This Smile is Glued to My Face

I have officially accepted the job offer for the contracts/risk specialist position. I will transfer on Monday, March 21st to my new cube downstairs. I am super excited about this opportunity!

Above is a snip from the e-mail that confirmed my entry into the 2016 TCS NYC Marathon! I won the lottery! 

My lab results are in. Although they have improved slightly, the doc wants me to start taking iron again because my levels are still too low. He didn't mention anything about switching meds and since I'm feeling ok, I didn't ask.

It's not even Wednesday and this week has already been a whirlwind. When I have more time, I'll post more about my new position and NYC.

From Bed to Work to Bed

I wake up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. That has been my routine this week as I fight a nasty bug that's been going around the office. No time to dream. No time to make plans. No time to live. No time to run. Things like showering and eating have taken a backseat. I've been so tired that I've been tempted to pull over at the rest stop on my way home to take a nap before I finish driving home. I finally mustered up enough energy to get a shower and now I'm about to head back to bed.

I have lab work scheduled for Saturday, but I'm probably going to cancel it because my upper respiratory infection will make the CBC test worse.  You know, that's the lab test that's going to tell me how much inflammation is in my body to know whether the increased Cimzia dose is working or not. So, I think I should wait until I'm healthier before I get the lab work done.

At my doctor's appointment on Friday I weighed in at 142lbs. That's 8lbs off my target weight. I started taking iron again this week as a last ditch effort to help my iron levels in my lab result and I'm already constipated, which means I've been "gaining weight." I hate that I'm going to postpone getting lab work because that means I'm going try to keep taking iron until I'm well enough to get the lab work done... so I won't be having a good poop for a while. Honestly, I don't know how long I'm going to last taking iron. Woah is me. I'm sick with a cold and I have no energy. Pity Party of One, your bed is now available.

MRI Is Scheduled

I don't know how I've almost made it through this work week. I've already pooped 10 times today and the day isn't even over yet. Where is all this crap coming from? How can all of that shit be inside me? It's been mostly explosive diarrhea. My stomach has been sore. I get shortness of breath by just walking up stairs. I was shushed by my sister Kim when I was trying to tell her how I've been feeling. I've been harassed behind my back about my bathroom habits by my sister Leigha. Oh, and the last time I tried to have a conversation with my mom about me she seemed too busy on her phone and laptop to really listen and then later claimed that I walked out in the middle of our conversation. Yes, I did.

Then I see a FB post from a friend that says, "I'm quickly becoming extremely frustrated by this whole being sick thing. Enough is enough." I can't comment: Imagine if you had a chronic disease. This post should be mine. What have you been sick for a week? Sounds like a dream. Hey, to each their own.

I had every intention of going to the MRI by myself.  I already had plans this Friday to go to Universal and IOA with Kelly. Since I scheduled my MRI for Friday morning Kelly will be taking me to the MRI. If I feel okay afterwards, we'll go and drink butter beer at Hogwarts. I have to arrive an hour before my appointment to drink 3 bottles of something. Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it, but it can't be worse than a colonoscopy prep, right? I told the scheduling lady that I'm not claustrophobic...we'll see if that's true.  While I'm in the machine I'm sure it'll be like an out of body experience because there's no way I'd be brave enough to go in there. I'm trying not to be nervous about it because I think it's going to be a way better experience than a colonoscopy.

My Stomach is on the Fritz

Since Friday evening I've slept for just about 24 hours. I was only up for a few hours yesterday. My first nap I took with three blankets on top of me and I didn't even break a sweat. At first I was freezing and then I was comfortable. My second nap wasn't planned. I started watching an episode of the Walking Dead and the next thing I know I was waking up three hours later.

I don't feel well. I could blame eating healthy. I could blame my period. I could blame the liquid multivitamin. I could blame the vitamin D. I could blame the vitamin C.  I'm not blaming those things though. I am blaming the iron pills. I am taking iron for myself because I believe, in time, they will help me feel better. They better make me feel better because right now I feel like shit.  My stomach has been on the fritz. It's been hurting. I can't trust farts. I've been having very explosive bowel movements. I've barely been able to get the bathroom fast enough. I'm experiencing down right nasty diarrhea. Some of my stool is black and some of it appears green... it's a side effect of the iron.

Can I just take one long nap and wake up feeling well?

Lab Results 10.30.15

I got my lab results back. Now, I just have to wait to hear back from my doctor about how much iron I should be taking and whether I should be doing anything else.

Test Name                    Value                    Reference Range
Iron, Serum                     18                       35 - 155 ug/DL
Iron Saturation                 5                        15 - 55 %
Hemoglobin                    9.2                      11.1 - 15.9 g/DL
C - Reactive Protein       11.7                     0.0 - 4.9 mg/L

I highlighted what I think are the most important values that were out of range on my results. Yes, I read my own lab results. I needed some help from Kim and Google on some of them though.

As expected my iron and hemoglobin levels are nowhere near where they should be. I'm not sure how worried I should be about this because I know my levels have been this low before.

The C-Reactive Protein test is interesting because it measures general levels of inflammation in my body. Crohn's must be hard at work inflaming everything. I'm surprised I'm not having more issues.

Theory On Why I Feel Well

Why do I feel fantastically well? Iron supplements make my body suck. Seriously, I vaguely remember feeling this well earlier in the year, but then poof, the feeling was gone. I experienced unrelenting pain, ugly poops and exhaustion during March, April and May. I started taking iron supplements in the beginning of March to help with my anemia. I thought I started to feel bad because it was the anemia finally catching up with me, not because of the iron I started taking.  At the end of May, I cut back on the iron supplements to see if it would help me feel any better. Strangely enough, I almost instantly started feeling better. This can't be a coincidence.

I admit, I'm an idiot when it comes to being chronically ill. Sadly, I know I should keep a daily health diary to track these things, but I don't. I hate that it took me three months to figure out why I was feeling like shit all the time. Can I really blame myself? I mean, the symptoms I was experiencing felt like a mild Crohn's flare. Usually flares aren't something I have the power to overcome without medication. How was I to know it was the stupid iron that was causing it?  The only reason I started taking the iron was because my dr. told me to... maybe he's the idiot. The only reason I took the recommended amount for as long as I did was because my family scared me with stories of Crohn's patients dying when they stopped taking iron like their doctors recommended. So, I took those damn green turd makers like my life depended on it. Geez, I must be a super idiot since I listened to those idiots. Iron, yet another reason I'm skeptical of doctors and advice from family.

Warning, TMI:  My poops have been beautiful! Heck, they've even been a pleasurable experience lately. I love not feeling pain after I take a poop. I love moving without the constant stomach pain slowing me down. I love wanting to experience life. I never know how long it will last, so I best be sure to take advantage of feeling well.