Thursday, February 17, 2011

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Is the fact that I just spent 5 days traveling over 10,000 miles to get another dose of hookworms enough proof of my belief in this therapy?  This past Sunday, I received my first post-operation dose of 35 hookworms.  As always, I felt the entry itch within 10 minutes and a little dizzy about an hour or so later (although that could be from being awake for 35 hours - I can't sleep in a moving car, nor on an airplane!)  Now, a few days later I still have what looks like a small spot of poison ivy on my arm and the occasional itch.

My hope is that by infecting now, before I begin developing another stricture, the hookworms will have a better chance of surviving my hostile small intestines.  I've been off any Crohn's disease medications since July, so it will be interesting to see what sort of reaction I have to the hookworms in about 3 weeks when they begin to nestle down in my gut.  This batch of hookworms has a huge role to play, as I made a deal with my gastro that if the hookworms don't work in a year from my surgery (August 2011), I would agree to try his suggested medication.  If the hookworms fail, and I then refuse to accept my doctor's advice, I'll probably be looking for another gastro.  So, the climax of this chapter of my life is going to be this summer when I get the results from my doctor's examination - who knew a colonoscopy could be so exciting?

5 comments:

  1. Hang in there. We are praying that your research and ensuing beliefs are true and work for you.

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  2. I'm surprised it itches so much. I would have thought British hookworms were more polite. Stiff upper lip!

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  3. There are more options than taking your docs prescription or using hookworms.

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  4. Good luck & God bless you, homie. Can't wait to find out how this dose comes along (hopefully without all the physical suffering you had before)

    - j

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