Terri

[Guest guest]

Vancouver is a long way from Ottawa. All the way across the continent. I did

some of my training out there many years ago. Vancouver is a very nice area,

blessed with wonderful geography, the sea, mountains, fantastic wildlife.

They are hosting the Olympics/The Winter Games some time in this decade.

I've tried a lot of different things to help my UC and my liver disease and

arthritis over the years. I can't say any of the non-traditional things have

really helped. I've never tried glucosamine sulphate for arthritis. But I

understand that some people have found it helpful. That might be the one

so-called natural health product that has actually been found to work for

arthritis. I'm not a fan of natural health products because the safety and

efficacy have not been proven, for most of them, in a scientific manner.

We're finding out more and more that they can produce adverse effects when

used as directed. Being " natural " is not a synonym for being safe.

Activities such as gentle exercise and exercises to keep the muscles around

your joints strong are helpful. When my arthritis was really bad and my

energy level low, I took some water aeorobic sessions that started me back

on my way to the gym and tougher exercises. I think this is a form of

exercise anyone can do and is really gentle because the water supports your

weight. It won't help with increasing your bone density and you should wear

beach shoes to protect the bottoms of your feet. It can be very easy or a

bit harder depending on how much effort you put into it.

As far as meds for your arthritis, there are lotions with NSAIDs in them

that can help reduce the pain and these may be safer than taking the NSAIDs

by mouth or suppossitory. But GI effects still happen with the topical

solutions, if people are prone to gastritis and ulcers.

After my tx I knew I might gain a lot of weight because of the high dosage

of prednisone I was on and the fact that I probably won't be able to stop

taking it. So as soon as possible after my tx I got back into the habit of

going every day to the gym. It's made a big difference in many ways. My bone

density improved every year (11% the first year, 9% the 2nd and 3% this past

year to approximately normal)_ My muscle mass has gotten back to a point

where it's the best it's been in my life. My joints are stronger because of

this and therefore safer and less painful. I'm usually in the gym every

morning before work and occasionally on the weekends. In addition I hike,

golf, cross country ski, swim, canoe, play tennis and squash. My life since

my tx is back to where it was prior to PSC rearing it's ugly head. I hope

the same will be in your future.

--

Aubrey

MD, PSC 1981, Psoriatic Arthritis 1986, UC 1991, LTX 10/5/98

[Guest guest]

Hi alice

Well my biopsy was okah I had it under local but they gave me dormecun(sp)

to sleep, but my doctor had an emergency so he couldnt wait for the dormecun

to set in,so i remember the whole thing.

I am a huge manchester united supporter I have been for 4 years.

I should say this today as they lost to chalsea 1-0.

I am the master of missing exams last year out of 10 exams I wrote 1 as had

a bad colangitis attack, an then ercp and then aliver biopsy all in 2 days.

Then this year out of 13 exams only did 12 as for the liver biopsy.

How has your family coped with you being sick?

Have ya had a liver biopsy?(its just a pain cause you have to stay in bed

for a little.)

What sports do you take part?

Hope all is well with you!

Terri(14)

South Africa

Terri

> Hi Terri,

> How was the liver biopsy? I do hope it was OK. I found this

> group about 6 weeks ago, on an internet site about Sclerosing

> Cholangitis. Yes, I agree, the stuff they make you drink for

> colonoscopies (Picolax, I think) is absolutely awful. It's supposed

> to taste like oranges but ends up tasting like washing up liquid gone

> wrong.

> My exams (GCSEs) are not until June. At the end of last year

> during exam week I missed a few days of school because of the

> colonoscopy, but I took the exams a week earlier so I didn't miss any

> (unfortunately).

> I'm not really into football, but most of my friends support

> Manchester United. I like baseball better. There is a Little League

> in London, quite near the American School of London, and most of the

> children from the League go to school there. At the end of the summer

> my team (The Tigers) came 3rd and last year we came 2nd. What are

> your hobbies? Do you play an instrument? Hope you are well, take care

>

> Alice (15)

> London

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Terri

I'm your biopsy was OK. My family doesn't contact us so they

don't even know I have Sclerosing Cholangitis. I've never had a liver

biopsy, yet. Baseball is really the only sport I take part in outside

school. But I do ballet, play the piano, and do quite a lot of other

activites. I've got quite a bad tummyache at the moment. I get them

quite often in the evening after taking my tablets. Anyway I had

better go. I'm sorry this is so short, but I'll write again tomorrow.

Alice

[Guest guest]

Hi Terri,

Are you on your summer holidays now? In England it is only the

beginning of the winter. Our Christmas holidays doesn't start for

another couple of weeks and then it's only 2 weeks long. I'm not

going anywhere, unfortunately, but every summer I go to a summer

music course in Dorset (in South-West England), and a summer camp.

Last year I went to quite a small summer camp in a converted

farmhouse. They only took 48 children at a time. We did things like

canoeing, raft-building, climbing and arts & crafts. They had lots of

animals there and every night before lights-out we all got a mug of

hot chocolate. It was fun but it was rather small. There were only

about 4 girls there who were my age. I'd like to go to a different

one next year but there isn't a lot of choice here, we don't have

that many summer camps in England. I think it's more common in

America. I can't wait until next summer. What are you planning for

your holidays?

As for my Ulcerative Colitis, I used to get bad stomach aches. I

remember being very sick when I first got it. They gave

me 'mesalazine' which I took for about 7 years. I can't remember that

much because it was 10 years ago. I hope you are well, take care

Alice (15)

London

[Guest guest]

Hi alice

well I have been on all my medcine urso,antibiotics and prednisone for 14

months now.

I dunno why but I have been put on permanent antibiotic cause they dont want

an infection to set in but why is no 1 else on permenent antibiotic?

Anyway my first day sucked we noiw have so many double lessons as we are now

in grd 10.

When I was on holiday and he is from london but any way no news.

I have an appoinment with my doc on thursday.

How did your apointment go?

Hope ya feeling k!

Big hug

Love

Terri(14)

South Africa

Terri

> Hi Terri,

>

> I hope you found your first day of school OK. In England, we don't

> have our 'long holiday' until July (our summer, your winter), and in

> the winter we only have a couple of weeks for Christmas (19th Dec-5th

> Jan, or something like that). Our school year begins in the first

> week of September. Is it still summertime where you are now? Here it

> is still winter and it's about 10 degrees every day. It has rained a

> bit, but not too much. I used to be on 3 tablets of Urso a day, now

> I'm on 4. I'm sorry to hear your biopsy results were not what you

> expected. How long have you been on Urso? Urso should help improve

> liver test results later. Wish I had more time to write but I have to

> go, as I'm at school and should be writing an essay. Have a lovely

> start to the school term! I hope you have a Happy Birthday! Take care,

>

> Lots of Love from Alice

>

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