more meds

it's been a while since i've posted on here... i guess that's a good thing. anyway, i've been having a little bit of misbehavior from my stomach and joints the last month or so. not to mention i have these two weirds knots on my calves that dr. christopher calls erythema nodosum. i'm not having a flare, but things just aren't quite right. coincidentally, my doctor called me out of the blue to set up an appointment since it had been so long since he'd seen me in the office. i gladly went to visit him.

from my visit came a prescription for iron supplements b/c my iron was very low. (maybe explains why i had been so stinkin' tired the last 3+ weeks.) i also got put on Entocort EC (9 mg/day). this is a corticosteroid specifically for Crohn's that has much less severe side effects than say, prednisone. less of the drug is systemic--- 90% is metabolized on first pass through the intestines. anyway, you can read more about it here if you're interested. i'll only be on the Entocort for about three months, assuming it gets whatever inflammation is going on under control. and dr. younes confirmed the erythema nodosum on my legs- can't do anything about those, though. they are a result of inflammation associated with the crohn's, so they should go away on their own.

family planning came up in our discussion with dr. younes. apparently more and more research is showing that it is better to stay on your meds (like the Humira) instead of coming off and risking a flare up. (no nutrients for baby = bad) there is a new drug out for Crohn's called Cimzia that is a once-a-month treatment given by a medical professional. supposedly it doesn't cross the placenta. i'll be doing some more research on this drug before the time comes for kiddies. chris could give me those shots, so it might be a possibility. no decisions need to made yet though.

as always, please keep me in your prayers.

love & blessings,
sara