That's Gonna Hurt in the Mornin'....

So I'm loading the dishwasher today(don't all good injury stories start this way????) and I swing the door down and whack myself in the side of the knee with it. And I didn't just skin it or bruise it, NO! Thanks to the wonders of Remicade I will now get both. Only three hours after doing it this is the current mark....

...not that bad right? Well I'll try to check back tomorrow and post a pic of 24 hours later and then you'll get my point.

Movie Review: "Contagion"

*SPOILER ALERT. I HAVE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO NOT SPOIL THE MOVIE WHICH I AM REVIEWING AND I PROMISE NOT TO RUIN THE END BUT IF YOU DON'T LIKE KNOWING BEFORE YOU WATCH I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU LEAVE THIS PAGE NOW.*





A Short Synopsis: Contagion is a movie about what could happen if a so called "Mega-Virus" was to come into contact with people and how one person can cause an entire pandemic. When Matt Damon's wife Gwyneth Paltrow becomes sick and dies and soon after her son from a previous marriage also becomes sick and kicks the bucket Matt Damon's character has to take his daughter from a previous marriage and go into hiding. After finding out that he is immune to said disease he tries to help Kate Winslet's character to track down the origin. Meanwhile some other scientists/doctors/researchers are also trying to track it and create a vaccine which is proving difficult because it just keeps mutating. Meanwhile there are some internet bloggers(ahem!) bashing the government and it's protocols and promoting drugs that they say the government is withholding. It follows about 4 or 5 different stories as it progresses throughout the movie, some ending in bliss and some ending in tragedy.

My Thoughts: I really liked it. I thought the acting jobs done by both Matt Damon and Kate Winslet were phenomenal. I also loved Gwyneth Paltrow's performance however I wish she had played more of a role. She was cut out of the movie too early. I'm going to give my MVP award to Jennifer Ehle who played Dr. Ally Hextall and she was the one who finally discovered the vaccine only after testing it on herself. It was a rather small part but the scene when she was talking to her father was one of my favourites. Another reason why I liked this movie was because as an immunocomprimised person this is one of my biggest fears. Catching something like this disease/virus/whatever would mean my death. This movie is also a great teacher of good hygiene practises and statistics. Par example, did you know the average person touches their face 2,000 to 3,000 times per day!?!? That's disgusting! I try not to but even I (the queen of the germ-o-phobes) catch myself sometimes itching an eye or biting a nail. Let me tell you I'm going to be trying a whole hell of a lot harder after watching this movie.

My Final Thought: If you watch a movie twice in one day I'd say it's a keeper. I rented this movie off of Rogers on Demand for $5.99 and it was worth every penny.

4 1/2 Prednisone Pills out of 5 (and you know how I love Prednisone).



Pearly Whites....

Dentist checkup today. Aside from having a small mouth I got a clean bill of health(mouth wise). Now if only the rest of my body would follow suit....

Keep Smiling! :D

Is Officially Going to Change Her Name....

....to Aloious Zimmerplot. First day back to work after Christmas and New Years with a full crew of kidlets and am already tired of "Kylee". If I change it to something they can't pronounce they can't repeat in incessantly, correct?

Happy Monday everyone!

2012 Is Looking Better Already....

....because I had Coleslaw tonight for dinner and no pain! EEEE! I'm super excited! That means no more cooked-until-mushy carrots and broccoli as the only option for my vegetable intake! Did I mention that I'm super ecstatic! Still pretty gassy but it's a work in progress! I'll take what I can get!
So goodbye blanched veggies of the past. You are SO 2011!
Fresh produce is in for 2012 and my year never looked so good....

A 2011 Reflection....

As the close of 2011 approaches I find myself reflecting on the major issues of 2011. Things that come to mind...

• Buying a car. I LLOOVVEE my little Green Ford Fiesta! This is definitely one of the biggest moments of my 2011 year. Buying a car is one of the biggest steps you can take in becoming an adult and the freedom it's given me in incomparable to anything else in my current life.
• Ending Prenisone/Entocort. This one was hard for me because I felt like someone was taking away my security blanket. When I was on them I was pain-freeand happy and going off of them I was afraid I was going to get very sick again and Imuran wasn't going to cut it.
• In contrast, going off of Imuran was also a highlight of my year. I was on it December 2010-December 2011 and let me tell you it was the year from hell! And I don't use that term lightly. I'm glad to be rid of it.
• Remicade was a big part of my year this year. Not even just the act and anticipation of GETTING it but the prep and all the red tape of getting government approval and funding. And that's not even the stress of making three hours available every 8 weeks with my busy job.
• Staying in the hospital overnight for three nights was a big event for me this year aswell. I've never had to do that before and believe me, I never have any ambition to do it again soon....

....just a few thoughts to round out my year. Happy New Year to everyone that should find this post. May 2012 find you well and prosperous. And I know you wish me the same too. To end off, here are some of my New Years Resolutions....

Gee, I Hope This Doesn't Interfere....

....with MY REMICADE ON THURSDAY!!!! I have a wicked cold that settled in within an hour last night. I was sitting on the floor cutting patterns pieces for some sewing I was doing and I got really dizzy for about 5 minutes. I thought I was going to puke but then I felt fine and half an hour later I got the throat and 10 minutes after that I got the nose. You know the nose. The one that won't blow but won't stop dripping either? Ick. I think I'll be alright. I just hope I don't get a fever.

I'm NeoCitraned, Vaselined, and Vick'sed up! Bedtime!

I better get better soon or this is what I'll be getting on December 25th! But I could really use it now! 

I've Never Been So Insulted....

....by the fact that my medication can dictate when and when not I'm allowed to take it. And this medication's name is REMICADE. Sure I've been on lot's of different medications but none that decide when it enters my body. A week ago Sunday I was put onto anti-biotics to fight a bladder infection and Remicade clearly states that you can't get an infusion while on anti-biotics. So here I am a week after I was supposed to get my next infusion, in pain.

Not that I'm complaining....


Also, this is very funny and made me laugh....

Bye-Bye Unholiest of Medications....

Goooooooooooood-bye Imuran! I won't miss the memory loss that you bring, the weekly/monthly blood tests you dictate, the tiredness that plagues me to no end, the irreversible liver damage, and the heart palpitations that were annoying me (literally) to death! We had a good 12 month run but it's not me, it's you. Now go and bug somebody else already....


Now ready for the real story? I went to my Gastro. doc. on Wednesday afternoon and she said that based on my last colonoscopy (September 29th) that I could stop Imuran. I was ecstatic at this! It's only been three days off of this medication and I already feel like a thousand bucks! I now take no more daily pills other than pain management drugs and anti-biotics as needed for infections.
She said that a year almost to the day before she couldn't even get the scope up far enough to finish the procedure and this time it passed through easily. She said that there is 1cm. of scar tissue around the 28cm. length section of my Ileum but it shouldn't cause me any issues if I stay on Remicade.
Which brings me to that. Remicade. She said we will continue with it. That's it. Easy in and out in 10 minute appointment. No fuss, no muss. Easy.

My final thoughts are this. I am glad I am staying on Remicade over Imuran. Imuran did nothing for me except cause me more pain and side effects. I am glad that hopefully my little Crohnsie Bit is going to remain dormant for at least a little while if not forever (hey a girl can dream can't she?). I am glad to be alive.

This is not me. It's dreadfully cold out here today considering it's winter in Canada.

This is just how I feel on the inside.



Happy Crohn's and Colitis Week!

To all my fellow Crohnies out there and all who give us your undying support! December 1st-7th is Crohn's and Colitis week. Wear some purple to show your support! ;)