Please say a prayer for Lucy

[Lernermichelle]

Lucy was doing better, getting over her IBD flare-up I thought; but I tapered her down to 5 mg/day of pred yesterday (did 10 for a week, then 7.5 for 4 days, then 5 starting yesterday) and today she is worse-- some diarrhea with some blood, less interest in food, and under 8 pounds for the first time.  I put her back on 10 mg pred today and cooked her something new (duck) which I am now afraid will mess her up even more. I made another appointment (canceled the last one) with the internist in Red Bank, 1.5 hours away, for next Wednesday.  I was going to try to take her tomorrow, but my mom has convinced me thus far to wait and see if she gets better again from the pred and not take her if she does. I don't know. I fear intestinal lymphoma. I feared it when she first flared up 2 weeks ago, but then after 3 days on 10 mg/day of pred and eating just turkey her diarrhea totally went away and she even got constipated from lack of fiber, and I figured that was unlikely to happen with lymphoma and more likely to be a flare-up of IBD. But now I don't know. She has never needed to be on so much pred for more than a few days before, and she has never lost so much weight (though she also has never been on an entirely protein diet before either).  If she does not have lymphoma, her IBD has gotten much worse than it was.  I am very depressed by this. If you can spare her some good thoughts and prayers, I would appreciate it. Thanks, Michelle