Zerine at her wedding recently!
Introduction:
I am 67 and have had ulcerative colitis for over 20 years. It started with Proctitis and then developed into UC. I have a colonoscopy every 2 years. My condition is mild-medium, but wide spread all over my colon. I did have a 17-month remission from flair ups last year, but then it returned Nov 2011. I also had another flair up in May 2012.
My Symptoms:
I have just got over a flair up, which has lasted just over 5 weeks.
My Story:
The good thing for me is that I now manage my flair ups in a much better way. Firstly a lot of mind over matter and trying to think positively to make myself better.
Secondly, RESTING THE COLON! This has made such a difference to how I feel during my flair ups. I only eat very soft, mushy food and I make sure I also chew it properly! It does not seem to matter what I eat, as long as it is very soft. For example: mash potatoes with gravy, very soft overcooked pasta or rice, overcooked squashes, soups, well mashed hard-boiled eggs with mayo, smooth pates, (no other meat), custard, creme caramel, lots of plain yougurt.
I also take aloe vera juice and a multi vitamin/all trace elements drink, which they usually give to elderly people who won’t eat. It’s like a meal in a drink, to get all my daily vitamins, which are missing as I am not having any salads, vegetables or fruit or meat.
For me this has made the flair ups so much more bearable, I don’t have to stay at home all the time, like I use to. I time my going out to ensure I don’t have a problem when I am out. Unlike the U.K., in the USA you at least have toilets easily available all over the place. In the U.K. this is a big problem for UC sufferers.
I hope this suggestion may help some of you, but we are all very different in the way our condition affects us and it tends to be trial and error, doesn’t it?
During a flair up I also take Predfoam, (1 or 2 x per day) which is Prednisole rectal foam and 4800g mesalazine per day. It is a high dose, but it’s only for a very limited time and I always have regular blood tests.
Where I’d like to be in 1 year:
I would like to be in remission again. I have no idea how or why it happened last time, as I did not do or take anything different.
It is also frustrating because consultants seem to know so little about our condition, we are really the experts!
Colitis Medications:
As a preventative I take 2400g mesalazine every day, when I am not having a flair up.
When I have a flair up, I up my dosage of mesalazine andI find Prednisolone rectal foam works best for me, but I have also use Prednisolone suppositories and Mesalazine suppositories, as it is getting better and after a few weeks of the foam.
written by Zerine
submitted in the colitis venting area
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I am 67 and have had UC for over 20 years. It started with Proctitis and then developed into UC. I have a colonoscopy every 2 years. My condition is mild-medium, but wide spread all over my colon. I did have a 17-month remission from flair ups last year, but then it returned Nov 2011. I also had another flair up in May 2012.
