What’s up doc?

So not too much has happened in the past week. With the exception of continuing to test foods (cheese, onions & butter are all good, hooray!) there hadn’t really been any other developments, until yesterday.

Yesterday was my first appointment with the consultant since being discharged so there was a fair bit to update him on, from scary almost-abscess on my last day through to current bowel movements, and he even took a cursory look at my bum just for old times sake I think. All fun stuff.

The good news is that after all the updates I’m coming off a lot of the medications that I’ve been on since leaving, so goodbye Mesalazine, Potassium, Phosphate supplements and reducing the steroids so I’ll be off them too in 4 weeks. While this was great news and gave me a kind of “light at the end of the tunnel/all heading in the right direction” vibe, the next bit about the drug he’s started me on for the future undid that a little bit.

Hearing the consultant lay out all my long term treatments really made it hit home that I not only am I in this for the long run, but I’ll actually have to do the whole hospital and treatment thing with it. This might sound a bit stupid considering Crohn’s is chronic. I do know I’ve got this shit for the rest of my life, but hearing stuff like “you’ll probably be on the azathioprine for over 3 years, with doses of Infleximab every  months” sorta took the “you don’t have to have any more potassium” wind out of my sails.

I guess with firstly getting out of hospital and then starting the whole food thing, I never thought to look that far ahead. Hopefully once I’m back to normal life the rest of the medical stuff wont seem like as much of a big deal, but while I’m sat at home slightly balding (damn steroids) and still too skinny (damn diet) it makes regular life seem a long way off. I actually cant wait to get back to work.

Anyway, enough whinging, while I am sat at home, I thought I’d share how I spend by days now (I really need to get out more).

1. Eating – Not only for the whole food testing thing, but in order for me to gain weight I’ve become obsessed with calorie counting. This, coupled with the fact I have to test foods does have some perks, as demonstrated by this immense cheese board I promptly devoured.
2. Watching TV – Now granted this is how I spent the last 3 months, but now thank god for the Euro’s. Instead of having to sit through hours of crappy daytime TV there is football on from 2pm until 10pm. All I’m missing is the beers to go with it at this point, but I sit here writing this after a last minute England win vs. Wales so I’ll take what I can get at this point!
3. Online shopping – This one really surprised me. When I’m fed up with my other standard activities I find myself buying anything and everything that even vaguely takes my fancy. I know its getting really dangerous as I’ve even caught myself clothes shopping, which is very out of character. My family have been staggered by the amount of packages that come through the door for me. Since being home these are just some of the things I’ve “accidentally” bought myself.
4. Lego – Since I made the Millennium Falcon while I was in hospital which I got for my birthday, my aunt has made it her mission to ensure that I have enough Lego to fill any free time possible. Needless to say she went a bit overboard and bought me 3 huge sets, the biggest of which is proving pretty daunting as I’m only on the first bag of bits and already I’m knackered. Its definitely the best way to switch your brain off however. I’ve only just re-started and I somehow lost 2 hours seemingly just staring at a mass of parts!