#colits

[severinetherat]

I'm going home!

So, I am finally going home! I was moved onto low-residue diet last night and have kept down three solid food meals. I feel fine, albeit a bit tired, and am itching to get back to my space.

I don't know how long I'll be signed off for but I imagine it'll be for at least a few weeks.

I'm just waiting for the discharge paperwork and sick note and then I'll be free to go.

[crohnieadventures]

The “O” Word – Adapting to an Ostomy

Starting in 2015 I had a particularly rough couple of years with Crohn’s. During this time I had developed a perianal abscess, a real pain the ass. This level of pain has surpassed anything I have experienced in my life. After dealing with this for roughly two years it became so bad that the doctors and I agreed to an ileostomy, not without reservations on my part. This would give my rear end the rest it needed to heal.

              My nerves were a wreck before the surgery. I was not worried about going under, waking up was the source of my anxiety. I would wake up and not physically be the same. I would not be “normal”. I would have to carry around a bag that would collect my shit for me. What happens when my stoma farts in public? What happens if it falls off? Needless to say all of these questions would soon be answered, but for now my mind was full of “What Ifs”.

              I woke up to my nightmare. Before the drugs have worn off, a nurse was teaching me how to clean my stoma and change the ostomy bag. I could not bring myself look at the gaping hole in my abdomen. Depression set in quick. I had issues with the bags sealing properly, on a daily basis I would have a shirt full of feces from my uncooperative ostomy. Gas would pass at the most awkward moments, I was left frozen as rooms full of people turned to look at me in shock.

              After a month I started to get the hang of things. I could clean and change my stoma without wanting to kill myself. I managed to fix the leaking bag issue. I even figured out that if I hold my hand over my stoma applying slight pressure when a gas urge came, then no sound would emit. I was adapting. The best part was living pain free. On top of that, I no longer had to worry about finding a bathroom due to Crohn’s. While not what I had planned with my life, it was clear to me that this was a huge improvement to my quality of life. I soon started going to concerts without a concern in the world. I walked the city freely. I went to restaurants and enjoyed myself. I went to baseball games. I even have a trip planned to go out of the country soon. These are all things that I would never have considered doing before my ostomy. Before I knew it, I was telling myself that I could actually enjoy parts of life that I couldn’t before.

              Is an ostomy “Normal”? I say fuck normal. What is normal anyway? Can anyone answer that? If you can, I bet I can find something about yourself that does not fit your own description. Whether we are stuck living with an ostomy or some other quality of life improving device, it is not about fitting in. It is about adapting and accepting that our new selves can experience a better life. I have an ostomy and I am awesome!

[crohnieadventures]

Not All Crohnies are Created Equal

One of the main challenge concerning Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis and other Inflammatory Bowel Diseases is that there is a huge range of what works and what does not work, what causes a flair up and what does not between each individual. Each case has its own unique challenges. After reading a variety of blogs, I realized that some of you who have just been diagnosed can benefit from my experience. While there are many things that hurt me and many things that do not, I wanted to make a post on some of the top foods I stay away from and some of the top foods that actually help me.

              Let’s start with what will put me into a flair up. My full list is long but here are the top three items that will guarantee a run to the bathroom. Refined sugar is number one.  I will leave out all the science on why sugar is bad for anyone, but I suggest you do some research on it. What makes this so bad is that sugar is addictive. Some have argued that it is more addictive than narcotics. Ever try to give up sugar cold turkey? Your body will go into withdrawals. Regardless of that, a simple bag of candy gives my Crohn’s fits. Next up is caffeine. There is also an addictive quality to caffeine making this one a very hard thing to stay away from. It gives you energy and makes you feel great. Waking up to a cup of coffee is near heaven. Except, I might as well drink it while sitting on the toilet. The third on this list is alcohol. Some alcohols are worse than others. I find that I can have a glass of bourbon now and then and be ok. But it is best to just stay away. No sugar, caffeine, or booze? Talk about a real bummer right? It is ok though, I rather enjoy a calm stomach.

              Moving on to what actually helps. What we are looking for here are foods that slow down the activity in our guts and reduce inflammation. The most important item on this list is rice. Your body actually fully digests rice. This means that if you ate nothing but rice, you would never have a bowel movement. It is easy on your guts and also slows down digestion, allowing nutrients from other foods to be absorbed. I eat rice daily. Plantains are number two for me. There has been recent research that shows plantains can actually override some of the horrible things Crohn’s does. I took it upon myself to try it, and yes they have helped me tremendously. Rice and plantains together is my power meal. I live in South Louisiana so eating just that is a shock to my taste buds because it is so bland. So let’s talk about seasonings. Turmeric and cumin are both known to reduce inflammation and aid in digestion. I use them with every meal. To fill in the gaps, I eat lean white meat. Usually chicken breast or turkey. While this is not my complete diet, this is the majority of what keeps my bowels healthy.

              I will end on the same note as I started. We are all different when it comes to inflammatory bowel diseases. Just because these foods might trigger or might help me does not mean it will hurt or help you. But knowledge is power. Find out your triggers and what actually helps you and then be consistent. Consistency is key. If you have trigger foods or foods that help you and would like to share, please respond to this post. We have to stick together and beat this together.  

[severinetherat]

Yet another MRI.

So, it turns out that last MRI I had didn't capture all the images they wanted so I have to have a third this Monday morning. It's not that I mind having it done because I now know what to expect, it's just I don't want to have to go to the hospital again. I've got three days in the next week where I'm not working but all of them will be spent at the hospital; tomorrow afternoon is my biopsy pre-assessment, Monday morning is the MRI, and Tuesday is the biopsy proper which will be a whole day. I'm going to try and go to bed early this weekend.

[severinetherat]

My CT scan has been moved due to work commitments but it's only by a week so not much of a wait.

[jawfaln]

Spoonies with bowel disorders!

I need your help! My cousin is 9 and has recently been diagnosed with colitis, something she has struggled with for years. She is feeling very isolated, and ugly because it makes her break out in spots. No one deserves to feel like that, especially not so young. I’d like to make a compilation of videos of people with chrons or bowel disorders in general giving their advice and inspiration, so she wont feel so alone. If you dont mind sharing your pearls of wisdom, could you please message me? Thank you!

[crohns-girl]

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What to do when your in the hospital! #colits #crohns #IBD #hospital #board #ibdcommunity #autoimmune

[mygutfeelings]

Exactly. 💩🚽 #ibdproblems #crohns #colits #ibd