feeling so low and confused. please help.

So my iron is low, inflammation high. I'm on iron pills, salofalk suppositories in the morning and enemas in the evening with four mezavant pills during the day. The goal here is to reduce the inflammation and raise my iron. If this doesn't work, they want me to start humira shots.

Here is where I need your help, wonderful people.

I'm terrified of the side effects of both humira and prednisone. I mean, lymphoma as a risk? ? Then there's surgery which I heard can have a 16% mortality rate if you're very sick. I'm so scared that i can't think straight.

What is your advice? How can I raise my iron and lower my inflammation? What has worked for you in the past? Also, should I really fear humira? I hear the risks are 1 in a 1000 which feels so risky...plus lowering my immune system to the point that I could die of an infection?? and don't get me started on prednisone. Scared of that too...

It might sound pathetic but I'm scared. I'm only 24. I feel so out of control and I'm trying to be positive, it's just so much to retain and, again not to sound pathetic, I don't wanna die :( I feel fine on the outside and its like my insides are betraying me. Any tips on keeping positive as well?

I'm going to Mexico in three weeks. Family is saying not to but it's my university graduation gift to myself. I have meds to bring, know how to be safe, and really don't want to let my disease stop me from experiencing this. I'm worried about the plane ride, though. Guess I'll be fasting the day before...

This is a loaded post I know. I'm sorry. Any help would be wonderful. I need to feel like I can do this :( I know that has to come from within but you are all survivors and I need your inspiration.

Thank you.

That is a loaded post.

How long have you had this disease? How long have you been on your current treatment regimen? Is it helping? Are you getting better with this treatment plan? Have you never been on prednisone yet?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking prednisone one time and then tapering off and may be very useful to get you through a trip such as you have planned. It can kick start you into a remission, which can be maintained by your other meds once you taper off the prednisone but you probably do need the prednisone to get you there. The trick is to get off the prednisone. For many people once you taper down to the lower doses or get off, their UC comes back and they become "steroid dependent", having to increase the pred, decrease it, increase it again, and wind up being on it for months and years without ever being able to get completely off. The trick is to not let that happen to you. Just take it the one time and get off - no matter what your condition is. The worst that can happen is that you wind up where you began before taking it.

My condition has never been bad enough for me to need to take the higher tier drugs so, for me, they were definitely not worth the risk. The worse your condition is, the risk may be more worth it. I'd never heard about a 16% mortality rate for those that had surgery when in bad shape. That seems awfully high to me. Are you sure that is correct? Very few actually die from UC so your fears on that are unjustified.

Are you going to Mexico with other classmates? Do your current meds help you enough to get through the trip? Will fasting before the plane ride help get you through that? While it may help some, many UC'rs, especially when at their worst, have to go several times per day, whether or not they have eaten food.

The best advice I can give you is to go ahead and take the prednisone to help you through this trip and then when you get back taper completely off, no matter what happens to you. The prednisone can help you get through the trip you dreamed of. In fact, I strongly consider taking prednisone myself one time every year for a few weeks in order to get me through a vacation without having to have worries. Prednisone is a horrible drug to take for long periods but it can be a miracle drug in the short term.