Monday, July 7, 2008 ~ Looking Like a Monster

This morning I wake up to my right eye painful, puffy, swollen shut with seepy crud; i’m siezed by some wierd conjuctivitis thingy.  A call to the doc says treat with warm compresses and go see her at 3:00 pm this afternoon.  I expect this is a result of a compromised immune system.  Here we are, a beautiful sunny warm summer day and here I sit in the kitchen with a tea pot steam warming my eye.  Ugh! 

NOTE ON DOCTOR VISIT: Turns out its not conjuctivitis, pink eye or anything of that sort.  Most likely its good old uveitis, which I am familiar with.  Tomorrow, I get the pleasure of visiting VM’s Ophthalmology department.  I’m familiar with uveitis and my last flare-up was 2006 (same as my last bad UC flare-up).  I learned its common to have both and ulcerative colitis can cause uveitis.  Uveitis is painful inflammation of the interior eye and requires emergency medical attention.  My first flareup I couldn’t see out of right eye and it felt as if a needle were being shoved down the middle of my eyeball.  Each onset after has come as a surprise as it feels a little different.  This time there was alot of weepiness and clear residue from the eye.  I felt a wierd pain and headache for the last few days.  Also, the pain usually intensifies but this time its maintaining a kind of low grade intensity that is somewhat bearable.  Its treated with steroids.  So, here I have been tapering off and tomorrow they are likely to put me on steroid eye drops.   It important you be seen by a specialist and that you always have them check the eye pressure.

Alas, the paint-prep-guy is here.  At this very moment, he is outside scraping away at the side of the house.  For the first time in over twenty years this beautiful old house is to be painted.  I am so happy about this.  Pictures to come, soon I promise.

Food today:

I have no appetite.  This morning had 3 graham crackers with coconut and milk with my pred.  Then later on my protein shake, not all of it.  Quick trip up to whole foods and got a breakfast samosa with egg and potato.  That was yummy.  1 hot tea.  1 gatorade. 1 small coffee.   Now its lunch.  Should eat. No appetite.

Meds today:

(5:30 am) ~ prednisone 5mg tabs,  dosage – 30 mg
(8:30 am) ~ calcium supplement 1000 mg Vit C 60 mg, Mag 150 mg, Vit D 400 IU dosage – 1 pill (still sitting there, couldn’t bear to swallow it),  
~ vit D drops 200 IU – dosage 1 drop

~ lactobacillus acidopholisus caplet – dosage 1 cap(6:15 pm) ~ azathioprine 50mg tabs, dosage – 150 mg

Poops today: Amazing, two soft smallish stools.  No blood.  No urgency.  This is fabulous!

Weight: 129.00 maintaing. Not gaining.  But this might get better with the improved poops.  We’ll see.

Sunday, July 6, 2008 ~ Progress

I went with Mary (Bill’s, next door) to yoga at the YMCA this AM.  It was fabulous.  I awoke so crabby today, did not want to do anything.  I ate and then went back to sleep until Mary’s knock for yoga at 10:15.  I so didn’t want to be in the yoga class.  I felt resistant, lethargic and lazy and the worst is, I sweat like a pig. 

After 20 minutes, my hair is sopping wet as though I have been swimming and I get self-conscious about it.  Of course, in my blur I forgot to grab a towel and the paper towels do nothing. Somehow I slogged through the poses and at about half way through I started to feel terrifically better and even satistfied to be there.  By the end of the 75 minutes I was calm and relaxed and I even got sort of into the oms.  She always has us do three at the end. 

The rest of the day was good as well.  Me and Tad hauled a bunch of crap that was being stored on the hall landing of our second floor, down into the basement.  Now, when I get up to go at night I won’t have to navigate the junk obstacle course to get to the toilet.  I always have this fear of catapulting down the stair case which is just outside our bedroom door on the way to the toilet.  Sigh!

I spent an hour in the sun this afternoon as dear Mary (Bill’s) planted the Japanese snowball plant along the fence in my backyard.  Thank you Mary!!

Meds today:

(5:30 am) ~ prednisone 5mg tabs,  dosage – 30 mg
(8:30 am) ~ calcium supplement 1000 mg, Vit D 400 IU, Vit C 60 mg, Mag 150 mg, dosage – 1 pill
~ vit D drops 200 IU – dosage 1 drop per day
~ lactobacillus acidopholisus caplet – dosage 1 cap(6:15 pm) ~ azathioprine 50mg tabs, dosage – 150 mg ~

(6:15 pm)~ azathioprine 50mg tabs, dosage – 150 mg (take in evening)

about three (half tabs) of the anti-nausea meds.

Poops today

~ There is a difference.  I have had one soft stool and some passages with no blood.  A few with blood.  I think I am making progress toward reducing inflamation symptoms.

Food today

(6:30 am or so with my pred dose) ~ milk with 3 graham crackers

~ (9:30 or so) plate of steamed pot-stickers, protein shake with oj, bee pollen; Gatorade’s;

~ (noon) left over fish noodle soup with frozen spinach; frozen kashi waffle with honey; Gatorade;

(snack) warm lactaid milk with match tea, cocoa powder, spot of instant coffee, tsp or so of honey; gatorade;

(snack) quart of water; frozen toasted kashi waffle with butter and honey;

(6:15 pm) small glass sparkling white wine; Still deciding dinner.  Eating is tedious sometimes.  I don’t have much of a desire for food and nothing really sounds good.   But I know eating is critical to building up my strength.