In January 2019, I moved from California to Tennessee. My husband had landed a great job in the Chattanooga area, and we were excited to move. Once we were settled, I started looking for new doctors to make up my local medical team. I decided against finding just any hepatologist—I wanted one who was familiar […]
Starting Vancomycin to Manage My (Probable) PSC
My gastroenterologist, Dr. Yinka Davies, is a PSC expert. In fact, she studied under Dr. Kenneth Cox, the doctor who discovered the use of vancomycin for PSC! Since Dr. Davies is familiar with vancomycin and regularly prescribes it for her PSC patients, she suggested I try it. At first, I was hesitant because it was […]
3 Non-Invasive Tests to Find the Cause of My Elevated Liver Enzymes
When my gastroenterologist noticed I wasn’t responding to any medications for my ulcerative colitis and when she discovered I had elevated liver numbers in September 2017, she had me do three non-invasive tests to try to see if I had PSC. 1. FIBROSpect Specialty Blood Test We started with the simplest test: a FIBROSpect blood […]
Noticing Elevated Liver Enzymes in My Blood Work
Did you know a common sign of PSC is losing response to the IBD medications you try? Since my ulcerative colitis diagnosis in 2014, I’ve tried countless medications, including prednisone, 5-ASAs (like mesalamine, sulfasalazine, and Apriso), enemas, biologics, and more, and none of them brought me relief for more than a few months. I Failed […]
On Feeling Invisible: The Thoughts and Wishes of a Chronic Illness Patient
Happy Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week! The theme for Awareness Week this year is “Making the invisible visible by sharing a day in the life with IBD.” In today’s blog post, I share my innermost thoughts and wishes as someone living with an invisible disease. Life with Invisible Symptoms My colon was almost destroyed because […]
Book Review: “My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful”
Happy October! Here in Tennessee, the leaves are starting to turn and there’s been a refreshing nip in the air. In other words, it’s been perfect weather to cozy up by the fireplace, sip on some steaming tea, and read! Today, I bring you my latest book review of My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey […]