MICROSCOPIC COLITIS SUPPORT

I recently traveled from my home in Atlanta to St. Louis for a very brief vacation. I carried EVERY bit of my own food with me, ate nothing on the way there or back or while I was there except for the food I brought with me, which was not easy. But I still got violently sick one night......I mean the kind of diarrhea that I had to take a shower and then still had to sit on the toilet for 3 hours non-stop because I was so sick and never thought the diarrhea would end. Finally, when everything everything everything in my entire system was gone and I was shaking all over, I managed to make it back to my bed, wrap up in an electric blanket and try to get a little sleep. The next day, I ate almost nothing, afraid it would start all over again. Of course, I was consuming major amount of immodium to try to stop it.

My biggest fear was having one of these attacks in the car on the way back from St. Louis on the interstate far from a restroom. I somehow made it home before the next attack began. But it occurred to me that the only thing different that I put in my body was St. Louis water. Is it possible that a change in water could have set me off? OMG!!!! Does that mean if I am ever brave enough to travel again that I will need to carry bottled water wherever I go or only drink bottled water?

I really doubt I will ever travel again. I know I am only 67 but that little 4 day trip was hardly worth it considering all I had to pack to make it possible for me to go. I know I would NEVER fly anywhere. And it is still so difficult for me to even go places locally in Atlanta to participate in any activities here so I am very much a hermit and it has been 27 months since being diagnosed with MC.

Gail
sorry you had such a bad experience

when I was inflammed/super reactive - yes I would react to change in water supply.
on outings, to work etc I take my own water everywhere.

with healing and better health, I am not so reactive.

Gail,

That was such a violent reaction that in light or your compromised immune system, I wonder if you might have picked up a stomach virus of some sort. Since you had all of your own food, surely it couldn't have been food poisoning.

Tex

Whatever it was, it passed with that one 3 hour episode. So I do not think it was a stomach virus as I believe that would have lasted longer. I know my immune system is so screwed up, which is why I hesitate to expose myself to anyone anywhere. People (including my 40 year old daughter who I live with) really wonder why I am such a hermit but every time I try to go somewhere and do something, a major episode occurs.

I did go to Downtown Atlanta last week to see the Broadway production of the King and I, which I have waited oh so very many years to see (saw Yul Brynner perform the show live in St. Louis when I was 5 and never forgot it). But got trapped on an entrance ramp on an interstate by the police who had shut down the interstate and was stuck there for an hour. Interstate was closed, no traffic on it. I could feel my intestines rolling and making terrible noises. And I'm worrying if I'm going to have to dive over the barricades, abandon my car, and go down the hill into high weeds to have one of my terrible attacks with no toilet paper. Tons of cars in line behind me. OMG!!! When police finally released us, I drove like a crazy person up that interstate and barely made it home. It just reminded me again why I hate leaving home. Yet it is lonely here.

Gac,
to this day i still carry a spare set of slacks/pants, underwear and items for a 'clean up kit' should I have a poop accident in the car (towels, etc) due to being stuck in traffic etc.

There is a post here somewhere about a major MC accident in the bathroom and the loss of my beloved Yoda Slippers to said accident!
found it
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21323

albeit, it is what it is, we do our best to minimise these issues, and have the plan B in case they do happen.
cie la vie.

Poor Yoda slippers! I know I should carry extra clothes but don't, just extra diapers. If I ever had one of my "Poo Accidents", extra clothes would not begin to help me as I would look like such a mess I would not know where to begin cleaning myself up. When it happens at home, I just have to climb in the shower. I hate this so much!!!! As do all of us and only others like us understand how bad this is as others who do not have this try to compare it to normal diarrhea, which it is not. I'm having one of those days today. Triggered by something I ate yesterday, just because I decided I needed to eat something with a little nutritional value instead of just peanut butter/gluten free bread. So today I pay the price.

Good thing I have nowhere to go today, tomorrow, the next day........................

I feel your pain.... 3hours last night, repeating this morning...last episode an hour ago had no warning...just, BOOM! Ugh! Color me discouraged....
Sunny