Let’s Talk Poo 19 (Day 12, Infusion 10)
Last day! What an experience. More so for poor Lee who had to stick to an unfamiliar diet and make the infusions, and Ashley who had to suffer the infusions. I am so proud of my family! Ashley managed to hold this last infusion for 3.5 hours. Lee was late today and Ashley and I are taking a dance class Thursday evenings. She was not confident in retaining during the class.
Now comes the hard part…the waiting to see if it worked. When Ashley began this process, she was already in remission from her Sulfasalazine. Her last colonoscopy looked normal, but the biopsies showed inflammation markers. She’s also had remission in the past using Jarrodopholus probiotics and Boswelia tablets. She achieved remission for about 5 years on that regimen. She’s had 2 flares in the last two years, both lasting 4-6 months before she could get them back under control. Her UC is mild and we’re pretty sure it was caused by antibiotics when she was very young.
Keeping that information in mind, we’re hopeful that a 10 day course of FMT is going to be enough to cure her of her UC. We won’t know, however, until we begin weaning her off of her meds. We intend to start the wean in 3 months. She will continue taking her Probioplex Intensive Care for 18 months, per our naturopath’s suggestion.
I have one more blog post to go, which will summarize all of the ‘how to’ of FMT according to our experience and then it will probably be quiet until we start weaning the meds, unless something extraordinary happens.
I hope this has been helpful to someone out there. I know I was hearing crickets about real life experiences when I first started researching. With any luck, this will become a main stream procedure and we won’t have to DIY any longer. See you all in a few months!
I leave you with a photo of my overjoyed husband, who is currently gorging himself on any sugary snack he can find.
COSTS TO DATE:
| Note: We are self-insured with a high deductible policy ($2500). Your out of pocket costs could vary based on your insurance coverage, doctors and testing facilities as well as the region you live in. |
| Item | Actual Cost | Amount Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor’s visit | $145.00 | $0 (insurance covered) |
| Blood and Urine Tests | $1019.50 | $331.24 (after insurance discounts) |
| Stool Testing | $454.71 | $454.71 (no insurance discounts) |
| Supplies | $94.16 | $94.16 |
| Follow up Doctor’s Visit | $145.00 | $0 (insurance covered) |
| Enema bottles, heating pad, Probioplex | $97.16 | $97.16 |
| More Enema bottles, hospital pads, gloves | $49.68 | $49.68 |
| Totals: | $1860.21 | $1026.95 |
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