A Writer's Life Interrupted--Not! #crohns #ibd #uc #remicade

I feel great. Uh, yep. So, there's not much to talk about except how amazingly wonderful I feel. Now, granted, I'm no spring chicken and this flare has lasted over ten years. I've been on all the medications they have for Crohn's. My hair has fallen out, regrown, and now it's falling out again.  I have fought to keep my insides even when they were bleeding and I was in so much pain I wanted to scream. The medications would bring me back from the edge only to stop working and take me back there again.

Generally, Crohn's medications take months to work unless we're talking about Prednisone, the devil drug itself. But, Remicade? It began working one week after my second infusion. Let me tell you how much I screamed the first time I had a normal bowel movement. I haven't seen one of those in 30 years. OK, TMI.  LOL

After I have the infusiion, I don't feel well and I'm tired the following day accompanied by brain farts if I think too hard. I also get a headache that lasts a few days, but nothing serious. Plus, my hair is falling out, though I haven't shaved it yet. If I need a wig I'll wear it proudly. I just won't tell anyone. My kids think I should get lots of different wigs so I can go undercover everyday. I've been thinking about a black and purple one. Something a little different than my normal blonde.

If my hair were to fall out in clumps that would make my decision easy. I'd just shave it off and head to the wig store or whatever. But no, my hair thins then thins some more. It thins equally so I can put off the shaving. *sigh* I had worked so hard to get my hair healthy after losing it this last time. 6MP was the drug, mercaptopurine. Nasty bit of a chemo that played havoc with my hair.

I still retain some hope that the hair loss is temporary and new hair will grow in. I'm an eternal optimist.

The Light and the Flame is back to the editor for the second pass. Fingers crossed because the third book in the series is better than the first two. How do I know this? I freaked myself out yesterday. I was so into describing Lucia that I could smell the horses and hear the creak of leather. Since Lucia is a child of the Light, she feels, sees, and hears the world differently than we do. I guess, is some strange, undefinable way, I entered her world and saw through her eyes.

She is so awesome.

Hugs to everyone!

Louann

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