Food!

Oh my weakness! After being diagnosed only 3 months ago I am still playing the "Food game". It makes absolutely no sense to me and in fact drives me crazy most of the time. It seems like one day I can eat somethings and then the next time I try that same food, it sends me into a tale spin and I am laid up in bed for a while.

Things that I have learned to steer clear of no matter what:

-Popcorn (and I LOVE popcorn!)

-Rice

-Cucumbers

-Strawberries

-Corn

-Apples

I have also discovered that "dark" sodas tend to upset my stomach. The stress is that I tend to live in fear of alot of foods. I am scared of nuts and anything seedy. It could be that these things don't even bother me, but fear keeps me clear of them. It is very hard for someone who loves food as much as I do to be so afraid of everything I eat. Sometimes my cravings get the best of me. I guess it just depends on what you are willing to go through in order to satisfy a craving.

One thing that amazes me most about Crohn's and other stomach related illnesses is how random things are. Where milk can send some people to the hospital and it doesn't phase others. An apple can be great for some but it will send me to bed for two days. One thing that helped me alot was journaling. I wrote all of my foods, symptoms, meds, sleep, emotions, doctors notes, etc. for about 2 months. It helped me to see patterns as well as it made me stay aware of my body.

Food will always be my greatest weakness and with Crohn's it is also my greatest frustration. Even though I hate the crap (HA! no pun intended), it doesn't stop me from trying to live freely and experience life fully.

What to eat?

As anyone with any stomach realted issues knows, one of the biggest problems we all face is what to eat. What do we eat when we feel really good and can get away with a little more? What do we eat when we are feeling just "ok"? What do we eat when we are in the middle of an attack but we have to get wome type of nurishment? What are your go to , "when all else fails" foods?

I'd love to get some feedback from you on what and how you eat. You can share it in the comments or if you want to post something seperate, email me and I'll give you the link.

So here goes my list:
Feeling great
Fortunately, after 15 years, my Crohn's is pretty well under control. So when I'm feeling really good, I eat pretty much anything I want - even the stuff the docs tell me not to. I lean toward the spicier foods, & believe it or not, the stuff with peppers in it make it better, not worse for me.
Feeling ok
I love pasta with light sauces. The heavier sauces tend to bother me. I do my best to stay away from the greasier stuff, especially since I had my gallbladder taken out about 11 years ago. I don't go overboard on anything that is really high fiber, cause that stuff borthers me too.

Feeling bad
When it's bad I typically go for the stuff that is not really solid. I love grits, of course that is a couthern thing, so some of you may not know what they are or care for them. Cream of wheat is right there with the grits & is almost the same stuff. Jello is always good for me too.

So, that is at least a start for us - I'd love to hear about your comfort foods, because we all need some new ideas.

Until next time...

Chadwick

PS - I am editing this afterward to add one more thing. I absolutely love Coke. But since I'm trying to lose some weight, I'm abstaining for now. Here's 2 recommendations of drink I really, really like & they do not bother me, they taste good, and they actually make me feel a little better. Crystal Light Iced Tea - I drink this stuff all the time. I drink hot Peppermint Tea every night about an hour or two before bed. The warm water aids digestion, and peppermint is a natural anesthetic for your stomach. I've found that Peppermint Tea helps me to sleep a lot better.

Men's restroom on the left

I thought I would get us started with our writing, sharing something I put on my own blog about a month or so ago. I know as Crohn's patients we all have those wonderfully qwuirky, somewhat embarassing moments. This is one of mine. And I'll just warn you, if "bathroom" humor bothers you - stop reading now!!

Just to set the stage (so to speak), you have to understand that as a Crohn's patient I go to the restroom approximately 8 - 10 times per day (and yes I talking about #2 not #1). So you can kindof understand that as an insurance sales rep, I am out and about all over North Georgia, so I have to know where the decent (clean) bathrooms are for just about anywhere I'm traveling.Unfortunately, traveling around and going to the restroom in so many different McDonald's restaurants, I guess I have gotten way too used to where the restrooms are and how they are laid out and extactly where they are in the restaurant. Today I had a Crohn's moment hit & I just had to stop. I'm not going to say the name of this small city close to home, because it only has 1 McDonald's & someone might have seem me there. I get out of my car & run for the McD's door ... walking anxiously for the restrooms. I head for the back & go for the door on the left - make my way to the stall & sit down to do my business. After a moment, my thoughts went down this path - "Wow this McD's is really nice, they have 2 stalls. Normally when I go to a McD's, the guys bathroom only has 1 stall (& I inevitably end up having to wait on someone else to get done) and 1 or 2 urinals. Wait a minute - Did I see a unrinal?? Oh My - I didn't see a urinal. Did I? Oh no - I honestly don't remember. I may be in trouble!!! Could I be in the wrong restroom? I need to get done quick, just in case. Oh and I need to be quiet, cause If I am in the ladies room, I don't want them to hear me." So I get done, listen for anyone that might be out there. And then as I open the bathroom door to make my escape, I look across from the door I am exiting and see the sign that says "Men" on the door opposite me. Needless to say, the door I was exiting said "Women." But I did at least make the McD's employee, sitting just outside the restrooms, laugh heartily - because he watched me go in & come out. "Dude, you could have saved me!!"

So my lesson from today - even when you are in a hurry to go - make sure to read the signs. Oh, and just because most of the McD's put the men's restroom on the left (and if you don't believe me look the next time you are in one), doesn't mean that they are all on the left. Note to McD's - us Crohn's patients would appreciate a little more consistency in restroom placement.

I'd love to have more of you come and share your stories, whether funny or sad. I know you all don't what to have me being the only writer here. So email me at dcparson@gmail.com if you are interested is writing. I'll get you added in as an author. Blogger will only allow 100 authors at a time, so there is a finite number of writing spots available.

Until next time...

Chadwick

Confession of a Crohn's Patient

Brand new blog with hopefully a new outlet for all of you Crohn's patients out there like me. I thought it might be interesting to have one blog where we can all come and write about all the wonderful Crohn's related issues in our lives.

This blog is open to anyone who would like to write something. Some of us do have other blogs where we write - we will have a link to each individual authors blog, if you have one. If you are interested in writing, just email me and I will add you to the writers list and give you access.

Ideally the writers on this blog will be Crohn's patients, or their spouse, family, or someone else with a vested interest in the life of a Crohn's patient. This will be a place where we can encourage, laugh, cry, get mad, scream, shout, or just share your funny stories (you know we all have them). I'll ask that the posts be at least pg rated. We will have lots of younger readers and their families. But all of our readers have to understand the life of a Crohn's patients always leads to the toilet, so I expect that some of our posts will lead there as well. Anything deemed offensive will be removed, and the writer's permission revoked.

That said, let's have fun. Share & encourage each other.

Chadwick