Most
of the time I write this blog about my life with MS. I also have another chronic illness – Crohn’s
Disease. The Crohn’s and Colitis
Foundation of America describes this disease as: “Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition
of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the GI
tract. While symptoms vary from patient to patient and some may be more common
than others, the tell-tale symptoms of Crohn’s disease include: Persistent
Diarrhea, Rectal bleeding, Urgent need to move bowels, Abdominal cramps, pain, Fever,
Fatigue, Night sweats. The causes of Crohn’s Disease are not well understood.
Diet and stress may aggravate Crohn’s Disease, but they do not cause the
disease on their own. Recent research suggests hereditary, genetics, and/or environmental
factors contribute to the development of Crohn’s Disease. The GI tract normally
contains harmless bacteria, many of which aid in digestion. The immune system
usually attacks and kills foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi,
and other microorganisms. Under normal circumstances, the harmless bacteria in
the intestines are protected from such an attack. In people with IBD, these
bacteria are mistaken for harmful invaders and the immune system mounts a
response. Cells travel out of the blood to the intestines and produce
inflammation (a normal immune system response). However, the inflammation does
not subside, leading to chronic inflammation, ulceration, thickening of the
intestinal wall, and eventually causing patient symptoms.”
I subscribe to several sites
that send recipes by email. I love to
cook and I love to eat. As I am usually
low on energy, I have to scour recipes in order to find something tasty that I
will (hopefully) have the energy to prepare.
Looking at some of these made me really think about my Crohn’s.
I am pretty easy to please
when it comes to food. There are very
few things I dislike and many things I truly love. Having been raised on Southern cooking, a lot
of the dishes I love include frying something, gravy and dessert. I lived on the Gulf of Mexico for 20 years
and became really fond of seafood. I
love salads and all kinds of vegetables.
I guess meat is my least favorite food, but I do enjoy it for the most
part.
I love watching a good movie
and eating popcorn. Nachos and salsa is
one of my favorite snacks. Corn served in any fashion is probably at the top of
my list of favorites. My list goes on
and on as I am sure yours does. The problem
is that very little of this is on a Crohn’s diet. It is really hard to get excited
about preparing or eating a meal when most of the things you won’t are no-nos.
Some of the foods listed as
triggering (as if it really needs a trigger!) a bout with Crohn’s are: butter,
mayonnaise, oils, sodas, coffee, tea, chocolate, corn, dairy products, fried
foods, high fiber foods, beans, cabbage, broccoli, nuts, seeds, raw fruits, raw
vegetables, spicy foods, popcorn, red meat and pork. Now I ask you, what in the world is left to
eat that is worth eating??!!
I have been trying to really
be careful lately about what I eat. I
have had a flare-up the last few weeks and it is not pleasant to deal
with. So, lately I have been sticking to
bread, potatoes, rice cakes and other bland things. It is recommended to eat 5
or 6 small meals a day instead of the usual 3 larger ones. So, I have been eating several times a day,
but end up going to bed with my tummy growling because it is not satisfied.
A couple of years ago I went
to a gastroenterologist. He performed a few tests on me and prescribed some
pills for my problem. After a few days
the pills really helped the situation.
The only problem was that they cost around $630 a month. That is not at all in my budget. I am hoping
when the medicare and insurance kicks in July 1st that they will be
affordable and I can go back to taking them.
This is just one more area
where there is some pretty good medicine available, it is just not affordable
to the average person. It is such a
shame that those of us who really need medication are not able to get it
because of the costs.
I am trying to be good and pick a better choice of food for my condition. It is
not easy. What I really want to do is pull
out a good movie and pop some popcorn!
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