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| Ta-da!! |
The bad news is that I have Crohn’s Disease. Not the end of the world, but ugh.
Most normal people would probably start researching like crazy all the symptoms, medications, and side-effects, but I can’t quite get there yet. Mark has been the primary Googler, and he’s giving me information as I’m ready to hear it. I’m sipping on a Coke as I write this, even though my belly is probably going to reject it.
More good news? I know what it is now. I know I’m not crazy. I know that… lying on the floor of a bathroom and blacking out from cramping isn’t “just anxiety” as other doctors have told me. My regular doctor is a super smart lady who insisted that the Specialist at Fletcher Allen do more tests, even when he said it wasn’t necessary (as I was being wheeled into the hospital). We caught it early, so we can take preventative steps to avoid scary things in the future, like colon cancer.
A smidge of bad news? More tests (yuck) to make sure the Crohn’s isn’t causing any other complications in my intestines right now.
Shocking news? The doctor wants to start me right away on medication that costs $400/month, to reduce the inflammation which can lead to other more serious complications. My insurance will cover a portion, but the hospital is petitioning the health insurance company to cover more (fingers crossed). It’s not even a “huge inconvenience” or a “shock to our bank account.” We simply do not have that kind of money to spend each month. How do people live with more serious illnesses?
But right now, I’m just focusing on the fact that I’ve lived with this for about a year. The first episode was during E’s first birthday party. I can go a few more days or weeks without medication until we can figure out what to do.
In the meantime, life goes on as usual. We’re not sweating the small stuff, and this is all small stuff!
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