I Am the Boss of my Body

So its been a few weeks since I have updated my blog simply because the Crohns is extremely active right now and I have just been to exhausted.
But I have been reading a lot of message boards and online discussions about this disease and living with it, and I have to say, I am appalled at some of the incredible things people believe about their disease simply because a doctor told them or simply brushed them off.
Here's my thinking. Its MY body. I live with it, I wash it, I feed it (if I CAN eat), I rest it (sort of). I am in this body 24/7/365 and I have to deal with the effects of not just a disease process, but side effects from medication and the fabulous onset of peri-menopause. So I think, and believe strongly, that I am the one responsible for my body. So when someone, yes, even a doctor, tells me something, I research it. I want to KNOW, in grand, in depth detail, what I put in my body, what is happening with my body and what I can do to help heal my body.
I am amazed in this day and age of information that anyone would ever simply blindly take as gospel anything a doctor says. Don't get me wrong, I adore my doctor. He is amazing. He's intelligent, and caring, and excellent in his field. But when he says, lets try this ABC medication. I just don't say "okay". I ask what the effects are, what the rate of success has been, what interactions it has with other medications. I go online to trusted sites and read the information there, and I talk to other people who have taken that medication and ask what their experiences are.
And this goes to the idea of taking charge. One thing that a lot of people with chronic illness experience is a sense of lack of control. Their body is going haywire and they have no control. So TAKE control. Learn everything you can about your disease and your treatment. Be proactive. Be the boss of your body.
If I feel uncomfortable taking a medication I tell my doctor No. "GASP!!" Yes. I actually can tell my doctor No. Its MY body.
For example. We tried a medication called Imuran. Its a chemotherapy drug that has had some success as a treatment for Autoimmune diseases particularly Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis. Now, I was hesitant because as soon as I heard the words "chemotherapy" my warning bells began screaming and I think I even saw red lights flashing in my brain. But he assured me that he's used it with success and it was worth a try. We attempted 3 different times with 3 different doses and every time I ended up with serious infections. One time I even had M.R.S.A. in my FACE. So this last time, I started developing new infections on my hands and so I called him and said I am not taking this any more. The world didn't stop, no one called me a nut job, no men came and took me away. My doctor simply said okay. He recognizes that I will be the one to make the final decision about my care.
There is no excuse for ignorance especially with the one life we have and with the incredible amount of information available. Own your body. Own your disease. Be the boss of your body and your care.