An Apple a Day...

Keeps the Doctor away.

If only it were that easy. Sigh.

Alan's colitis flare up is not responding as well to steroids this time as the previous two times. He is now into his 5th week of steroid treatment and we are struggling to get him off the highest dose without an increase in his colitis symptoms. The strange thing about this flare up though is through it all, Alan has remained relatively healthy and in good spirits.

During his last flare up in January 2013 he was very ill and we were desperately worried about him but he responded very quickly to the steroids and within a couple of weeks was back to his usual self. We assumed he would recover just as quickly this time.

He had an appointment with the Gastro consultant this morning. The current plan is to keep him on the highest daily dose (40mg) of prednisolone until Friday then begin the usual 5mg a week reduction until he is weaned off. We have another appointment with the consultant in two weeks to see how things are going.

He touched on what we need to be thinking about should the steroids not help. One is another drug that has horrendous side effects (skin cancer being one!) or removal of the bowel completely. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.

But we've not come to that yet. This is only the third flare up he's ever had so it seems a bit drastic to be talking surgery. I am keeping everything crossed that the steroids do their job and things settle down over the next couple of weeks. My boy has enough to contend with as it is.