Bloated?

I've been asked again about bloating and how can you stop it.
I don't think there is any real way of stopping it, in my opinion, unfortunately.
I think you can, as a Crohnie, limit the amount of times you get this way....but stopping it?  uh-uh


The majority of the bloating comes from food and drink, but also from certain meds and, ironically, air.  Gulping when you eat or drink, chewing gum, talking whilst you eat and even eating too fast can cause bloating.
For me, I always, and I mean always avoid gaseous foods like cabbage, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, raisons, apples, cheese, milk, nuts, and fiber in general.  It's the sugars and fiber in the foods and drinks that cause a lot of the problems.  aspartame is very, very bad, no matter what you're told how good it is.  If you want sugar, try honey.


Everyone is different, it's trial and error, you'll figure it out eventually.


I'm still figuring it out after more than 25 years......


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Dinner And A Movie...???

Simple question this time of year isn't it?


This Friday is Valentine's Day and it's so easy to plan a great day or night with the love of your life.....if you didn't have Crohn's.


For me, it's dinner OR a movie, or movie first THEN dinner.  I would love to, one time, be able to do 2 things:


1. PLAN to go out to dinner and go to a movie
2. SPUR of the moment dinner and a movie


The problem with number 1, is that with Crohn's, I can never PLAN to do, well....anything.  Sorry, wait....that's wrong.  I CAN plan to do things, but it's with the understanding that at any moment, the 'plan' can be cancelled.
The problem with number 2, I have to plan a spur of the moment, which of course doesn't make it spur of the moment anymore.  If I want to just say, "Hey, let's go out to a movie", first I have to think, what have I eaten today, will I be going to the bathroom soon (depending on what I ate), will I be thinking the whole time while out, when will I be going to the bathroom (depending on what I ate that day).
Going back to number 1, for me, knowing we were going to dinner and a movie, I would only eat bread or toast with peanut butter and drink water or tea/coffee for the day leading up to leaving.  At dinner, I would only order things I know would affect me less.  Avoiding creams, all green leafy veggies, alcohol, fried food, heavy food, gaseous food, to name just a few, knowing that after eating, I still need to sit through a two or three hour movie.  Not so easy....or fun.


Luckily I have a great, wonderful and loving wife that has understood me and my condition since day one.  I know she would love to do more with me and the kids and I hate the fact I have to think about all this just to do something simple.  I'll make it up to her one day.


So, when you say to your loved ones, let's just go do something today, like dinner and a movie, in the spur of the moment, think for a moment just how easy it is........for you, the non-IBD'r.
Because for me, the IBD'r, it goes from a simple statement, to a major, stressful, planned event.


Yes, it IS stressful and upsetting. 


Happy Valentine's Day!!


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Crohnie Quote Of The Day

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude"    - Scott Hamilton


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Crohns-fucius Say....

Crohns-fucius say...


... " I am not 'pasty', I'm 'translucent'. "




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Crohnie Quote Of The Day

"Crohn's Disease is derived from the Latin, 'painius in the anius'"




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Remicade : Day 540

Closing in on a thousand days.  It's helped a lot as far as pain is concerned, but I still get abscesses/fistulas, in what I can only describe as the "oddest" places. 
So when people ask me if it's working, I have to say 'yes'.  Do I wish it did more..?  Of course.  But I wouldn't change a thing and only wish I had taken my specialists' advice and started the Remicade years earlier.


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A Day In The Life?

5:50 am and the alarm bell rings.  Time to get up. 
The mind says, "get up", but the old weary body, says, "not yet, just a few minutes more."
But, it's time.
You push yourself up, muscles aching, bones cracking, into a sitting position on the edge of the bed catching your breath.  Force yourself up to the standing position and shuffle your feet along the carpet towards the bathroom, holding your lower back, to have a shower.
You prop yourself against the counter and gaze in to the mirror barely opening your eyes to see a tired weary face squinting back.  A couple of deep, deep breathes make you feel a little better but your shoulders, arms, neck, knees, back and the worst are your elbows, which ache like the tin man without oil.
Is this the morning ritual of a 75 year old man?


Nope...


....it's the first 10 minutes of the day for a 45 year old Crohn's survivalist, the days before infusion.




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Crohnie Quote Of The Day

"The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well."


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The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.....???

I love and hate this time of year.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and everything that goes with it, except it is this same time of year that my Crohn's wants to give me a 'present'.  It's a present I don't want.
Every year, something goes awry with my Crohn's.  This year, I ended up in the ER with a peri-anum abscess which they were able to drain without major surgery.  Still had to be put out in the ER and had problems sitting for about a week, but why o why does this happen every Christmas?  I've been racking my brain for years trying to figure it out and the only thing I can come up with is that it's the stress.  Too much 'stuff' going on this time of year.  Too much to 'worry' about.  Kids, work, family, food, etc., etc,.
Everything seems to have settled now.  Or is it just dormant, ready to rear it's ugly head next Christmas........

Crohnie Christmas

I posted this a couple of years ago and I thought I would do it again.
Merry Christmas to all my IBD family!!


Don't know who wrote it, but I give them two thumbs up.  And there is a language warning before you read......but enjoy!

'Twas the night before Christmas and everyone waited with glee
Except for the one in the bathroom-I have CD.
The Charmin was hung by the toilet with care
In hopes that I'd reach it before ruining more underwear.
I started at night when I was snug in my bed,
Those rumblings I heard were not in my head.
I'd been looking forward to a long, restful nap
But had to get up for a much needed crap
When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
I exited the crapper to see what was the matter!
I opened my door, and it hit like a flash…
This god-awful stench-I fell on my ass.
I opened my window and threw up in the snow
It covered the nativity scene down below.
And what to my bloodshot eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh with some tiny reindeer.
A decrepit old driver, not lively or quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
Slowly-with effort, those reindeer, they came
As he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
"Now, Crohn's! Now, Colitis! Now J-Pouch and Ostomy!
On, Hemorrhoid! On, Fissure! On, Stool O Bloody!
To the top of the house, to the top of the wall!
Now dash, little bastards, and don't let me fall!"
And then, in an instant, I heard on the roof
The scratching and farting of that big, ol' dumb goof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in red, from his head to his toe,
And he smelled like hell…he really had to go.
A bundle of toys he had flung on my couch.
He winked at me and said, "Wanna see my J-Pouch?"
His eyes-how they twinkled as he let out a fart.
It smelled worse than mine-nearly stopped my dear heart!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
If not for the beard, it'd resemble an @#%$!
The bags under his eyes-I saw the fatigue
That comes from living with Crohn's or UC.
Plus a bad case of D had filled his round belly,
And shook when he farted-it was oh, so smelly.
He was chubby and plump; he screamed at his elf.
I laughed when I saw this, in spite of myself.
The moon face, the mood swings-the twitch of his head,
I knew right away…side effects of the Pred.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to the bathroom
And filled my toilet with a *splat* and a VVVAROOOMMMMM!
Using his finger to close up his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh; he weighed ten pounds less.
And thanking me for the Charmin, he apologized for the mess.
As I heard him cry out, I realized he knew of our plight:
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
"I'VE IBD TOO, AND I'M HAVING ONE HELL OF A NIGHT!"