For those unaware of why I was hospitalized, it was due to a bout of colitis. It doesn't appear to be chronic and was caused by Cellcept (one of my immunosuppresent medicines). I'd been on that drug for about 3 years, but I must have caught a small virus that mixed with it caused my illness.

Normally, colitis is treated on an outpatient basis. But due to my immune issues, I had to be hospitalized. I was put on a clear liquid diet and had to have a colonoscopy. Unfortunately, the stuff I took to clean me out make me even more sick.

Finally, after being there for 9 days on this diet, they let me eat normal food (as normal as it gets in the hospital). Once I was able to eat it and keep it in, I would be allowed to go home. Unfortunately, the morning I was to leave, I woke up my left arm was very swollen and extremely sore. So, the doctor kept me an additional day and scheduled me to have a sonogram.

Because of the overwhelming pain I was feeling, They gave me a lot of Vicodin and - just before the sonogram - an injection of Morphine. Even with the drugs, the procedure was excrutiating. But it was a lot easier to go through. Anyway, the diagnosis was that I had a blood clot in my arm. The doctor felt that since I stopped taking aspirin (it messes up my stomach without food) and also because I was somewhat dehydrated, the clot formed.

To make matters even worse, the Cellcept I was taking also minimized the pain I feel from my arthritis. Now that I'm no longer taking it, I have the additional pain associated with that. However, since I needed to go back to work (teaching), I have to go through the day without any pain relief.

But at night, I can "dope up".

In all honesty, the colitis is gone and my arm is improving daily. It does appear that I may have either developed another clot in my right hand or my arthritis has really gotten worse. Regardless, both my left arm and right hand is swollen and both ankles are as well.

But at least I got my health!

By the way, I just posted my latest Dallas Cowboys Report Card on ShayneBlog Sports. If your interested in that stuff, take a look and let me know what you think.