, my first true flare began and it was like I was never feeling normal. I started getting pain again and slowly I was running to the bathroom much more. In August, I had my second colonoscopy and my diagnosis changed from ulcerative colitis to Crohns-Colitis. My bathroom visits were becoming frequent and disturbing and have only gotten worse. It is now December and I still do not have my flare under control, but I should be getting a phone call from my doctor because I gave in and told him I was ready for Humira. I am on Entocort but I really do not think that is helping much. My pain is unbearable when I have a BM. I dread going to the bathroom since it is never normal or it is excoriating pain. I pray for some miracle but it has yet to come. I just hope Humira works for me and I can be spared of the side effects (I am really trying to be optimistic). I feel like I am leaving so much out but I am trying to not make this any longer than it already is. Okay, I am done! My story, the "short" version.
