Miracle? COLITIS GONE?

That's great! I've heard from people on here that they have c-scopes come back wtih no signs of UC. I'd like to have one (if it didn't involve the prep!) just to see what's going on up there, because I feel SO great! I think you realize this, but just to make sure, you do realize that it's not completely gone, and you'll probably have a flare-up again at some point, right? I just don't want to see you quit your meds and such and then have a terrible flare!

Can't get any better news than that when you wake up from a scope! Congrats!!

Absolutely! I've had perfectly clear scopes and long remissions....although, I've stuck with maintenance meds.

Try not to totally think the meds didn't help you. If you are going to lower the dosage or oral 5ASA, do it by one pill a week.

Where are you at the enemas? nightly or already tapered to a lower dosage?

It's awesome you're doing well! Stay with it!

quincy

UniG: I just read where you say your brother had UC and ended up with an illeostomy after years of struggle. Is there something he could have done differently, in your opinion, to keep his colon?

My colonoscopies have been normal for the past three years. No, not cured, just in remission from my medication. If I'm a couple of weeks late for my Remicade, I'll start having urgency and lower back pain. But in the meantime, my colon isn't in there growing cancer from the constant irritation of ulcers and inflammation.

Congratulations on a great report, just remember you still have UC.

UniG,
That's fantastic! Have you been on the same oral meds and enemas since diagnosis without too much effect and recently make a change in diet/supplements? Or has your GI altered meds recently which may have brought you into remission? Also, you're on a vegan diet with yogurt? Do you make your own?

Oh, I didn't mean to be a kill-joy! It's AWESOME news that things look good. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to go off the meds and end up sick...I'd hate to see that happen to you!

Yes. It's happened to me. I had a really bad flare and needed to wait for my insurance to come through before seeing a doctor (otherwise, I'd have a pre-existing condition). After seeing the doctor and being in such serious condition that he could not even do a sigmoidoscopy, I went from being in serious condition to being 98% healed in three and a half months. He was absolutely amazed at my recovery and kept saying how remarkable my recovery was. It was fecal transplantation that put me in remission. I also listened (and still do) to self-hypnosis CDs before going to sleep. At the time, I was listening to healing ones. Although I know the CDs did not stop my flare, I do think they helped speed up the recovery process.

Please keep up with the vegan diet. I know someone who has been in remission for probably 20 years. She's swears by a vegetarian diet. She says it's what got her in remission and kept her in remission. She always says, "I had UC", not "I have UC."

It's always great to hear when someone is in remission, hope it lasts a long time for you!

:)

Hi Quincy, no biopsies were taken at my 1st scope last year. I'll ask him about the one I just had but he never mentioned any. I was awake but sedated for some of it and then in a lot of pain as he went around the corners. That's the last thing I remember before I fell asleep and woke up in recovery. As a side note, despite being sedated, both my colonoscopies have been painful -once they get near the end of the bowel. They were telling me to breathe through it but i felt like i wasn't given time to breath. Have your scopes been painful? I'm a little sore today.

I guess there were no polyps??? I'll ask him about the biopsies.

Uni-g

wow, all that and no biopsies? doesn't seem right considering you have UC as well as it being in your family. You should have a baseline of it all being OK...then if all is fine, a c-scope in 3 - 5 years unless you have problems.

I guess all docs are different, but my doc takes 30 - 36 biopsies each time....I have scopes every 3 years except the last one was at the 2 year mark because of the ups and downs I had this year.

Of course, this is my perspective based on my experience.

Awesome you don't have any polyps!

Yes, it hurts during the c-scope a bit going around the corners....I have a light sedation and watch the monitor. Going back takes a while becasue of the biopsies.

At your next scope....please make sure the doc does biopsies throughout....I don't know how old you are, but considering you do have UC and you are of a mature age (didn't want to say older..heehee), it seems it would be a good thing to do.

I'm usually a bit "tender" the next day with bleeding from the biopsies...that's a norm, however.

If you have any antispasmodics, that will help ease the spasming/cramping/discomfort....but Tylenol will help with the pain and discomfort as well.

quincy

Love hearing this story. Similar story on my end. symptoms for 6 years, uncle diagnosed by Dr Crohn back in NYC years ago for UC....

Tried the asacol, prednisone, colazal, sulfasal, remicade, humira, nothing worked.

One day met a girl who had UC for 10 years and tried everything I did on the medication side and also 6MP. Nothing worked for her either.
She told me about a diet free of sugars, carbs, dairy etc...
I started that diet that night, and within two days hard stools finally came back for first time in years.
All of my gastro docs don't believe the diet is the reason for my current condition which is drug free and symptom free. had sigmoid a week ago and doctor said ALL CLEAR, he was shocked. Went to Mayo Clinic for a week, to discuss side effects from the Humira, told them about diet, the gastro docs there give diet no credit at all either....

I am only 4 months on the diet, but 2 months med free, and I am a believer. Only time will tell, but uncle sure wishes he was told about diet before having colon removed years ago.

So surprised how docs don't give diet a chance, maybe its because all you need to do is go to the grocery store instead of a gastro doc's office sometimes...