Remicade : Day 1336

Do you ever have those days where you really feel old?  In the 28 years of having this disease, I feel old everyday.  The aches and pains, tired and exhausted and the constant bathroom breaks, but at my last infusion it was re-enforced.
Another patient was getting infused and we got to chatting about when we were in school and how things were.  You know, when you say, "hey, do you remember......", it was all good until he said that I might not remember because I'm older than him.  I asked how old he was and he said 50.  I smiled and gave a quick chuckle and said, well I'm only 47.  Really?  he said.....but you have all that grey hair. 
Turns out, that I've been going grey since I was 18 and no, I didn't run out to the drug store next door to get Just For Men to color my hair, but it goes to show how people automatically judge you or assume something about you, just by your appearance.  Got me thinking about how people like "us" are judged by our appearance, or lack there of, of illness.
Makes ya think....

Wearable Art Collections - Mozart

Here are some of my Mozart Music collection featured on VIDA


http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/vern-laine

Cashmere Modal Scarf

Cashmere Silk Scarf



Modal Scarf

Silk Square Scarf

Wearable Art Collections - Fire and Ice

Here are some of my Fire and Ice collection featured on VIDA


http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/vern-laine

Cashmere Modal Scarf



Cashmere Silk Scarf

Men's Silk Pocket Square

Modal Scarf

Men's Cotton Pocket Square

Sleeveless Top

Crohnie Quote Of The Day

Happiness is......


      when your abscess let's go all on its own

You Might Be A Crohnie

If you can tell when they change the toilet paper... just by the feel of it
...you might be a Crohnie
.

Crohn's Vaccine...?

I was made aware of an article from the Edinburgh News from February of this year,


http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/health/vaccine-hope-to-cure-crohn-s-disease-1-4032099


God knows we need a cure and it looks as though things are going in the right direction, hopefully.  I'm not totally convinced about cow's milk being a "cause" as I was brought up on goat's milk as a baby, but I'm definitely intrigued at the possibility of a vaccine......for my kids sake not mine.


Also check out


https://www.facebook.com/crohnsmapvaccine/?ref=bookmarks


Fingers crossed.....

Crohnie Quote Of The Day

I am not my illness; my illness is part of me, not all of me


.

Make Your Illness Your Friend

I know that having Crohn's sucks, I mean really sucks!, but in order to live, you basically have to make the disease your "friend" and live together.  Like any relationship, you're going to have your ups and downs, but there are days that everything is calm. And there will be days that you will hate each other.

Give up the "but."  You know, the "I want to go out, BUT I can't cuz I have Crohn's".  Don't get me wrong, there will be days that you just "can't" because of your illness.  There's a difference. You have to just do it sometimes.  Even if you're feeling a little bit "fine", take that opportunity.


Accept reality.  You have an incurable, chronic disease.  Until there is a cure, you need to live with it and do what you can do make it livable.  It took me years before I accepted the reality that there wasn't much I could do about it.  I could watch what I ate and could "control", sometimes, the symptoms, but not all the time.  When the flare comes, it comes and when it does, deal with it the best you can.  If curling up in a ball is it, then do it.  When the symptoms pass, you get up, brush yourself off and continue on.  If not, it will smother you, take control and consume you.


Like the song by Chumbawamba - Tubthumping

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down

Remicade Day : 1332

I've been sick with a "simple cold" for the past few weeks coughing, headache, stuffed up, etc. so I thought going in to the clinic that my weight would be down....hmmmm, wrong!
I stepped on the scale only to find that I had actually gained 4kg's !!  (that's 8 lbs)  I was shocked.
This Remicade is working great for my Crohn's so far.....except for that nagging, annoying, irritating peri anal abscess thingy.  Once you get past that, then all good. 
I still miss my old body, the one that use to figure skate 5 days a week and soccer twice a week.  I'm resigned in the fact I will probably never get that again, but who knows, I should start working out.  I would have to start off slow and easy, like I had a sports injury or something, but we'll see.

You Might Be A Crohnie

If you have all the ingredients memorized on the bottles in your bathroom
...you might be a Crohnie