Hi, Everyone!
I've visited the forum before, but it has definitely been a while since I've been here.
I know it is possible this topic has already been discussed but any feedback would be appreciated.
about
9 months ago, my estranged husband canceled my insurance. I was getting samples of Asacol HD for about
3 months, but then my doctor decided he wasn't going to do that anymore because he wasn't making any money. True story.
So I've had to learn to manage this colitis without antiflammatories, steroids, or other prescribed meds. I had been doing great. Completely symptom free other than urgency for the last four months. I began taking Align once a day and 2,000 ICUs of Vitamin D. I was feeling great!
Then I came down with a horrible cold/flu that took me down for a week. It was not a stomach flu, just your basic upper respiratory problems. I had no symptoms during the cold, however, once I began to feel better from the cold/flu, I began to flare. Kinda slowly at first but overall it came on pretty quickly.
I know I should be used to colitis symptoms but after several months of not seeing mucous, diarrhea, or blood, I almost panic when I see blood in the toilet or any of those other awful things. I think the worst, colon cancer, ruptured colon, etc. I know stress increases the flare, and I'm doing my best to stay calm, but it's been two weeks, and I feel like it is getting worse rather than better.
I am currently unemployed other than a small cake decorating business I run outside of my house, am a full-time college student, going through a divorce, so I cannot afford to go to my GI, in fact, I'm not even welcome at my GI's office unless I can pay the $1,000 I owe him. He also won't medicate me without another colonoscopy which I cannot afford without insurance.
I'm just so freaked out by this latest flare, and I'm hoping and praying I can get it under control again. I WAS feeling so good and it was so nice. I'm just scared. I almost forget what is like to have symptoms. It just scares me.
