Introduction:
I’ve had UC for about 5 years now. The first couple years were fairly uneventful until I tried going off medication and ended up flaring. I recovered from the first one but my gut was never the same again. I flared really bad two winters ago and found this site and the SCD diet.
Some more about me:
Last year I signed up to run the half marathon in Vegas for Colitis but was too sick. I am currently training to run a FULL marathon in the Twin Cities with my fiance this Fall.
Symptoms:
Remission!
Gaining Weight
It’s been over a year and a half since I found this site and the SCD diet. I was in the middle of a vicious flare having lost 20 pounds in a month or so. My son and I contracted a viral stomach bug that set my colitis off and it was spiraling our of control. I’d never really had a flare before. Anytime I felt “the pain” coming on I would take my medication as prescribed and all would be well. You see, I was and am terrible about taking my meds. I am getting better about it lately because I am sick of being sick.
I was on steroids for this flare and working in the medical field I’d get sideways glances and comments, “I hope you are able to get off of them.” Well of course, why wouldn’t I? I guess it was unknown to me that they are hard to wean off of as a UCer. I got off them drinking peanut butter/banana/coconut milk smoothies. I followed the SCD diet….almost.
It’s been very hard for me to not “cheat”. I’d do well for about a week and I’d be feeling better and then I’d eat pasta, pizza, cookies, everything I shouldn’t. I’d be ill for a few days until it passed through my system and I’d vow to never eat those things again and I’d scour the internet for a SCD recipe. I’d “be good” for a couple more days and then I would just feel deprived, like my body was missing something and eat some chips and salsa and more cookies. Again, I’d be ill. It was clear to me what the trigger was but I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I’d be feeling good, following the diet and then decide, “You know? Maybe, I’m doing better now, maybe my gut can handle it again.”
I don’t know what clicked or when it did. I know it was around the time I found the againstallgrain blog. She saved me. Her recipes are amazing and good and satisfying. I also have moved in with my fiance. When we were living apart I could avoid him during my “cheating” days and not be embarrassed as I ran off to the bathroom time and time again. I could wait to see him until the bloating subsided. Most of all I believe I just got sick of being sick. I got sick of “testing” my gut and having the same unsatisfactory outcomes.
So for the past 3 months I have BEEN GOOD (except one time, last week, I ate corn chips…my gut gave a friendly reminder…) I have gained 10 pounds and I came to the realization a couple days ago my hair has stopped falling out! It is working! I am getting to the point where I don’t even want to eat anything “bad” anymore. It’s just not worth it. I find I get cravings when I get too hungry and I don’t have anything on hand prepared. So I am still working on this lifestyle (diet) change and am getting better and stronger everyday.
Just wanted to share a happy story :)
Medications:
currently taking Desicol (previously known as Asacol)
I am not considering not taking drugs at this point.
have tried Lialda
have taken Steroids during flare
written by Tiernee
submitted in the colitis venting area
I’ve had UC for about 5 years now. The first couple years were fairly uneventful until I tried going off medication and ended up flaring. I recovered from the first one but my gut was never the same again. I flared really bad two winters ago and found this site and the SCD diet.
Congratulations Tiernee! And thanks for the encouragement for sticking with it!
Tiernee, this is a great reminder about how we each will have our own journey with the SCD. It took me a while too to really get my head around what it meant to stick to the diet. I made all sorts of mistakes along the way–not even so much with illegal foods but with just trying advanced foods before I was ready for them. You really have to pay attention to your body and introduce things slowly with this diet, but it pays off once you start to get it right. I went from being able to digest next to nothing to eating raw veggies again. I am a big fan of coconut milk, banana, almond butter smoothies too! If you don’t do this already, cut up and freeze the bananas first. It’s like a real milkshake then. Super yums. I saw a pizza recipe on against all grain last night that I think I might try. Her blog is gorgeous but I find the recipes a little too time consuming and complicated for me. Comfy Belly and even Paleomg are great too. There’s a lot of amazing SCD recipes online–it really makes a difference when you’re following a diet like this. Happy cooking. Best.
Hi Tiernee,
Great post and a reminder to us all about the power of will and determination.
Well done
Taz
Yay, Tiernee! That is awesome news. I am so happy to hear that you stuck with it and are enjoying remission. Against all Grain is a fantastic site – I love her recipes and her story. It is so inspiring to hear stories like hers and yours. Keep it up! :)
Caroline
Great story! We love happy stories here.
Cheers, and thank you….and way to go!!
:)
Thanks everyone! It hasn’t been easy but it most definitely has been worth it. I feel so much better now, better than before UC!
I am also happy that your hair stopped falling out – that was one of the ways I knew I was getting better. Over time it had gotten so thin and I had a couple of bald patches. A lot of the info online listed that as a side effect of Apriso, but it just seemed logical to me that if we were malnourished as a result of this condition, our bodies would have to pick and choose what to support.
I feel better now than I did before UC too – I think it was a long time coming for me. Here’s to the good days continuing for all of us!