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You Might Be A Crohnie

If getting out of bed and having a shower is your version of "working out"
...you might be a Crohnie

Remicade : Day 1498

I missed my regular infusion day by a week because I was away on holiday, so needless to say, I am tired and exhausted.  It's always amazing how my body knows when it's time for "the juice".
I seem to be maintaining my weight finally after 25 + years.  I'm able to eat and not have to rush to the washroom all the time.  Not that it doesn't happen, but it happens less often. 
I've said it before and Ill say it again, Remicade has turned my life around.  Fingers crossed it keeps working.

Crohnie Quote of the Day

"IBD is like a penis......it has a mind of its' own"

Crohn's and Weight Loss / Gain

One of the biggest things I had to go through when I got Crohn's was the drastic weight loss.  When I say drastic, it came hard and fast.  It was scary at the time and there was nothing I could do about it.  Some of it was the disease itself I think, but also I just stopped eating.  It hurt way too much after I ate.  I had dropped so much weight, at one point a stranger on the street asked if I had AIDS.  Keep in mind, this was the late 80's and AIDS was a big "thing" then.  That comment hit hard for me and I didn't want to go outside anymore.  I didn't want anyone to see me.
So to give you an idea about how I WAS...before I was diagnosed I was a competitive figure skater and I played soccer as well.  I was fit and strong, thick thighs and such a tight ass (just sayin)  I weighed 165 pounds (11.7 stone or 74.8 kilos) at 5' 10", I looked great and "healthy".
By the time I had my first surgery I weighed a mere 115 pounds  (8 stone or 52 kg).  I was skinny enough that the surgeons were a little concerned about doing the surgery, but it was an emergency at the time.  I had a grapefruit sized matting of the intestines.  That was 1989....
It has taken me to 2016 to get my weight back up, I am now 160lbs, almost to my original weight.  Gone are all the muscle I had, Crohn's had them for a snack after it ate all my fat, but thanks to Remicade, it has slowly gone up and has stayed there for a few months now.
I hope to keep it as I have started working out.  With the help of my trainer I'll get there.
I want my muscle back, not to mention my ass!!

Crohn's and Fitness : Part Two

Well, just an update on the "program" I'm on. 
It's been a month and surprisingly everything is coming along well.  I say "surprisingly" because honestly, I was expecting more pain and fatigue then I am experiencing.  I still feel it, don't get me wrong, I was just expecting it to be worse.
My trainer, Kristine, is great.  She keeps me focused and is quick to correct my positioning and posture. We're working on my core, shoulders and hips but also working the glutes and chest.  The only equipment I use is a resistance band and a lacrosse ball for massaging the muscles.  Who knew pulling on a large rubber band and rolling a lacrosse ball along a wall actually works.  No need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy equipment.  The ball really works on getting the kinks out and nicely massages the muscles to loosen them up.  She knows her stuff and constantly asks how things are going during the session so not to "hurt" myself.
Between sessions, I workout at home and the challenge is to remember to DO IT !!  And for the past month, I HAVE been.  There's a lot of self motivating and I've been making sure I do the exercises either everyday or every two days.  Starting next month, we're going to change it up as she puts it, but I don't know what that is yet.  But for the next month, going to keep it up.
My goal for now is to be "Fit by Fifty", which is my 2 year plan, and get back to my athletic physique.
I'm going to get there.....health willing.


Slow and steady wins the race

You Might Be A Crohnie

If your veins are as hard to find as the Invisible Man
... you might be a Crohnie

Remicade : Day 1404 Happy Crohn-aversary!!

Had a quick infusion yesterday, but wow did I feel it afterwards.  I wanted to curl up in a ball and just sleep....but I had to drive home still, so THAT would be awkward.

Then I realized as I was slowly nodding off, that it has been 4 years now of Remicade infusions.  I can't remember the exact amount now, but in the 30's I think.  AND it's just over 28 years since my "official" diagnosis.  I had been having symptoms months before, but a doctor finally gave what was happening to me a name.  And when he told me that name, I was like "huh??" because I had never heard of Crohns before that date.

So, Happy Crohn-aversary to me!!  Now let's eat cake !

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Crohn's and Fitness

I've always been afraid to workout since my surgeries.  Maybe it's because the surgeons cut through the abdominal muscle and not along it, so I'm picturing doing a crunch and my insides rip open spilling my intestines out all over the floor....or...maybe it's the lack of energy I have ALL the time, along with the dehydration, and as I'm working out, pass out and fall over a machine, spilling my intestines out all over the floor.....or....maybe...

I could keep going on and on with excuses why I haven't, or don't workout, but this is a new day.  On Wednesday I turn yet another page on my journey with Crohn's Disease.  I decided after my 48th birthday that I would put in motion a 2 year plan to get fit.  I don't need to lose weight, I want to get my strength back.  Maybe not to the point of my figure skating days, but....fit.
I found a trainer that works with people like me. You know, those of us that have limitations, and I'm going for it.  I have an assessment on Wednesday so she can see range of motion, etc. and she will design a program for me that's basically strength and conditioning.  I described it to her as, "picture me as an athlete that's trying to recover from an injury" and take it from there.  Slow at first, which is why I gave myself a two year plan.  If everything goes well, we'll move on to the weights and pumping iron, but one thing at a time.

Slow and steady wins the race

You Might Be A Crohnie

When your peri-anal abscess is only the size of a quarter, but FEELS like a watermelon
...you might be a Crohnie


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