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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jun 30, 2008 8:58:23 GMT -5
Good news! One box from the carport storage is gone! Items have been sorted and either put away or placed in the give away bag! My "new" end table is now in my living room next to the loveseat and looks very nice. Just one more box to go! When my LR's done, I'll start back in on my "bedroom of doom" and finish sorting and reorganizing my closet. I want to get my home totally in order before I bring in another box from outside.
On the health front, I just don't know. I'm still experiencing the cramping, diarrhea and rectal bleeding from the colitis, but I'm not feeling weak because of my diet (yogurt, organic carrot juice, cranberry/pomegranate juice, coconut juice, chicken soup, baked salmon, bananas) and resting when I have to. I'm not going to the bathroom as much. I'm also taking fish oil capsules because I read online that people with UC are low in the medium fatty acid chain that's in fish oil. My Bible study group helped me buy the special food I needed because my food stamps just didn't go far enough this month.
One of my friends at the Bible study is undergoing surgery this week for her colitis -- a colostomy. She has a 50/50 chance that they can make a pouch out of the end of her small intestine and sew that to her rectal area later. When she told me this, I totally went numb and sick all at once (inside, I didn't let her see my inner turmoil although she knows I have colitis, too). She's going through what I consider my worst nightmare! I'm so afraid to go to the doctor right now because he might recommend the same thing. I really don't want to live the rest of my life wearing a bag on my side. I'm working hard at trying not to stress and worry and just continue to do what I'm doing. I hope it's enough to keep me from surgery. Please continue the prayers and good thoughts. Thanks.
Am I doing the right thing or just postponing the inevitable?
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Post by metamorpha on Jun 30, 2008 9:21:06 GMT -5
I've met so many doctors who pushed for surgery when there were alternatives. I think it's the smart thing to consider it a last possible option. I hope you start feeling better soon. Way to go on sorting. (((hugs)))
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Post by ramatama on Jun 30, 2008 9:21:13 GMT -5
Rennie Ellen, I don't know THAT much about colitis, nor do i know what is supposed to be a good diet for it. However, have you ever had a test done for food allergies?
I ask because since i no longer have milk products (i only consume where possible special lactose free -and kefir which has helped me with other allergies, otherwise i have lactase enzyme tablets when i go out for a meal) the cramping and diarrhea i used to have is practically gone. Moreover, now that i no longer eat any maize or corn products, i no longer have explosive stool either.
...and i am ever so careful with cantaloupes and melons, because although it is my favourite food when in season, my tummy just cannot digest it.
Sorry if this is not helpful, but i was just wondering.... I'm sorry you are having those troubles.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jun 30, 2008 9:39:02 GMT -5
Ramatama,
When my colitis is in remission I can eat dairy without a problem, but in a flareup I can't tolerate it at all, so for now, no dairy. Same with caffeine. (I miss my cup of coffee in the morning. Carrot juice is just NOT the same!) I have lost weight, the only positive thing out of all this. I'm also walking in place (slowly) for 10 minutes twice a day as they say exercise relieves stress. Housecleaning is also considered exercise. ! But when I'm in remission I can eat what I want (in moderation) except for spicy and greasy foods.
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Post by pegasus48 on Jun 30, 2008 10:48:09 GMT -5
Rennie Ellen go ahead and go to your doctor. If surgery is recommended, get a second opinion. Ask about alternatives to surgery. My point is, you do need to go to the doctor, but you do not have to have any surgery unless YOU are convinced it is the right thing to do.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jun 30, 2008 11:06:53 GMT -5
Pegasus48,
I'm on medicaid so I don't have too many options. I either have to do what the doctors say or I'm pretty much out of luck. The bottom line is, as usual, money. They won't pay for a second opinion and rather than patiently getting me through this flareup, they'll go for the surgery which would immediately "solve" the problem -- for THEM, not me.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jun 30, 2008 12:35:09 GMT -5
Update....I made an appointment with my PCP next Tuesday. He was pretty booked up but the secretary found a last minute cancellation and put me there. This is to get him up to date with my current condition, then I think it's off to my gastroenterologist, who will want to do a colonoscopy test for sure. I'm afraid....but I don't know what else to do.
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Post by crazycatlady on Jun 30, 2008 13:56:11 GMT -5
I do not think that most docs prefer unnecessary surgery. And even if you have Medicaid, you still have options like discussing it with your gastroenterologist and your primary physician. And I know several people who had so much improvement following the surgery!
I'm wondering if the yogurt is affecting you, Rennie Ellen? Maybe try skipping the yogurt (since it is a dairy food) for 2-3 days, to see if you have any improvement. I'm sure that you need it for the protein, but at this point it seems like a few days without it would be worth trying!
Good job on the living room! I'll bet that it looks lovely!
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jun 30, 2008 17:51:23 GMT -5
CrazyCatlady,I do not think that most docs prefer unnecessary surgery. And even if you have Medicaid, you still have options like discussing it with your gastroenterologist and your primary physician. And I know several people who had so much improvement following the surgery! I'm wondering if the yogurt is affecting you, Rennie Ellen? Maybe try skipping the yogurt (since it is a dairy food) for 2-3 days, to see if you have any improvement. I'm sure that you need it for the protein, but at this point it seems like a few days without it would be worth trying!Good job on the living room! I'll bet that it looks lovely! I know people who've had ostomies, and it's not a walk in the park, either. You're basically trading in one set of issues for another. Ostomy bags do stink, they do break, and -- to be honest -- I find the whole idea of it repulsive and disgusting. That's why I've fought so hard against this disease for the last 30 years -- to NOT have an ostomy.
I was eating the yogurt to get some good bacteria into my digestive system. I can skip it for a few days and see what happens. I see my PCP next week.
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Post by glowworm on Jun 30, 2008 20:42:56 GMT -5
My suggestion would be to eliminate the yogurt, see if there's another way you can get a probiotic (good bacteria) in your system. All I have is a bit of lactose intolerance and even I find that some days, a cup of yogurt is all it takes and I'm miserably uncomfortable (cramping, pain, etc) for the rest of the day.
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Post by crazycatlady on Jun 30, 2008 20:44:01 GMT -5
Good plan, Rennie Ellen. To be honest, most of the people I know who had ostomies had them for a short time. One lady I know never needed the ostomy-went straight to feeling better after the surgery.
Hopefully you won't need any surgery! I hope that you will heal and start feeling better soon!
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jun 30, 2008 21:49:00 GMT -5
Glowworm,
My suggestion would be to eliminate the yogurt, see if there's another way you can get a probiotic (good bacteria) in your system. All I have is a bit of lactose intolerance and even I find that some days, a cup of yogurt is all it takes and I'm miserably uncomfortable (cramping, pain, etc) for the rest of the day. I've never had a problem with eating yogurt during a flareup before. It's usually recommended to eat during a flareup because of the probiotic effect. When I'm not flaring, I'm not lactose intolerant. This only happens when I'm experiencing a flareup, which is pretty common. I'm eating Activia, the yogurt that's supposed to help regulate your digestive system. The only other option is acidolphilus and a bottle of that can be pretty expensive. I just don't have that much money to spend right now. $31 in food stamps doesn't buy much when I'm getting organic carrot, coconut, cranberry/pomegranate and papaya juice, chicken soups, applesauce, bananas, yogurt and frozen baked salmon (all this info I got off the internet from reliable sources that's good for colitis). No caffeine (**SOB**....I miss my coffee & Dr. Pepper!!) or sugar. I think it could be why I'm not feeling weak or tired like I have before during a flareup -- that and resting/relaxing when I need to. I have a dietitian friend from the cancer center....I can call her and ask her advice, having been a patient of hers when I went through treatment.
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Post by BDG on Jul 1, 2008 1:35:21 GMT -5
Actually Glowworm has a good suggestion, if it not getting any better maybe you are allergic and that is what brings this on to such a violent extreme and why it is so difficult to get you back to normal. You might actually be allergic, it might be worth it to cut out the yogurt for a couple of days and see if this starts to ease up without it in your diet.
If I recall correctly you just got over something not too long ago, an upper respiratory infection maybe pneumonia, this could have weakened your immune system to where you then have this attack.
You might have ate a lot of yogurt or cottage cheese because antibiotics tend to destroy the good bacteria in our guts and they say to eat this to add them back, thus the weakened immune system already and then increasing something that you might actually be allergic too, but your body does okay when your immune system is stronger but then you have an illness such as a cold and then a colitis attack.
Think back over a period of time, is this a pattern for you, you get sick, antibiotics, increased doses of yogurt or cottage cheese and then a flare up of colitis.
Or maybe the opposite is true you get sick, get put on antibiotics and this destroys the good bacteria in your gut, you don't eat yogurt or cottage cheese while on the antibiotic and then get a flare up of colitis
Anyway it would be well worth talking to your nutritionist about it. I'm sure you know more about this than I do, but consider if this is a pattern for you, you might not have noticed since you are sick and really barely have an opportunity to recover from an illness before your hit with a flare up.
I hope you get to feeling better soon, it is amazing that you manage to do so well under such tough conditions of being so ill all of the time.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jul 1, 2008 9:08:15 GMT -5
BDG,
I do notice a pattern in the past that after taking antibiotics, my colitis flares up. I believe antibiotics kill off all the good bacteria and triggers a flareup.
In January I got the flu and bronchitis. The ER doc wouldn't give me anything -- he said it was all viral and antibiotics wouldn't help. The flu went away but the bronchitis hung on until April. I went back to the ER and was given antibiotics for the bronchitis, but it got worse and in April they found a spot in the lower lobe of my left lung which they said was pneumonia. They gave me Avelox, another antibiotic. It cleared up the pneumonia but also (I believe) triggered this flareup of my colitis.
When my colitis is under control, I don't have a problem eating dairy, so I don't suspect a food allergy. I'm calling my dietitian friend today so I'm off yogurt until after I talk to her.
Thank you....sometimes I feel I don't manage anything well except keeping my doctors employed. My maintenance has suffered and I'm trying so hard to get it back under control. The kitchen is clean and my living room is almost there. I still have my "Bedroom Of Doom" to deal with. But I work on it a little every day. A little bit every day adds up eventually.
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slobovian
New Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 77
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Post by slobovian on Jul 1, 2008 20:09:56 GMT -5
You can be allergic to milk protein (casein) and have no problem with lactose. I really think you should consider eliminating dairy for a few months and see how your body reacts. The best pro-biotic supplement out there, imho, is Acidophilus Pearl. The best price I've found is $23.07 at Vitacost.com for 90 (you take one per day). That's cheaper than a container of yogurt and no calories!
If you want to keep eating yogurt, have you ever tried the stuff that's made with soy milk? Stonyfield Farm makes a good one called "o'Soy".
Another alternative is to try goat milk yogurt. Goat milk has very little of the protein casein that so many people have trouble with.
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