I had a follow up appointment with my nephrologist to monitor my IgA nephropathy. The visit was quick and included a review of my blood and urine tests from the week prior. My numbers are all stable right now with no real change since my last visit, so the watching and waiting continues.
Category Archives: General
Stress and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
For many people, myself included, stress can be a trigger for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare-ups. Highlighting this point, an article in Scientific American published earlier this month, illustrates how psychological stress can cause an inflammatory response and impaired food movement in the gut. The author, Josh Fischman, a senior editor at Scientific American, noted that, “scientists have traced two detailed molecular pathways from the brain to the gut that produce IBD flares.
Update: GI Visit Follow Up
Last week, I finally had my follow-up visit from my colonoscopy in June. I had already received the full report and pathology findings from the biopsy in the mail, so the results weren’t a surprise—hence I didn’t mind waiting a few extra weeks for my follow-up appointment (they did offer to get me in sooner). Also, I feel good. I wasn’t expecting the appointment to reveal any earth-shattering findings, so I didn’t feel the need to rush in.
Jumping into the deep end
Listen to this post, click on the play button below! 👇Or scroll down to read 😀Need a voice-over or narrator: http://www.voicebystephanie.com For the past few years, my husband and I have enjoyed boating on a small lake—never more than a few minutes from shore. With our move to Florida, however, we now have more placesContinue reading “Jumping into the deep end”
Life changes, reducing stress, and a new career
Listen to this post, click on the play button below! 👇Or scroll down to read 😀Need a voice-over or narrator: http://www.voicebystephanie.com For many people, including myself, stress can trigger an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare-up. This was certainly the case for me last summer when my husband and I suddenly decided to pack everything upContinue reading “Life changes, reducing stress, and a new career”
Coronavirus thoughts…and my quarantine look
I thought it was time that I sit down and write up my thoughts on the Coronavirus situation…not because I feel that I have some sort of great wisdom or knowledge, but simply because sometimes, it just helps to know that we’re not alone in how we’re feeling or what we’re facing. More days thanContinue reading “Coronavirus thoughts…and my quarantine look”
Forgetting Crohn’s (almost…)
Some days, I almost forget that I have Crohn’s Disease. Honestly, I don’t think there’s been a single day since my diagnosis 13 years ago–or even since my first symptoms 17 years ago–that I haven’t thought about Crohn’s or digestive issues. But for the most part, my day-to-day life with Crohn’s is well managed…and althoughContinue reading “Forgetting Crohn’s (almost…)”
Cystoscopy: My fears and anticipation vs. what actually happened
Do you ever find yourself loving Google, yet hating it at the same time? That was the case for me as I spent more and more time researching and looking up information during the two weeks leading up to my cystoscopy earlier this month. My last four urine tests all showed blood in the urine,Continue reading “Cystoscopy: My fears and anticipation vs. what actually happened”
“Those Pants”…Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones
Most women have “those pants.” You know, the ones we wore 20 years ago or the ones that we keep in our closet because “one day” we’ll fit into them again… My weight has fluctuated over the years, admittedly not very much, only +/- 10 pounds since I graduated high school 20 years ago (withContinue reading ““Those Pants”…Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones”
“But you don’t look sick.”
My heart was racing at 100 beats per minutes. My skin was pale. My hands were cold and clammy… Let me rewind 48 hours and take you back to Thursday with me. My legs were weak when I arrived at work and walked down the hill toward the chapel on our school campus. IContinue reading ““But you don’t look sick.””