Diet Changes Have Helped Me Achieve Remission

Meet Marisa:

Just diagnosed with UC in March 2013. I was bleeding constantly when going to the bathroom for 2 weeks before I got for a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with pancolitis immediately after. It all came on very suddenly. I am 39 years old and have always been lactose intolerant but never had any serious digestive issues until this year.

Some more about me:

I work in the newspaper industry and also own my own all natural bath and body product craft business. I like to travel, hike and love spending time with my puppy. I try to be a good friend and good all around person who wants to leave the world better than I found it.

My Symptoms:

Currently am in remission (going on about 6 weeks). Before that I had bloody diarreha about 25 times per day and couldn’t leave the house or even really rest. After my colonoscopy and starting meds, it took about a week to get some relief.

Diet Changes Have Helped Me Achieve Remission

I am writing this post because I have had quite a bit of success drastically changing my diet as a lot of people on th site have. When I was initially diagnosed, I started a course of prednisone which I responded to well and also Lialda which I have had good success with so far. Now that I have finished the prednisone an have cut back to two Lialda a day, I am supplementing this with a strrict diet. I very strongly believe the things I was eating pre-diagnosis were affecting me without even knowing it! I would drink diet seltzer a lot, some caffiene and Lactaid products which I did not realize had ingredients that were not agreeing with me.

I have cut out any and all things artificial, any MSG, any products with high fructose corn syrup, any carragenan, dairy and anything hard to digest or high in fiber. It defenitly cuts out a lot of things but it has made a HUGE difference. I find I have to cook almost everything I eat but it’s worth it to feel good again! I also spend a lot of time now at the grocerry store reading labels in great detail. It’s amazing how many things have carragenan, high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar etc…hidden in them. I use this list of the 10 things to avoid when I shop: http://myhealingkitchen.com/featured-articles/the-10-worst-food-ingredients/. I am not saying this is the answer for everyone but it has been a good guide for me. I hope someone else finds it useful.

I have definetly felt very alone and find it hard to talk to people about my disease. People have been nice and ask how I am doing but it’s hard for them to relate. People certainly like to offer advice of what I should be doing! Or they ask “should you be eating that?” or “have you tried…?”. I try to remember people are trying to help but I love how everyone thinks they have the secret answer!

I also love when I tell people I have colitis and explain what it is, and they say “Oh – I have that too – it’s no big deal”. But when I ask them more about it, it turns out they don’t actually have colitis – they just eat junk food and it doesn’t sit well with them. They have never actually talked to a doctor about it. People like to self diagnose I guess! But it makes me feel small and that they think I am making a big deal of something that isn’t.

So we’ll see how things progress but I am feeling optimistic. I do always have a sense of fear though that at any second, all my symptoms will come back. I am trying to just get on with my life and not worry so much as I know it doesn’t do me any good!

I consider myself a success story (at least right now!). I just have to stay the course with my diet and hopefully things continue on the upswing!

Medications:

I started on 4 Lialda (two in the morning and two at night) and am now on a maintenance dose of 2. I did a 4 week course of prednisone initially after being diagnosed and finished that about 6 weeks ago. I also take a daily multi-vitamin.

written by Marisa