All tagged Crohn's

Diagnosis - My First MRI

Diagnosis - My First MRI

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Health

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s about the time same my roommate, Hannah,  was diagnosed with her second bout of cancer.

On a cold December morning, I woke up early to get my first MRI of the bowel. An MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves, and a computer to produce detailed images of the small intestine. It helps the doctor diagnose inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s. Because the procedure uses magnets, I removed all of my jewelry, including my nose ring and belly button ring; a choice I probably should have made before the year 2010 regardless. The machine looks like a person sized, space-age doughnut, with a narrow bed running through it.

LEAP - What I'm Eating and Why

LEAP - What I'm Eating and Why

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Health, Food

Under the supervision of my nutritionist I started the LEAP protocol diet therapy following the results of my MRT (mediator release test). This test determines what food chemicals (both natural and non) your body is sensitive too and cause inflammation.  The test and 3 follow up sessions cost $600 out of pocket. No insurance company, that I know of, covers any part of it. This may seem like a lot, but given the fact that I was spending somewhere between $120-$200 a month on my Remicade alone  (the bills came constantly and always for different amounts) this seemed like a worthwhile investment.  After receiving my payment in full, the nutritionist mailed me an Oxford Biomedical MRT test kit, which I brought to a lab test facility. I went to a ANY LAB TEST NOW facility in a small shopping center in Marietta. The nurse at the testing center sat at the front desk singing along to Ariana Grande on the radio. She coughed and smiled as if she hadn’t been merrily caroling to herself moments before I walked in.

You May Ask Yourself Well How Did I Get Here?

You May Ask Yourself Well How Did I Get Here?

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Health

It began in college with what I thought were hemorrhoids, an ill-fated trip to the doctor, and an uncomfortably handsome medical student. Or maybe it began as a stoned teenager with a penchant for the munchies and embarrassing gas. Or maybe it began at nine years old, mindlessly eating Lays Sour Cream and Onion Chips in front of the TV only to realize in horror that I had finished the bag, then proceeded to hide it under the couch, and open another one.