Troubles for Number Four

Sme already know, but our youngest, ZeldaPrincess, spent the better part of a week in the hospital. Not to go into all the wonderful details, but needless to say, she couldn't keep anything in her stomach. It either came back up or rushed straight through.

After several days of this, she was admitted to the hospital for dehydration. They gave her an IV, and released her when it was done. By the next night, she was right back in the hospital, this time for an extended stay, which included the IV, nausea medication, morphine, and colonoscopy.

After several days, our insurance company CALLED THE HOSPITAL TO TELL THEM TO RELEASE HER! They said they didn't think she needed to be there any longer! I am so glad our insurance company has medical degrees so they know what patients need! The nurses started getting soft foods into her the next day, and let her go home only after confirming that she could keep it down. The doctors said if she couldn't, they would fight to keep her in!

The diagnosis was not what we hoped. She has Ulcerative Colitis, which is a condition that affects people her age, and she will deal with for the rest of her life. For those who may have never heard of colitis, you are not alone. We are finding out so much about it, including just how common it is!

Basically, colitis is inflammation of the intestine, and can limit itself to the colon, or can be randomly spread anywhere in the digestive tract, as in Crohn's Disease. It can flare up for no reason, or can be brought on by eating the wrong food.

What's the wrong food? Who knows? It differs from person to person, and case to case. Some can only eat meat and potatoes, some have to avoid anything acidic. She is supposed to stay away from anything highly fibrous, much like her mother. LadyBug's issue is gastro-paresis, combined with IBS, and is similar to what ZeldaPrincess is goung through.

There are medications you can take, although our insurance company thinks she doesn't need one of them! another new medication is out and making huge strides for patients. But some insurance companies reject it. Another treatment must be done at the cancer clinic, and runs $9,000 per treatment! Copays vary. We haven't heard yet which ones our insurance likes, but they haven't proven to be the brightest lights on the tree yet, so who kows?

And then there is also the fact that Z.P. had to withdraw from some of her classes in college. A few classes are giving her credit, and some of the professors agreed to give her "Incompletes" so she could make up the work later and get the credit still. But she plans to not return next semester, to focus on figuring all this out and getting her health settled. After that, it will be taking things one day at a time.

Take care!