Holy toledo!
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Oct 7 2008, 01:47 PM
I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I last wrote here. This year is zooming by so quickly I can barely keep up. I sleep like a brick at night but wake up in the morning already feeling behind the 8 ball!. I've been forcing myself to stop and take half an hour for some meditation each day, but have to admit I've not done any yoga for a month either. It doesn't seem to be adversely affecting my gut (knock wood) but I do have more lower back pain without the yoga.
I've continued on my spinach voyage and can report that it really helps to keep my BMs firm and consistent. I've been eating a handful of baby spinach per day - either as a salad or sauted with some garlic and olive oil. I ran out of it about a week ago and just didn't get to the store to restock for about 5 days - and can say that by day 3 of no spinach my BMs were mushier and more frequent. My doctor's theory is that it is acting as a binder. And that with my IBD I probably am not getting enough magnesium into my body. Spinach is high in magnesium and while for some mag. can cause D it seems to be working the other way for me.
I also found out that the gas and bloating I've been experiencing after eating pork these past few months is most likely due to the preservatives and antibiotics they are now pumping into it. I've started eating organic pork and have no gas or bloating afterwards. But, it's expensive and so have been looking into ways to buy it in bulk to bring down the cost. Just goes to show that we can't trust what anyone is putting into our foods.
Hope everyone is well and happy. Fall has arrived her in Colorado. We're still having warmish, blue sky days but the nights are COLD. A little too early for my taste, but you can't fight Mother Nature.
Cheers,
Elizabeth
A toilet from heaven
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Sep 19 2008, 05:06 PM
For my birthday I received a gift certificate to the Broadmoor spa - a 5-star hotel in the town where I live. I had a massage which was quite heavenly but really fell in LOVE with their toilets. It looked like a normal toilet, but the seat was heated, and there was a bidet built in that would wash your tush and then dry it with a warm woosh a air. Holy carp! It was thee most awesome toilet I've ever had the joy of sitting on! I'm sure these things cost a mint but it was nice just knowing such an invention exists. At least for one go-round I didn't have to wipe 'til it hurt 
Happy weekend!
Elizabeth
author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
It's COLD here!
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Sep 12 2008, 05:51 PM
What is up with the weather? It's only the 2nd week of September and it feels like winter here today - high 48 degrees! Usually we have a beautiful fall with temps in the 70s through Sept, and the 60s into October, and sometimes a bit of Indian summer into November. Mother Nature is not playing fair. We went camping at the beginning of the week and had intended to stay out for 3 or 4 nights. It was pretty nice the first day but by about midnight a very high wind kicked in and brought these cold temps with it. I'm NOT a fan of camping in the cold, especially without sun, so we called it a trip and headed home the next day. And very glad we did, it's been raining since we got home. Camping in the rain is NOT fun!
So, here we are, playing out the rest of our vacation week at home. We've watched movies, meandered antique shops, started back into our regular yoga routine, read books and magazines, and generally relaxed. All fun, but we really had our hearts set on those 4 days of outdoors. whine, whine, whine 
On the IBD / IBS side of life - all is a-okay (knock wood). Not being quite so stressed has been helpful, as has the yoga, and the increase in my meds. But, I also added a little baby spinach to my life every other day. I heard from another IBDer that eating spinach really helped his gut normalize after a flare a few years ago. Well, when my flare wasn't calming noticably I decided to try it. Now, I've not eaten anything leafy and green in nearly 10 years, so my first night of spinach was a daunting and scary experience. But, instead of spending all night in bog, I was fine. And the next day I had the most normal BM I've had in months. So, 2 days later I had more spinach, more of the same nice firm poo. And so I've been doing this for nearly 2 weeks now and hope all continues along happily. I have a follow-up appt. with my doctor on Monday, I wonder what she'll have to say about my spinach experiment
Happy Weekend!
Elizabeth
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
DONE!
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Sep 5 2008, 11:37 AM
Aaahhh, we've finally finished our book on Tibet! It's off to the publisher and if they accept it then it will be published in Feb. 2009 in time for the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape into exile in India. 13 months we've been researching and writing this book. And for the last 3 weeks it's ALL we've been doing. I had a UC flare-up in the middle of it but worked through it and things are settling now. All we're gonna do for the next day or two is rest, then we're going to get out of dodge and go camp for a few days. Then, back to work and onto the next project.
I won't be around for a week. Stay well and be happy!
Toodles,
Elizabeth
Some days better than others
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Aug 26 2008, 01:02 PM
Well, if you'd asked me last week how my flare-up was coming along I would have said, Great! This not, not so sure. Some days things seem okay, other days, like today I'm having multiple BMs and my energy is waning, and it's only noon! Plus, I have not time for a lack of energy. Our deadline for the final manuscript of our book is Sept. 5th. If we miss it, then the book won't be published on time. SO. . . exhaustion isn't an option, at least until Sept. 6th when the deadline has been met.
I'm MAKING time every other day for yoga, which is great and very helpful both for working out the stiffness in my body (sitting reading or working at a computer all day is hard on your body) and helping to calm my mind a bit. But, relaly other than that our life consists of sleep, wake, eat, work, eat, work, eat, relax for an hour or two, sleep, and then we do it all over again the next day. Honestly, it's the hardest project I've EVER worked on in my life. And, having worked on political campaigns, I thought I'd worked as hard as anyone could. WRONG! This is harder, 'cause it's totally up to me and my husband. If we don't get it right and get it done, nobody else will. With other jobs/projects I've had, there have always been other people who could pick-up the slack, if necessary.
None of this can be helping my gut, and I'll truly be glad when we've accomplished our goal and can get back to a more normal life with a balance of work, relaxation, fun, and rest. I think my gut will be happy of it too!
Toodles,
Elizabeth
www.ibdandibs.com
Putting Things into Perspective
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Aug 20 2008, 01:52 PM
We live in a Leave it to Beaver neighborhood and love it. Seriously, houses with front porches where neighbors gather at the end of the day to chat, sidewalks where people walk by and wave, comment on the weather, or how nice a plant happens to look. And so, when something happens to one of us it affects all of us. Last week our friend/neighbor had a heart attack while swimming at the local pool. She's a mere 54 years old so this was shocking to all of us. She was hospitalized through Saturday, then home. We all keep connected and while not 'bothering' her we all knew how she was doing. Today, as I sat on our front porch taking a break around noon the ambulance arrived out front of her house. Another heart attack. I mobilized quickly to see how I could help and sent her and her partner on their way to the hospital while I arranged for a family member to pick-up their beloved dog. They're in the ER now and will wait to see what the doctor's think.
I really hate that it takes situations like this to put life into perspective. What's important and what's simply extraneous takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that an afternoon swim can lead to possible death in an instant. I've changed my life for the better over the years of living with IBD and IBS and I just need to remember to keep doing what is important and fulfilling for me. Of course, the day-to-day will always be there, but that can be a part of what makes this life so good. Instead of looking at what I can no longer eat, I really do try to always relish what I can eat and that it makes me healthier and feel better. My new profession as a freelance writer doesn't make me near as much money as when I worked in PR, BUT my life is my own and I'm not tied to a Mon - Fri. 9-5 life. I can work all night and play all day if I want. My husband joined me in this freelance lifestyle and it helps us to live more vibrantly on our terms. There are the times that we freak out when clients dwindle and the pay checks don't come in as fast, but that's when we take advantage of our free time and go for hikes, picnics in the park, or whatever the mood makes us want to do. 'Cause we know there will be the times, like now, when we're on a deadline and working 7 days a week, 15 hours a day to meet it.
It's the ebb and flow, the give and take, that I'm learning more about the older I get. And hopefully I'll continue to be able to live with a good counterbalance of what I HAVE to do and what I WANT to do. I credit these gut issues with helping me to prioritize and get straight what's important in my life and what's simply not. What I do for me and what I feel compelled to do for others. I've learned to be selfish, in a good way, and usually not feel guilty for it. Sitting on my front porch whiling away an hour, two hours, some three with our neighbors is a delight and I only hope and pray we'll get that chance again with our dear friend.
E.
Settling
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Aug 18 2008, 01:21 PM
Well, don't know if it's the increase in my Asacol or having gone back to my normal diet (no more SCD for me, at least for a while), but this flare seems to be slowly settling down. My skin is clearing up, my gut is happier, and my BMs have been a-okay for 2 straight days. So of course, you know what that means, right? Aunt Flow has arrived! The cramps always cause a little D, so if that happens tomorrow I won't be freaked, I'll just know it's from my little friend.
Oh well, far too busy at the moment to think too much about it all. Have a deadline to meet!
Toodles,
Elizabeth
www.ibdandibs.com
It's a Flare!
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Aug 13 2008, 04:29 PM
Saw my doctor today. It's odd to say, I know, but I really love her. She takes time with me, listens to me, ask questions that make me think, and then helps me to find the path to better health.
Since this latest issue started about 2 weeks ago with those few green poo BMs I've lost almost 4 pounds. That is a huge red flag for me, so even though my gut is more settled and BMs are no longer green I kept this appt. because of the weight loss. We talked and talked and during our discussion things that I'd not related to IBD popped up. I've had a come-and-go red patch of irritated skin on my wedding ring finger for nearly 3 weeks now - to the point where I've not worn my wedding ring for the first time in 12 years! Yesterday I noticed that the bottom heel pads on both feet are peeling off. And, in chatting also mentioned that my tongue has been sensitive and the insides of my cheeks and lips always feel ragged, like they're peeling, too. Skin issues are an IBD symptom.
So, she added up all the skin things - eczema - plus the gut things, and the inflammation she could feel in a couple of places during her exam of my abdomen and voila she's positive this is an IBD flare! This flare has not at all presented itself like others I'm used to having, so while I suspected that to be a good possibility I just couldn't say for sure. She even thinks that I'm dealing with mild Crohn's rather than Colitis. Not thrilled about that possibility but right now the name of 'what' I've got isn't the deal, it's getting this under control before it gets worse so I don't have to go the steroid route.
I'm going to increase my Asacol and discontinue my SCD experiment but be much more diligent about rotating the foods I am eating so that I don't get too many foods from one family into a single day or back-to-back days - this can cause issues.
It stinks, but it's my life, and it's not going to kill me, so for that I'm happy.
That's all for me for now.
Cheers,
Elizabeth
Strayed and Paid, Just a Bit
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Aug 9 2008, 04:09 PM
I did, I strayed. After five days of not eating any bread, pasta, or other wheat/flour-based products I strayed last night and had some pasta. No huge repercussions except that I felt slightly bloated and gassy for the first time all week! BMs this AM were a-okay, though.
So, it was an interesting experiment and have to say that even though I hadn't thought flour/wheat-based products were causing me issue before it now seems they are, even if only slightly.
The hard part for me with cutting out those kinds of foods though is that I never feel completely full - my stomach made hungry noises just a couple of hours after eating dinner the other night but didn't want to eat anything else 'cause eating after 10pm never sits well with me. So I woke up the next morning starvin'. Plus, I weighed myself today and have lost 2 lbs. in the past week of doing this modified SCD diet. For me, this is not good news. I'm that person others love to hate 'cause I have a hard time keeping my weight up. So, when I start losing weight it's a little freaky. I'm going to have to do some more experimentation with nut flowers and making breads, etc. to augment all the meat, veggies, fruits, and nuts. Or, I'm going to have to see if I can put potatoes and rice back into my diet without them causing issues. That might be a plan, maybe I'll try potatoes tomorrow. I've never thought them a problem before but it will be interesting to see.
Happy Weekend!
Elizabeth
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
Doing an SCD Variation
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Aug 7 2008, 01:24 PM
I've been doing a variation of the Specific Carbo Diet (SCD). Now, I know that people will tell me that by not following all of the SCD rules the diet won't work. I know, I know, I know. But, the reality is that I just can't eat all of the recommended fruits and veggies at this point in time and therefore am concerned about getting enough nutrients, at least until I confer with my doctor and get a blood test done to see where things stand with me.
So. . . what I've done this week is to cut-out all products made with flour/wheat products (this includes breads, pasta, etc.), all sugar (except honey which is SCD accepted), and all products made with corn - which for me is just white corn tortilla chips which I love.
I've added a couple of veggies that I've not eaten much of in the past years like mesculine greens (I've tried this 2x, but not on back-to-back days and haven't had any adverse effects), and a few more fruits like a peach and mango. Again, I'm not eating any of these foods on back-to-back days as that can cause issues by having just too much of a good thing. Varying the diet and mixing things up has always worked best for me - in the lingo it's called a rotation diet and you can read more about it at: www.food-allergy.org/rotation.html
In the past 3 days - I started this Sunday - I've not had ANY gas or bloating, which if I get this usually settled in in the later part of the afternoon or early evening. And my BMs are much more normal - not green or stinky. And only 1 or 2/day. This is how things had been for me for the majority of the past 6 years or so until about a month or so ago when my gut got winky. I honestly think, that for me, the big culprit is the amount of flour-based products I was eating. I AM NOT GLUTEN INTOLERANT! I've tested myself 3 different ways to figure this out. But, I do love bread and pasta and usually ate at least 2 servings of these each day. Without them I feel better.
I'll keep you updated.
Elizabeth
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
10 Oct 2008 - 8:43
on Holy toledo!