Anybody ever try this?

So I just met this guy.
Had Severe UC for years. Was on all meds we know and love.
Even had two surgeries to remove some of his irreparable colon.
He basically said he was so fed up of being sick that he left his life and routine behind
and basically sat on the beach for months all day doing nothing and just chilling out.
He went into remission (with no meds) and retained it for six years now not taking any maintenance medication (yes foolish...).
Why I'm interested to hear from you all is that I had a similar situation although it was a lot shorter.
I went out of the country leaving my whole regular routine behind and as soon as I left my symptoms gradually subsided only to return when I came back.
I remember somebody (maybe notsoscikly girl?) mention they had a spontaneous remission from going away for the weekend.
Just wondering If anybody made a major change in their life and saw a positive effect even a remission?
We know there is a mind/stress connection.
How many times have we read on this forum something along the lines of "I was in remission for x amount of time then had a very stressful situation that led to a flare.."
I am seriously considering changing a lot in my life.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Thanks.

Yes I've had this experience, though short lived as well. On at least 2-3 occasions I've gone away for a vacation with my girlfriends, flaring before and so nervous I would get worst with poor eating and drinking alcohol. Miraculously, within a couple of days of being stress free and laughing with my girlfriends my symptoms were cleared.
Not sure if taking an extended vacation would increase the benefits. I feel like at a certain point being on vacation and not working would cause stress too!!!
about a year and a half ago I moved from Toronto to California. I started FMT at the same time and found relief. I do credit the FMT with my remission, but also wonder if living a more stress free, outdoorsy life in California played into my remission as well.

When we're on a vacation, our stress levels are lower, we eat, drink, and sleep differently. Often we drink more alcohol which dehydrates us some causing a bit of constipation. If going abroad means a tropical place, then we might get a lot more sun exposure, gain more vitamin D. IBD patients as a generalization are more prone to having Vitamin D deficiencies.

There's a reason even normal people get traveler's diarrhea. And so, traveling can upset our symptoms too. Although we consider our digestive tract to be internal, it is more an external thing. Our digestive system is a tunnel with an opening to the environment around us on both of its ends. What we eat, drink, breath in, and physically touch affects the makeup of gut and intestinal bacterium makeup.

When we travel place-to-place we are exposed to very different bacterium than are present in our home and work/school. So, maybe that is advantageous, or a disadvantage. But remember, when we go home we are exposed to the normal bacterium in our home environment. So it would be due cause to believe in an evanescent (fleeting) affect of being abroad.

So there's a lot going on, from stress levels, to food, drink, sleep, and environmental exposure to new bacterium. Which of those is the cause? Or is it a cumulative affect of all of those things? Your guess is as good as mine.

How could he sit on the beach if he had severe UC? I can barely leave my bathroom or house during a bad flare-up. I would poop my pants on the drive to a beach and would never be able to just chill on a beach all day when in a severe flare. I've gone on mini-vacations while in moderate flares and my symptoms never got better. I've also gone through extremely stressful life stuff and stayed in remission, so I don't know that stress has an effect on my disease.

I have actually crapped my pants at the beach. It wasn't fun.... I had to walk ages to find a restaurant then ask to use their toilets to clean myself up. Had to throw away my underwear and drive home without no panties. I alway keep a spare set in my car now.
The ironic thing is I went there because I was into the energetic woo-woo stuff at the time and thought being around nature might help my symptoms. I mean I even read somewhere about walking on sand increases the negative ions in your body which heals disease blah blah. I hate all that stuff now.

Post Edited (poopydoop) : 5/15/2019 4:13:35 PM (GMT-6)