I have had two major episodes of colitis. One when I was 27 and the last two years ago at the age of 74. Between the ages of 27 and 75 I had no trace of the disease, and have had no symptoms for the last two years. I am 76 and completely disease free and am taking no prescript
ion medication.
The first episode was just after getting out of the Army after existing for two years on Army food. I began to have extremely difficult bowel movements with pain and constipation. It became normal for me to bleed into the toilet bowel after each of multiple bowel movements throughout the day with constant spasm of the gut. I was miserable and my weight dropped down to 120 lbs from my usual 145 (at six feet tall). One night, my wife found me face down and unconscious on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood and called the paramedics.
I was checked in to the V.A. Hospital in Los Angeles and they kept me there for a month on intravenous drip and cortisone retention enemas. I was taught how to administer the enemas myself and was sent home with a dozen vials of cortisone and instructions to continue my hospital diet of soft boiled eggs, white bread, white rice, jello and no fruits or vegetables. I was miserable and led a nightmare existence in which I never felt good or normal. One day on the way out of the V.A. pharmacy, I asked myself a question: "How did people eat a hundred or more years ago and did they have colitis?"
I decided that the answer was that they did not live on white bread and processed rice and probably did not have colitis. I stopped at a market on my way home and bought a loaf 100% whole wheat bread and brought it home. I told my family that I wasn't trying to change their eating habits, but that from that day on I would only eat whole grains along with fresh fruits and vegetables and yogurt. My colitis cleared up inside of five days and did not return for many years. I have lived all of the intervening years since as a normal healthy man weighing 165 lbs with completely normal bowel movements, no bleeding and no prescript
ion drugs. I also undertook a program of regular exercise.
about
two years or so ago, after a mild gut inflammation that required ten days of antibiotics, the colitis returned. I panicked as I felt my world suddenly reverting back to the bad old days. I had anal bleeding (mild), and some gut spasm. I saw my doctor and he put me on a prescript
ion medication that alleviated some of the symptoms. But the rotten thing about
colitis is that you just never feel "right". Something always feels "wrong" deep down inside. The supposedly "gut friendly" white flour diet was again prescribed, but I refused to accept it and continued my normal healthy diet hoping that it would go away. But it wouldn't.
I started combing through the internet, and tried several herbs and natural supplements, but nothing worked. Then, one day, I found an obscure reference that vaguely stated that there were some reports that aloe vera might help. I went to my local market and bought a bottle of pure aloe juice and took a shot glass of it before retiring for the night. The next morning, there was no blood in my stool and my hope shot up. Same thing the next day and the day after that. My bowel movements became completely normal and I got my life back.
I buy it by the gallon at a local market called Trader Joes's. It costs a mere $8.00, which is a lot cheaper than getting it at a health food store. The company that bottles it is "Aloe Botanicals" and their phone number is (800) 286 0633. I always take a shot class every day as it is a powerful antioxidant and enables me to also avoid some of the other plagues of aging such as arthritis. It mixes well with cranberry or pomegranate juice. I mix it 50/50 and keep it in the frig. With the juice, that's two shots every day. Good luck to all of you. If you need to ask me anything, my phone number is *removed your number for security reasons*
Post Edited By Moderator (Red_34) : 7/28/2013 2:24:20 PM (GMT-6)