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Crohn's Disease Forum

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Okay, here's the deal. I need advice on treatment. I have been feeling absolutely great for the last 9 days and eating like a horse. I am currently starting my 4th month of Entocort (though I was suppose to start tapering last Thursday).

Today I got the call from my GI that my Remicade treatment has been okayed and tomorrow I need to go in to do the TB check.

My question is, do you think since I haven't had any pain, I'm eating everything and I have had normal BM for the last 9 days, that I should hold off on starting the Remicade and see if I am heading into a remission. Or should I just do it anyway.

I'm waiting for a call back from the GI to see what she thinks, but I would like the advice from my friends who really understand my dilemma.
 
I say go for the Remicade. Once you wean off the Entocort, chances are your symptoms will come back..You've had Crohn's awhile, the chances of Entocort putting you into remission are not as good as Remicade doing it....Just my opinion.I am happy to hear you are feeling so great.
 
imp, you brought up a point that I hadn't even thought of. This is why I needed you guys input. Thanks for pointing that out.
 
Hey Pirate, I can see why you are asking. I too have been on Entocort for many years but it did peter out. Remicade wasn't invented then. Entocort is a mild to moderate drug and you are wondering why to go the strongest drug (next to Steroids). I know 9 days seems like a good lot (wish I could get to 9 days again). I do know Entocort takes alot longer than Pred, so I dunno, seems like the Entocort is doing the trick?? Maybe ask your doctor to see what he thinks. Go for the TB test in the meantime if it is set up. If I had the choice I would stay on Entocort, to see how long you are stable on it. ONLY my opinion. Remicade does amazing stuff for the others but I was highly allergic.

Tough decisions, you feel like if you wait... your Crohns could come back and on the other hand you are thinking why use a firehose to put out a candle doing just fine.

I bet I just confused you more :confused2: sorry, but you doctor knows you better.
 
Hi Pirate, I know I'm new here but I would go on the Remicade. From what I understand, getting the inflammation under control and keeping it down helps from needing surgery as often or as soon. Even if you are feeling better you can still have inflammation, plus like imp said, you don't know if the Entocort is just masking the flare right now. I'm glad you are feeling so well, though!
 
Janis and I have really been discussing this for the last couple of hours. I really feel that this is no where near as bad a flare as I have suffered in the past so that is why I really wonder if the Remicade is really necessary at this time. But we also know from past experiances that when tapering off of pred. that things can start happening again real fast.
I am hoping to talk to my GI tomorrow and see what she has to say. I know the only reason she put me on the Entocort was because I needed time to think about the Remicade. Last time I talked to her she was all for the treatment so she will probably still feel this is the best option.

We'll see. If she says its the best course than its what I'll do. I really trust her opinion.

Thanks for the input. It is a hard choice to make.
 
For what it's worth, I gave Remicade a try even with my heart disease. I needed something to get my Crohn's under control. The risk factors do exist but they are pretty small from what my GI was telling me.

I wish you luck with your decision.
 
Went in for the TB shot yesterday and tomorrow I go back to have it checked. Doc M. said she would prefer to see me take the treatment so that's what we're doing. Everything is cleared so we find out tomorrow when I start. Janis and I will go over and talk to the people at the infusion center and make sure I get scheduled for Fridays so that I don't have to take off time from work.

The decision is made and so "Release the Hounds". I'm still eating like a horse. Today I ate venison sloppy joes- 3 of them w/ cheese. Janis isn't home yet and I'm starved.
 
Well yesterday I set up my first 3 treatments. I officially become part of the Remi Club next Friday, Jan. 22nd. Than it goes 2-5-10 and 3-5-10. I was lucky enough to be able to schedule them all for Fridays and I won't have to miss any work.

I thought it would be every other week, but they set-up the 3rd one like out there a ways. Is that the norm for Remi.
 
Glad you decided to give the Remi a try Greg. It can be scary - but you have had this disease long enough to know....it comes back. Remi has been very very good to me over the years - I'm sure I would have had to have surgery again if it wasn't for the Remi. Actually, I know I would have - I was headed for surgery when they started me on Remi - that was in the fall of '03 - long time ago!

I believe induction is something like 1-2-4-8 then every 8 weeks after - but there may be a six in there inbetween the 4 and 8 - just sounded too much like a cheer to me ;) Have fun and make sure you join the Remi club thread and tell us how it went!
 
Thanks, Peaches. I will post there as soon as I get the 1st one done.

Ya know, once I set up the appointments I got a feeling of being at ease with this decision and I'm ready to get started. I can only hope and pray that it works for me and that my body doesn't "reject" the treatment. If it does than I will probably just go back to the old meds to keep it under control.
 
I am sure Remi will do the trick for ya. It has for so many and some for years. How are you feeling now Pirate?
 
I'm doing great. Its been like 13 days since I last had any pain. I've been eating everything in sight. I even ate pizza yesterday along with cold pizza this morning. I haven't done that in a long, long time.
I still get some gurgling in my tummy but that's all it is. No pain, solid foods and normal BM's. Life is good right now, just waiting for the shoe to drop and I get the old problems back. Until than I'm going to enjoy myself for the first time in forever. Janis made monkey bread and that's next on my list. LOL
 
Glad you are feeling better, I know the drill, waiting for the shoe to drop...mine did but at least I have tons of tests coming up.

Ok, I will bite what is "MONKEY Bread"?
 
Some people call it crazy bread. It is Pillsbury dough made into little balls and put in a bunt pan with cinnimon, sugar, brown suger, butter and baked. Its really sticky and good.

Thought I was pulling everyone's leg again, huh. Janis made it tonight cause our oldest grandson is spending the night. He was our first grandchild and born the day after Janis' 35th birthday. He turns 13 next month and he is a great kid and will do anything for us.
 
Good luck next friday hope everything goes well. Enjoy that monkey bread and so glad to hear your haven some good days . Have fun with your grandson too:)
 
How do I water my flowers?
Click on the toolbox on the lower right-hand menu and select the watering can from the pop-up menu. Move the green square that appears over the flowers you would like to water. Hold down the mouse button, not simply click you dont have to hold it down too long though to activate the watering process. All the flowers beneath the square will be watered, and 1 coin will be deducted for each flower/plant watered within that square. This process will fill all the raindrops regardless of how many drops were empty when you started.

Do flowers die if not watered?
Flowers do "die" if they arent watered at least once every three farm town days a farm town day is 20 hours long. As soon as you water them again they come back to life.

How long does it take for flowers to be fully grown?
The flowers take about 3 days till they are fully grown and are in full bloom.

Do I earn experience points for watering flowers on my farm or a neighbours farm?
You do not earn experience points when watering flowers.

Why can I not see the flowers I placed on my farm?
Make sure you have Show Flowers checked click on the wrench symbol on the upper right menu of your farm and refresh your farm once you have done so.

Why do I get a message that says Flowers can only be watered once a day when I try to water my flowers?
Your neighbours can water your flowers for you and earn 1 coin for each flower when they do so. Watering flowers is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once a neighbour has watered them, you will not be able to water them as well. You are only able to water your flowers if there are two empty rain drops.

Is there another way to differentiate when flowers need watering?
When you activate the watering can all flowers will show a blue square around the base. Those that need watering are a light/dull blue and those that have been watered are a darker/brighter blue.

Why am I being charged for watering my flowers?
You are charged 1 coin per flower/plant that is watered. If your neighbours water your plants for you, they will earn 1 coin per flower/plant that they water.

Can I harvest the flowers?
The flowers cannot be harvested but you can sell them. If you click on them whether just planted or in full bloom the pop-up menu will give you the option to sell.

Can I water a buddies flowers?
You can only water a neighbours flowers and only those neighbours who are on your neighbour bar at the bottom left of your farm NOT neighbours on your neighbour listing that dont appear on your neighbour bar. You cannot water buddies flowers.

Can you freeze your flowers if you go away on holiday and cannot water them?
This is not possible. The flowers, at this point in time, will die if not watered but, will revive once watered again. If you click the "Freeze Growth" option on a flower, it DOES need to be watered as all you are doing is stopping it at whatever stage of growth it is at. In other words, if you like your roses to be rosebuds rather than in full bloom, you can freeze them at the rosebud stage. But the flower still needs to be watered. Please remember though that, when you unfreeze them, they will revert back to the first stage of growth.

Why did a flower revert back to the first stage of growth when I moved it?
When you move a flower it goes back to the first stage of growth. Once you have refreshed the game the plant will be back to the size it was BEFORE you moved it.

I saw someone at level 6 planting flowers. Im at level 26 and all my flowers are locked. How is that possible?
The person that you saw planting flowers would have received those flowers as gifts as they are not available for purchase at that level.

Storing flowers
You can now store flowers. Click on the flower you want, click "Add to storage" and then you will get a confirmation if you want to store. Some have reported that when they take a flower from storage and put it on their second farm, it no longer requires watering.

I cannot plow/harvest my plots near flowers, what do I do?
If youre trying to plow/harvest your plots near flowers, deselect "Show Flowers" in your preferences remember to reselect it when you are done or you can simply Hide the flowers temporarily.

The moderation team would like to thank Sunshine who combed through countless posts to compile all of this information.
 
Hey Pirate! Good luck with the Remi. I am new to the forum and although I was diagnosed just over 3 years ago, I was an Ostrich for a while with my head in the sand pretending all was ok, but as you know this disease eventually makes you take notice. So I am not at all knowledgeable on any of these meds and am keen to hear how it goes for you!
 
yay for farmville! . . . . NOT!

Have you been on any other treatments for immune suppression Pirate? Or just right to Remicade?
 
All my treatments for the last 24 years is pretty much been Pred until the last four months. Now I'm on Pentasa and Entocort. Been on a lot of meds to fight the side effects of the pred. and for depression.

My old GI was pretty much set on getting me into remission with the Pred and it always did its job.

Katiesue, I am apparently trying to give everyone a lesson in flowers and how to make them grow beautiful.

Samantha, go to the Treatment forum and check out the Remicade club and you will get all kinds of education on Remi. I read all 466 post at the time just to make my decision whether to do it or not. It really eased my mind
 

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