@microchick- I believe my Crohn's/colitis was triggered by high nitrates in the neighbors water. You can't get colitis or Crohn's unless you have autoimmune in your genes. But if it's in your genes, something generally triggers it. When I was 15 I worked on the Amish neighbors farm. They had high nitrates in their water to the point the mother was drinking bottled water (she was nursing an infant and nitrates can cause Blue babies). It was hot, I mowed the yard twice a week with a reel mower (no engine) and drank tons of water. The following day I had explosive bloody diarrhea, it would last a short period. When I stopped working there (I was there several times the next couple weeks) the symptoms kept coming and going. I was diagnosed with salmonella and my parents treated our water. But it never went away. I wasn't diagnosed with Crohn's/colitis till my early 20s. I didn't complain enough. My Dad died when I was 18 and I didn't want to put a bigger burden on mom then she already had raising 9 kids and managing a large farm. My oldest brother (the new farmer) was only 17 and my priority was helping him. I would sit on the sidelines by myself watching my friends play volley ball so I wouldn't be sick the following day so I could help my younger brothers. Mowing yard and pulling weeds and even excessive shivering would make me sick.As DH says now 'you are a silent sufferer'. I have since learned to speak up.
Microchick, I have no doubt you are suffering but I'm glad you are working to get to the bottom of this.
When you have a colonoscopy, the way they can see which it is- colitis is always in the colon (large intestine) and is a solid inflammation. Crohn's can be found any where from the mouth to the end and will appear patchy or a cobblestone appearance with some patches affected with healthy patches in between. They will also do biopsies.
It also helps that you can talk with other people who have it, when you feel sick off and on every day, it gets old to people who have never experienced it and it can even make you feel like a chronic complainer. But the truth of the matter is, just like other auto immune diseases, it doesn't matter how you eat or what you do, sometimes you have bad days for simply no reason at all. That doesn't make you a chronic complainer, it just means you are a very normal person that has a sickness that you didn't choose but are doing the best you can to live with it! Keep doing what you are doing, of you need to take the day off, by all means take the day off. Eat the healthiest you can but don't fret if a food that worked for you yesterday makes you sick today, there is no perfect diet. Take plenty of cozy,soothing warm soaks in the tub and most of all, thank God for the wonderful caring husband he gave to you!
chocolate cake and or brownies. OH! and potato chips.
to all!
