Zanne

Just wanted to let you know I tried your saltines with a little margarine on it.  It worked!  Just sent hubby to the store to get me more crackers.  I am starting to feel a little better, but still have that yucky gut when I first wake up, so I will try eating some of the crackers first.  Good idea!

Zanne you have had 3 resections and I have had 2 myself, along with a bunch of other types of surgeries. Just curious before all these obstructive episodes what is your daily life with Crohns like? We kinda have similar issues and my GI says most of my problems are due to "mechanical" issues from the resections. I think I too live with alot of Gastritis type issues more than Crohns type now. It seems as everyday whether its a minor way or more, I am constantly aware I have Crohns. I have changed my diet drastically, live on low residue diet, take Probiotics, etc. Just curious, what your normal days are like. Do you still work outside the home or are you on disability. I have been off work the past 2 weeks becuz of my knee surg, and have another week to go, but just can't imagine having to get back up in the morning and back to work. I am just starting to really get sick of this sh**.

I am doing OK for now. BUT, I am really taking it day by day right now, and I HATE that. I don't like that one minute I'm fine (by my standards) and the next, I'm literally sick enough to be admitted to the hospital. I have spoken with my doctor at length in the last few days, and for the time being, he is as stumped as me. It doesn't appear to be adhesions which is what we thought. It doesn't appear to be my intestine folded over, which was what came out of the ER visit. Now, he isn't sure what is happening, but that for whatever reason, my bowel just decides to go to sleep. It may be that exploratory lap surgery may be in my near future. If these episodes keep happening then we will have to consider surgery.

Julia, I do take Immodium, but not when this is going on. I also take Bentyl, but not when this is going on. My doctor had me take the bentyl once while I was obstructed to see if it would relieve some of the pressure, but all it did was make it last longer.

Nanners, As far as my day to day, when this isn't happening: I work part-time, and have a husband and 2 daughters. 1 in college, who lives at home, and 1 who is a senior in high school. Both will be living away next year, but still pretty locally, not out of state. I work 1 day a week in the wholesale industry and then if there is more work that needs to be done, I will either go in another day or bring it home with me. And then I babysit for a friends 5 month old 2 days a week. So I keep pretty busy between my doctors appointments, work, and family. I have changed my diet drastically to what I would say is more no residue. I eat basically no fruit or vegetables on a regular basis. Occassionally I can get away with a bite or two of something, but not much. Potatoes, bananas, sweet potato and thats about it. I am aware everyday that I have CD, but I refuse to let it control me. Since there is a strong family component for me, I really need to set a good example for my daughters. I don't want them to see this as a horrible thing. (Eventhough at times it certainly is) I need them to see it as something that can be dealt with and that you can still have a good life, but you may have to make accomodations. I've never worked fulltime since my diagnosis. I know my body can't take it. I can babysit for my friend, because when the baby sleeps, so do I. My house isn't nearly as clean as I would like it, but who cares. There are days when getting up and getting going is just really hard, but on those days most of the time I can taper back what I have scheduled and take it easier.

When I was going through the constant gastritis, I was in and out of the hospital. Eventually I just stopped going because I knew what the treatment was, clear liquids. But each episode took about 10 days to clear up, until I started catching on to the first signs of it and going to clear liquids right away. Then I was able to get it down to maybe 4 or 5 days. But I was out of work during each of those. At the time, I was only working one job, the one in wholesale, I'm a showroom manager, so basically if it has to be done, I did it. Customer Service, Sales, Display, opening Boxes, Packing Boxes, Taking the Trash Out, Paying the Commissions, You Name it I Did it. I was also working 3 days a week, and taking work home. But the New England market moved and our expenses went up dramatically so my boss needed to cut back on my hours. Its all part of my mantra that things happen for a reason. I never would quit my job, no matter how sick I got, but both my boss and I realized that we needed to make changes and it benefited both of us. So he does more, and I do less. Watching the baby isn't really a job, its just for a few more months until he's a little older. My friend doesn't want to put him in Daycare until he's about 1, and I love babies. Plus, If I don't feel well, we just sit and snuggle. If I do feel good, we run my errands. So its win/win.

I don't know how you work full time. Especially so early! That's my worst time of the day. But we CDers always find a way to do what needs to be done! Make sure you get to PT though. I've heard horror stories of people who didn't do their PT, and you have enough other stuff to deal with.

What do you eat for your low residue diet? I always wonder what others eat. Some people wonder how I can survive eating the way I do. So I wonder if I'm just really off base, or if other CDers eat the same way.

So I guess we are a lot alike. I also tend to eat the same things over and over again. I find things that agree with me and stick with it. It gets hard to cook for the rest of the family, but I manage to find interesting things for them and keep my things rather bland. Now that my girls are often working or out at dinner time, I'm cooking a lot more fish and that is really working for me. I always cook extra for the next day. Usually when I go to the fish market I get tuna steaks, very pricey, but they have never upset my tummy and they satisfy my meat cravings without killing me. I cook them up and keep them in the fridge for lunches, or for dinner when everyone else is having steak.

But, I've never been able to eat beans. I wish I could, but so far I haven't found any that don't just ruin me. Rice though is one of my staples.

Take care and I hope you made it to PT today!