Round Two This Week. Keeping My Figures Crossed.

On Thursday of this week I'll be having my 2nd dose of the medication I'm on.  It's called Vedolizumab .  Go to this link because it explains everything about the trial I'm on and talks specifically about the drug.(trial study info link)

I hope most of you read that page about the drug and trial I'm undertaking.  It's neat to think that my experience is helping the medical world in a small way.  I really hope this medication will put my colon into remission and I can live pain free again.  I've been told from the research assistant at my clinic that the others with in the same study really started seeing a significant response after the 2nd and 3rd dose.  So with doses once a month I'm excited to see how dose number two does to my angry colon.

So like I promised previously I would post up a picture of what my colon and it's inflammation looks like.  I wanted to find a good picture of what a healthy colon looks like too so you can compare how severe my inflammation is.  To be honest looking at my inflammation is one of the hardest things for me to do, because it shows the reality of how bad my case of UC really is.  I hope those with UC who are reading will understand that UC has it's ranges of severity. Those on the low severity seem to have a difference experience than those on the higher severity.  Almost like it's a different disease.  So be grateful if your UC is just in the Mild range and you can control it with Asacol and sometimes Prednisone, your lucky, because life in the Severe range sucks.

You can see in the picture how in the Normal colon mucosa you can see the small veins and is relativity a soft soothing pink color.  In the Severe colon mucosa it's an angry red with a sheeting appearance of the inflammation (the white coating).  So now you can compare what the insides of my colon look like and judge for yourself where I fall.

 "Click on the picture to make it big"

Those are from my November 9, 2009 Flex-Sig.  They're the most recent pictures. So now you can see why it's hard for me to look at my colon.  I guess in some regards it helps me understand why my experience with UC is so dramatically different than most and how life altering it's become for me.  I'll get some better pics on my colon soon too.  I just need to scan them.  In another set of pics you can see where the inflammation starts and stops in my colon.  That's pretty cool to see.  Also I'll have another flex-sig probably in January I'm guessing and hopefully it will show some signs of improvement.  Feel free to ask me any questions you may have or voice any requests on certain things.  I hope everyone reading is getting into the Christmas spirit.  It's one of my favorite times of the year. When we think about our loved ones and our savior Jesus Christ.  Merry Christmas.