Sick again

I am still out of the hospital and as far as my innards go I am doing quite well, unfortunately I have been stricken with regular person stuff. Saturday I came down with a urinary tract infection, Monday I went to my GI and was told I still have active ulcerative colitis in my rectum and the small part of my colon that is left, so my blood levels are sky high and I need to be treated. Then yesterday I got the flu, sorry to all of you I spoke with Tuesday night, I hope I didn't get you sick. So this really hasn't been my week, but I guess it is comforting to realize that 2 out of the 3 illnesses are easily gotten over. I just feel blessed to still have family in town that can watch Anna so that I can confine myself to my bed.

So about the 3rd problem, my little bit of leftover colon that is causing me big problems. I have the little bit left so that sometime in the future I can get a J-pouch if I want to. This part is still infected with ulcerative colitis and I was assured that since nothing is going through that part of my body it would heal and not cause any problems...I should have known better. So we are treating it and I haven't gotten better yet but I am not losing hope, I think it will take time but things will heal. That's what I keep telling myself anyway because if it doesn't heal I will have to get it all removed and that will kill the possibility of having a J-pouch, which wouldn't be the end of the world, but I like to have open options. Only time will tell.

03-05-08...Where did February go?

OK so I know I have failed on the whole posting thing, I just haven't felt like blogging. I just realized that I totally missed the month of February from being in the hospital, it was a cold one though so I guess that's not that big of a deal.
Well I am out of the hospital again, for the 4th time in a month. This past stay my surgeon decided to operate again and see if he could figure out what is going on with my body. Unfortunately he couldn't. He said he pulled out my entire small intestine and looked at it and it was absolutely beautiful, which made him happy but frustrated all at the same time because now he has no idea what is wrong with me. I met with my GI's on Monday and gave them the update as to what was going on and they said that it is rare but occasionally they have patients that just take a long time to adjust to the ileostomy and the surgery, they have never had one quite as bad as me but they feel confident that is all that is the matter. In time my body will adjust and everything will work normally, well that sounds great but what am I supposed to do until then?!?! They informed me my only job was to gain weight (and stay out of the hospital). I have lost 20lbs in the past few weeks, besides being skin and bones my hormones are all off because of how much weight I have lost. I have been having these hot flashes like crazy, I will be sitting minding my own business and the next thing I know I am drenched in sweat! It is absolutely horrible, I feel for any woman going through menopause and dread the thought that someday I will have to "make the change". So I am recovering from my surgery ok, it frustrating to be recovering all over again but I am blessed to have so much help to make it easier. I still have to be careful with how much I eat and really try to listen to my body, I have thrown up the past couple of nights, but even so I can tell I am getting stronger and things are healing. I still am so glad I had the surgery, I just wish I could be back to normal. But, spring will come and I know everything will someday be pleasant again!