Is Warm Weather Beneficial

Introduction:

I am 55 years old, had colitis since birth, and was on various meds for 26 years of my life, I tried all I could to avoid surgery, including psychotherapy, self-help group, macrobiotic diet, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine to find a way out. Luckily I met a doctor in Singapore who told me that he had a really hard time during his doctoral research because there were no documented cases of the disease he was researching-colitis ulcerosa. I decided there and then to move to this miraculously colitis-free area. Since living in Malaysia, I have not had a single flare-up and will celebrate 30 years of remission next year.However, my 17 year old daughter was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis last week and is trying to come to terms with it.

This has made me come back into “study mode” and I want to find out how I can help her, and possibly myself, if I ever have another flare-up.

Some more about me:

I am a German living in Malaysia, I work as a translator. My hobbies are eating and shopping, as well as jewellery.

Symptoms:

I am in remission but feel occasional twinges.

Is Warm Weather Beneficial?

I have lived with UC for most of my life, since I was sick from birth, and I am very grateful that I managed a 29 year remission.I would very much like to know whether the climate factor has been important to anyone else? I read about one guy who was diagnosed after he moved from Florida to Washington,DC. Is that a big change in temperature? Some people have commented that it might be the absence of stress in my life, but that is impossible, because my life has been quite stressful, with a full time job, a part-time job, 4 children, traffic jams that Kuala Lumpur is famous for, a cross-cultural marriage,well you get the picture I hope. So I was not sitting under the coconut tree waiting for the monkey to bring me one.I thought all was well, colitis-wise until last week my daughter was hospitalized and after 8 days of futile searching they found that she had UC. I am now very worried that my 4 children might all be affected, since my 17 year o ld daughter has been diagnosed. Luckily we have alternative medicine practitioners around, so right now we are going to an acupuncturist and a homeopathy doctor as well as the normal western medicine hospital specialist.

We are currently experimenting with foods, what does least excite Mr Tum-tum, and so far we found roast chicken, fish noodle soup, steamed vegetables and yoghurt to be quite helpful and not upsetting. I am very interested in other people’s experience, both with current situations, and long-term effects. Since I am planning to retire in 5 years, I wonder about the increased cancer risk, and would be grateful to hear other’s experiences. I was soooo happy to be out of the whole colonoscopy/barium enema-x-ray diagnostic cycle, that I dread doing it again. But as I am now 55 I think I should maybe have a checkup. No symptoms though.Happy to hear from all of you.

Medications:

My best experience was with acupuncture, and homeopathic medicine helped a lot too. I enjoyed attending a psychotherapy self-help group which opened my eyes to the fact that a lot of great people are sick and I am not some abnormal freaky loser.

Other than that I have been on Sulfsalazine most of my life, with steroids for a year and immune suppressants.

written by Elisabeth R

submitted in the colitis venting area