Back in June my mom and I went to a functional medicine doctor. We left there with a diet and supplement plan. We implemented the plan immediately, cutting out most grains, a lot of fruit, coffee and eggs to name a few. The result: I felt better but lost a lot of weight. Fast forward to September. I moved into a new apartment on my own, started work and classes. Life started to take over and I discovered the diet and supplements were not the be-all-end-all cure for my crohns.
Our trip over the summer was an effort to avoid taking medication. In retrospect, I should have started my medication before the summer. I started to feel worse again and my symptoms escalated. Having the stress of everyday life didn’t allow the plan to work because my body was already fighting so much.
My GI was thrilled to hear from me. The outcome of that appointment was beginning Humira. I am terrified of injections, I have always hated shots and I was scared of the idea that I might have to give myself a shot.
It’s still scary on the days I have to take Humira. My heart starts to race a little faster and I find new ways to put it off. The only good feeling about taking the medication is being done for two weeks. Even through all my nerves and dislike toward shots, the fact that I am feeling better and my diet is back where it was before the summer is a huge positive. I don’t need to worry about what I’m eating. I don’t need to take enzymes to help food digest. I can exercise again fully without wearing down fast or feeling bad after. My workouts aren’t interrupted by feeling crappy. It’s really quite wonderful.
So yes, the idea of not giving myself a shot seemed really great last spring. However, this diagnosis helped me learn how to grow up and make the right decision. The right decision in the fall was starting medication. Changing a diet and taking supplements would be a wonderful way to cure a disease fully and I really wanted to believe in it. Maybe one day it will be successful but for me Humira was the answer and that is okay if it makes me feel better.
No Comments