How Successful Is Your Life With UC?

Thoreau said...
Princesa... thank you for your reply. If I am remembering right, I think you are one of the posters on this forum that recommends "Listen To Your Gut" by Jini Patel Thompson. I got that book 3 months ago, and have been experimenting ever since with alternative therapies. It's turning out to be very successful so far.

Since you sound like you've researched this and done a lot of trial and error, I thought I'd ask a question. What kind of diet would you recommend to gain weight? I'm not necessarily over-worried about this presently, but would enjoy some new ideas in this area. I used to do ensures, but they're full of things that I do not need in my colon. I'm also not drinking milk presently. So... if you have any easy suggestions I'd love to hear them. Thanks.

Ensure and other products like it are full of sugar and unhealthy fats. You might gain weight, but it won't be the right kind of weight and even the CCFA admits a diet high in sugar is a risk factor for UC. Instead, I recommend a meal replacement or protein shake mix of the type used in weight training as a healthier alternative. I have problems with dairy, so I use an egg white protein powder that's sweetened with stevia.

A diet lower in carbs is what works for me, so the carbs you'd normally consume need to be replaced with extra protein and healthy fat. Avacado and nut butters are good sources of extra calories and healthy fat. Also look at supplementing with fish, flax and/or olive oil. You can take capsules, take them by the spoonful or toss veggies or salads in them.

I used to use FitDay to track my protein, carbs and fat and my total caloric intake per day. I'm one of those that can get busy or stressed and not eat - or eat very little. It can be somewhat eye opening to see how much or how little you're really consuming. Maybe worth trying for a while to see if you're really getting enough for your height and weight.

I always say, too, you have to concentrate on reducing inflammation and healing the colon. If you're inflamed and your transit time is reduced, it's going to be hard to get the nutrition you need, no matter how much you're eating.

Hi all!
I joined the forums just for this room.

I was diagnosed with UC in November of 2010, but then referred to GI specialist who decided he didn't think I had UC and did another colonoscopy 4 months after the first one. When I woke up, he said "you have UC. We'll put you on prednisone."

I've been doing mesalamine enemas nightly for 4 months now. Lots of left side pain. I've missed about 7 weeks of work in the last 6 months because of this. The bleeding has been very bad the entire time.

I also lost about 30 pounds, and I've never been a larger person. I went from a very fit 199lb 6'1" frame down to 161 pounds. Since starting the prednisone 2 weeks ago, I've gained about 8 pounds back. yesterday, I noticed my skin was red and swollen all around my neck and face, and I was having little twitches in my neck where it was swelling. I started getting red all over my body slowly, and my face became very oily. This happened all in one day, after 2 weeks of no major side-effects to the prednisone.

My life has been hit pretty hard by this disease. Missing so much work has been difficult for me. I work in a relatively high stress job. I manage a group home for teenage boys who are in trouble with the law. I'm involved in lots of extremely petty disputes between angry irrational youth. I have to intervene physically in extremely violent situations. My weight loss and energy loss has scared me a bit in these situations. I got tossed around by a very violent 17 year old and was just barely able to maintain control of him. It would have been very bad if I had lost control. Usually, I'm one of the best around in a physical intervention, since I've trained martial arts for half my life, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in particular.

I don't want to talk about work, though.

Speaking of BJJ, I haven't been able to work out at all in the last 6 months since my flareups have started. I was training twice a day for a long time before all this started. I was the fittest person I knew, and I loved every minute of it. My diet was extremely clean. I always had high energy levels, and life was very good. Going from that to this has been devastating for me. My bike is collecting cobwebs in my garage. My weights haven't been moved in months. My heavybag is hanging there alone. My Jiu Jitsu school hasn't seen me since September. My muay thai training partners and I haven't even talked this whole time. It's depressing to go from being so active to so inactive. I spend many days alone at home in bed while my wife brings me tea or broth and a hydrocodone.

I'm only 28, and overall I have to say life has been good to me. I own a small home in a small town in Indiana. I work for a good company that has been understanding when I need a day or two at home. I have good friends who have been extremely generous to help me pay for my medical expenses, which has been just about $10,000 out of pocket in the last 6 months. I even got a check in the mail for $100 from someone I've never met who saw my mother's facebook status saying she was sending good karma to her son who was recently diagnosed with UC. This woman in NYC who was a casual friend of my mom just sent me money and said "good luck". My good friends sent me a $400 blender to make green juices with every day, which has become a HUGE part of my diet.

I am not the kind of person who will dwell in the negative aspects of my life. I can't add a day to my life by worrying, and complaining or saying "woe is me" is not going to help me. I am committed to my core to stay positive through my illness and to do my best to make peace in every conversation I have. My wife made it through 3 miscarriages/ectopics and is potentially barren from the damage they did to her fallopian tubes, and she still praises God for his provision and blesses her friends who are pregnant or have recently had kids.

I think my life has only continued to grow in success. I recently graduated from college Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors. I was accepted to all the Master's programs I applied to, and was able to choose one that will pay for most of my education. I am stressed about things of course, and that causes more problems than I really need (my UC flares when I'm stressed like this), but it's worthwhile. I do hope to marry and have kids in the future, but right now, I am content with my single status. It gives me more time to do the things I love. I hope to really use my UC in the future to help others.

I think success is something that changes as you grow, and I can't deny that my UC has led me to seek out different employment that I might not have normally looked to. I look to it now though because rather than doing what makes me the highest salary, I am more concerned with doing what I enjoy. My UC constantly reminds me that life is short, and I would rather spend my days doing what I love over loving what I make.