It is my birthday and I need a little uc cheering up

I can't walk more than a few feet. Pain level is at an 8, naseau is high, blood loss also seems to be fairly high. Doc says I am healing very, very slowly. I have no insurance so doc has been treating me at home every two days off the books. Would appreciate something to look forward to. Could people share stories of their favorite adventures or vacations? OR stories of triumphs over their worse uc flares?

I'm sorry to hear you're not doing well.

I live in the midwest, and one of my favorite places to travel in the summertime is this big lake a few hours drive from here. It is in a sandy region, and the lake gets dropped down for irrigation. With the water dropping these huge sand beaches appear... which is really nice since I'm about as far from an actual ocean beach as is possible! This lake is set away from any large cities by quite a ways, and there is a slower type of atmosphere around it and the nearby community. My favorite experience is to be sitting on the shore at night, watching a distant thunderstorm roll in. The waves sound wonderful when they are splashing the shore, there are more stars to be seen than most people ever get to see, and the lightning in the distance makes for a great show. While all this is happening you get a cool breeze blowing towards you that feels absolutely great in the middle of a warm summer evening.

I've had UC for 8 years now. Last summer I was in such bad shape that I even briefly contemplated surgery. I was going to the restroom an easy 10-15 times per day... a bloody and flaky mess of a liquid stool each time. I even had an accident while trying to make it into a store to use their restroom. My doctor wanted me to go on Remicade... but I did not want to do that. No medicine has put me into a lasting remission though, and I'd tried the rest of my options... so I was up a creek, so to speak. I took a couple different doses of prednisone, which helped briefly... only to let UC re-surge as soon as I was off of it. I finally was able to let my life calm down to a great degree... (I was building a house and working last summer). I still had urgency and inflammation, so I've been trying a mix of alternatives. I've also watched my diet closely and eliminated some triggers. Eliminating milk decreased my trips to the bathroom by nearly 50%! I'm still in pain, presently this evening I have a burning in my left colon... but only 2/10. My urgency has decreased significantly... and for the last 10 or so days the most trips I've been to the toilet in one day is 4. This is amazing for me. I keep pushing on, trying to learn more about what works for me.

I hope this helps you to hear this. Take care.

Happy Birthday! I am sorry you're feeling so miserable. I've been there and without insurance and I know how hard it is. I hope you have some friends or family to spend your evening with. Are you on Predinsone?

Thoreau,
Your description is a part of the prescription I need. Reading it made me feel like I was there. Thank you very, very much. I suspect I will read it many more times tonight.
Our journey with uc can be such an uphill battle but taken with the right sense of humor, also kind of funny. Most absurd flare: dogsledding in minus 35 degrees just below the Canadian tundra. Best flare: on the beach in Crete, Greece.
This flare is bad just because I should be in the hospital from blood loss and pain, but I have no insurance. My gi comes by every two days to check on my hydration, blood loss, and does a cbc. I suspect he will put me in the hospital tomorrow anyway. My kids really don't need their college tuition, do they? Just kidding.
Thank you for cheering me up. I really loved your description.
SZm

I wish I had an adventure to share but I don't so how about this...

 

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear subzeromambo happy birthday to you!  I hope you feel better soon!

 

Here is my favorite birthday song!  Enjoy

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYgKesYSwK8

 

 

netty13,
That was perfect! This has been better than a birthday party. Many happy hugs, SZm

Hope you had a great birthday celebration Subzeromanbo!!

You have an amazing doctor who would consider treating you at home..wow! It's frustrating that your progress has been slow. It can be that way for many.

I hope you start to feel better soon...
quincy

I don't have any great inspirational stories regarding Uc and flaring. I'm sorry that you are having such a rough go at the moment. Hang in there and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Btw, if you want an inspirational or uplifting story just watch Casey Abrahms on American Idol :)

Eat lots and LOTS of cake. Mmmmmm cake.

OK here's my adventure. 3 years ago we bought a van with a toilet and bed, actually a class B RV at 21'. I felt like a prisoner of UC at that time. It became my daily car because I could park it everywhere, it fits into a normal parking space but I always choose a space that is easy to get out of.

Although UC was the reason for van purchase it has become the most fun vehicle since my first car (we always love our first cars don't we?). Summer of 2010 we headed out west and spent 6 weeks driving in New Mexico, Arizona, bits of Colorado and Utah (Arches Nat'k Park is awesome). Although I was already on the mend since starting serious diet modification in early 2010 this was the best 6 weeks of UC for me since forever. I felt...normal. We were active every day, up and down hillsides, photographing and just enjoying the beauty of the western United States.

I know it's not possible for everyone to buy a van with a toilet in it but they are available to rent in many different sizes (the first time we rented an RV we had a terrible experience but that didn't quell my desire for one). State parks have campsites with hookups for under $30 night, some spots are less or free without hookups.

Happy birthday dear Subzero. I wonder if you are in Alaska? We are headed there in August and yes I have reserved an RV in Anchorage ($99 a day!) and we're headed to Denali, too far to drive ours lol.

I had a three year flare throughout Pharmacy school that would come and go. I contemplated quitting in the latter half of my second year, but with the help of my parents was able to graduate. Today, I work as a pharmacist and proud to help people whenever I can. So achievements can be done in spite of the torment we go through when our disease is active.

By far my worst flare on foreign soil was a trip I took to Thailand last year. A combination of stressful travel and non SCD foods put me into a pretty bad situation. I truly did not enjoy my travels in those two weeks. Yet, you live and learn from all these situations.

Here's to remission and happy birthday!

Hi there!
I hope you had a happy birthday! I LOVE that you can come here and ask to be cheered up and we all genuinely care!!

3 summers ago my husband and I went on a trip of a lifetime. He had never visited Europe and even though I had been meny times I just knew it would be so much better with him. And it was! We went and did our own wine tour of the South of France. Areas like St. Emiloin, Medoc, etc. So amazing. We stayed in bed and breakfasts run by French families who had a love for wine (like my husband) and a love for food (like me). The vinyards were picturesque. A few months later we found out we were pregnant so.....no more trips like that for a while, especially since we are currently preggo with baby #2.

I hope you were with friends and family yesterday!!
(((hugs)))