Having minor flare - but what i hate most

[Gabes-Apg]

last 3 days had minor symptoms, cramping, frequent possom poo, bit of colic.
yesterday at work it progressed to bad nausea so I came home at lunchtime.
if i lay down and sleep/dose the cramping does seem to go and my energy levels pick up

had good rest during the afternoon, went to bed thinking i would feel great today
well it is 3.45am. I was woken by an accident in bed. it wasnt major or huge but nevertheless an accident

I have decided that this has to be almost the worst thing. (on par with accident in public)

a) it is a crap way to start the day (both an accident and getting woke up way way too early)
b) it has taken me 30 mins to clean up, clean up me, strip the bed, etc
c) the fact that the demon got to me while i was vulnerable (asleep!!!)


digestion wise i am not too bad today, it is more the the emotion and frustration of the situation that has got to me

[Stanz]

Sorry to hear you've been so miserable, Gabes, certainly no fun to be awakened like that, I can totally relate. Hope this passes soon.

[JLH]

Sorry to hear that, Gabes. I hope you feel better.

[tex]

I, too, hope this flare resolves quickly, and I agree that the stress, and all the extra work, caused by an "accident" in bed, is almost as bad as a public "accident". Certainly, neither one is any fun.

I had that happen to me, night before last, but by a different mechanism. I haven't been able to get the supplies that I need, to properly deal with this ileostomy, and I'm having to use the pouches that I used to use with a colonostomy. Unfortunately, they contain a charcoal filter, for venting gas, and with an ileostomy, (due to all the liquid), that filter leaks, every time. I've been covering them with tape, but that isn't always foolproof, either. After changing all the bedding, I reanalyzed the problem, and figured out that I can resolve the problem by putting the tape on the inside face of the filter, rather than outside. It's pretty tricky to get to, (kinda like building a ship in a bottle), but it prevents the problem, so it's certainly worth the extra trouble. Those extracurricular, wee-hours-of-the-morning projects, suck, for sure.

A few members have cut down on the work, (and worry), by wearing "Depends" to bed.

MC is a lot like a terrorist - a lot of the damage it causes is emotional.

Tex

[JLH]

For sure.

[Gabes-Apg]

Tex

i like the terrorist analogy!

and sorry to hear the start of your day(s) has had challenges. Again i am inspired by your "not going to let this beat me attitude" and you figured out the solution

Hope you get the supplies soon and that sleeping and waking becomes a more peaceful process.

[mbeezie]

Hi Gabes,

Hope you are feeling better and this is just a minor flare.

It's been about a year for me since my D started (under good control now). I can remember being soooo frustrated the first few months. I would make some improvement and them Wham, it would start again. It took several months for my food sensitivities to fully manifiest. First I gave up gluten and felt somewhat better, but then it started again. Then I gave up dairy, felt good and then it started yet again. Then I figured out soy was triggering me. It was as if once I cleared one toxin out of my body, it got bored and decided to react to something else. It took several months for me to figure out my extensive list of triggers and for my GI tract to calm down.

Are you keeping a food diary? It could help to pinpoint some problematic foods.

Mary Beth

[Gabes-Apg]

Thanks Mary Beth
i do have a food diary etc (meds and natural therapy inputs as well)

i think the flare was a combo of a couple of things, not enough sleep, stress at work and food that was a bit harder to digest.
I havent added any new ingredients for over two weeks. I took loperamide after eating out last Saturday and I find that it takes 4 days for my body to get back to normal. which is why i dont like taking it

I have gone back to the gooey baby food (putting meat through the food processor), lots of a gelatine
have had good rest for past 2 days.

I am off to work today, as i dont have any paid leave. Fridays are normally pretty quiet so should be ok

[Polly]

Gabes and all,

I am having a flare too. It is rare for me, after so many years of detective work related to diet.

I think it was due to a lunch I had last week at a brand new restaurant open only 2 weeks. On the menu they appeared to understand gluten - even had a gluten-free baguette available. I asked the waitress all of the usual questions, but I suspect she was not well-informed. I am guessing it was the soup and that it contained gluten, because it is only a significant amount of gluten that can mess me up for days like this. In retrospect, I wish I had asked to speak with the chef. And I have found that I REALLY have to eat bland food right now to help my gut recover. At first I was eating my usual diet, but those old "irritants" like tomatoes were not helping. I am now eating plain turkey, potates, etc. Just made a pot of chicken soup this morning.

I guess we will always be susceptible to glutening - until perhaps a pill is available to help us (like the one Dr. Fasano is developing that is supposed to close those little "gates" in the intestine that allow foreign protein to enter)
So, if misery loves company, maybe this post will make you feel a little better.

Love,

Polly

[barbaranoela]

Gabes----that DEMON luves to attack while one is sleeping!!!! I can WELL attest to that~~~~Xperienced that myself--many a NIGHT!!

Feel better---and keep DEPENDING on that underwear---I still do to this day---for a JUST in CASE and U NEVER KNOW!!

Although I am now in the constipated stage----which at times feels like I am ready to give birth--to a BRICK!!!!

Stay well--
Luve Barbara

[ant]

Dear Gabes and Polly

So sorry about your flares. I sure hope the extra bland diets fix them soon..... We all sure need with this d@3**d disease.

Love and bestest wishes, Ant

[tex]

Aw Polly,

What a bummer. Obviously someone at that restaurant didn't just slip up a little - they slipped up big time. Shame on them.

Apparently you've already been reacting for a few days, so I hope that it has just about run it's course by now, and you start feeling much better, soon.



Love,
Tex

[Rosie]

I've had a minor flare this week too, with 6 trips to the loo yesterday. Not watery, but getting there. And I can't blame any restaurant for getting "glutened" because I think I did it to myself. I keep some regular bread around for my DH to have sandwiches, and made him several sandwich lunches this week. I hadn't made him sandwiches in several months, but keep bread in the freezer. I thought that I was being real careful with cleaning up the crumbs, but thinking about it later, my cup of tea sitting was sitting nearby. I suspect that a crumb may have been thrown up into my tea, or I didn't do as good a job policing the area and cleaning the cutting board as I thought. I'm just going to avoid having any regular bread in the house from now on, it's just too messy and the chance of contamination is too high.

I'm doing much better today, and Gabes and Polly, I hope your symptoms are subsiding. Polly, if you can get glutened with all your experience, it just points out how tough it is to stay "clean".

If any of you have read the Harry Potter books, we all need to subscribe to the wizard "Mad Eye Moody's" motto of "Constant Vigalence". He was paranoid about getting poisoned, kept his own flask to drink from and was suspicious of everything he ate. Wait a minute, maybe we should adopt him as a mascot.........

[Gabes-Apg]

he he he mad eye moody!! yes our lives are constant vigalence.......
Polly hope you are recovered..... it is disapointing to have the bad eating out experience, it makes it harder to trust anyone.

TK took me to the pictures on the weekend. I took GF/YF rice cakes and a small tub of jelly as my in the movie treat!while TK ate his popcorn. After last weekend he has adapted that i would prefer to take my own food.

i think i have found the trigger..... i think broccoli is my enemy. I think it is like having salad, i can have a small meal of it but when i have it the second or third time in a couple of days then that is when trouble strikes.
so broccoli is on the 'only occaisionally' list.

i have gone back to gooey food (casseroles and putting veges and meat through food processor) and lots of jelly.
Yesterday (sunday) and today are my best days in over a week. also a weekend of rest and good sleep have also helped. the choice on the weekend was rest or housework and rest won.

TK was struggling to understand the flare.... why can a food be ok one day and cause grief the next time i have it and i said well that sums up this demon! if we knew the answer then none of us would have this issue. in the words of doris day .....Que cera cera.....

[Stanz]

Well, if simply handling anything w/gluten is a trigger, then I am screwed. As a caterer I can't avoid it, I am working with breads, pastries, bagels, cookies, on a daily basis.

This is all just becoming overwhelming and I have tried to have a positive attitude about my ability to take control, but this is just too much.