Peety said...
But why do you have to say anything about what you can or can't eat at all? Just don't eat it or just don't drink it. "No, thank you." No one will notice or care. They probably won't even notice or care if you use the bathroom every 30 minutes.
The response you suggest sounds like you are trying to shock people, or get sympathy. Really, can't we be more dignified about it?
I have gotten very positive responses from people from talking about
my Colitis. I met one woman at a party who told me that she had UC and had her colon taken out. I ask her about
her condition. She told me that she is doing well and that I should not be afraid of surgery. A woman at work told me that her mom has Chron's and she hadn't realized what her mother was going through, because her mom never talked about
it. She was glad I had told her about
my Colitis, and she asked me questions about
what it was like. And still others have told me about
family or friends they know who have UC.
There are times in which I have to tell people. I had to tell my boyfriend's parents', because we often go to their house for dinner. They want to know what I can and can't eat, and what I can and can't eat changes depending on whether or not I'm flaring. I had to tell my boyfriend's daughter and her mother. They needed to know why I couldn't go visit his daughter when I was flaring. It turns out my boyfriend's daughter had colitis when she was a baby.
In my Indian dance class, we are not allowed to drink water or go to the bathroom during class. I told my instructors that I might have to run out to the bathroom in the middle of class because I had Colitis and was flaring. One of my instructors scolded me after class when I ran out to the bathroom in the middle of class. She didn't get it until I told her that Colitis is when the colon inflames and that I can't hold it in when my colon is inflamed.
One time, one of my dance classmates had special Indian sweets. She was sharing them with everyone and ask me if I wanted one. I said no. Everybody thought it was because I was American. I regret that I didn't tell them it was because I had Colitis and was flaring. At the time, I didn't want to go into the details of having Colitis.
I told people at my office when we had lunch parties that consisted of pizza, soda, and cake. They didn't understand why I had to bring my own food. They felt like I was rejecting their eating pizza and cake and drinking soda. It wasn't until I told them what it means to have UC that they understood.
Sometimes when I go to parties, I want to eat something, but I need to know first whether or not it has HFCS in it. I usually tell the host that I have Colitis and need to make sure that whatever I eat doesn't have HFCS. I usually don't have to go into details in this case. I will tell them that Colitis is inflammation of the colon if they ask. And if they ask more questions, I will explain more.
People are very understanding when I tell them about
my UC. They are also curious. They will ask questions about
UC. They will tell me about
any medical problems they have. And they feel good when they do, because I can empathize with their situation even though I don't have the same thing.