Ulcerative Colitis Survival

Meet Liz Kooymans:

I was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in July 2012. I’ve been on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and symptom free for about 4 months now. To keep my perspective, I write articles to help others with colitis at www.colitissurvival.com, a resource for those with ulcerative colitis and other IBDs.

More About Liz:

I love to cycle and run. Exercise makes me feel good. Exercising with ulcerative colitis is always a challenge because I feel tired often.

Colitis Symptoms:

I currently have occasional gas, bleeding, and pain when I eat something I’m not supposed to. Otherwise, I’m symptom free on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet!

Liz’s Colitis Story:

My UC started in February 2011 while I was pregnant…pregnancy really messes up a body. I basically ignored it thinking it was part of pregnancy for the next year. The diagnosis finally came in July 2012 when I reluctantly had a colonoscopy. That colonoscopy prep is NO FUN!

I was given Canasa and sent on my way after the colonoscopy determined that I had a mild case of ulcerative colitis, only affecting the lower portion of the colon. Determined not to take medication the rest of my life and unable to take medication as a pilot without notifying the FAA of my colitis…I was desperate to find a diet to control my colitis. That’s when I found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Of all the diets out there, this one stood out because the science made sense and matched up with the elimination of anything from my diet that could possibly cause an immune response or inflammation.

So, I jump started the healing process with a couple of days of Canasa and started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Other than one flare up from eating something I shouldn’t, I’ve been pretty much symptom free since I got serious about the diet in late July. As a female, I have a little recurrence of my symptoms each month when my hormones go crazy, but I know when to expect that and one Canasa nips it in the bud.

Overall, I’m thankful that diet is keeping me in remission for the most part and I’m not taking medications constantly. From everything I’ve read, it seems like some of the medications like Canasa lose their effectiveness over time if taken constantly, which is scary. That’s yet another reason I’m big on the diet.

To keep myself from getting depressed and going insane from this frustrating disease, I write articles to help others with colitis on colitissurvival.com.  If I can help even one person, it’s worth the effort. I definitely recommend converting your frustration from colitis into fuel to help others…keeps everything in perspective.

My questions for everyone:

• Do other women have problems with recurrence of colitis symptoms during that special time of the month?
• What about getting pregnant with Ulcerative Colitis? Now that I developed UC during my first pregnancy I’m afraid it’ll become worse or debilitating if I get pregnant again! Any advice?
• Does anyone else get really embarrassed when you eat something slightly wrong and get the world’s worst gas in front of anyone other than your spouse?

Medications:

Canasa occasionally during colitis flare ups does it for me. Also, Garden of Life Women’s Raw Probiotic (of course they have men’s too), Vitamin D, Garden of Life Omega-Zyme enzymes, and cod liver oil supplements also help as well.
I also think all UCers should consider fecal infusions…nasty but potentially very effective.

written by Liz Kooymans

submitted in the colitis venting area