Having my health back!

Cheers to solid poop and no cramping! Wooooot!

You know what's awesome? Waking up every morning and feeling healthy again! I can happily say that for the last month, I have woken up without really a care in the world. I am not running to the bathroom the second I wake up. Or holding my stomach because I think I am getting stabbed. It's been great.

One of my main goals for the summer was to get healthy and have a "normal" summer without having to go somewhere and immediately wonder where the bathroom is and do I have enough wipes with me. TMI much?! But seriously, this has been a legitimate concern of mine for almost the entire last year minus a few weeks here and there.

I know I only have Ulcerative Colitis and not some life threatening awful, terrible disease in my case at the moment, but I do know that I will not take feeling healthy again for granted. This past year of waking up every single morning wondering how I will feel, and if my health will get in the way of my daily activities is hopefully something of the past. It's not fun to worry about this. And the worrying also can contribute to the stomach issues as well. Its a bad cycle to fall into and its one that I think (and hope) I am out of.

After completing two cycles of Remicade in the last five weeks, I have felt better each and every day. The Remicade took affect within days of my first treatment. First the diarrhea went away, then a few days later, the cramping disappeared. It was crazy-weird to feel healthy again. I almost couldn't believe it and its still a little weird. In the back of my head I keep wondering if this is too good to be true. I still remember texting multiple people the first day I had my first solid poop. You folks know who you are, and based on your responses of "Woohoo" and "Yay!" and "Finally!", we all knew this was a huge step for me and you were just as happy as I was. Who would have thought a nice solid doody would be something to celebrate? But it was! You all are just lucky I didn't also include a picture with my text. Ha!!

Next month is August, which is where all my stomach trouble really started last year so as it approaches I am naturally getting a little nervous. I have had August flares the past three years and I am hoping that there will not be one this year. I am choosing to believe that I am on the mend for good. The "magic bullet" of Remicade is costing my insurance company a pretty penny, and I thank my lucky stars every day I have insurance and a great gastro doc because this has helped me tremendously. I know I am not totally in the clear yet, but if things continue as they have, the Remicade is definitely doing its job and I couldn't be healthier and happier at the moment. My stress levels are down and my party time is up. What more could I ask for this summer?!