Thanks Sue, I've looked at the link which also has an illustrated guide to the j-pouch surgery, which I found useful. Did not realise that you'd kept the stoma for a bit aftetwards while the pouch...
Thanks C_G_K, very kind of you. Yes, truly relieved colitis is now a thing of the past. I know what you mean about the J-pouch. My surgeon told me I would be an ideal candidate for it, I guess he is...
Thanks notsosicklygirl, I know what you mean, and pleased to say I'm already at the stage of feeling very relieved of being rid of colitis. You should have seen the size of the bag of all the various...
Thanks Eva Lou, I know what you mean, I was in a bad way but was lucky to get such a high standard of care. I think the NHS here in England is a truly marvellous institution. Like you say, they do so...
Thanks for the replies. I couldn't see a sepcial forum for surgery, I just assmued UC people just kept posting to this forum post op, is this not the case? I can now manage to sleep something like 5...
Last time I wrote was a while back, perhaps six month ago, when I was in remission and all seemed to be going ever so well. I was managing with careful diet, and rectal enemas for minor flare ups. A...
I would advice caution with regards to popcorn. I found it to be very bad for me. Its roughage seemed to do a lot of damage to my colon, and definitely made the bleeding symptoms worse. I found salty...
In the UK it is completely free through the NHS. They recommend an endoscopy every two years, normally. I had my first on the onset of UC, to confirm the diagnosis. My second was two years later, as...
I know what you mean, ryverwise. When I was on prednisone, my dose was eventually ratcheted up so high that my appetite went through the roof. I put on lots of weight, and I was eating virtually none...
Before getting diagnosed with UC I used to do a lot of middle distance running. When I got a bit down hearted in a race, I used to find that the best way for me to boost my spirits was to try to...
Not sure if it has been discovered exactly why smokers are statistically less likely to suffer from UC than non-smokers. My hunch is that nicotine somehow alters the immune system response to...
pinkerton88, I would encourage you to be patient if you can, and give it more time before going down the surgery route. I had continuous UC flare-ups from July 2005 (when I was first diagnosed) till...
If you are particularly loose, you may find that foam enemas are easier to retain. You may wish to discuss with your doctor to see if you can be prescribed something suitable....
quincy, I have been in remission for nearly 1.5 years now (after changing my diet). Imuran was the last of the medications I was on. I wanted to stop Imuran a while ago but my doctor felt nervous...
Has anyone stopped taking Imuran (azathioprine) before? How long were you on it for before stopping? and how long did it take from the time you stopped before you started noticing any effects? Were...
lol quincy, I could imagine the label reading "No starfish were harmed in the making of this enema"...
Just saw this on the BBC: Could starfish inspire new cure for inflammation? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11931039 Here are some interesting quotes: "Inflammation is the body's...
During my worst flare-ups I made arrangements with my employer to work from home. It was good for the employer, because I never really went off sick and so was able to continue to do the work. And it...
I also noticed this pattern during flare-ups. To me, it seemed like the first time I went to the toilet the stools were less loose than what then went on in subsequent visits. It was as if the first...
ENIGMAWRAP, Yes, I do live in England, and the study which produced the diet's foods list was also conducted in the UK. So I think you make a very good point indeed. Food additives and preservatives...
ll, Thank you for the kind words and for your interest. I wrote my first post ever to the forum only a few days ago, even though I've read it's pages frequently over the years. I guess I never felt...
I think excessive gas can be a sign that the colon is not functioning as well as it can be. I found that I get a lot of wind just before my bowels become looser. This also coincides with passing less...
.My remission started 15 months ago. At my worst I used to visit the toilet over 20 times in a day, and several times at night. There was always blood in there. I had various durations of time when...
Is the Entocort budenoside-based? If so, I'd just like to say that the budenoside I took (Budenfalk foam enema) was by far the best thing that worked for me. Within three weeks I noticed a big...
imagardener2, Thank you for your interest in my post and the information about sunflower seeds and spinach. You are right, thiamin is the same as B1, though I'm not sure how B1 synthetic supplements...
bobbymanc, Margarita pizza gets me out of trouble when eating out but I don't eat it regularly as such. The reason I originally gave margarita a try was because pizza was in the good zone of the diet...
ENIGMAWRAP, Not sure exactly how long it took. I think it was something like 3 months into it when I started to think this is definitely working and not just mere coincidence, and after something...
subdued, I know what you mean. My first thoughts when I saw the diet was that some of foods listed as harmful, like wine and beer, did not come as a surprise to me as I had seen them mentioned a lot...
bobbymanc, Thank you for your interest in my post and for your thoughts on the Magee et al article, which I've posted a link to. I too found it surprising that pizza is listed as a good food in the...
ENIGMAWRAP, Thank you for your interest in my post and the kind words. It seems that thiamin is essential for maintaining a healthy colon. Thiamin deficiency has been linked by some studies to...
Hello everyone, this is my first post. I have read these forums a lot before, and thought I'd post some info which really helped me over the last 15 months. I was diagnosed with UC over 5 years ago,...