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Good things as a result of UC

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Posted 4/24/2008 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
Although UC sux, being the eternal optimist that I am, I try to find something good that has come out of the negative experiences in my life. I think a severe flare of pancolitis lasting 3 years and and a few months thus far, can be considered plenty of badness.

So I figured I'd throw it out to you lot - what good things have come as a direct result of your UC?

For me, its been cooking. Before UC, I never bothered. Now I really have a passion for it. My current project is pastry cooking - I have a serious weakness for crouissants!

The other thing thats come out of it is a closeness with my family I never had before this flare. Amazing how long term illness opens your eyes to who really matters in your life and who doesn't?
Posted 4/24/2008 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
Good for you for finding the good in the bad.  I wish you the best, thanks for sharing!  Bellski

Posted 4/24/2008 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
I think for me, the main thing that came out from suffering a chronic illness is that I have more compassion and patience with people. I've come to realize that many people have something wrong with them and like us, they never look sick. I also found out who my true friends were and were willing to listen to me and my troubles without running away.
Posted 4/24/2008 12:46 PM (GMT 0)
I also have mor compassion for people. My kids do too. And I have decided to go back to school to be a nurse....hopefully for my GI, so I can "help" people with the same condition as me. To go into a colonoscopy knowing the person that is taking care of you has been there is a little reassuring to me. It has also tausght me to chill out. So what if you are a little late, so what if you have to stop 14 times on your way to work....there is nothing more important than your health. You know the saying, "you got your health, you got everything"
Posted 4/24/2008 12:47 PM (GMT 0)
I have to agree about the cooking thing. Before I went into my first major flare my diet sucked. If I wasn't hungry.. and sometimes even if I was... I didn't bother with supper. Also ate alot of sugar coated cereals, etc. I am much more fanatic about eating 3 meals <at least> per day and am sure include LOTS of fruits and vegetables. Something I never bothered before....

:O)
Posted 4/24/2008 12:48 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, but you know what it has been bad for.......my compassion towards people who have issues with their health, and they do NOTHING about it. Like my family all had type II diabetes because they don't watch what they eat and they refuse to exercise.....makes me soooo mad. They take their helath for granted and here I have something that I can't control no matter what I do, and they just sit there and complain about how horrible they feel while stuffing their faces with cake and ice cream.
Posted 4/24/2008 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
It definitely has helped me grow patience and acceptance. I've learned to not stress over anything I can't change, and how to relax out of those muscle-tightening, mind-consuming fits of impatience and stress.

Also, because UC and then steroids just kept piling on more and more problems, my depression became impossible to ignore and I've been treated for that. I'm much more content with my life and happier now than I was before I got UC.
Posted 4/24/2008 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
One great thing is that I have met some amazing people with UC online whom I learn from every day and are so supportive. :) Another thing is that I feel having UC has taught me about life in general, about appreciating what I have and finding peace and balance in this life.
Posted 4/24/2008 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
I agree Judy. I am much more content now. I think I have a better understanding of who I am. I was 18 when dx'd and UC and depression forced me to look at my life and what I wanted for myself. It taught me to look at what I have, not what i don't. I am more comfortable with my body now than i was then (and i was hot! then, now after ten years on and off pred, not so hot, but that's ok!!!) And now nothing seems like the end of the world. My family is amazed when i say that even though i don't feel well it can always be worse.

Cooking and compassion I agree with as well. But its also those I get to help. Since my dx I have had family and friends calling me and saying "hey i have this friend who was just dx'd with UC or Crohns would you be willing to talk to them?" It feels good to ther for others. My family knows to go ahead and give me email and phone out.
Posted 4/24/2008 1:31 PM (GMT 0)
I'd have to agree that I have more compassion and sympathy for those that are chronically ill. I would also have to add that in my 2 year journey of being ill and then having surgery, I really learned who my friends were.

Sue
Posted 4/24/2008 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Being diagnosed with UC has actually been a great thing for me, as odd as that sounds. In college, I fell into a really crappy diet - heavy on the high glycemic, junky carbs and sugar. Because I was thin, I thought it didn't matter what I ate. I hated being thin and looking sickly, but I didn't take care of myself. I suffered with IBS, but didn't think there was anything I could do about it besides taking antispasmodics. Becoming seriously ill was a wake up call that forced me to listen to my body and learn how to respond appropriately to heal it.

Having UC forced me to clean up my diet and eat MUCH more healthier. I started weight training to combat the bone loss from pred and ended up discovering how to shape my body and become more fit than I'd ever been before. I'm no longer "skinny fat." I no longer have a bloated belly. I feel better and more confident. I'm in better shape and look better than I did 20 years ago.

Looking back, I feel strong when I realize the hell I went through and came out the other side in better shape. I always hated hospitals and had a weak stomach. Because of my experiences with UC, I'm better able to handle other people's crises. I realized when my elderly mother ended up in the ER about a year ago, that I was able to stay calm and supportive and handle the situation much better than I would have before my diagnosis and treatment.
Posted 4/24/2008 2:31 PM (GMT 0)

good things hmmmmm (not in any particular order)

Closeness w/my familiy

Not letting stupid things bother me anymore

Enjoying the little things

Learning how precious life and health really are (it's a journey)

Compassion

Oh and I may get flamed for this but I also sometimes exaggerate it to a friend who I love but is truly delusional to get out of hanging out w/her.  When I have already used the I just do not want to "the truth",  and every other excuse in the book too many times (she's a bit needy) and sometimes I have to tell her NO like 5 times for it to get through her head.   She wants to hang out 3 days a week sometimes and I have point blank said to her too many times to count (she forces you to be brutally honest there is no beating around the bush).  I do not hang out with anyone 3 days a week, I do not want to commit to hang out with you 3 days a week or any other number of days a week, I do want to hang out with you or anyone else 3 days a week or any other number of days a week.  Seriously I have said this and many combinations of this and it just goes right through her.

I love finding the silver lining.  I have too or i'll get depressed!

Posted 4/24/2008 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
I think the biggest thing I've learned from having UC is not to stress the small stuff. I used to be a huge perfectionist and obsessive about my grades and such, but I'm getting better at dealing with that kind of stuff.
I'm also eating healthier. I've always been skinny and able to eat whatever I want so I usually ate unhealthy foods. And when I was stressed, I'd either eat too much or too little. But now I'm carefully choosing my meals and making healthier choices. I don't think I have a single "junk food" item in my room right now!
I think having UC improved my relationship w/ my parents. It definitely showed that my parents really care about me and hopefully it made my parents realize that they shouldn't put too much pressure on me since I can't be stressed out all the time now! I think it also taught my parents not to sweat the small stuff--they're a bit more laid-back now. Oh, and I can use UC as an excuse to not become a doctor since it would be too hard to go through med school w/ this disease and my parents can't argue with that! ;)
Unfortunately, being really sick last summer also made me realize that I wasn't as close to my friends as I thought. I mean, when you're in hospital really sick, you'd think you're best friends would do something more then send a text message saying, "Feel better" or not doing anything at all. Oh well, better to know earlier than later.
Posted 4/24/2008 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
I can honestly say that it saved me a lot of money on laxatives.
Posted 4/24/2008 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
Learning to live with UC has helped me to become THANKFUL.  Thankful for all the good in my life -- my beautiful baby, amazing husband, my inner strength, wonderful home, great education, satisfying career, food on the table whenever I am hungry, ability to wake up and get out of bed every morning, freedom to live as I choose, etc.  I could go on and on.  :-)

Regarding the comments several of you made about friends... I couldn't agree more.  Having this illness has helped me to learn who my true friends are.  I've let several people go after they just weren't there for me when I needed them.  It's been a blessing in two ways -- (1) I learned just how strong I really am, and (2) I have learned to appreciate my other friends - my true friends - that much more.

Posted 4/24/2008 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
lol, Bob that is funny.

Now that I have pancolitis and it has spread througout my colon, I thought well hey at least if I flare again, I'll probably lose some weight. I have very dark humor, trust me I do not wish to flare again ever like I did before it was terrible.
Posted 4/24/2008 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
I am a single father/parent so I like to see life from that point of view. with that being said, my toddler probably eats healthier than most toddlers b/c she eats what I eat. Also she will never or hardly ever see me drinking alcohol like I used to.
I personally have benefited b/c I see life totaly different now. In a way we are all unlucky and lucky to have this.
Posted 4/24/2008 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Well with UC and a bad ticker, I know longer sweat the small things, dont argue are get upset about the little things that drove me nuts before. life is to short to be argueing all the time about stuff that in the long run doesnt matter anyway. I never really relized how much little stuff bothered me till I got sick,Then I had to do away with the stress and guess what the world didnt come to an end because someone didnt pick up there dirty socks. Im much more relaxed now.
Posted 4/25/2008 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
I don't glorify it or even tread in the waters of positives about it.

Since I've always had "something" health-wise to deal with, UC is just another thing to deal with (oh and the friend PSC it brought to the party).

I come from bad "stock".....and after my diagnosis, I/we came to the decision to not have kids. Now, knowing me, that's a good thing. I may have made the decision regardless...I'll never know.


Now, therapy on the other hand, I can sing accolades about that forever....it's helped me to actually like who I am and has given me the tools to allow me to want to live my life.  UC didn't lead me there, however. 

Did I mention I'm a pessimistic optimist? I can joke about all the positives...but that's in sarcasm...nothing else.

I've found a place on the UC forum of HW  because of my having UC...it's great that it's available...I've learned much from those on here.

Nope...nothing positive about having it eyes tongue
quincy

Posted 4/25/2008 5:46 AM (GMT 0)
I no longer take anything for granted... I have learned to enjoy the little things, and notice the small things that people would usually just look over. Like the way the sky looks in the morning while the sun is rising. Or the way the trees change with the season. and everything else like that. I love with all that I have and do everything that I want to do. You never know when you will get sick again. So why waste the time that you have now....
Posted 4/25/2008 6:25 AM (GMT 0)
expecting226 - you said that beautifully.

definetely makes one more attuned to small things in life and to be aware and THANKFUL for things like that. I didnt give the right kind of attention to those things as much as now. did i ever think abt difficulties pple ahve with bathroom stuff?!? hardly.
now that ive been there. a normal Bm is reason to rejoice!

There's a blessing of thanks we say after going to the bathroom, yes, a blessing. Cal;ed Asher Yatzar, (literally "who formed"), it refers to the complexity of the human body and thanks G-d for the marvelous functioning and its wonderous upkeep.
just taking a few moments to be thankful has really deepened my insight into thankfullness.
Posted 4/25/2008 7:12 AM (GMT 0)
My list of negative things from having IBD is likely longer so it's good this is a post about the opposite...I like to be optimistic too and that's what I'm starting with since I was more of a pessemist before getting crohns...

other things are, I was able to be a stay at home mom to my two beautiful kids (which I was planning for in the first place, getting sick just insured that, which wasn't necessary in my opinion)...

I exercise because of my crohns, I was always naturally thin (not too thing either, just nice, I was probably one of the very few people that was actually very happy with my body, size, weight and image) I used to be able to eat what I wanted and as much as I wanted without gaining an ounce, which leads me into the next good thing about having IBD...

I eat extreamly healthy now, I used to be a sugar junkie (chocolate, pasteries, baked goods, processed foods and fast-foods were my staples, clearly eating like that sucked the health right out of me, so I'm glad I changed that, I likely wouldn't have if I could keep getting away with eating like that and not having to exercise to boot just to keep my figure.

This DD has also change one negative thing about my personality, I'm more diplomatic than I used to be and to me I think that's a good thing. Some find diplomacy to be a whimp/on the fence/not having an actual opinon but I don't veiw it that way (although I used to).

I never really took anything (but my intestines by eating poorly) for granted, I enjoyed more than anything to do things at the spur of the moment, take a weekend trip leaving any time of day, morning, noon or night and not have to ever worry about stopping to use a toilet...now I'm getting into the negative and I don't want to do that so I'll end it here.

:)
Posted 4/25/2008 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
Suffering from colitis has made me totally re-evaluate my health from head to toe. I have been blending raw foods and have been slowly getting better and once I am better I will eat all raw foods because I absolutely believe I will get better. Now I get up early (something I couldn't do before I eliminate unhealthy foods and started having my raw smoothies) and go for runs, meditate, and pray everyday. I watch tv and go on the internet less but rather sit out in the sun and read a book. I have had depression and anxiety but now it seems to be melting away with my lifestyle changes. I think God puts us through difficult times in order for us to grow and I am thankful for that. I have been weight lifting and even put on a few pounds. I feel like I am on the road to recovery and in more ways than just colitis. I have made big improvements physically, emotionally and spiritually and I will continue to grow in these ways for the rest of my life.
Posted 4/25/2008 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
wow canman. sounds like your'e more sure of yourself and growing stronger with each step.

hey all, this optimism post is a great one - it a gr8 excersize to help us seek out and 'verbalize' the good stuff.
Positive Psychology is a new and growing field - i'm sure that thankful, optimistic and positive thoughts and feelings can only bolster us on our personal roads to healing...
I pray that every person reading this be able to find their own peace with this conditon and hope on their own roads to healing...

:)
Posted 4/26/2008 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
Comfortable clothes. Since I swell during the day from the pancolitis and gas, if I wear something that doesn't stretch, I am miserable. I just wish I had realized this when my kids were small. I wore jeans like everybody else and I was so uncomfortable so much and was not as patient and did not do as many things with them as I would have liked. Now, I have stretch pants from LL Bean.
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