Monday, March 31, 2008

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.

3 comments:

Chadwick said...

I remember when I was first diagnosed, I was very nervous about everything I ate. I didn't know what would send me over the edge and what would not. Unfortunately, it's something that only comes with time. But t does get easier.

Hope you are feeling ok.

Unknown said...

I'm in the same boat so to speak. I'm eating anything and everything (apart from wheat cereals) and taking each day at a time. I think a food journal is a good idea, but I'm eating so much I think the ink may run out of my pen before too long!!!

ocean mommy said...

I remember when all Chad could eat was chicken and rice...from my mom's kitchen. I've never been able to perfect it! I'm just not that great in the kitchen. :)

The food journal is so important. It helped us to see patterns and trends...