Intro:
I am a “healthy” 23 year old woman. I am a fully time nanny and full time student. I love eating healthy and focusing holistic based health approaches.
Some more about Andrea:
I am from the New Hampshire, moved to Massachusetts last year but miss my home state. When I am feeling well I love to cook healthy treats free of refined sugars and make other creative deserts and snacks. I love to walk, go the the beach, and exercise.
Colitis Symptoms:
I am experiencing my first flare….about 6 weeks and counting. At the start of the flare, lots a mucus BM with blood throughout the day, D 5+ times a day, abdominal cramping 10+ times a day. Symptoms have gone down due to meds, abdominal cramping 5 or so times a day, D 3-5 times, exhausted, achy joints….
Andrea’s Story:
I was diagnosed with ulcerative proctitis May 2014.
I had little to no symptoms, some mucus on fully formed stool and that’s it. Was prescribed canasa, did not take as directed. I am a bad patient. I didn’t see why I should take medication when I was having no symptoms. November 2014, blood in BM, went to new GI (I moved), prescribed canasa and Lialda. Again bad patient, did not take the Lialda due to fear of side effects and canasa was just “hard” to keep up with. March 2015, symptoms started to get worse, frequent BM, but still nothing crazy. I was dealing with it.
Mid April 2015 I started getting cramps and frequent D throughout the day. Then came the obscene amount of daily mucus BM, then mucus with Blood. But I was dealing with it until one night my boyfriend said you need to call your GI. Saw GI May 12th, prescribed mesamaline enemas, uceris, and balsalazide. Uceris did nothing :(. I was visiting my family on my &q uot;vacation” in Florida last week and after days of dealing with the cramping and D I couldn’t handle it. I woke up with level 10 abdominal pain went to ER. Morphine, high dose steroids, potassium IV. Catscan revealed Mild pancolitis :( So I spent three days crying in the hospital feeling sorry for myself and just so sad that my body is so sick. They put me on a tapering dose of prednisone, the one thing I was trying to avoid this whole time. Though after a phone call with my GI today he felt the tapering dose was too low and put me back up to 40mg a day until I actually start to feel better.
I am depressed and discouraged over this whole situation, I had to call out of work today because I woke up and felt like I had been hit by a bus. I could not move. I’m scared to eat.
I have lost 10 pounds in less than 2 weeks. Overall I am feeling quite down. I went from being what I thought was so healthy to feeling like I am dying. I keep trying to tell myself that this did not happen over night, and its not going to go away overnight. But man will I ever get out of this flare? This is the worst I have ever felt in my life. And I am of course very concerned about all of the prednisone side effects…I don’t want moon face or weight gain or acne. Does everyone gain weight, or can it be avoided through healthy food choices and low sodium foods? I am going to a well known naturopathic doctor in three weeks. I am not going to stop my meds but I do not want a life of medication. I am willing to do whatever it takes to beat this. My hope is that he will have some suggestions for managing the disease. My quality of life has plummeted and I realize this may have been avoided if I just took the medication in the first place. But please don’t make me feel any worse for not doing that, I know I am a bad patient.
I joined another site and everyone ridiculed me for not taking meds and told me diet wouldn’t make a difference. I just need some support, for someone to tell me they know how I feel and that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel. Any tips for eating during the flare? Water can even upset my stomach. Currently eating homemade chicken soup and homemade carrot orange ginger soup…. I am sick of feeling this way!!!! And I really miss my coffee….
40mg-prednisone
Balsalazide- 3 capsules, 3 times daily
Mesamaline enema-nightly
Antispasmodic medication as needed
Primal Defense Probiotic
Green Vibrance
Vit D3
Multivitamin
Also…
I stopped many of the other supplements I was taking due to the flare. I was using l-glutamine, evening primrose oil, reishi mushroom, curamin (not to be confused with curcumin).
Gluten free, dairy free, grain free, wheat free, caffeine free.
written by Andrea B
submitted in the colitis venting area
I am a “healthy” 23 year old woman. I am a fully time nanny and full time student. I love eating healthy and focusing holistic based health approaches.
