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Will life ever be the same as before?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/27/2016 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
I know this question sounds very dramatic, but thankfully i am getting a bit better now and i am hoping i will be going into the new year without being on a flareup. I do have a few questions for the more experienced UCers out there!

1- Will my BM ever go back to how they were. (solid/once a day/predictable)

2- How often do you stay in remission for without a flare and how long do your flares normally last.

3- Will i always spend the first hour or two of my day feeling as if i need to go.

4- Will i ever be able to have a curry again confused and other foods they tell us to avoid.

5- last questions as i am struggling mostly on a morning. What do you eat last thing at night and first thing on a morning.

I am on this forum multiple times a day lately and it is great to see such a friendly place where everyone is so supportive. Thank you to Anyone who has ever given feedback and support or shared there stories, It really means a lot to me knowing that there are people out there who are actually going through this as well and can share there knowledge and experience. Stay strong everyone <3
Posted 11/27/2016 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
to answer your question = unfortunately, probably not -

one way or another you most likely will deal with UC the rest of your life - doesn't mean it will be bad, just different -

hang in there, it will be ok -
Posted 11/27/2016 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
1. Once in remission, your BM's should go back to normal

2. Remission is different for everyone. My last flare lasted a year. I've been in remission for almost two years now.

3. Everyone is different.

4. Food is very individual. What one can eat with no issues, others can't.

5. Again, food is very individual. I can eat just about anything now except for fried foods. Last night I had some italian cookies before I went to bed. This morning, I am making eggs. No issues for me.
Posted 11/27/2016 2:09 PM (GMT 0)
1) When in remission i had one bm a day that varied from pre-uc to a little softer.

2) Varies, my last one was 2.5 years. Some have gone 8-10 years. Sometimes remission is much shorter.

3) In remission you don't have that feeling. Rectal inflammation causes urgency, increased frequency, and that feeling of never being empty known as tenesmus.

4.) In remission you can often eat normally or at least foods you can't when symptoms are bothering you. Even in remission, i found that there was a proce to pay for very spicey foods, they'd make for a bad morning. Sometimes it's totally worth it as an occasional treat, but not recommended daily lol.

5) I eat what i want to.
Posted 11/27/2016 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dan I don't know how old you are but you probably know that things naturally change in life. I can tell you about my case. I've been in remission for 3 years and it's *almost* normal. I have bms every other day and can almost eat anything. I have become lactose intolerant but that would have probably happened without Colitis anyways. I'm still careful with lactose, fructose and spices. Although once in a while I can do spicier food. A food journal helped me tremendously. I'd say reach remission first, give your body time to recover (!) and then test your food tolerances. Take it day by day.
Posted 11/27/2016 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
1- Once you are on top of your flare your stools should look similar to how they were in the past, before you got sick.

2- Some people flare every few months and some people go for years without a flare-up, so that's the luck of the draw really.

3- I don't think so, as I said once you are on top of your flare up (with the right Meds) that should pass.

4- I dont see why not, this is one of the problems with UC, some people react to certain foods and other people can eat what the heck they like with no problem. I think you just have to eat what you like and enjoy! but to be aware that there may be some foods that your UC will react to, and therefore make a note of that and try not to repeat it.

5- Mornings are often a struggle for people with UC, I can remember running to the toilet quite a few times, it's normal unfortunately, and I dont believe what you ate the night before has a lot of bearing on it, so i would just eat what you enjoy and make a note if you seem to get a really different experience some mornings.

I do think that food does play a role for some people managing UC, but I actually believe that is the minority, rather than the majority.
Posted 11/27/2016 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
Curry is one of the foods my gut LOVES, homemade once a week and no probs eating it at Asian restaurants. Many other foods are on the out list and have been for years. I can handle that if it makes my gut happy and yes I cheat and it may take a day to get back to "new normal". My food list may not be the same as yours so maybe curry is out at this time for you. Maybe your gut is OK with some foods mine dislikes.

Am I the same now as pre-UC? No.
Will I ever be? Dunno. One day at a time (like Andrina), I'm happy things are better now than they were at the worst.

Lately I've found that probiotic VSL#3 helps calm down results from eating problem foods. I take it before bed. When I don't take it and eat them I'll have much more intestinal gas and other undesirable symptoms.

Good luck.
Posted 11/27/2016 11:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hey all, thinking about life going back to as it was before... How long does it take the colon to heal after a flare? Or is it even possible for it to ever really heal? Before this flare k was able to have darn near anything I wanted, in moderstion of course. Is it possible to go back to that lifestyle once the colon and everything gets back on track?
Posted Yesterday 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah we can heal and re-enter a good remission. Sometimes we quickly return to remission, other times it's time consuming and a while but either way it can happen. No way of knowing if you got an easy route or challenging route ahead of you.
Posted Yesterday 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
For me, it has never gone back to totally the same. Mostly the same though-- I am more careful of what and when I eat. Also I have to do the enemas nightly (and have been doing them for years and years) so in that way, life is not the same. I also had to make peace with the fact that I am going to be on meds forever unless they come up with the cure. Being young at the time that wasn't so easy. Eventually most people have to come to terms with this though. Also (ugh, I hope I don't offend anyone with this- I hope not-- sincerely) I felt like my body was now flawed when I got this. Yes, immature but I did grapple with this thought. Just being honest.

There are some people that go into long remissions--taking only oral meds or no meds (although not recommended) and they never really think about it at all. Hopefully that will be you!!
b
Posted Yesterday 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know. I did have a years-long remission which was supported by low, consistent maintenance medication, during which yes, everything was "normal"!

And I have also had the experience of flaring to some degree or another months on end and it not being "normal" (to various degrees!).

Your experience is unknowable, you are asking us what the future is and nobody knows what the future is. What you can decide is who you will be in relation to what you experience and the mental stances you will come from. Are you going to be a victim who complains about everything or are you going to be responsible and make the best out of whatever comes your way. That's the kind of thing that you do have control and influence over and that's the kind of thing that I would prioritize focusing on. You can't control what's out there but you can control your responses to it. The gap between stimulus and response is where your power lies.
Posted Yesterday 1:51 PM (GMT 0)

Broncofan18 said...
Hey all, thinking about life going back to as it was before... How long does it take the colon to heal after a flare? Or is it even possible for it to ever really heal? Before this flare k was able to have darn near anything I wanted, in moderstion of course. Is it possible to go back to that lifestyle once the colon and everything gets back on track?


It heals but gets really really scarred. After entering remission (3 months on Imuran) it took me a couple of months (maybe 6) to actually recover and heal but I'm almost back to normal.
Posted Yesterday 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone.
Andrina, I too am starting imuran this week and hoping for similar results as you received. Were you able to go back to a pretty normal diet while taking the drug?
Posted 12/6/2016 12:12 PM (GMT 0)

Broncofan18 said...
Thanks everyone.
Andrina, I too am starting imuran this week and hoping for similar results as you received. Were you able to go back to a pretty normal diet while taking the drug?


I can eat the things I love but I have to be careful to not be too repetitive. For example if I eat rice 3-4 days in a row I'll get sick. Fructose in moderation and no lactose other than that I can eat whatever I want.

Since I started Imuran I always have something with Ginger around. Lately I have been loving my Ginger ale haha it really helps with the nausea of Imuran. But I prefer to treat nausea than bloody diarrhea.
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