I guess it's always going to be trial and error?

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:54 am

So, I've been on budesonide for about a week and a half now, and my elimination diet since a week ago Friday. Diet consists of chicken, rice, and green beans. Have oonsistently had only 1 BM in the morning that wasn't D. Yesterday, my husband dragged me out of the house with him to run errands and I sat with him while he ate and I drank a glass of iced tea. My head told me no when I read on the iced tea pot that several things had been added to the tea (Vitamin C and B are the two I can remember), but I wanted to be able to have something with him so I drank it. I haven't had a lot of caffeine but I have had some iced tea from time to time and it hasn't bothered me. I woke up this morning and my tummy was not happy. I have the gassy bloating feeling again and somewhat side pains (and all of that had pretty much subsided in the last week). I've also been to the bathroom 3 times this morning with D. I've had plain old iced tea from other places and not had any problems. I have to believe it was whatever was added to this tea. That's the only thing I did differently yesterday (and really validates the elimination diet and why you make only 1 change at a time to be able to figure it out). I realize I haven't had very long to heal, but I thought I might be further along than this. This disease is so frustrating and so just downright unfair at times! Sorry, just another "feeling sorry for myself" moment when I realize that life as I once knew it will never be the same! I am thinking I will never ever be able to go out with friends and certainly never be able to eat out again. Travel will be nonexistent.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 11:30 am

Jari,

Sorry you had a bad experience.

Healing takes time. Even a broken bone takes 8-12 weeks to heal, with our gut it takes longer.

In saying that, don't despair, you can get your life back, eat out and travel etc.
grab a cuppa and spend some time reading the member success stories area,this will help you to see how long it took for others, and the achievements they were able to do once they had their mc management plan figured out, and good healing happening...

One member has travelled twice to Thailand (from USA) to see her grandchildren.
I travelled to France (36hr transit each way) and worked there for 3 weeks.

With your elimination diet, I would be cautious about using beans... If you react to soy, you may not be able to have beans daily. Sweet potato, or carrot tends to be a safer option.

The other part to all of this, aside from med and diet is our mental and emotional acceptance. We all go through the stages of grief, as the reality of life with mc hits us. There is a thread by a recent newbie Erica, at the top of this main message page, this is another good read... With lots of good advice.

Post by **tex** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 2:24 pm

Jari,

Citric acid, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a problem for many of us while we are recovering. I would guess that it was the vitamin C that your digestive system disagreed with.

Tex

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 12:48 pm

Hi Jari,

I am thinking I will never ever be able to go out with friends and certainly never be able to eat out again. Travel will be nonexistent.[/quote]

I thought this exact same thing but only a couple months ago. I went thru this grieving stage starting in April of this year. Until I got a very basic food regimen going and stayed on it every day for the last 90 days did I see that glorious light at the end of the tunnel start to emerge. This MC has been one of the most humbling moments of my life, but it has and does get better. With Gabe, Tex, Polly, Donna, Deb and Sooo many others helping hand and loving words I was able to put this situation in perspective no matter how much I wanted to kick and scream and get what I want to feel normal (or whatever normal is because obviously I was making myself sick with the foods I had been eating). I also don't have other disabling issues either, just MC.

I had to sit down and make a plan for myself (take some serious time with this one). Learn about the Bristol scale I used to be a constant 7 for the last 8 years (no fun!!), now in only 90 days I am having constant 5's YAY!! The diet change, the mental change, the spiritual change combination all had something to do with the healing. Where your healing starts is up to you

I was on the pity band wagon about traveling also....I didn't want to be left behind during camping on the 4th of July so I put all my safe foods together and decided to give it a shot, and I made it work for me, you will be able too, each travel will have it's unique ways of dealing with it, believe me I think about that aspect of my life all the time. I had almost 60 good days healing before I let myself try going out. This MC just is what it is, and I've learned you have to give ample time to heal the gut before you can take another step in something new.

Best advice at the moment "eats lots of Safe protein", this is what I think of when ever I am hungry, or to hungry to make a good choice of food. I hope you read the "Sticky" at the top of this forum called "Need input that I'm not going to get from a Dr." it really does have some good points.

Cheers

Erica

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 3:19 pm

Hi Jari,

It takes a lot of protein and positive mental attitude to get into remission. I've done international travel and a lot of business travel in remission.
Travel is doable but it takes planning.

Like Erica I found it helpful to make protein the bedrock of my eating plan.

Brandy

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 6:41 pm

Erica,

How wonderful to read some of your past posts and see your frustration and then hear you being so positive and upbeat now. Things are turning around for you and I'm elated for you. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my frustrations. I'm glad to hear that I may be able to travel again one of these days and possibly even be able to eat out. I figured that in time I would figure it all out and be feeling better and be able to do many of the things I could do before MC but it's hard to think about when you feel so raunchy!

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 1:52 pm

Thanks Jari,

It has been an up hill crawl, but quite honestly without the dedication of the wonderful people on this site it would have taken me much longer to grasp a better frame of mind. MC doesn't care if you are tired, lonely, irritable, achy, hungry! I learned so much in such a short amount of time here I just want to share what I have learned with anyone who has or is feeling crummy with this syndrome.

I am doing better, I still have off days but my attitude has done a 180

Just remember MC will always be lurking in the background so be careful eating out. Right now just allow yourself time to heal, how ever long that may take. I plan to lie low and heal for a good couple years, I want to be the best I can let myself be so choosing safe foods becomes a natural part of my life again.

Cheers
Erica