4.33 years on Entyvio for my Ulcerative Colitis

From Failure to Gratitude: Therapy, Mindset Transformation, and Embracing Growth

30 infusions.

About 100 pokes.

4 years and 3 months on Entyvio.

3 years, 8 months of clinical remission.

1 year, 4 months until 5-year remission.

But who’s counting?

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How is it possible that four years have already gone by? I’ve been meaning to write this update for so many years, but wasn’t sure where or when to share it. Additionally, it’s taken four years to get acclimatized to the fact that this medication is not a symbol of defeat or something to fear, rather, it is a life-restoring tool.

I say that, and have gone through a lot of counseling for that purpose, but still feel feelings of failure or imposter syndrome creep up when I read your testimonials like you shared on our Roll Call post. So many of you thank me for helping you get off of medications and put your autoimmune disease into remission, but yet - here I am writing a post about being thankful for medication.

For those of you who want to trace my voyage towards deciding to initiate this treatment plan during my hospital stint in 2019, you can dive into the final chapters of my book, Food Saved Me : My Journey of Finding Health & Hope through the Power of Food. It was basically life or death, but there’s a lot of variables that led up to it, so I hope you’ll take a moment to give it a read! It’s on audible as well.

This update is for those of you who followed my journey since, and have been waiting to hear where I am now. Or those that are on similar medications, searching for a more positive perspective.

Here’s what I’m writing about today, but I have a feeling this will be a two or three part email update after you leave questions in the comments.

Anxiety, dozens of pokes, and failed infusions

Reclaiming My Life and Motherhood

Transition to Home Infusions: A Game-Changer

Reducing Side Effects and Stress

Finding Remission with Dietary Adjustments and Medication Synergy

Looking Ahead with Gratitude and Continued Growth

Anxiety, dozens of pokes, and failed infusions

After I was released from the hospital in November 2019, and after the initial, more frequent “loading doses” of Entyvio, I made my recurring drive to the Oncology Center every eight weeks full of anxiety.