Vent: No, I'm not pregnant, just bloated!!

Mel, It bugs me when people feel they have a right to make personal comments about other people's physical appearance-why don't they just keep their nose in their own business.
Unfortunatly the magic pill (pred) has an evil side.
I hope you start to feel better soon.
Sj

((((( Mel )))))))) Sounds vein . . . but I have some gel inserts for my bras for times when the belly is "out there". You nailed it when you said the belly is bigger than the chest . . . the inserts offset that. I've actually had people ask if I've lost weight when I use them ????? Go figure. But I'm really proportionately small on top *blush* so the inserts don't make me overly big either. Sorry you are so bloated . . . I hope the others' suggestions will help. Blessings!

hmm, that bra insert idea sounds good, haha..I like that....being a smaller chested girl who can easily have a stomach farther out then my chest!! luckily I have uplifting bras anyways
I get that too...but luckily at work I have loose uniforms, so they can't comment on my stomach evne if there are times I feel its still obvious, but being at a 'you should be getting pregnant' time in life (so they say at work) everytime I am just plain sick from my crohns I get the 'are you pregnant and sick?' comments....by now I've had about 5 kids and a few miscarriages and such according to my coworkers, lol

yeah....that can be tough for the woman and a bad foot in the mouth for the one who makes the comment (don't feel too bad for them but still just a little...people usually ask thinking they are bringing up a very very bright and happy event)

But you ladies are not the only ones who get verbal slaps...try this one...it happened just last week to me.

Before the crohns hit me many years ago I was in (modesty aside) the prime physical shape of my life and living large.  I stood a full 6'1", 225 to 230 lbs, arond 10% body fat, 50 to 52 inch chest and arms that showed off every muscle. Lifting weights or doing kick boxing 20 hours a week. I had a full head of hair, with just enough gray to highlight the sides over the ears. Fully tanned from fishing in the Gulf or hanging on the beach.. I was a 41ish guy who looked like he was in his early 30's.  I know this sounds like bragging but it is the plain truth and I am required to say it so as to build up the true to life punch line.  Today, after almost 10 years of crohns and the fun associated with it... I am around 180 lbs sometimes less...suit size is now a 40 or smaller, my hair has more gray than brown and because of age and meds is a lot thinner....my kids joke that what was once my fore head is now my eight head...twice as wide as a four.  The skin around my neck is a bit looser and what was once a size 17.5 is now a 14.5.

...I was in sales then like I am now...same company, still working with many of the same clients.  Thing is with my job,  once I get someone started on my products I usually turn them over to local sales people.  I only see my clients again if I am making coutesycalls with the area rep or at sales conferences.

So last week I was at our sales booth working the crowd along with our corp. dietitian.  I notice she is talking with someone who looks very familiar...I read the name tag and remember her as a customer who asked me to speak about customer service to her statewide association.  This had been about 9 years previous and we had spent a fair amount of time together in preperation and negotiations....as I approached, our dietitian started to introduce me but before she could say my name I said " Oh I know Sarah, we worked together on a project for her program."  Sarah looked at me and said "sorry I don't remember you, I don't think we have ever met!"  I asked her if she remebered working with our company for her customer service seminar.  She just lit right up and beamed with a big smile and said "oh Yes!"  So I told her I was the guy she worked with on it.

Without missing a beat, she looked at me with great seriousness, shook her head no and then turning to our dietitian (a female) she blurted out in a very serious women to women voice " Oh NO!  It couldn't have been him, the guy I worked with was really good looking!" then with a wink to our dietitian she adds "You should have seen how this guy filled out a suit!"

I was crushed...but I was still better off than she was, once she took a closer look, and with our dietitian insisting I was the guy, she came to realize I was him and at the same time understood what she had said and how she had said it.

I think at that moment I knew how a woman feels when she is mistaken for being pregnant.

I know how that feels too, I have to wear big droopy shirts to hide my bulging stomach, and it doesn't always help enough.  I am really really small, so at work it's "pregnant lady" whispers and to strangers it's "pregnant 12-year-old" which makes them stare harder and make meaner comments.

Victoria's Secret made this bra that they recently discontinued ( ) that had the fake boob gel already built into it, and was an underwire bra, and had pretty stiff fabric that was already boob-shaped, so it's kind of like wearing a pair of fake boobs!  The idea is to lift and enhance whatever you've already got, but for little chests like mine the pre-shaped cup hides the fact that you don't really have anything to lift and enhance.  Unfortunately, the trend in bras seems to be that everything is lightweight, thin, flexible, and wireless, so I haven't found a good replacement bra to help balance out my small top and giant midline

I would like to just buy boob implants, but I know that's a terrible idea, seeing as my immune system would probably search & destroy them after they are installed.  I have been thinking about getting a bustier so it holds my stomach in and makes it look like I have boobs, but I don't know where they'd sell those and that's the kind of thing you'd need to try on to make sure it fits correctly.  Actually, I can guess where they are sold, but mine doesn't need to be made of leather, and I don't want to be in any store that sells gross items ;)

BTW - hspenser, it's terrible that the woman said all those things when you were standing right there, but I'm glad she felt like a terrible jerk afterwards.  I hope most of your customers are more polite than she is!!

I hate dealing with the same getting up in the morning and being thin and by the end of the day I have a belly. Some times I look six months pregnant and I can't nor have I had any children. (had a hystroectomy due to CD) I know that it can be very embarasing and frustrating. I have tried everything and given up becuase nothing worked. (Over the counter and prescriped medications)

Sorry I can't help you here but if you figure out how to get ride of this let me know.

Shoshanna

Hi guys... I'm not a skinny crohnie....used to be , but at 45 I just went POOF. So I'm a fatty. And what I get from people is not are you pregnant or when are you due.... but
"I thought people with crohns were supposed to be skinnyl" ....in other words... you're much too fat lady to possibly have crohns disease. I've even gotten that remark from another crohnie here in town . she is bone thin( like I used to be) , I when she told me she had CD I said , what a coincidence so do I... She looked at me up and down and said: ' YOU, have CD, Impossible! people who really have CD are skinny. "

That's why I was so thrilled when I joined HW and discovered I wasn't the only crohnie with a weight problem. So I don't look pregnant, just FAT!

size 18 Mary.

Shoshanna, What do you mean when you say you had a hysterectomy due to Crohn's disease? I am having a hysterectomy soon - could it be related to CD?

Marie-Claire said... "I thought people with crohns were supposed to be skinnyl" Marie-Claire, I have the same problem. then my Doc told me not all Chronies are skinny. It is terrible how people feel they can comment on your appearance. I get some funny looks when I say I have CD, usually from people that do not have it. I would never guess someone is pregnant. Unless they told me then I would congratulate. Mel, sorry this happened, I know it is frustrating cause you feel bad when you are bloated so a comment like that has got to be upsetting.... hspenser , that does sound like it would sting... I get some stuff like that too. People barely recognize me when they see me. I am so sad when it happens. Karen

Thank you all for sharing! For what it's worth, it does help to know that there are others out there who completely understand. I, personally, would never comment on anyone's physical shape. I can meet a stranger who is very much pregnant and still not mention it!! HAHA!

AlwaysRosie - That is so funny, I would have never thought to ahem...enlarge the top to make the bottom look smaller. I love the idea! I may just try it.

I think I'll also try adding the fiber supps, but I want to talk to my GI and naturopath before adding another supplement to my regimen. Thanks for the tip PB!

So just to update you all, I went today to buy a bathing suit - my family is going camping in a very hot area next week, and it's inevitable that I'll have to get in the water at some point. I always wear a one piece. I've realized that yes, a one piece covers you up better, but it is so not flattering on someone with a belly! So, I intended to find a "tankini" but ended up having no luck and got an actual bikini! Ah!! I don't think I've ever worn one of those!! But it might also be good for me to learn to say, "who cares!" I did have my very honest best friend with me and she thought it looked okay...even though I am bloated! So, this will be a growing experience for me...and my stretch marks...and the 7 inch incision down my belly. Haha!

Thanks for your last comment too PB. You are right, sometimes it is good to smile about the situation...it might make a well meaning person feel less uncomfortable about having asked too. Good reminder! Yes, last night I was complaining to my husband "you just don't understand what it's like to always look pregnant" and he responded "oh yes I do!" and then started thinking about how he hasn't been to the gym in a while :)

(((hugs for my online friends!)))

I also find bikinis more flattering than the tank style ones. My chubbiest is what shows under the tankini. The whole picture just works better w/ the bikini. I wear the low rise and they just sit under the bloated part lol instead of creating an extra roll.

I too am so bloated and gassy!  I have had crohns for 9 years but never had this much bloating and gas.  I am not finding that anything is working for it either.  I am happy to read your posts though because I wasn't positive it was the crohns and was worried there was something else going on.  I am going through a flare, albeit a bit different than usual as in there is no blood.  I thought since no blood, and all this gas and bloating I may have something else going on.  Hopefully the gas will pass!  I can't even get any of my pants done up - which is silly because I have lost about 10 lb with this flare so they would all be baggy but for my belly.  It is fine in the morning but by afternoon is gradually gets worse and worse until it feels like there is a huge balloon in my stomach!  Sometimes I will gently rub it to try to release some of the gas but even so, it will all be back within 10 minutes.  What a pain!

I have not started back on my prednisone because the lack of blood made me think I was not really very irritated in the colon area.  Do you guys think that prednisone would help this gas and bloating?  If so, I will give it a try - I really can't stand this!  Doc just kinda shrugs like, well that is the disease.

Also, have you found any over the counter medications that work for the bloating and gas?  I am trying Gas X but really not getting any results.  I also eat very small amounts at a time.  I am very thirsty though (due to the lovely D) so I find it hard not to gulp water, but I do try to keep it to small sips all day.  I have tried bubbly drinks like 7-up to bring up the gas but that doesn't work either.

What a joy!