First Post

Welcome to my blog! I have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support from all of you on my fundraising page and beyond. The road has been long, and at the same time it feels like I am just beginning.

I'm starting this blog as an easy way to keep you posted about my experiences. Feel free to check back from time to time for updates or you can "Follow by Email" and receive email notification each time I add a new post. Just type your email address in the top right box that says "Follow by Email," then press "Submit." Thank you for being a part of my journey to wellness!

I leave for England on Saturday and I'm filled with hope and I'm looking forward to getting the process started.

xoxo
Steph

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Going Without my Gut and Still on a Journey to Wellness :)

Image
After 6 months of no positive effects from FMT, and 7.5 years of no remission from ulcerative colitis, I have decided to have surgery. This was a big decision for me, and I feel that I have thoroughly exhausted my other treatment options. I am so grateful for all of you who helped me get to England to try to heal myself with a treatment that is not readily available in the US. I'm glad that I tried it because I would have always wondered "what if?" if I had elected surgery without exploring alternatives. I still believe that FMT is a fascinating treatment option and it has helped many people. I wonder if my results would have been different if I had tried FMT earlier in my illness or if I were able to have more regular treatments, but for now those are unsolved mysteries. There is a lot of FMT research going on now, so hopefully scientists will learn more about how it can help various diseases and it will become more accessible in the near future. As for me, I will be
Read more

Getting there

Image
It's just over two weeks since surgery and some people have been asking how I'm doing. It's actually a hard question to answer because 1. It's a lot of gross bathroom talk 2. My mood changes rapidly some days 3. It's not easy to see day to day progress. So here's my best attempt to explain how I'm doing that's more in depth than my vague "getting there..." text reply. (And by the way, it's fine to keep asking me this question! It's a good question!) This is a different type of recovery compared to my operation in December. In December, things were dramatic: waking up with an ostomy! Tasting new foods! Being out of work! Also, progress was measurable and quick: reducing steroids, increasing walking distance, gaining strength. This surgery brought me down to the basics, I had to relearn how to walk, eat, and go to the bathroom.  This time around is more subtle. I have good strength and my body feels healthy most of the time. I ha
Read more

Meet Lilo & Stitch

Image
Note: I'm doing my best to keep down the gross factor in these posts, but this one might not be one to read during a lunch break! I had my first post-surgery follow up doctor's appointment yesterday and I got a good report! The staff were happy with the quality and quantity of my poo and I don't have to measure the amount anymore! This was not my favorite task and I feel like I'm moving up in the world! I'm also slowly gaining some weight back (maybe due to my amazing food options, ha), so that is good too.  My biggest challenges so far have been some peeing issues (this is improving, but more on that another day) and irritation around my stoma (ostomy). A stoma is "an opening on the surface of the abdomen which has been surgically created to divert the flow of feces or urine," and if you want to know more this website has very easy to understand information (without gross pictures!). I have a temporary ileostomy, so basically a part of my sm
Read more