You Cannot Get Pregnant

Dr. G - yes that is my fourth G.I. for those of you counting - came highly recommended.

After some more colonoscopies, he decided we would go back to the immunosuppressants, Asacol, & prednisone.

We discussed this course of treatment in the presence of my husband. It was the first time he had ever been present for this. The doctor explained the dangers of 6-Mercaptopurine. I was familar with these warnings and the blood tests that would be conducted bi-weekly.

You cannot get pregnant.

I had already discussed this with my husband. I had been told this by doctors several times throughout my life. I felt this type of information he deserved to be aware of before we got married. At the time, it didn't matter to him. He didn't want to have children anyways, or so he said.

But it was a quiet ride home. We were traveling 45 minutes each way to see Dr. G. Finally I asked him what was bothering him. He mumbled something about babies. And I cried.

Hearing the doctor say it made it real to him. Me? I had been crying every time I saw a school bus for the last four years.

Off to College

I wasn't responding to the increasing doses of Asacol, and the prednisone (a.k.a. steroid of the devil) would stop working as soon as he tried to taper my dosage. After a few more colonoscopies, Dr. L nicely told me that there was nothing more they could do for me. I had just turned seventeen.

That was unacceptable to my mother, thankfully. And she made it her mission to find me the best G.I. in the state.

So we went to a pediatric G.I. that was the best in the state. She tried me on a new (at the time) immunosuppressant, mercaptopurine (6mp). I was told that I might lose my hair, and that I couldn't have children. But those seemed a small price to pay to stop the colitis. So we did it. Bi-weekly blood tests checked my liver enzymes to make sure that the medicine wasn't pushing me into toxic levels. And slowly but surely I got better.

Off I went to college to begin my new life!

The Steroid of the Devil

I haven't been on prednisone in a while and I still cringe when I think of it or hear the word.

Most people love prednisone. It seems to fix every problem, right?

Have poison ivy? Take prednisone.
Trouble with bronchitis? Take prednisone.
Inflammation in your bowels? Here's some more prednisone!

But anyone who has been on it for an extended period of time knows that it is The Steroid of the Devil.

You don't sleep - ever - maybe 2 hours a night and usually that is in 30 minute clips. There is simply too much on your mind. Always nervous. Everything is a major catastrophe.

And when you wake up, you need to change your clothes. Why? Because you have hot sweats worse than most menopausal women.

Oh and don't get me started on the hunger - might as well order a pizza while you are awake at 3am. I went from 130lbs to 180lbs. On my 5'9" frame I like to keep things around 150. Did I mention the weight gain was in about three months?

My face was so swollen my cheeks hurt. In my driver's license photo you can just about see my eyeballs. It looks like if you stuck a pin in my face water would come gushing out.

It also eats away at your bone density, and your mind. Mood swings? HA! Like a crazy person.

I will never take prednisone again. EVER. I have since found out that I am steroid-unresponsive. It only took 3 years of bouncing around 60mg to figure that one out...