Introduction:
I am writing on behalf of my husband, who was recently diagnosed with pan ulcerative colitis. Interestingly, I also struggle with digestive issues, though different from his. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome and gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying). It’s unlikely they are related, but still, it’s curious.
The Story:
My husband was recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. We think he’s actually had it for about 8 years because in 2003 he experienced chronic diarrhea (with mucous) for a long period of time. He was tested for parasites, bacteria, etc and his doctor said she didn’t know the cause. (We didn’t exactly have good health care at the time) It eventually went away on its own and we didn’t think much about it after that. Until the symptoms returned August 2010.
Overall, he’s not as bad off as many others suffering with UC. At it’s worst, he’s been shivering with a fever and having multiple trips to the bathroom to pass blood and mucous. But that was only a few days throughout this flare. He says he doesn’t really have much pain – just cramps that are uncomfortable but they pass once he goes to the bathroom.
We were surprised when he went in for a colonoscopy Jan 3 and despite his symptoms being minimal, he has widespread inflammation from rectum to cecum. So called pan colitis.
His GI doc prescribed prednizone and 6mp. After she explained the risks and her reasons for prescribing these meds, we were both shell shocked. We couldn’t believe his next option for treatment came with a risk of lymphoma.
I had been playing with the idea of starting the SC Diet, and now, faced with a choice to start medication, I convinced my husband to try the diet and that I would do it with him. I wanted to see if the SCD could help me with my own bowel troubles.
We are on day 5 and I am surprised that we are already getting results. I noticed after my first two meals that the bloat I had all the time was just not there. Today my husband told me he a completely normal stool for the first time since his flare started. And he’s off all meds. Amazing.
To document our progress, I’ve decided to start a blog tracking our daily diet and symptoms. I hope it will help those who are at a loss for what to eat while on the SCD. Not that we are experts, of course. Please check it out. http://thescd.wordpress.com/
Medications:
He started with asacol and rowasa enemas. Symptoms were held back from the meds, but as soon as the enemas ran out, his symptoms returned. So his doc put him on steriod enemas which worked better than the rowasa ones. But when he ran out of those, his symptoms returned.
His doc then prescribed prednizone and 6mp, which he hasn’t started yet. Trying the diet first.
-Lindsay
Amazon Stuff from this post:
Breaking the Vicious Cycle: The SCD Diet Book
