Right now I am having a little bit of an exercise in patience. My biopsy results from my recent colonoscopy will not be ready till next week, and so the meeting with my GI will be on Friday at which time we shall go over the results and discuss the situation. I am anxious for two reasons.
1. I want to hear from the horses mouth exactly how the procedure went, his impressions, the results of the biopsies, and his suggestions for what I should do next.
2. I am waiting t meet with him before I start my fecal transplant......and I just want to see if it is going to work already!
In the meantime, I just want to tell everyone some of the things I have been doing and trying since my release from the hospital after a diagnosis of severe pan colitis 3 years ago. As I seem to have done some healing in that time, and my symptoms have gone from 30 uncontrolled bloody explosions a day down to 3 or so reasonably formed (albeit thin) stools with barely any blood, I feel it is important to explain what I think MAY have helped me thus far.
1. Specific Carbohydrate Diet- I have practiced this for the entire 3 years and have been quite ridged about it. I do believe it may help, though it has not worked quite as well or quickly as it has for some. You also must take into effect that I was starting from and extremely diseased state. Also I found many "legal" foods on the diet that impacted me very negatively, nuts and fruit being the two biggest offenders. I think that with any diet one chooses to follow, listening to your body is an important part of success.
2.Probiotics- I have tried numerous brands in pill and powder form. I think for the most part many of them are still to strong for me. It seems that the stronger version that I buy, the worse of a reaction that I have. I know some people say that is just an initial reaction, but I have tried to push trough this and it has gotten to the point where I could not reasonably continue, the damage being done was too great. I do believe in the concepts behind them (obviously since fecal transplant operates on the same theory that UC is affected by gut bacteria), but for whatever reason the pills have not helped me much yet. I hope after ore healing occurs, I can work up to a greater capacity for probiotics. I have had greater periods of success with food based probiotics like yogurt and sauerkraut, although at times I have had to discontinue and then resume my consumption. In short, I think that I have to be careful with probiotics if my gut is in an extremely irritated state.
3. L-glutamine- I have used the powder and pills. there were times when I thought it provided improvement, but no convincing results.
4. Intestive - this is some sort of fish protein product, I actually do believe it helped me for some time. just like with some other things though I would usually get to feeling a bit better, then push out of my comfort zone with the diet and have disastrous results.
5. Acupuncture- did this for quite a few months twice a week and took herbs. this may have helped slightly, but I just ran out of money because it was so damn expensive. One bad thing about it in my experience is that I believe the reason why acupuncture works for some conditions is that it can be very calming and meditative. The problem in my experience with UC is that the anxiety produced by having needles in you, and being expected not to move for over a half an hour when you may suddenly have to rush to the bathroom at any moment made me unable to get into that meditative zone very often.
6. Yoga - this is has similar benefits and drawbacks as acupuncture. I think very light yoga can be good when very sick, but best if it can be practiced at home or alone. Going to a difficult class, where there is the stress of a possible accident may not be beneficial.
7. Breathing/meditation exercises at home - this helps, and with more than just UC. I only wish that I were more disciplined in practicing.
8. Olive oil - 3 tbs a day, no real effect
9. Chlorophyll - no help
10. there is a bunch more silly things I have tried, but none that I can think of are worth mentioning.
I think diet, and stress have large influences on the activity of out disease (I know that's nothing new), I think in today's society we compromise these two areas easily, and I personally am working on treating my diet and emotional well being with the utmost care.
be well,
Alex
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