Hi everyone,
Last week I visited my GI for a review to see how I am progressing. I had thought as my C-Difficile had completely gone, that he would give me meds for my UC and 'Spondyloarthropathy' however he said that because I had been taking antibiotics and 'Pred' he wanted to give my system a rest for a couple of weeks, and to just continue to take a reducing programme of 'Pred'.
He went on in great detail about
the side effects of the 'meds' I would be taking for my UC as the next stage of treatment. Apparently the side effects are pretty grim, including an increase in white blood cell production in the blood, which didn't really fill me full of confidence or optimism. He also mentioned that my C-Dificille could return, and although you never want to hear these things, it is fair enough that he was honest, and up-front about
everything.
Armed with this knowledge, and bearing in mind my history of allergies etc, I decided to take my 'enema kit' for my 'Fecal transplant' on my vacation (not exactly your typical must have holiday accessory!!) which I am currently having with my Husband and Daughter. We arrived at our holiday home last week on Friday, and I carried out the procedure in the shower on the floor, on Saturday morning.
First of all I should mention that it was very easy and stress free to carry out, and it went smoothly, although I didn't follow all the correct procedures, as I didn't wait for at least an hour, and just laid on each of my sides for 5 minutes, and when I laid on my tummy, everything just came out of me, and I couldn't hold much of it in.
Since Saturday, I have displayed a steady and positive improvement, along the following lines:
- Urgency has gone
- Mucus has gone
- I am seeing stools for the first time (not perfect, but hey better than before)
- Very little blood, which is great bearing in mind that I am not currently taking any
medication for my UC.
- I have had no tummy aches, or gas.
Finally.....and this is the most joyful news as far as I am concerned, for the past few days, I have eaten foods that I have not been able to eat for ages, and when I say eat, I mean absolutely gleefully gobbling it down!
It's now Monday evening, and I am feeling happy and cautiously optimistic, and my plan is that when I get back home later this week, I am planning to do one more, much more thorough 'Fecal Transplant' and then see how things go from there. Due to this happy development, I am now of course re-thinking using the next stage 'meds' for the UC that I discussed with my GI, and instead potentially considering taking 'LDN' which I feel now may be more appropriate for me, as I wouldn't want to risk being 'drug-free' at this point, despite my current improvement.
I always had a very strong feeling that the 'Fecal transplant' route might be a good option for me, bearing in mind the success I have had with homeopathy in the past, however I do feel that due to the stigma attached to 'Fecal transplant' treatment, that not enough people with UC are willing to try this course of action, or are frightened too, which is a shame. I decided to go down this path, as I knew that I was very susceptible to the possibility of C-Difficile returning, not having been able to take most probiotics, vitamins or other supplements due to my other allergies, and that the flora in my gut was vulnerable to a secondary attack.
So, in closing, so far it's looking good, however I can't be over confident, and will keep you all informed of my progress. Tonight I am going out for a nice meal in a restaurant with my family, just like a regular person, and will eat foods that I have not been able to eat, for a very long time! Wish me luck!
