Sorry to anyone who may have been reading this post and waiting for an update. I have been indecisive about what step to take next and so that is partially why I have not written. I am still not sure of what I will do next, but I just wanted to update the blog because I believe in transparency, even if it is a bit messy.
I did go to see my doctor last week for a followup visit from my colonoscopy. The news I got was not exactly what I wanted to hear (because of course I wanted him to tell me that I am cured!), but the news was overwhelmingly positive! I like lists, so lets do that....
positive-
1. He was able to complete the colonoscopy.(this may seem silly, but I was worried that my colon was so bad that he may not have been able to complete the procedure for fear of perforating the colon, which happens on rare occasions).
2.no sign of Dysplasia in the biopsies taken (this means no abnormal cell growth in the areas of the colon where the Doctor took samples). this is good because not only was the no large cancerous growth that I was afraid of, no abnormal cells is a good indication that there is no cancer imminently brewing.
3. OK, this to me is the BIG news. my last diagnosis 3 years ago when I was hospitalized was officially "severe pan colitis" which is about as bad as a ulcerative colitis diagnosis gets. It means that my entire colon was affected and the degree was severe which is the worst. At that time the doctors prognosis was that my colon was beyond the point where it could be healed, and that it needed to be taken out immediately.
Following this recent colonoscopy my doctor indicated that over 3/4 of my colon had been completely healed. Specifically my ascending, descending, and traverse colon are not currently being affected by the disease and appear COMPLETELY NORMAL!
the not ideal-
1. the part of my colon that is affected (namely rectum and sigmoid) are still in a severely affected state. This is not great obviously because of the fact that "severe" means its still pretty messed up. Also the location, although in some ways a positive, is also inconvenient because this area is kind of like your shit valve, so having the disease active there means that it is still impacting my ability to have control over when I need to use the bathroom. Basically all goes well on the journey through most of my gut, but when it gets to the end, sudden urgency is created......this a bit of a challenge to deal with, but on the bright side it is much better than it used to be.
2. even though it is only a small part of my colon that is now affected, the fact that it is severe means that I have a breakdown in the mucosal layer of the colon which is of key importance for protection against any nasty little diseases or pathogens entering the blood stream. because I do not have this protection, and I may have some open sores in the area, my doctor advised against doing the fecal transplant at this moment.
All of this being said, I am still unsure of what I will do in the future, and when. I am considering many options. I am not one to just take the doctors advice just because he said it, if I were, I already would not have a colon. I do however value the doctors opinions, advice and knowledge, and must consider it. He also recommended, because of the location that I incorporate enema and suppository mesalamines (anti-inflammatory) into my medication regiment. I am also considering this. I am still open to all possibilities as I continue to feel better everyday, and continue to see improvements in my symptoms. If there is anyone out there reading this blog I certainly not about advice, thoughts or comments on my own situation or yours. I check my blog regularly and you can leave anything you'd like in the comment box.
thanks again,
I wish you well
Alex
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