Careful, All
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Nov 19 2007, 03:09 PM
Well, the holidays are upon us and while that means family, friends, get-together, and reunions it can also mean two things that aren't so good for us IBD & IBSers - stress and trigger foods.
So, try not to get too stressed out during this time of year. Know what you can realistically do without wearing yourself out, and if need be learn to delegate. I was never good at this prior to IBD & IBS - I didn't want to hurt peoples feelings, felt that it wouldn't be right if I didn't do it, etc. But now, I ask for help, delegate chores where I can, and take as much stress off of myself as possible. This year we're having a very small Thanksgiving and just a two-some - me and my husband - for Christmas. And I'm lovin' it.
Second, food. Yep all that tempting food is going to be out there and much of it we know we shouldn't eat. But our brains might say, "Oh, just a tiny little bite won't hurt you. Go ahead, try it." But be forewarned, people, I've listened to that voice in my head and I have gone ahead and had "just a bite," and have paid for some of the "bites" dearly for days afterwards. My advice? Eat before you go to alleviate the chance that you'll be tempted to eat something that won't treat you right. Take something or a few things along to share that you know you'll be able to eat without a problem later on. Or, just forego - if you're not up to a party or gathering it's okay not to go. Tell your friend or family and surely they will understand.
But, above all. . . Have a happy holiday season.
Cheers,
Elizabeth
www.ibdandibs.com
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
I think it's the green tea
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Nov 16 2007, 06:23 PM
I think it's the green tea that's setting my gut straight. Like I said, I've not have D for years, but I can have multiple BMs/per day, etc.
But I've been drinking one cup of Matcha Green tea or Matcha Chai each morning and am having no more than 2 BMs each day - nicely formed, too, I might add.
Elizabeth
This could be interesting
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Nov 14 2007, 03:46 PM
Even though I've not had chronic D for years I do encounter multiple daily BMs, and softish stools. About five days ago I changed/added two things in my diet - this is rare for me because I've come to know what I should and shouldn't eat and don't muck with it too much. I know that legumes and beans are good for overall fiber in our diets but my gut tends not to like them so I don't eat them. But I was hankering for some hummus this past weekend - chick peas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice - and made some (I haven't eaten this in nearly 10 years so was a little hesitant to do this). It is delicious and I've eaten about a 1/4 cup of it each day for the last 4 days. At about the same time I also added green matcha tea - again, I've been continually reading about the health benefits of green tea for years and for some reason finally bought some. So, each morning I've been having two cups of green tea.
So, just to recap, in the past five days I've added hummus and green tea to my diet. And you know what? I've had firm stools every day since and only two/day. Is it the chick peas? The green tea? Don't know, yet. But the hummus is nearly gone so by tomorrow I'll be down to just green tea. It will be interesting to see what happens.
It's all an experiment, my friends. It's just an experiment we're conducting with our own bodies.
Cheers,
Elizabeth www.ibdandibs.com
What we can Eat
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Nov 12 2007, 03:46 PM
Even after living with IBD & IBS for 10 years I'm still amazed at what I can and can eat, but even more amazed at what I read other people with IBS can eat. A blogger here wrote that he was looking foreward to making a soup with potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, cauliflower, kidney beans, and lentils. YIKES! was all I could think. Celery? Even cooked a huge NO for me. Same with kidney beans and the cauliflower. But then, the soup I like to make which makes my stomach happy will probably make some of you say, Yikes! It's a lamb soup/stew with parsnips, rutabaga, carrots, garlic, and veggie broth.
I hear about other people drinking soda, juices, alcohol, and wonder how they do it. These will usually send me off to the bog (British for toilet) for sure.
All of this just proves that IBS is a very individual thing. What's okay for one may not be okay for all. What works for me may not work for you. But the important thing to keep in mind is that with trial-and-error most all of us find what does work for us and our guts. And then we have to remember to stick with it. I had a 1/2 cup of my husbands 15 bean soup last week - I was starving, had little time to make lunch, and it was there - even though I knew better. Beans and I do not mix well. And of course I paid for it the next day with a big bout of D right before a meeting I couldn't miss. Thank goodness for positive thinking, a little meditation, and a blue Imodium pill.
Perfect example
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Nov 7 2007, 01:53 PM
Yesterday was a perfect example of not knowing what caused an episode of D but still having to move forward with my day.
I woke up, felt fine, had a normal BM, had breakfast, felt fine, another normal BM, sat down to work, felt fine, and 30 mins. before I had to leave for a meeting I had a bout of D. Out of nowhere crazy D. Why? I don't know. But I didn't have time to figure it out and I could not cancel my appt. - it had taken me weeks to get this appt. and I wasn't going to change it.
So, I took an Imodium, three deep breaths, laid down for 5 minutes and did a visualization - visualizing my gut calming, my brain calming, and me successfully making it to my meeting, through my meeting, and home from my meeting.
And you know what? It worked. . . I made it to, through, and home without bad incident.
It can be done, we all just have to work at it.
Cheers,
Elizabeth
www.ibdandibs.com
Hope you had a great halloween
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Nov 1 2007, 02:37 PM
I LOVE Halloween. Where we live we get around 200-250 kids every year and I love it. They are all happy, fun, and polite. And their costumes are great. Not as many store bought costumes as you might think. The older kids tend to put together some very inventive and fun costumes and the little kids are just so cute I can barely stand it.
So, here's hoping you all had a fab Halloween! I did.
Just shrug your shoulders
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Oct 30 2007, 12:54 PM
This morning was the kind that just makes me shrug my shoulders. I woke up, felt fine, had a half cup of tea then my gut started acting up - no D but many back-to-back bathroom calls for no apparent reason. My initial reaction to these types of situations is to panic, but only for a few seconds until I remember panic doesn't help, it only makes things worse. Nor does getting angry or frustrated help. Or dwelling on why this is happening. Focusing on the negative never helps me so, I just go into my "making my gut happy" mode. This means, eating only easy-on-my-gut items - yogurt or rice or toast or a scrambled egg. Then, I move onto work or anything else that will get my mind off of my gut - even sitting in the sunshine for 10 or 15 minutes will even help to settle an anotherwise jumpy gut. I do have to say, though, that writing this blog doesn't taking my mind off my gut, but I did want to share with y'all that these things happen even to those of us who have our IBD and IBS pretty well under control.
I've got an off-site meeting in an hour so will put out those positive thoughts that my gut stays happy. 
Ciao,
Elizabeth
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
Monday, monday!
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Oct 29 2007, 02:29 PM
There are some Mondays that just START and never seem to slow down. Today is one of those days. It started with the first phone call at 7:30 a.m. from a client who forgot we aren't on Eastern time (we're mountain, 2 hours behind!). But, since they had us on the phone they just launched into what they needed as I sat there in my PJs needing to go to the bog (British slang for toilet). Even though I'm not dealing with D anymore I still find I can't "hold it" and when the call of nature comes I have to answer it. I told the client I would have to call them back which they weren't too happy about. Oh well.
So, that's how the day started and I wasn't able to get out of my PJs and into the shower until half an hour before my next meeting. Then wham, back home for another appt. and another one at 6 p.m. Go, go, go. I usually try very hard not to have my days scheduled like this - one thing on top of another. I find that this exhausts me and once exhausted it's hard to catch up on that rest. I'm fortunate that I can usually be in charge of my schedule and not get too crazed but some days like this just get out of my control.
On another subject, my doctor has finally found an Rx for me to take for my Endometriosis that doesn't cause any IBD or IBS side effects but it has one side effect that I rather like - it makes me sleepy. I've never been a great sleeper, and a very light sleeper at that, so when my husband snores I find myself in a sleepless state sometimes. Well, with this new Rx, I take it before bed and once I'm asleep I tend to stay that way even if my husband snores. Who knew?
Well, my next appt. just arrived, have to bolt.
Elizabeth
Actually, we're all Lucky!
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Oct 24 2007, 03:19 PM
I received an email a couple of weeks ago from a woman in Calcutta, India. She read my "patient story" on the Crohns and Colitis web site and wrote, as many peple do, asking me for advice. She has Crohn's disease but because she lives in India, and in India's poorest city, Calcutta, there is not much help for her there. She is poor as most all Calcuttans are and cannot afford medication. She cannot even afford to go the doctor as much as she needs to. And the doctor she sees on those rare occasions doesn't know much about her condition. Apparently not many people in India are afflicted with IBD.
Obviously, her situation struck me first. But in her second email she was so thankful that a "U.S. lady would talk to her" that I was dumbstruck. I've gotten used to emailing and talking to other IBDers and IBSers. I like to help, if I can, or to at least help people feel there is hope for feeling better. So, the fact that she was from India made no difference to me and I was glad to write her back.
But in her email to me today she said she had been very sick the past week and was in the hospital for the 14th time in two years. She begs me for help saying that she believes the only relief she will find for herself is to die at an early age. This breaks my heart. It's not much, but I have promised to send her a copy of my book as she can neither find it in India nor afford to buy it. I'm even thinking of sending her a water purifier since the water situation in much of India but especially Calcutta is atrocious. We wouldn't consider bathing our dogs in the water they bathe in and drink each day. I have to believe that this isn't helping her situation.
I've asked her if there are any medications she has taken that have helped her thinking that if there are perhaps I can contact the drug manufacturer and plead her case for her.
So, even though we feel we have it bad having IBS or IBD and even though some of us don't have health insurance I'm not sure we have it quite as bad as my new friend in India might have it. We have clean water, flush toilets, medical options, holistic and homeopathic options, etc. that I think we should all be very greatful for.
Appreciating what I have, and hoping I can help even more,
Elizabeth
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
No J.D. - yeah
Posted by IBD/IBS Author, Oct 23 2007, 03:46 PMThe process of sitting for Jury Duty was interesting - there were nearly 400 prospective jurors there today but only 90 of them were needed and I wasn't one of the chosen ones. So, I was finished and free by 11:00 a.m. In all honesty I do think being on a jury would be interesting - to see how the judicial system really works, not the Law & Order kind. But the idea of not being in control of my ability to head off to the "bog" - British slang for toilet - at any given moment always makes me a bit nervous. So, for that reason, glad I wasn't called to be on an actual jury just now.
on I got a little cocky!