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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 4/13/2008 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
Holy Cow! This is more a vent then anything. I know you guys will understand. about two years ago I moved in with the Inlaws since hubby was still in school at the time and I was not working because of the annoyance that can be the tummy. Well, I got used to a diet of baked meat and starches. The closest these people get to fruits and veggies is Pop tarts and spagetti sauce. I did a more rounded diet in the summer because I planted a garden and happily noshed on the stuff that came out of there. Well, I went from having D 3-6 times a day to well, nothing. I ended up swinging to the other end and had C. I got used to the C. I learned to manage the C. I learned that hot tea and a bowl of oatmeal in the morning was a good way of loosen things up.

Well, hubby and I are now out on our own and I am doing all the grocery shopping and cooking. Again a massive diet change since I love to make all sorts of dishes. The first week was ok. Mostly C but I was thinking that things were getting better because I was at least going every few days. Well my new diet is catching up to me and ooohhhh. The D is back. I will admit that it feels good to actually feel empty but I wish that it wasn't so drastic. I probably should have eased into the new diet rather then diving in head first. I mean even my husband who has an iron stomach( and a bottomless one at that) is feeling the change in diet. And if he's feeling it then I know that I am in for a bumpy rid till the intestines get used to having the increased amount in fiber and sugars. Though I will say that I think that this episode of intestinal distress is very worth it since this means that I am going to be healthier as a whole, even if I am going to the bathroom 3-4 times a day rather then 2-3 times a week. If my tummy goes back to what it was pre-inlaws then I can happily say that I will be relieved. I can work around the D and the pain that I had before( I got better pills now), but I never got used to the C or found a way to work with it. It was so much more unpredictable then the D was and the pain from my attacks always lasted longer with the C then the D. If my IBS goes back to what it was before then I will be so happy. I always got sick for the most part in the mornings and the afternoon and evening attacks were far and few between. I had my afternoons and evenings to get things done and I usually felt well enough by 1-2pm to leave the house and get my errands done.
Posted 4/13/2008 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
Diet plays a huge part in my IBS-like symptoms (from colorectal cancer, colon resection, 90% removal of my sigmoid, gall bladder removal, etc.). I have learned the hard way - we are what we eat. Those words are so true! My best example - I need to eat plain foods and follow a low residue diet. If I have 2 cups of organic vanilla flavored yogurt, 1 banana, 1 turkey sandwich on plain white bread (Sara Lee or simple bakery bread), 1 Bay's plain english muffin, 1 or 2 individual applesauce cups, a few Club crackers and/or pretzels, and a plain dinner (mashed potatoes or white rice, chicken, turkey or fish) I do really well. I'm from Cincinnati and if I even contemplate eating our Cincinnati chili - whoa nelly, I am holed up in the bathroom for 2 days! That chili is potent stuff......so 9 years later, almost 10 later this month, I know what to eat and what to avoid. Or avoid like the plague! LOL

I wish you happy grocery shopping!

I do miss the days I could eat anything and not pay for it. No longer can I do that. But I am cancer free! I just didn't realize how good I had it, until it was gone!

Oh well, I try to remain positive and look on the bright side. I had to laugh at the pop tarts and spaghetti sauce! You will have to fix them a home cooked dinner and introduce them to new cuisine!

Marsky/Mary
Posted 4/13/2008 5:23 AM (GMT 0)
Have you ever tried making a veggie/fruit smoothie? I think we are all massively nutrient-deprived when it comes to what we should be getting from fruits and vegetables (these should constitute the majority of our diets) and I've found that smoothies, when sipped slowly, don't invariably lead to crazy bathroom time. I like frozen pineapple, strawberries, and orange juice blended with ice. Delicious and nutritious!
Posted 4/13/2008 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
Sarita - if you're asking me, I have to avoid any fresh berry and especially fresh pineapple. Canned is okay but not the fresh thing. Too much roughage! I can eat canned fruit, grapes, melon, peeled apples but fresh berries can do a real number on my system.

My main point was we are what we eat and it's a trial and error process. I faithfully kept a food journal for 2 years, I had to - I had two young children who wanted to have fun, going to the park, mall, shopping, the pool, etc. I couldn't keep them home while I was a major mess. So I changed the way I ate, with my surgeon's approval (who by the way had previously said to eat anything I wanted, which included the fresh berries, whole what products, etc.). After I switched to the LRD, he said it made perfect sense to him. I really have to question why surgeons tell former cancer resection patients to eat anything they want. I had also been eating the Cincinnati chili, lots of different meats, Italian casseroles (neighbors had been dropping off delicious meals, all of which I couldn't eat, but my family didn't starve and I ended up eating frozen, plain meals....LOL).

People tell me now to take a chance, you only live once (in other words, have that large piece of chocolate cake with chocolate icing, oh sure......I just say no thank you, I have to! That would mess me up for DAYS!)......

I have learned all of this the hard way.....I think we all have to find what works best for each of us. Whatever that might be - diet, meds, fiber or non-fiber, etc.

I also take 50 mg of Colace each night. That helps too. My GYN suggested it and I was leary at first, but since it's a low dose, it does seem to keep stool even keel for me (when I'm eating the right way for me).

Mary

Post Edited (Marsky) : 4/13/2008 7:58:09 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/16/2008 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
It's been about three weeks now since the diet change and I am doing so much better. I am slowly going back to the D( some pain but for the most part I'd say I'm as close to 'normal' as I have been since the beginning of college 8 years ago). I know that it won't last because it's still evolving. But it seems that I am no longer C. There are still foods that I have to avoid like the plague but my diet is much more well rounded then it was before. I got a crash course of sorts about how important my diet really was to my IBS. I still see fried and fatty foods as instant death but some of the things that would sometimes but not all the time set me off are no longer doing it because my stomach is used to them again. My new favorite snack is a baked apple with cinnamon and sugar. Still have to watch the raw intake since the amount of fiber can be a bit much, but the cooked stuff is still good for me. I actually can eat red meat just have to make sure it's the 90%. Still have to watch the dairy because I was lactose intolerant before, though I could have some ice cream or a bowl of cereal with milk. Now I'm down to certain cheeses and yogurt. Still perfecting it but it seems to be working for now. I had pizza the other night for the first time in months and nothing! No D, no pain, just cheesy goodness. Still going to keep that kind of thing to a minimum though since it's not good for me anyways.
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