Intro:
Had UC for 27 years, cope quite well but now always have grumblings, bad days and good days. Have taken prednisone many times, azathioprine for 4 years & asacol among but a few. I have tried eliminating food stuffs don’t eat meat at all or milk and many dairy. I don’t feel healthy most of the time & now I am experiencing bad eczema on my face which is getting worse by the week, docs just say moisturise! Great help they are, you feel a pest if you keep going back, so you suffer. Low energy most of the time not sure what to do for the best. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you for listening.
Some more about Rhonda:
We have recently relocated to Dorset that’s England to a beautiful Victorian villa, needs loads of work but feel happier. I like walking and discovering nature. I like up cycling old furniture and decorating, gardening and reading. Entertaining my family too, but I also like me time when I can switch off and relax with a good book.
Symptoms:
At this moment in time I discribe my symptoms as grumbling. Mornings are worse 3 or 4 visits to the loo in the first hour, then 0 to 2 or 3 visits during the day. Anxiousness prevails when I make myself go out, but I tell myself I don’t need to “go” @ I know where all the loos are! So get up and go out.
Rhonda D’s Story:
I have taken steroids a number of times and they work less and less quickly each time I use them, I am also worried about the long term effects they have on your body. I currently take pentasa ( mesalazine) 2000mg twice daily and pred. Enemas nightly if needed.
My husband is great and understands completely my dilemmas, he is very patient, on many occasions we have been ready to walk out the door and I have rushed to the loo, he never says a word just waits patiently.
UC has changed me to a less confident person who has become quite shy and keeps myself to myself. I have 4 very close a good friends who understand, they show their concerns on occasion when they see it’s needed. I love them all.
I have got used to being examined, colonoscopy could save my life, that’s what I tell myself, my father has been diagnosed with bowel cancer and my grandfather died from it, so in my book it’s a must!
My biggest concerns are the drugs I take and have taken, will they shorten my life along with this bloody illness, how are the drugs affecting my body. Sometimes I want to know and then I think what will be will be.
Not sure about diet, never been advised apart from don’t eat high fibre stuff, well I think that makes it worse. I do generally steer away from highly spiced foods and not too many beans, although I do like them, and I am also a vegetarian as I have never liked meat but I don’t think it helps at all. I don’t have cows milk or very much dairy. I used to have soya milk and yoghurt but then found out that soya is so good after all so I now have oat milk, but that doesn’t help either, but I still drink it as I like it. Any thoughts on diet would be appreciated. Thank you.
Medications:
Meds, pentasa 2000mg twice daily and pred enema nightly if required
written by Rhonda D
submitted in the colitis venting area
Had UC for 27 years
