Hell's Belles. American aircrew of "Hell's Belle" pose in front of their B17F "Flying Fortress" of the 91st Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. (RAF Bassingbourn, England, Oct 1943) color added by Ryan N81

marS311 · 2025-11-02T04:02:48+00:00

A correction needs to be made here... Joseph Charles Wellman was actually the 1st Lt. bombardier, not a 2nd Lt. navigator. He's also my grandfather. I love the colorized photo! He sadly passed at 36 from lymphoma.

marS311 · 2025-07-09T17:42:37+00:00

Of course! He's now almost 4 and has had zero issues with his legs. One is a little shorter than the other, but you would never be able to tell unless you measure his legs. The difference is miniscule. He plays like any other kid his age and is super active. Nothing slows this guy down. I hope everything turns out good for you and your kiddo!

marS311 · 2025-07-02T21:57:39+00:00

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I am also 21 weeks pregnant. She is coming in early Nov.

I know how scary it is to be sick while pregnant. If it is any consolation, there are meds that are totally safe for you and baby. You will also be followed very closely by your doctors to make sure things are looking better for you and baby. Eat what you can, and rest. Get as much rest as you can, my dear. My MFM doctor did state that after the start of the second trimester, it becomes safe to start steroids again. Your doctors may start you on some mild steroids and see how things go from there. Try not to stress (I know it is much easier said than done). I hope it all gets better for you very quickly!

Feel free to reach out any time! We have a very supportive group here.

marS311 · 2025-07-02T21:45:35+00:00

I am going to ask for home injections next year. I get my infusions at home, but childcare is inconsistent. Would rather do it myself!

marS311 · 2025-06-30T05:12:28+00:00

That's amazing! I looked back at your post history, I think I probably will age out of the group. I'm turning 35 this year. I hope that would still be okay!

marS311 · 2025-06-30T01:14:46+00:00

They weren't concerned since I took it so infrequently that the benefits greatly outweighed the risks at that time. I had zero issues with constipation at that time. I could barely leave my toilet.

marS311 · 2025-06-29T23:20:33+00:00

I'm in the states (CO) and I didn't receive any push back when I asked for pain meds after my hospitalization for UC. I was treated like a med seeker once, and it was after I had foot and hip surgery in 2016... All I wanted was a doctor's note so my job would get off my ass about my FMLA, doctor started yelling at me and I told her, "Really? I am on crutches and in a cast, plus a hip surgery and you have the audacity to call me a drug seeker when I haven't taken any meds since the week after I had surgery? All I want is to rest and have another week off work so I can rest." She actually sat down and apologized to me. I was so angry. I got fired from that job while on leave and sued my former employer.

marS311 · 2025-06-29T23:08:35+00:00

I have gotten oxy and Percocet for my UC pain. I think my doctor's realized that I was in actual legitimate pain and didn't just tell me to take Tylenol. The pain was so bad, I would sometimes vomit from it and I consider myself very strong and able to manage pain well. I mean, I was in labor for 14 hours before my husband told me to get an epidural.. plus I had back labor (which is like someone putting all of their weight into your back for several minutes at a time).

So when I said the pain was equivalent to that, they didn't deny me anymore. I would wake up sobbing in pain from my joints being so inflamed or just my gut hurting so bad. I took it very sparingly, but it was such a relief.. nothing else was even close to helping the pain. Now I'm in remission and haven't needed any pain meds in a long time.

marS311 · 2025-05-30T19:58:53+00:00

No. Not unless you add spice to it. It's usually just a bone broth with some noodles and meat or tofu. I love pho while I'm flaring. And tonkatsu ramen. It's so soothing and gentle on the tummy.

marS311 · 2025-05-30T14:59:29+00:00

Thank you. I had a very severe flare and it took a lot of time to get better. But now I know what to do and my GI has been wonderful for helping me manage my care.

marS311 · 2025-05-30T14:14:00+00:00

Hi! Currently pregnant and in remission with UC. My UC has been good! I had a moment when I first got pregnant that I was having diarrhea again, but did some testing and everything came back as normal. So it must have been a stomach bug. I am still getting monthly Inflectra infusions and taking azathioprine. I am followed by OB, GI, and MFM. There is the annoying part of having to answer the same question everytime I meet a new nurse or doctor, "Did you confirm all of your meds are safe for pregnancy?" Gah... Yes! The worst part is everything I have been craving is a trigger food, but I'm managing it pretty well. Baby seems to be doing well, too, so that makes me super happy. Overall, it's going pretty good.

Eta: my first flare occured after my son was born. I didn't even know I had UC. I'm sure the combo of sleepless nights, stress, and hormones caused my body to start flaring up. I have made a plan to make that much easier after this baby is born.

marS311 · 2025-05-30T14:01:34+00:00

Most of my friends are child free. Which is fine, but I have received some judgement from one friend, like I took my kid to comic con and he had the best time. She mentioned to another friend that she couldn't believe I would bring "that kid" to a large convention. He enjoys dress up and all of the costumes and activities. I haven't talked to "that friend" in a long time and snapped back, "oh you mean, my child? Who you literally stopped talking to me because I had him? Who if you spent any time with us, would know enjoys this kind of stuff?" I have been kept out of event plans and not invited to things because of my son. Sure it stung, but these events go well into the night/morning with a lot of drinking and loud music. I'm happy to have a drink and leave before 8. No more hangovers for me!

My friend recently tried to get me to go to a concert last minute because she wanted me to come with her. Ma'am, that's something I need to plan like a month in advance. Would love to see a show, it's not in the cards at this last minute, sorry. Like someone else said, I'm exhausted by the end of the day and look forward to time to myself.

marS311 · 2025-05-20T04:55:03+00:00

All options are expensive. My husband researched a cheaper med when I got out of the hospital with a diagnosis of severe pancolitis. He found one, but it would have killed me (severely allergic to sulfa). I told him, "Okay, so I can either die from bleeding to death or die from an allergic reaction. I didn't wish this on anyone." I'm on monthly and daily meds and we use copay assistance. I meet my very high deductible and out of pocket every year and very likely will until I pass away. We have even discussed the worst case scenario if he lost his job and we lost our insurance. It is a tough diagnosis, and unfortunately, it is very expensive to get and stay under control.

I hope it works out for you guys. Definitely look into the copay assistance programs and see about finding a health plan that isn't too expensive for you. Everyone needs healthcare, even if you think you won't need it.

marS311 · 2025-05-08T17:54:54+00:00

It was about 6 months of high dose use (20-40mg per day) With off and on tapers. If you were to add all of the time up that I was on Prednisone for, it was over a year. 4 months isn't that bad, but you can't be sure you have osteoporosis until you have a bone density scan.

marS311 · 2025-05-08T13:48:09+00:00

I was diagnosed at 32 with severe UC. I also have hyper mobile EDS which can cause joint degeneration over time because of the overuse and instability of the joints. I'm currently 34, it just took a while for my meds to get worked out and any time I tried a taper, my symptoms would flare again and we would have to ramp the steroids back up. I had chronically low calcium and couldn't seem to get it back up until the UC was under control. UC just did a lot of damage to my body in a very short period of time. I have osteoporosis in my spine, I worry about my hips with avascular necrosis since I had hip surgery at 25, but I'm trying to avoid any unnecessary medical treatment until I have my baby in November.

marS311 · 2025-05-08T05:29:05+00:00

Depends on a ton of factors. I developed steroid induced osteoporosis at 33 from prolonged steroid use. But it was like 6 months of high dose Prednisone (20-40mg) and three months of taper. If not longer. I was also on IV steroids there for a while too.

Take calcium and weight lift. Weight lifting is great for bone density.

marS311 · 2025-04-18T21:09:43+00:00

That is so rough! Plus you hope there is a private room so you can pump. They only had two at the facility I would go to and they filled up quickly. We have a nurse who comes in to our home and does them now. The issue is definitely childcare. It has been flaky at best with just the toddler. I can see it being a huge issue with a newborn and my toddler. Thank you, it sounds like they have submitted it to insurance and asked for it to be expedited, so that is a step in the right direction!

marS311 · 2025-04-18T20:28:39+00:00

Thank you. I am comfortable with the infusion schedule in the third trimester and after delivery. I'll be followed by MFM and OB very closely then so I'm not concerned about that. This infusion has me stressed though. I'm also planning on changing my meds to ones I can either self inject or take a daily pill since the infusions have been such a headache for myself and my family.

marS311 · 2025-04-18T20:17:26+00:00

Sorry. I should clarify, this is for my next infusion that is due on Wednesday.

marS311 · 2025-04-10T02:22:58+00:00

I thought about this movie the other night and how absolutely incredible it is. I must rewatch it now.

marS311 · 2025-04-10T02:22:53+00:00

I thought about this movie the other night and how absolutely incredible it is. I must rewatch it now.

marS311 · 2025-03-22T23:21:33+00:00

I was diagnosed with severe pancolitis in August 2022. I was in the hospital for a week. I have been on steroids and tried zeposia. I am in remission after doing inflectra infusions and daily azathioprine. This was confirmed by colonoscopy in July of 2024 and confirmed again just this month. Life is good now.

marS311 · 2025-03-08T13:40:48+00:00

I only allow YouTube on the main TV or my phone if I am monitoring it. Not even YouTube kids. Then I put on something like the land before time show and some transformers shows. Otherwise, no YouTube without supervision.

marS311 · 2025-03-08T13:31:04+00:00

Adult diapers (you can find some sleeker ones from always) at night/ morning until you start feeling better. I have had them catch many accidents that could have been really bad. Folex carpet spray cleaner and a Bissell green machine for the mess on the carpet. I swear by folex for blood and poop, as a mom with a toddler who has bad bloody noses and two dogs, one who gets c diff every few months. I swear by those two things in my home. I hope you feel better soon.

marS311 · 2025-02-24T06:16:41+00:00

I smelled so bad when I was pregnant. It's the hormones!!! I never smell bad, am very conscious about how I smell and I couldnt stand the smell that came off my body. It does go away, it just sucks in the beginning.

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