There, I said it out loud. Mine is not the sort of medical condition that you talk about in polite company. There is nothing glamorous about it—you just can’t be more than five feet away from a bathroom at any given moment, and you consider buying stock in toilet paper to at least try to recoup some of your “investment.”
Here’s an example of just how little most people care to hear about my chronic disease. A couple of years ago, I posted on Facebook about prepping for a colonoscopy scheduled for the following day, stating simply that the prep liquid tasted terrible and I would be happy to be done with the procedure—nothing graphic or gory.
A friend replied, “Tammy, your posts are generally so interesting and upbeat and informative. We expect something of higher caliber from you.”
Crohn’s disease is a part of my life every single day. It is my constant companion. It knocks on the door from the inside of my guts and says, “Hey! I’m in here! You can’t forget about me!”
Sometimes it knocks so loudly that the racket coming from my abdomen causes Boss Tweed to flee in surprise and panic! I kid you not.
As I began scheming about this journey, it occurred to me: If I must be in close proximity to a toilet, I’ll take the toilet with me everywhere I go.
As Matthew Wilder sang, “Ain’t nothn’ gonna break my stride, nobody’s gonna slow me down, oh no, I got to keep on movin.”
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You go girl! I love your attitude. I lived with a family in New Jersey during college, each member of which suffered from Crohn’s Disease in one form or another including the 15 year old boy who had the rarest (and deadliest) form. He spent up to 6 months at a time in the hospital. but I have to tell you that family taught me more about living and how to face life with challenges and truly have fun and squeeze joy out of every bit of it. I am so grateful for my time living there. 🙂
Hi Tammy,
Something that might be of interest to you is the whole food plant based diet. Others with crohn’s have gotten positive results. You can Google forks over knives and Crohn’s Disease and find out more. I’ve been on the diet for over a year and a lot of my family members are too. If you need help with what to eat, I would be happy to recommend how to get started. Happy Trails!
Thank you for the info!
Tammy, I suspect others may have told you about this, but just in case not, I believe that you should investigate the Autoimmune Protocol as set forth by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD (an autoimmune medical researcher who also has these problems) in her book “The Paleo Approach”. see more at http://www.thepaleomom.com
I have successfully used this method to improve my diverticulitis and long-standing skin problems.
The book is not expensive, and if you want I will send you my copy.
Best, and Happy new year!
Roberta, thank you for your kind offer. I’ll be sure to pick the book up!