I got a new Baby Niece today!

Yesterday made me forget about my Crohns for a little while because I was distracted by the birth of my new niece Harper Rose! She's so beautiful and I'm so happy for my sister and her fiancé. 

This is my 5th niece/nephew so it's nothing new but with each birth my family grows and its special every time. I'm so glad my sister and the baby are doing OK and everything went well. Days like today make me so happy that I keep fighting my battle with Crohns and never give up. One day I want to have children of my own and a family of my own but I have to take care of myself first before that can happen. I don't think I could raise a child right now as I can barely take care of myself most days. Crohns just kicks your ass every single day but we have to keep getting up and fighting back and hoping for the day that cure will come. 

There's so many bad days that I have with my Crohns and I feel like giving up and not getting out of bed. Then there days like today that make me realize the fight is so worth it. 

Keep fighting and don't give up!

✌🏻️❤️💩 

Entyvio Infusion #4

Hey guys I'm baaaaaack again. So on Tuesday I received my 4th infusion of the newest drug for Crohns/Colitis called Entyvio. Once again the IV sucked and my hand has been bruised and in pain since the infusion. IVs are annoying as hell and I'm sick of them but what can ya do. So far still no noticeable changes other than keeping weight on that I gained after my first infusion. I still have around 8 trips to the bathroom almost everyday, some days it's less and some days it's more depending on what I eat. But with Crohns you never know, one day I can eat one thing and I'll be fine and the next day I'll eat the EXACT same thing and I definitely will not be fine and I'll be in the bathroom all day. 

I was very hesitant to try this new drug after being off almost any kind of medicine for my Crohns for over 5 years. The side effects of meds like Entyvio are super scary and the one that made me the most hesitant was the rare brain infection that can possibly happen with Entyvio, where you can become disabled or possibly die because of it. No one can blame a person for being hesitant of trying meds with side effects this serious. But after 5 years of my Crohns being left untreated I said "Fuck it!" and decided to give it a go. So far I haven't got the results I was hoping for but at least I put on 15-20lbs after starting Entyvio. Before starting it was impossible to gain weight no matter what I did so I'm thankful for that. 

Going through what we go through sucks and no one should have to live life like we do. Crohns/Colitis fucking suck and I hope they find a cure soon. Keep fighting the good fight people and don't ever give up. One day we'll have a cure....one day! 

Get Well Peeps 

✌🏻️❤️💩

 

Entyvio....crossing my fingers

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since my last blog. I told myself when I started this blog that I'd do it at least once a week but it just so happens that when you have an autoimmune disease like Crohns/Colitis even using your fingers to type a simple short blog can seem exhausting. So BIG NEWS (for me at least)! I haven't been on any medication for my Crohns/Colitis in over 3 years due to me being stubborn and also scared (rightfully so) of trying these crazy ass meds with all these crazy side effects. My Crohns/Colitis has not gotten any worse untreated over the years but it also hasn't gotten any better. 

I'm seeing a new GI Doctor at UNMC and together we decided that after years of my disease being left untreated, I would start a new med called Entyvio. After about a month of bullshit fighting with my insurance company to approve me for this med they finally caved. They fought me tooth and nail to approve me probably bc this medication is RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE! I wouldn't want to cover it either. 😂  This med you receive in infusions that take a half hour each time. At the beginning you get an infusion at week 0 then at week 2 you get your second infusion and then at week 6 you get your third and after your 3rd infusion you only have to get them every 4 weeks. 

So on April 5th I received my first infusion of Entyvio. 

My first infusion only took 30 minutes plus an additional 30 minutes for observation to make sure I didn't have any bad reactions to the new med. With the infusion I also receive iron because I'm so anemic. I didn't feel any side effects until about 2 hours after the infusion. I was extremely tired, had night sweats and headaches all night long. The only good thing is that I was already expecting some side effects bc of past experiences of all the shitty meds I've tried in the past and all their shitty side effects. 

My doctor told me to be very patient with this new med and not to get discouraged bc it can take up to 6 months for some people to see a change. On April 19th exactly 2 weeks after my first infusion I had my 2nd. 

🤔🤔🤔🤔☝🏻️☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻 That's my Instagram (gobobogo24) so feel free to follow me, message me or whatever you'd like. 

Yes I know I look very excited to be getting this new med! 😂 but on the inside I really am glad I'm back on some sort of medication bc some people will never get the chance bc of insurance and other unfortunate circumstances. 

Autoimmune diseases FUCKING SUCK! 

Yea I did curse but this isn't a PG blog and I am nowhere near close to having a PG mouth so sorry but not sorry about my occasional bad mouth. 🤐 

Fuck Crohns/Colitis 

Stay Strong and Keep Fighting People!

✌🏻️❤️💩 

😂😂😂

Oh...Arthritis.....What's Your Kryptonite!?

I wrote this in February but never posted......

Along with the much talked about "shitty" symptoms that Crohn's/Colitis patients suffer from, come along the not so much talked about symptoms that some people don't know we also suffer from. One of my main symptoms that isn't talked about much is arthritis. I'm bringing this up as the topic today because as I type this (my fingers aching) I'm suffering an immense amount of pain lately. Living in Nebraska the weather can get pretty cold during the winters and we're right in the smack dab middle of it, with snow on the ground and freezing temperatures. It always seems as the temperatures drop, my pain from arthritis rises. 

While almost every joint in my body seems to suffer from arthritis, today my wrists and fingers seem to be the "winners". Barely any pressure or movement comes with sharp pains. This arthritis was the worst pain I've ever been in in my entire life. Moving just the slightest bit made my nerves shoot the most intense pain I've ever felt. I've been to a rheumatologist and he diagnosed me with "migratory arthritis". His solution was to put me on prednisone and pain meds (tramadol and hydrocodone).

After agonizing pain for months and weeks at a time of missed work from the horrible arthritis I decided to take a different approach. I began googling alternatives that I could try for this horrible case of arthritis I had been experiencing. After reading through all the bullshit "miracle" cures online I finally stumbled across a few articles on acupuncture and arthritis. The next day I called and made an appointment with a Chinese Medicine Doctor who specialized in acupuncture. 

I was VERY hesitant going into my first appointment. I thought no way in HELL that acupuncture was the answer to my prayers of getting rid of this immense pain. At the time I could barely walk....my fingers, feet, knees and hands were swollen and my back shot intense pain with every step I took. I'm a pretty tough guy when it comes to pain as are most all Crohns/Colitis patients. 💪🏻 We deal with so much pain that others could never handle but this kind of pain was nothing I'd ever experienced before. This arthritis was my kryptonite. I was almost in tears with every move I made. 

Anyways.....so I gave acupuncture a try with much hesitation and doubt. It wasn't the cheapest but IT. WAS. WORTH. IT!!!

Oh my Lordy, after hobbling into his office for my first visit I was hurting so bad still but after 2 days almost all my pain was gone. After 3 appointments I honest to God have had ZERO problems with arthritis. So if you're thinking about trying acupuncture or looking for something to try I HIGHLY suggest trying it. I was SO  skeptical before my first appointment but now I swear on it. Best thing I've taken a risk on. I thought acupuncture was a waste of people's money but little did I know it was my answer all along to stopping my pain. 

I had to end this post with a picture of my best friend that I can finally take on walks again bc I'm pain free from arthritis! I'm SO much HAPPIER to be living life with no pain from arthritis! Now only if I could get my Crohns/Colitis in check! I guess one thing at a time.....

✌🏻️❤️💩

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GoBoBoGo24😄