"Set backs" help us enjoy life

When I go to visit my GI doc I can't help but notice the "live your life" aroma that fills the place.  All the magazines have pictures on them of people with huge smiles on their faces, usually doing some fun-looking activity, and usually there is water or green grass in the background.  Today it made me think about the fact that we all have something that "sets us back" in our lives.  It could be a various medical issue, like Ulcerative Colitis like me, or a various emotional issue, or a various family issue, or whatever.  Whatever it is, it has the potential to bring us down and cause us to potentially not be happy about our lives.  As I continued to ponder on this I thought about those people in the pictures who look like they are really enjoying their surroundings and the varies titles of the magazines such as "Living with Crohn's Disease."  I believe that having problems, especially ones that are somehow or at some point life-threatening, helps us look more at our surroundings and have greater realization of our many blessings and the great beauties of the earth.  Each one of us has something that we deal with, but what a blessing it is to have that challenge to push through!  Yes, some days are more difficult than others, but it's the accomplishment of making it through each day and each trying period that can be that rising sun for us, and the motivation to push and make it through another.



Isn't life wonderful?  :)



So I'm feeling quite relieved after visiting with the doc today.  I was worried that whatever medication we ended up putting me on may be a cause for potential harm on a potential child in the future.  The medication they are trying to get me approved for (it's FDA approved for Crohn's disease, which is similar to Ulcerative Colitis, and a number of other things, but conveniently NOT for UC... yet) is called Cimzia.  The good news is that although there aren't extensive tests done on pregnant women, there have been no traces of the drug in the bloodstream of children whose mother was on Cimzia.  They believe that the drug does not cross the placenta, so the baby stays safe and drug-free.  The only problem, however, is that my insurance is denying my usage of this drug (stupid) probably because it hasn't been officially stated by FDA that it is okay for UC patients.  My doc is going to do another appeal, we'll see how that goes.  He told me though that he just found out about a study regarding UC and Cimzia and I may be eligible to participate...  That would be great!  Another plus of that would be that I wouldn't have to pay for it at all!  Hopefully one of these two options work out.  If not...  we'll just keep trying.  I'm currently on a steroid called Prednisone (which at this high dosage makes my face break out and puff up) which is only temporary, and we need to get me off of it.  This drug ain't a good one for long-term.  We're cutting my dosage in half now, thank goodness, now that my UC is under control.  So I need this in the mean time while we try to get this Cimzia thing worked out.  I feel bad and weird asking, but, prayers are always appreciated.

"It is my prayer and my blessing that when you look at your reflection you will be able to see beyond your imperfections and self doubts and recognize who you truly are, glorious sons and daughters of almighty God."

~ President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do."