What's the plan, Stan?

As of  about 2 weeks ago,  I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.  To be honest, I haven’t really come to terms with it yet. I figure I deserve a little grace soaking this in. After all, I just started believing I was all done with this whole “chronic illness” thing, and then - BAM- no such luck! Kinda feels like the chorus from

Blink182's song Wishing Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc_w_uIdLVU

"I went to a wishing well, but sank to the ocean floor,
Cut up by sharpened rocks, and washed up along the shore.
I reached for a shooting star, it burned a hole through my hand,
made its way through my heart..."

I must admit I knew something was up though. However, all the doctors kept saying things like, “Oh, the first year after surgery just has a lot of adjusting. Give it some time...”
So with each growing pain, I just sucked up the unexplained misery. I should have known better, and I only partially blame the doctors for being slow to action. It really took my hand to force them to scope my intestines and CT my guts again. They were just as surprised as I was when they found ulcers and fistulas wreaking havoc in my small bowel and j-pouch.

Regardless of how well I’ve owned up to the news, I still need to make some major decisions about what to do next…

The main question everyone has been asking is “Does this mean you will have to have more surgeries?”
Without going into too much detail, at this point- No.

So what exactly IS the plan?

1. Back on the ‘ol steroid Prednisone. Oh, Prednisone… That is a blog for another time…Ugh, I thought we had parted ways forever. It does make me feel a ton better being on it though. Anywho, can’t stay on Prednisone long term, because it basically destroys your bones and lots of other fun stuff!

2. Humira? - An expensive, hard core, immune suppressant drug that is injected. It is actually the only drug I refused to try prior to all my surgeries. After researching about it and becoming sketched out by all the possible side effects and whatnot, I elected for surgeries. This drug has great results for people with Crohn’s Disease, but it REALLY wipes out one’s immune system, making a person more susceptible to infections, and rare cancers. =/ Its one of those “Are the side effects worse than the symptoms?” deals…
I have literally tried all the other medications available to treat CD when I had Colitis, so at this point I am seriously considering starting it. Side note- it is something you stay on for the rest of your life, so a real commitment.  

3. Macro-biotic diet? I’ve been researching this Greek term, meaning “long-life”. It is a Japanese lifestyle of eating primarily whole grains, fish and cooked veggies. Dairy and meat are not included in the diet. It is quite a strict way to eat, but there seems to be evidence that it has helped people turn their health around and even un-do damage that their body has suffered. I am leaning towards trying this diet, as sort of a last ditch effort before signing up for Humira. We’ll see…

4. I am trying to take life one day a time. Jesus sure knew what He was talking about when He said “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

One other question everyone seems to be asking me is, "Was it pointless that you went through all the surgeries?”
Answer- NO.
At the time that I got my large intestines removed, I was soo sick and my colon was pretty much shredded up, bloody pulp that was causing me constant pain and agony. It needed to come out. It was doing me more harm that good.

But did I go through all that reconstruction for nothing then??
Answer- NO.
In fact, had they known that I actually had Crohn’s Disease, they would not have constructed my j-pouch. They would have simply taken my colon and given me a permanent ostomy bag. So I guess in a sense, I am blessed in that regard.