Monthly Archives: July 2017

turning a corner?

For the last few days, I’ve been feeling MUCH better.  I seem to be getting on a handle what food/drinks I can tolerate, and what I can’t.  The can’t list is:

1.  anything to drink besides water
2. corn products
3.  potatoes
4.  paprika
5.  eggs
6.  chemicals in processed foods
7.  chemicals/antibiotics on commercially shredded cheese.  (block cheese is fine, or cheese we grate/shred at home.)
8.  nuts
9.  raw vegetables

Still working on reintroducing, one at a time, cooked veggies. 

Yes, it’s quite limited, but my stomach/intestines are finally at rest, and things exit normally.

And I’m quite well adjusted to the daily medication I have to take, probably for life.

It’s been quite an adjustment, mostly going through the slow and frustrating process of an elimination diet.  But my body makes it quite apparent, quite quickly, what doesn’t work.  I just have to listen to it and respect it.

I am, now that I’m starting to feel better, feeling more like coming out of my ‘social media’ shell.  I will be venturing to your blogs this week, and catching up with you.  🙂

To anyone still checking here and reading, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.  🙂

update

Hi everyone!

Well, the good news is that the medicine stopped the bleeding after the very first dose!  Fantastic!  I’ve been on it a week now, and no bleeding since that first dose.  Other symptoms are either better or gone, except I still tend to have loose stools.  I’m still working to determine if specific food(s) contribute to that, but my ‘can eat’ list is so small due to it, it makes it hard.

Day at a time.  Day at a time.  🙂

Sorry, still not ‘into’ blogging at this time.  Hope to break out of that doldrums soon.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.  🙂

Finally, official diagnoses…

Sorry I haven’t been around the past week.  My symptoms have gotten a tad worse, and leaves me not very talkative.

Well, I finally got back in to see the GI and get my official colonoscopy biopsy reports.  (he had postponed the visit 2+ weeks due to a family emergency on his end.)

Just a TMI warning:

 

Nope, not ‘just’ irritable bowel.’  I wish.

The official list is:

1.  chronic ulcerative proctitis.  That is, basically, the ‘start’ of ulcerative colitis, because that always starts in the rectum.  (I warned you.)
2.  asymptomatic diverticulosis.  (goodbye, beloved cashews and sesame seeds, as well as almonds and basically ALL nuts and seeds…)
3.  First degree internal hemorrhoids.

Yeesh.  The holy trinity of bleeding poop.  😦

So, this is a chronic disease, meaning it is never cured, it only goes into remission, if I am lucky and my body can handle the medication.  (I have a pretty less-than-stellar history with meds.)  I’m on 2-3 months of nightly suppositories.  HOPEFULLY I can handle that, as rotten as it sounds.  (it could’ve been SO SO much worse though.  I realize that…)

He then said, ‘if that clears it up/your symptoms up, then you will have a choice.  To stay on them and move to a maintenance regime, or roll the dice and stop using them all together and hope it doesn’t reoccur.’

Um, if the medicine works and I can tolerate it enough that it doesn’t cause unbearable problems, I’m on that shit for LIFE.  Let me tell you.  The prospect of sticking something up my ass 2-3 times a week for my remaining life is of course not ideal, but it beats the alternative, because when this returns/flares, it is always worse.  And higher up, starting to affect the entire colon.

Saturday, figuring from my newer symptoms that this was going to be the case, and researching, I (once again) gave up grains.  And sugar.  And alcohol.  And now also dairy.  And caffeine (oh, an occasional glass of iced tea I don’t think will hurt me.  But by no means daily.)  And now, as of last night, nuts and seeds too.

I start the medicine tonight.

Yay. Joy.  Can’t wait.

Still, not feeling very talkative. I have to wrap my head around this change, and work seriously hard on anxiety (about meds not being tolerable) and some mild depression.  I don’t know what my blogging will be like in the next couple of weeks…either here or visiting you.  I seem to just want to crawl into my proverbial cave, and watch TV / read.  😦

Anyhow, I seriously think this came about because I was over 2 years mostly grain free and sugar free, and when I STUPIDLY came off the plan, over the past 1.5 years, by body progressively rebelled.  Until it got to this point.  Well now, the thought of grains, dairy, or alcohol means serious, serious problems.  Up to and possibly including losing my entire colon and having a ‘bag’ for life.  No thank you.  I’m FINALLY listening to my body and altering my course appropriately.

AT least I know doing this, I’ll be back to a good normal weight by Thanksgiving.  🙂  Silver lining and all.

So that’s where I stand.  I appreciate your support.  I will try to drag my psyche out of the cave and out and about here and in the blog world more often.  Stop wallowing in self pity and fear.  THAT is bad for UC/UP as well.  And I realize it could’ve been SO.MUCH.WORSE.

Love you guys!

eta:  well, I see I’ve lost one follower since this post.  Okay….