Just how bad is bad? When is hospitalization required?
So some background... I was initially diagnosed about 30 years ago (I'm now 63M). Initially I was in the hospital for a week, steroids to control the UC. Since then, I have been off and on various maintenance drugs... they would work for me for a while, then quit working
Overall I've been very lucky... very few flare-ups. My last flare-up was Jul24... I took prednisone at the time (for a couple of weeks?) to control it, then started on mesalamine (4.8mg/day). Over the past 1 1/2 years I reduced my mesalamine to 2.4mg/day (with consulting my gastro of course)
About three weeks ago I started getting a flare-up. After about 2 weeks it progressed to blood in stool, mucusy, 12-16 BMs/day, the whole nine yards
Prescribed Prednisone... 40mg/day for 7 days, then 35 for 7 days, etc. After a week, the flare-up started to be controlled... BMs down to 8-12 and blood only every other BM. Last Friday (a week after starting prednisone) I got scoped... my gastro said it wasn't getting better quickly enough and wanted me admitted and put on infliximab. Here were her results:
"Impression:
- The examined portion of the ileum was normal.
- Severe inflammation throughout the colon, endoscopic appearance is
most consistent with severe Crohn's colitis given deep, serpentine
ulcerations with more severe inflammation in R colon compared to L
colon. This was severe, worsened compared to previous examinations.
Biopsied."
I didn't want to get admitted... I countered that I wanted to stay on 40mg Prednisone for a second week (then start tapering)
Doctor is mad at me, wife is mad at me, etc. But I really feel it's getting better... 6 BMs yesterday, only one with any blood. BM so far today is a bit more solid (still nowhere near normal).
I just didn't and don't think it was bad enough to require hospitalization and felt taking the extra week of just oral prednisone would be enough (I still do)
So... thoughts from others? Am I being an ass? Taking too much of a chance w/my health?