Introduction:
My name is Susan, and I have UC. I was diagnosed on November 18th, 2011. I knew something wasn’t right prior to having the colonoscopy, but I didn’t expect to have UC. I didn’t even know what that was. I thought it would just be Irritable Bowel Syndrome . The prep from for the colonoscopy threw me into what I now know to be a flare. It lasted until February of 2012, and I take Asacol when things get bad. I guess my case is a mild one, but there are days when I don’t feel good, and “Uncle Charley”(my pet name for UC) upsets “Uncle Arthur” (my pet name for arthritis.)
Some more about me:
I have a lot of interests. I am an avid gardener, a degreed interior designer, I volunteer within my neighborhood, I love reading (books, no Kindle) , and I am the staff person to two black cats. In fact one of my cats suffers from colitis as well. A lot of what I know and have researched about this has come from my research to help my cat.
Current Colitis Symptoms:
I am currently dealing with the end of a flare. I get some cramping, but am not currently on medication.
I believe diet and stress play a big role in controlling flares. I also believe that we are the best advisors on what works and what does not in controlling our UC symptoms.
I have UC, but it doen’t have me. I fight it and I subdue it.
I was diagnosed with UC on November 18, 2011. I came out of the sedation from the colonoscopy, and the doc said “you have UC”. He gave me a brief description of the disease and described its symptoms, none of which seemed to apply to me until the days following the procedure, when my colon , having been cleansed went into shock, and sent me running to the pot 6-8 times a day. I have never seen blood or mucus in my stools, and while I did suffer from bout of constipation and the runs, thought this was “normal” for me. I ended up on Asacol after going to see the GI doc again, but he didn’t seem to offer me mush support or give me any place to do research. I decided that while I may have this disease, it wasn’t going to have me. I started looking on the internet, (which is how I found this site) and started keeping a food journal to track everything I ate to establish if there was a connection between the food I was eating and the rumbles in the colon. There were days when I had cramps, the runs and just felt tired. At other times I would get blocked and then get bloated. On top of this, I am only working part time and have to pay for my own medical insurance, which has a limit on Dr visits and doesn’t offer much in the way of discounts for the Asacol which costs me $363.00 when I need it.
My family has been supportive and I don’t let this get to me emotionally. I practice Yoga, I meditate, and I count my blessings each day , no matter.
The food journal did show me connections between foods that should be combined to quiet the colon, and foods that I should avoid. I am lactose intolerant, so I avoid most dairy, take a probiotic, (Culturelle is lactose free) try to stay hydrated, and continue to research this under researched disease.
My cat also suffers from colitis, and my vet suggested a switch to a grain free diet (she had been on a low residue RX diet-she ate it but hated it) and her symptoms went away. Her energy returned, and I suspect that many of us are allergic to grains such as wheat and corn, but again the medical community doesn’t seem to want to research this disease- no money to be made like cancer. I think those of us who suffer from this will lead the way in research, and I am grateful that there is a community to support the UC’ers.
Medications
I take a daily multivitamin, I take a lactose free probiotic, and vitamin D . I think many of us suffer from inflammation in the rest of our bodies, so I try to eat strawberries and blueberries , which help relieve the inflammation in my joints. If one cannot tolerate the seed, try a shot glass of tart cherry juice.
written by Susan aka “Analog Girl”
submitted in the colitis venting area
My name is Susan, and I have UC. I was diagnosed on November 18th, 2011.
