Intro:
Hi! My name is Stacey, and I was diagnosed with UC in September of 2013. I had apparently shown individual symptoms for the previous 18 months or so, but it wasn’t until I went in to full-on flare mode that my diagnosis was confirmed via Colonoscopy.
Some more about me:
I am a Corporate Trainer, and I travel all over the world for my work. I typically fly 150,000 miles a year, and spend around 250 nights on the road. I love, love, love my work: it has sent me to some amazing places, and I have met some wonderful people — and I refuse to let UC diminish any of that in the future!
I live in Florida, and I enjoy the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with living in a friendly climate. I used to be a “foodie” — now I am becoming an SCD foodie, and my cooking skills are getting better by the day! I have a pretty extensive SCD book and recipe collection.
Symptoms:
Right now I am showing very few symptoms — I am vigilant about following the SCD and taking my Probiotics.
I keep a daily food diary, and I pay attention to the signs my body sends me.
Stacey’s Story:
My work trip to Scotland in late July of 2013 didn’t turn out quite as planned… I was looking forward to reconnecting with customers and co-workers, and even watching some golf at the men’s British Open. Like everyone else who visits the UK, I found myself eating lots of “fish & chips,” and I thought that must have been the reason why my intestinal habits were suddenly off. I was going more frequently, and even ditching the chips for salads didn’t help. Something was definitely not right!
I had experienced hemorrhoids in 2012, so I called my GI doctor to schedule an appointment as soon as I got home from Scotland, thinking that I was going to develop them again. I couldn’t get an appointment until early September, but I wasn’t desperate at that point, so I just figured I would continue to watch my diet and I would be okay. The last week of August 2013 found me celebrating my 50th birthday in New York City, and the sugary treats I allowed myself every day from a couple amazing bakeries in the city turned out to be the catalysts for the flare that I was unknowingly developing.
I saw the GI doctor on the afternoon of Friday, Sept 6th, and he had me in for a colonoscopy on Monday, Sept. 9th. I knew that wasn’t a good sign, and my fears were confirmed when he told me I had acute Ulcerative Colitis. Yay, me.
He prescribed AsacolHD 800 3 times a day, but I didn’t notice any positive change in the first 2 weeks. Then I had to go to Australia — and that’s where things went from bad to worse! It turns out that I am allergic to sulfa medications, a discovery I learned about 3 days in to my Australia trip – when I was doubled over in nausea and pain, and hitting the bathroom for bloody stools about 20 times a day! I don’t know how I survived 2 weeks of that, but I did! And that 17 hour flight home? It was 17 hours of pure hell, I can assure you! Fortunately, the Qantas gate agent seated me directly next to the lavatory, so it could have been a lot worse…
I lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks, and I was incredibly weak and exhausted. I couldn’t eat anything, and I struggled to stay hydrated. My GI doctor prescribed Uceris, which literally brought me back to life. Stuck in bed with my iPad, thank God I stumbled upon this web site and its resources — and this place got me back on the road to wellness!
I cannot emphasize enough what a place of encouragement and support this site has been, and I am so grateful to have found it.
Medications / Supplements:
My GI doctor tried Asacol HD and Lialda — both of which made me incredibly ill. He then prescribed Uceris, which worked, but as a steroid you can only take it for a limited time.
Right now I am not on any medication and I hope never to have to take any UC medication again: that stuff almost killed me! I follow the SCD religiously. It took a few days to kick in, but right now I feel okay. Adam’s smoothie recipes rule!
I take Ultimate Flora Critical Care Probiotics
every morning.
Calcium / Magnesium / Vitamin D
Chlorophyll
Multi-vitamin at bedtime
written by Stacey D
submitted in the colitis venting area
Hi! My name is Stacey, and I was diagnosed with UC in September of 2013.
