Decisions, Decisions…

So today I met with Dr. Rubin and I was left with a decision to make. A very HARD decision might I add… He told me that as of now, I have two options to choose from.

#1.
I have the choice to get my colon removed through surgery. This would be a three step surgery and would take many months to complete. If I chose this, my first surgery would be given probably by the end of the week or early next week. I would then be in the hospital for maybe 5-7 days after the surgery in recovery. He said that people who have gotten this surgery notice a difference right away and start to feel relief instantly. I would also be living with an ileostomy bag for 6 months until surgery #2 and then for a few months after the second surgery. By surgery #3, thats when they would be able to connect my intestines all back up and I would be "back to normal." Heres a diagram to kinda show where the ileostomy would be and what would be taken out...

#2.

He also is giving me the option to take the medicine I've mentioned previously called Cyclosproine. This is the "miracle" medicine that helped me get out of the hospital last year and away from surgery. This would be used as a bridge to see if the new infusion (Vedolizumab/Entyvio) would kick in. The studies have shown that this infusion can take from 6-10 weeks in some patients before they start responding. The Cyclosproine would help be bridge for the next few weeks since I am only just past week 2 and I would be slowly taken off of it to see if the infusion will work. However, since the Vedolizumab is such a new medicine, this has NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. There hasn't been anyone who has used cyclo as a bridge for the vedo. He says that he doesn't think that taking the Cyclosprine along with the infusion should be any more dangerous than what I did last year. 

So now I am stuck here with this decision to make…

Do I get the surgery so I can start to get the relief I have been desperately seeking for almost two years now… or do I just try this LAST option with no guarantee that it will even work, but if it does, I will still be living with a colon?! Part of me just wants to get it over with and get the surgery because I sounds so nice to just not have to worry about this, for once. But again, I have been trying and trying different things for almost 2 years, so might as well try all of my options before just giving up and getting surgery which is permanent. 

The doctors will be in tomorrow wanting to know my decision, so I have A LOT to think about tonight. I know whichever route I choose, it isn't an easy choice, but I'm still hopeful that maybe, just maybe something will go right for me for once.

Until then, I just need some positive vibes sent my way ~~~ 

-- JKL