After our 27 April, 2011 Tornado, we were on a “boil water” order for about 24-48 hours.
Afterwards, I developed a mild case of Diarrhea that was manageable. I thought “OK, I might have picked up something accidentally in the water”, so I didn’t think much of it.
In the first of June, I went to my employer’s medical clinic on a Monday afternoon where they put me on a bland diet for 3-4 days; chicken broth, etc… They drew blood and I contributed a stool sample the next day. I tried chicken broth that night and it was like Niagara Falls unleashed. The next day I started seeing blood in my stool, I was going probably 8-10 times a day. I called my GI doctor who got me in on Wednesday for tests (more blood and a bloody stool sample I was able to give right away. They called back wanting me to come back that Friday for an anemic test. Being bullheaded, I waited until that Friday to visit the local ER, where I was checked in immediately. Between Monday and Friday, I had lost 20 pounds and was kept for 10 days. I was given steroids, antibiotics, saline solution, and potassium. Couldn’t keep any food in me to include yogurt or jello. Especially bad was the potassium which upset my stomach immediately. I learned to position myself on a portable commode before any meds as I couldn’t move fast enough. Finally, a colonoscopy and biopsies proved I had Ulcerative Colitis. I’m now on Asacol for the rest of my life, on Klor-con for an undetermined amount of time, weaning myself off gradually of Predinsone. I’ve learned stress can be a “trigger” and stress is part of my job. In conjunction w/ bad knees, so I’m leaning towards applying for a disability retirement on both counts.
My Medications:
Klor-Con 20 mg (?) 1 every day
Asocal 800 mg 3x day
Predisone 10 mg weaning myself down
Submitted by: “FOS” (Full of Stool)
FOS’s story is now entered into the 2011 Ulcerative Colitis Writing Contest!!!
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52 year old male first time UC sufferer in Tuscaloosa, AL
