Friday, February 16, 2007

Back at NYU Hospital Again

Today I went to NYU Hospital, for my monthly injection of Remicade. Remicade is for us sufferers of Crohn’s Disease a real miracle drug. It helps us by turning down our immune system so that it no longer keeps attacking our bodies. There are risks involved in its application, including the added chance of developing certain cancers, but for people who do not respond to anti-inflammatory drugs or to steroids, it is necessary to keep flare ups of the disease in check.

I have been to the hospital before, so it was nothing new to me. I know where everything is by now on the 14th floor. They had no free sandwiches today though, although my girlfriend Natalie came by and gave me an everything bagel she bought. I don’t know why, but delis seem to think that Americans can never get enough cream cheese into their diets. We had to wipe gobs of the stuff off our bagels so we would be able to taste them.

The nurses were worried that because I was sick on Valentine’s day (exhausted from a lack of sleep and over exertion) that the Remicade might allow some virus or bacteria to spread throughout my body because my immune response would be reduced. Somehow I managed to convince them that this would not be the case and they allowed me the treatment.

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