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I didnt want to hijack Marliss's thread about her great nephew (healing hugs from Aus )
does anyone else find it unsettling, not just that there has been an increase in the occurrence of immune conditions, but more so their ferocity in the ways it is attacks the cells, the body, the organs etc and the resulting damage...
some of the conditions (like Austin has ) make MC look like a walk in the park
no one deserves to endure symptoms and high risk surgeries like that...
part of my un-settlement is that i have to accept that it is not going to get any better any time soon (and ponder 'will the world wake up and take action early enough to reverse things)
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Yes Gabes I find it unsettling....at my school every professional now is involved in a cafeteria duty due to cuts. I have never done this before. I walk around looking at what the children are or are not eating and I become even more unsettled. I have talked to young parents and sympathize with the "picky" eater child who will eat very little meat and no Vegetables and I think....yikes. It's funny I remember not long ago when members on this site said they looked at food they couldn't eat in a very different way and were almost repulsed by it. I am starting to see some of that in me. I have to be careful of not being too judgemental about what the rest of the world is eating and not going on a crusade that makes eyebrows go up and thoughts of "she's gone bat-crazy" so no one listens to anything I say.
Everything will be ok in the end, if it's not ok, it's not the end.
I talk about it almost non stop. In fact I need to cool it or I'm going to isolate myself. I tell my sisters not to feed their children gluten and dairy. But I don't have kids, so what do I know. I was telling my dad that if he has an iritis flare, he should try gluten free. But he'll never stop drinking beer. He bakes a lot, so I bought him the Bobs gluten free flour.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~The Dalai Lama
I also am saddened by the amount of immune problems I hear about. Our food sources are so distorted with chemicals and GMOs, that even better choices might not be enough to protect from immune reactions. Some people wonder if I have lost my marbles....when they eat with me!
I find it very unsettling as well. It seems more and more of my friends are talking about their GI symptoms and painful arthritis. I teach adults - mostly young adults - in a daylong adult education program. Many of them struggle to learn, yet throughout the day, they snack on junk food. Several of them are pregnant. It is so difficult for me to keep quiet about their food and stick to the subjects at hand.
Hi, The way we eat has changed since I was young. Everyday, my entire family ate at the same time a good home cooked supper every day. When, I went to college the first year I lived in the dorm and had access to great meals three times a day. But that all changed after the first year and I moved into a apartment. I never ate a good meal for the rest of the years in college except when I went home. When, my children were growing up we rarely ate at the same time. Once they started playing sports fast foods became a staple instead of a treat. Today, with both parents working the only meal they eat together may be on the holidays. Did you read the report about the man that ate every meal at MacDonalds? Jon
I, too, find it unsettling. Everything seems to be more virulent. I attribute it in large part to the food we eat, which has been hybridized (not to mention the GMO issue) for many, many years for productivity and other reasons. In a similar vein, I read an article yesterday about the changes in some dog breeds because of fashion that have led to all sorts of health issues. Looking at the photos of the old dogs and what they look like now was saddening.
Even the organic, non-GMO food has its issues, and even if heirloom stock was used to grow food, the soil has been depleted of nutrients. I venture to say that farmers like the Amish, who use old-fashioned crop rotation and fertilization like animal manure are healthier than the general population.
Backing off from saying things is hard, but we have to remember that everyone is responsible for his/her own thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavior, and choices. Once people know where I stand, and watch me eat, there's not much more I can do. They know I will help them if they want me to. There is a saying that you can lead a horse to water but not make him drink. However, you can salt his oats, and I try to do that, at least with my family.
All that being said--when I see someone in front of me at the store and they have muffins, cereal, fruitcake, Tums, and Prilosec in their purchases, it is really, really hard not to stick my nose in.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Marliss wrote:All that being said--when I see someone in front of me at the store and they have muffins, cereal, fruitcake, Tums, and Prilosec in their purchases, it is really, really hard not to stick my nose in.
That said, thinking back, I can remember that when I was growing up, I was a regular Tums user. Just like those people at the store, it never occurred to me that it meant anything, back in those days (this was like 60+ years ago). And it still didn't mean anything to me 20 years ago, nor even 10 years ago.
We have only become aware of such issues rather recently, and we probably still wouldn't be aware of them if we hadn't been forced to learn about them, because our symptoms finally became intolerable.
So is the situation actually much worse now? Probably, but almost surely not nearly as much as we think. We're much more aware of such problems now. We were oblivious, or at least ambivalent to them, before we were personally forced to confront them — they were someone else's problem, and most people didn't regularly spill their guts about their own infirmities prior to the advent of Facebook and internet discussion boards.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Marliss wrote:All that being said--when I see someone in front of me at the store and they have muffins, cereal, fruitcake, Tums, and Prilosec in their purchases, it is really, really hard not to stick my nose in.
That said, thinking back, I can remember that when I was growing up, I was a regular Tums user. Just like those people at the store, it never occurred to me that it meant anything, back in those days (this was like 60+ years ago). And it still didn't mean anything to me 20 years ago, nor even 10 years ago.
We have only become aware of such issues rather recently, and we probably still wouldn't be aware of them if we hadn't been forced to learn about them, because our symptoms finally became intolerable.
So is the situation actually much worse now? Probably, but almost surely not nearly as much as we think. We're much more aware of such problems now. We were oblivious, or at least ambivalent to them, before we were personally forced to confront them — they were someone else's problem, and most people didn't regularly spill their guts about their own infirmities prior to the advent of Facebook and internet discussion boards.
Tex
I agree with this.
My dad has had stomach problems his whole life. My dad also told me, his Dad had stomach problems his whole life also. He use to make some kind of concoction, as my dad would call it. My dad is 72, he isn't going to change what he eats. I am probably hard headed enough, I wouldn't either unless I ended up with no other choice, which it came down to.
I'm responding from two sides, first, as a mom with a teen daughter that gets frustrated she can't find healthy foods, second, as someone with MC that's been told it was caused by X or Y and would get better with X or Y.
First, regarding my daughter... wow, worse than the lunches are teachers who love throwing "food days" like All. The. Time. And the unhealthy stuff they put out, how the healthy stuff is usually past nasty stage (fruit). But I also know lunches are really dirt cheap. To get better lunches would raise the price. To get Whole Foods quality would raise the price even more. A good chunk of kids get free meals, and the free breakfast and lunch might be all they eat in a given day. (They are also often sent home with a backpack of food, which often gets shared with the whole family.)
I also lead the "local" arm of my church's impact team, and as such, no how much food is needed to feed the homeless and working poor served at food kitchens. And in our church alone, I'm trying to find people to "adopt" struggling families, four of which need food and other necessities like underwear, blankets, jackets... And our church is insanely generous. We feed the homeless twice a month, send help to orphanages, serve at nursing homes and veterans homes and crisis pregnancy centers. (In Oct., we had over 400 folks serving in over 31 facilities/ministries in our community.) And I could go on, because truly, these folks get it, care, and are doing everything they know to help.
But I will tell you, when I'm drumming up food supplies for a Friday dinner, knowing parents with kids will come, eat as much as they can (if you've ever spent a mealtime with the impoverished or homeless, you know what I mean. If they're not sure if they'll eat again until the next free meal, they stuff themselves to get them through.) But anyway, when I try to feed them, I love summer because people donate tomatoes and cucumbers. Winter, everyone's rejoicing if there's warm meat and bread. (Bread is donated, because it's a cheap filler.)
As a side note, before I got MC, I was a triathlete that lived off fruits and veggies and lean meats. I didn't eat crackers or go to fast food. I was pretty obsessive, and in tip-top shape. I prided myself at being able to outperform the male trainers at the gym during bootcamp class.
My dad's a coach who's pretty much read every health book out there. As a kid, when I was in gymnastics, I went off ALL sugar because I heard sugar made you tired. And I wanted to perfom. No, I wanted to win.
Then, shortly after my last triathlon, eating well, training well, I got sick. For a year, I tried to get better on my own, using, yep, fruits and veggies. Didn't eat carbs or bread. Interesting, my husband ate fries and steak and chips and crackers, rarely worked out, lives on Mt. Dew. He's got arthritis in his hip due to a congenital thing (forgot the name, but it has to do with the build of his back, and probably working a desk job for 30 years), but he doesn't have colitis or fatigue or any of those things.
I've been off a gluten for a looooooooooong time. In fact, after diagnosis, I went on rice, meat, olive oil, and mushy veggies. And when I say I don't cheat, I mean, I don't cheat. I was eating out a lot this fall, and may have gotten cross contamination, but I've had lengths of time of NOT eating out and still was the same.
I'm doing well right now because I'm on 9mg of budesonide, 2 peptos, 2 immodiums, and 2 hyoscyamines EVERY day. I am also gluten, soy, dairy, egg, and fructose free, and on a low fiber diet.
My dad has sent me so many articles and naturopathic books, I could open a bookstore. And I know he means well, and I love him to pieces! And before I got lc, I was convinced, if you eat well and exercise, you'll never get sick. I was the perfect proof of that, right? And if you were sick, likely you weren't eating well or taking care of yourself, but as soon as you turned those things around, wham! All your problems would go away and strength and health would return.
Then I got sick. And I sent an email to my mom, who's had heart disease, etc, apologizing.
I became more understanding and compassionate of people in general. (I was so insanely proud before. And judgemental.)
After my husband spent a winter of lying beside me in bed when I was exhausted and not feeling well, I apologized for all the times I got frustrated when, after a six mile hike he got tired and wanted to turn back, or he was done bike riding after an hour, or he wanted to watch a movie when I wanted to go for a walk or bike ride (I'm pretty sure all this happened on each and every vacation. Oy!)
I think you were responding to me, Gabes. That is how it seems. I've found for me, it's kinda a complex combination of diet, oc meds, prescriptions, and teas. Although I'm still learning. ;)
The primary difference between now and then is, in a word, "stress". We didn't have the level of chronic stress back then (a couple of generations ago) that we have now. Life was much simpler. We were much more laid back, and we still knew how to relax and unwind "back then".
Today stress levels have escalated, and we have forgotten how to relax and unwind. And every day the average stress level for the average individual is a little bit higher than it was the day before. Why? Because everything happens much faster these days, and technology continues to advance at an increasingly faster rate. Consequently, we place more demands on ourselves, and others expect much more from us. And even those of us who can remember how to relax and unwind, usually can't find enough time on a regular basis to do it right — certainly not nearly enough to counteract all the added stress of today.
When I was a kid, I had more than enough time to do virtually everything I wanted, with plenty of time to relax. And that was still true up until roughly 20 or so years ago. But those days (and the more laid-back lifestyle) are gone now, and they are unlikely to ever return. And as de-stressing time becomes more precious, stress levels continue to build, and as they do, they become a ticking time bomb, waiting for the final trigger that will allow them to launch a successful assault on our health.
Excellent point, Jennifer. You have laid out a very good example of how it happens:
Jennifer wrote:As a side note, before I got MC, I was a triathlete that lived off fruits and veggies and lean meats. I didn't eat crackers or go to fast food. I was pretty obsessive, and in tip-top shape. I prided myself at being able to outperform the male trainers at the gym during bootcamp class.
My dad's a coach who's pretty much read every health book out there. As a kid, when I was in gymnastics, I went off ALL sugar because I heard sugar made you tired. And I wanted to perfom. No, I wanted to win.
Then, shortly after my last triathlon, eating well, training well, I got sick. For a year, I tried to get better on my own, using, yep, fruits and veggies. Didn't eat carbs or bread.
Note the key words, such as "obsessive", "tip-top", "outperform", "win". Most of us were perfectionists, ambitious, highly competitive, entrepreneurs, etc.
And I like your example of how eschewing such aggressive behavior helps to suppress the stress and maybe even defuse the bomb:
Jennifer wrote:Interesting, my husband ate fries and steak and chips and crackers, rarely worked out, lives on Mt. Dew. He's got arthritis in his hip due to a congenital thing (forgot the name, but it has to do with the build of his back, and probably working a desk job for 30 years), but he doesn't have colitis or fatigue or any of those things. . . .
. . . after a six mile hike he got tired and wanted to turn back, or he was done bike riding after an hour, or he wanted to watch a movie when I wanted to go for a walk or bike ride
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Good discussion. Thanks Gabe! I'm not just unsettled, I'm stark raving mad about it! Has anyone checked the prevalence of IBDs lately, compared to 20 years ago? I'd bet serious money that Crohns and UC are way up, and that doesn't include the untold thousands with MC! (The types that would not have sought medical help years ago).
So many people I know...all over the country...have all types of crazy immune dysfunction. The groups on Facebook and other patient sites devoted to conditions have hundreds of new members each week. For every mother I know with immune dysfunction of any kind, even mild like rosacea, she has kids with either allergies, ADHD, autism, anxiety didorders, GI issues, etc. When mom appears to have a healthy history, these kids usually have lots of antibiotic use in infancy...chronic ear infections, strep, etc, infant reflux treated with PPIs. When you dig deep enough, there is usually a smoking gun that caused gut dysbiosis before everything else went crazy.
I chair my kids' school wellness committee and we implemented a popular Farm to School program to introduce picky eaters to organically grown produce at lunchtime. The farmers come and give a presentation about how the food is grown during each lunch shift. It's amazing what kids will eat when their parents aren't around...radishes, okra, edible flowers, kale salads, pumpkin soup, etc. I've stopped telling parents what not to feed their kids. I concentrate entirely on what they could/should be eating. What they might like that's healthy. We're hoping to lobby local restaurants next to improve their children's menu offerings. If you must serve Chicken nuggets and Mac-and-cheese, they should be served with carrots and broccoli, a fruit cup, and juice or milk, not fries, bread and soda!
Jennifer, my reply was just a pondering, said aloud as I meander over the replies....
On one hand society, lifestyle, culture in current times is a big contributor to the fiery aggressive symptoms...
Then again, this era with Internet and this forum, has helped so many attain remission...
Zizzle... Wow! I am impressed that your wellness group is being that pro-active....
I wonder how long it will be before it is the majority thinking pro-actively about health and wellness rather than the minority.
Will it happen in our life-time???
(Or will we all have contact in our next lifetime via a forum !!! Hee hee hee )
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
)
Just like those people at the store, it never occurred to me that it meant anything, back in those days (this was like 60+ years ago). And it still didn't mean anything to me 20 years ago, nor even 10 years ago.
