Crohn's treatment and training

I decided to come out of the closet with my Crohn's disease diagnosis. This is for a couple of reasons.

At first I didn't want to let people know that I have a health problem. I didn't want my opponents or potential opponents to know this, and I didn't want friends and loved ones to worry. Most of all, my ego did not want me to openly admit that I have any physical shortcoming. Several things factored into my changing my mind.

A.) Everyone has some kind of physical 'shortcoming'. Maybe you have allergies. Maybe you're short. Maybe your feet hurt. Regardless of whatever physical uniqueness you have, I've decided, you should not feel ashamed or feel less because of it. Rather, we should all feel awesome because of what we do despite these things.
B.) Would people be inspired by Lance Armstrong if he had stubbornly refused to tell anyone he had cancer because he was embarassed? This is not to say that I'm comparing myself to Lance Armstrong, or that this blog will inspire people. It's just to say that you can't hope to be of use to others if you are only thinking about your own foolish pride.

I also have some information that could be of use to you if you have digestive problems. I suffered for 4 years with vomiting, pain, bleeding, fainting, and a plethora of other unpleasant symptoms while incompetent physicians and specialists twiddled their fingers and theorized. I took medications and prayed they would do something. Most of them did not. I had so much blood drawn you'd think I lived in Transylvania. I was poked, prodded, scanned, endoscopes shoved down my throat, injected with radioactive liquids, required to swallow quarts of Elmer's glue-like liquids and shot up with weird fluids. After 4 years of hell and just on the brink of a depression brought on by chronic pain and the idea of living with it indefinitely, I discovered Dr. Luther Burse, gastroenterologist.

Dr. Burse is the best doctor I have met, period. He is intelligent, competent, and also cares about his patients. He cares about doing a good job. He cares if you are in pain. He cares about whether you can afford your procedures and medications. My insurance sucked and didn't want to pay for a colonoscopy that I needed to find out whether I may have digestive cancer. Dr. Burse made sure the procedure happened and that I could afford it. My horrible insurance also failed to cover any of the cost of my medication, which is really expensive. Dr. Burse supplied me with generous samples. I ran out. He gave me more samples.

Please see Dr. Luther Burse if you have any kind of belly pain. Dr. Burse cares about whether people have digestive problems. He is a good doctor. Please tell him I said so if you go to him.

I also discovered something really, really important if you don't have excesses of money. My medication, Asacol, is awesome and works relly well, but is also incredibly expensive. If you don't have big stacks of money sitting around your house, and you take any kind of medication, make note of this following info. Most of the pharmaceutical companies have to offer medications to you at a reduced rate if your income is low. Find out who makes the medication you take, and google prescription plans from them. For example, I looked up "Proctor and Gamble patient assistance program" and easily found forms to send in. You just attach proof that your income is low, and a prescription from your doctor, and they send your drugs to you in the mail. There you go. And don't feel like you're taking charity. This is a tax write-off for them. They are still making money off you. Don't feel guilty that you aren't paying $800 a month for medicine.

If you have any kind of digestive symptom, chances are I've had it and figured out some way to make it manageable. Please email me if you think I could be of any help at all.