Intro:
Retired (VERY retired: 82 and counting) living in Washington State. Don’t know how long I’ve actually had this problem but was first diagnosed about 10 years ago, put on eight sulfasalazine a day, promptly reduced by me to four, and just last month dropped altogether.
Symptoms:
Query: Am I the only older-than-dirt UC person on your list?
Yes, I have symptoms, but due to recent change in dealing with it, they seem to change from day to day.
My Story:
Bleeding a bit is what originally prompted me to have this looked into — pun intended. Prior to that day, I’d never known anyone with this condition and I knew precisely nothing about it. I learned, fairly quickly, I didn’t want it; I learned, also fairly quickly, want it or not……
I’m really not a slow learner, just tend as most of my generation do to follow my doctor’s advice, within reason. That last proviso was tested very early on when the high dosage of sulfasalazine so permeated me, I could actually sniff out a trace of it on my skin. I cut the dosage in half, and everything seemed to stay the same.
Still, years went by and frankly, I couldn’t see any improvement in any respect. Flares were common, and often severe ones at that. I used to play duplicate bridge twice a week in the mornings, and I finally had to quit that altogether; there were entirely too many mornings when I could NOT get more than 15 feet from the nearest loo, and sudden urges would double me up every 20 minutes or so for hours. Very competitive bridge players tend to frown on people who throw down their hands, apologize, and scramble from the room over and over.
Jean's Dog
Other than a happy and enthusiastic 10-year-old dog, I am alone now. I lost my husband of 54 years just two years ago, and what other family I have are out of state. Happily, that’s fine — love the dog, love my Maingear Shift computer, my Kindle Fire, my music (classic, please), my friends, my part of the world, and I’m quite content.
The changes I made to my routine last month are, as follows: No more sulfasalazine. Turns out it had apparently helped my osteo-arthritis, which I’ve noticed, but apparently it had another effect which I never dreamed about. Truly, I feel so much better than I did just a few months ago, I was shocked. The med simply must have had a draining or debilitating affect that wore off within days of stopping it.
Next, I drink a few ounces of organic aloe vera juice (heard about first on this website), and to my regular vitamin regimen I’ve added probiotics three times a day. Now and then, not regularly, I add an Immodium or equivalent, but only when cramping is persistent.
I’m also keeping sort of a diary to note morning where I note a tiny spot of bleeding again, days I have diarrhea, I had to take the Immodium, etc.
Where I’d Like to be in 1 year:
It would be nice to be able to travel again, just a bit. I don’t imagine I have all that many years left to, say, go on a cruise. And maybe one more time I’d like to go back to my home town of Denver and visit some of the friends I still have there, after all these years.
written by: Jean
submitted in the Colitis Venting Area
Retired (VERY retired: 82 and counting) living in Washington State. Don’t know how long I’ve actually had this problem but was first diagnosed about 10 years ago, put on eight sulfasalazine a day, promptly reduced by me to four, and just last month dropped altogether.
