What's happened to me over the last few weeks

OK so here we go again with blogging. A good friend/co-worker suggested I blog to pass the time while I'm laid up on the couch recovering from surgery so I decided to take her up on the challenge. If you're not a fan of graphic medical knowledge/terminology, I suggest you stop reading here, because I'd like to share the sordid details of my medical crisis with the world even if no one actually cares to read.

In September 2001, when I was a junior in high school I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Simplified, my body decided it didn't like my colon anymore and attacked it. Caused horrible bloody diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, etc. So while the rest of the world was grappling with the effects of the 9/11 disaster, I was very sick, fighting a very serious disease. Surgery was an option then, but because I was so young and they hadn't tried a regimen of medicine yet, the docs went that route. It took a while and I missed my entire junior year of high school, but eventually they got it in check and it stayed that way for about 9 years.

Flash forward to this fall. I guess I had been ignoring some of the warning signs... some weight loss, diarrhea, etc. Around Christmas the disease started to get really bad and by early January I was really sick. I took a week's vacation from work (just to take the vacation-- nothing to do with feeling sick) and was sick in bed the whole time. When I came back to work I wasn't any better, even though I had seen my doctor and he raised my medicine dosage. There were a few mornings I almost didn't make it through the show. One morning, one of my co-workers had to take over and finish my shift for me I was so sick. I went back to the doctor and he immediately admitted me to the hospital for tests.

After a colonoscopy, it was determined that my colon was so diseased, that although it wasn't an emergency, if they didn't take it out soon, it would likely soon tear. So I made the tough choice to have the surgery. The doctors completely removed my colon and created what's called a J-Pouch out of small intestine that will someday function as a psuedo-colon. In the meantime, my waste comes out in an illeostomy bag that I have to empty a few times a day.

Recovery from surgery isn't proving to be easy. I'm still in a lot of pain and it's hard to get up and walk around much. Having to sleep on the couch because I can't make it upstairs to my bedroom yet. I can't wait to get back to work and back to a normal life. The doctors say once everything is healed, I'll be healthier than I ever have been. My appetite is already a thousand times bigger than it was before I got sick.

When all is said and done, no more worrying about eating something wrong that might hurt my digestion or feeling sick like that again. I still look a fright. I lost quite a bit of weight through the ordeal. Well hopefully anyone who's still reading isn't grossed out and now understands what I've been going through. At least I've gotten to vent my story somewhere.

I'll try to keep the blog updated as time goes by, let everyone know how I'm improving and what's going on in my life. I'm very thankful for my friend/roommate Nick who's doing everything he can to help take care of me while I'm out of commission.

OK this was a long blog post... I probably won't have that much to say again. Thanks for reading!