it was suggested that i post an update regarding me and my health. good suggestion and i’m sorry i haven’t done it sooner. as you may have noticed, i’ve been seriously neglecting my blog here for quite some time….

i’m doing much, much better. i’ve been on my medication for almost two months now and the effect has been dramatic. my apatite has mostly returned and with it, so has my energy. i’ve returned to my pre-symptomatic self and schedule. and while i’m still significantly skinnier than i was before, i have managed to gain back some of the weight i’d lost. one friend even commented recently that i look less emaciated, though he used different phrasing.

i’ve seen the doctor twice now since i started the medication and he seems to be quite pleased with my recovery. there has been no talk of another colonoscopy or any alteration of my treatment, both of which are good. i’ve got another follow up with him in a couple of months.

all this isn’t to say that i’m cured; there is no cure. the medication does a fairly good job of managing and keeping the disease in check, but i still have problems. i still don’t eat as much, and not necessarily as often, as i once did. this in itself isn’t a bad thing, as i’m not inclined to put any more weight back on. certain types of food can cause a flare up, which is uncomfortable, even painful, and sucks my energy away.

this means i have to be much more careful about what i eat and how my food is prepared. all raw vegetables are out, especially including leafy greens (which means no salads ever again). fruits seem to be ok, but only fruit that has been peeled, or in the case of citrus, the peel and white fibrous bits in between the actual fruit. seeds, whole grains, nuts, and the like are all out. actually, from the book i’m reading on my diet, it all seems a bit complicated to me, which is a bit annoying; i’ve never had to put so much thought and effort into eating before.

because crohn’s is such a variable disease, there are no real hard and steadfast rules for what is ok and what isn’t. for many a food and lifestyle diary is necessary to learn what foods affect you and how. i intend to start keeping one, grudgingly, but haven’t actually started yet.

what’s more, as part of my new appreciation for my health, i’ve resigned to quit smoking. some of you may have seen as much on facebook. i’m no longer smoking in my car, and have just added not smoking immediately after meals. next will be no smoking while on the phone. all of this is leading to an official quit date somewhere around the end of the month. the idea is to try and quit without gum, patches, or drugs, but we’ll see how it goes. part of the money i save will be invested in a gym membership.

so there it is. while i won’t go so far as to say i’m healthy again, things are definitely much improved and i feel like myself again.