A week from hell.

This is me, 1 full year later of being off prednisone. Notice how my face has a shape? You can see my check bones and its not round. Well, that's all about to change.

Warning....the next paragraph is kind of graphic=)


Tuesday morning I had a routine colonoscopy scheduled, or so I thought. I went into the exam room, got my IV, chatted with my nurse, and received my "twilight" drug. This procedure isn't done under general sedation but the meds they do use keep you out so you don't remember anything. Im not sure what went wrong with the twilight meds, but I awoke in the middle of the procedure in tremendous pain. I was ripping at my stomach trying to get the tube out, I tried climbing out of bed all while begging, screaming, pleading, and crying to have them stop. I laid there awake watching the screen while they took samples of my insides. I was completely traumatized walking out of the office after it was over.

It's PG again....


The next morning I woke up and went to work. I was still in a lot of pain but after taking a couple pain meds I was ok. By the time I got home I was in so much pain I could barely walk. My stomach was so swollen I looked 6 months pregnant. So off to the ER I go. They did a CT scan to rule out a perforated bowel and excess gas and told me that I was in a major crohns flare. My intestines were so swollen it was causing me chest pain from pushing all my other organs out of place. The ER doctor sent me home with more Vicodin and told me to make an appointment asap with my gastroenterologist. Thursday morning I called as soon as they opened but they couldnt get me in until Monday. That when they told me to go to the ER on base and once there, I would see the GI on call. I think thats totally ass backwards but whatever. So, after waiting there for 8 hours, I was finally released with prednisone in one hand and percocet in the other.


I can finally say that I am feeling about 50% better. The swelling has started to go down and the pain meds are working. What I hate though is it takes forever to taper off of prednisone. Im on 40 ml a day for the next 2 week...that is A LOT. Ive never been on this high of a dose before and its going to take at least 10 weeks to taper off of it.

Needless to say the next 10 weeks are going to be an adventure. Stick around and I'll spill the in and outs of this crazy medication.