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I haven't had a flare in five years and I think I know why.

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/20/2019 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Five years ago I changed jobs. New job has a much more positive, less stressful work environment. New job gives me a huge feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction for doing valuable stuff. New job needs me more than I need them. New job feels pretty secure. I can't say these things about the old job.

Five years ago was the last time I had a flare.

If you don't like your job, if your job is seriously stressing you out, if you're surrounded by negative people, if you don't feel like you're valued because your work is not up to your potential, look for a new job. It may really turn your life around, and your colitis.
Posted 9/20/2019 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
I believe that every illness is related to stress and genes!
It’s colitis for me, diabetes for another, because of our gene, but stress activates it.
Posted 9/20/2019 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
Before I recently decided to trust a doctor with a rectal procedure, I was also in remission.

I found that what maintained it, for myself, was supporting my detoxing cycle. I got my genetics tested a couple years ago and found a really good practitioner who gave me all the details on the kinds of supports that my body could benefit from. When I started doing those supports every day, my health got more and more robust with each passing month.

For myself, stress is really impacting, even minor stress. My body doesn't seem to cope well with it. On top of it, I have a constitution that easily loses substance. I waste easily. If I don't exercise, I waste. If I skip meals, I waste. If I don't support detoxing, I waste. If I get too stressed out, I waste.

A big game changer for me was taking bovine liver pills, that I made myself. You can also just eat liver. I feel like high doses of retinol repair the immune system, and retinol only comes from animal sources. During my recovery, when I started doing liver on the regular, plus my other supports, I recovered 10x faster and entered a period of really robust health.

Recently, my rectum suffered mechanical damage, and now my inflammatory response has been reactivated. I'm really angry. This is the absolute last time I listen to a doctor about "what is best" for my health. It never ends well.
Posted 9/20/2019 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
My job is boring and a bit unfulfilling but has an AMAZING work-life balance and very little stress. Totally worth it smile
Posted 9/21/2019 6:16 AM (GMT 0)
6 years ago I quit a job that was very high stress for me. Since then I have had very little stress. A year after I quit the high stress job, my UC got a lot worse.

I doubt that there is cause and effect, but my gut was BETTER when I had a lot of stress.

Go figure...
Posted 9/21/2019 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
Dr. Brad Turner (I don’t know how reliable he is nor have I looked at references from his book) says that stress immobilizes the bowel, inhibiting digestive processes which causes restricted blood flow and thinning of the intestinal wall. This is how he says Chronic stress facilitates the development of IBD.

In my lifetime I have been very poor at having healthy boundaries with close relatives. This year I’m starting to make my needs more of a priority and reducing my stress load in baby steps. UC is a gift in that it finally gave me a reason to stop letting people hurt me, and has been the driving force behind my attempts to care for myself.
Posted 9/21/2019 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
UC is a gift seems an insult in so many ways...
q
Posted 9/22/2019 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
I had a similar experience when I moved to Virginia. My life there was really good, job was great, people were great, I felt like my life was a vacation. I left a bad relationship behind. ;o) I was in remission with no drugs for over 5 years. Our gut is very closely connected with our emotions. No lie, a few years after I moved back into the area, I ran into him, sure enough I had a major flare. Took forever to get it under control with medications. I am off meds again and treating it naturally. And as long as I stay away from my ex I think I'm ok. :oD
Posted 9/25/2019 9:04 AM (GMT 0)

MarkWithIBD said...

For myself, stress is really impacting, even minor stress. My body doesn't seem to cope well with it. On top of it, I have a constitution that easily loses substance. I waste easily. If I don't exercise, I waste. If I skip meals, I waste. If I don't support detoxing, I waste. If I get too stressed out, I waste.

Hi Mark, you have intrigued me with your mention of 'supporting detoxing'. Are you able to go into more detail about what exactly you mean there? Perhaps there is already a thread about it that I have missed...
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