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Hi Everyone,
I haven't had the time to post much lately, but thought I'd give a quick update on how I'm doing. But before I do that, I would like to WELCOME all the newbies that have been fortunate enough to find their way here. Sorry you had to find us, but now that you're here, you've certainly landed in the best possible hands for finding answers to your questions and getting lots of sympathy for your suffering with this very frustrating disease. WELCOME again, and lots of luck with reclaiming your health - as we like to say around here - you WILL get better!!!
I'm leaving in 2 days for my Norway trip, and have prepared for it to the best of my abilities. I have arranged to stay with family when I'm not on the boat, so that should make my MC management somewhat easier. I was doing really well for a few weeks, with Norman visiting frequently, and it has now been several weeks since I took imodium - yeah!!! However, when I tried to introduce a couple of more food items, to find out if I could be a bit more flexible in Norway, it backfired. Hopefully I'll be better by tomorrow, but if not, I will take imodium.
As for the thrombosed, external hemorrhoid - it's still hanging in there :). I decided against the surgery, as the intense pain faded after 7 days. I figured that the chance for complications were higher with the surgery than without. I'm still taking sitz baths, and the condition is noticeably better, so I couldn't ask for more.
Hope all of you are doing well - I probably will not be able to post much until I get back home in beginning of July.
Love,
Kari
A Quick Update
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
A Quick Update
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
Wow - you're leaving in 2 days! I hope you have a great trip and enjoy being with your family. I think you have a pretty good idea of what you can and can't eat. Hopefully you'll be able to eat well. I'm glad you can take Imodium as a backup for those times that the menu isn't perfect.
I'm glad your hemorrhoid is settling down and causing less pain. It should get better as each day passes.
I'm a little envious. I loved visiting Norway and would love to go back. Enjoy the fjords, the mountains, the greenery - it's all so beautiful.
Gloria
I'm glad your hemorrhoid is settling down and causing less pain. It should get better as each day passes.
I'm a little envious. I loved visiting Norway and would love to go back. Enjoy the fjords, the mountains, the greenery - it's all so beautiful.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Have a wonderful trip to Norway !!! Take lots of pictures !!!
Kari,
I'm so glad you've been able to avoid the surgery, especially so close to your trip. Now you can focus on this wonderful vacation, and family. Have a wonderful trip - I look forward to stories when you return. By then our Paris trip will have come and gone - and we can compare MC travel notes. I am shopping this week for my almond-butter packs and other "purse" food.
Sorry your food expansion backfired - but actually, good to know before Norway. And also good to know that Imodium is working when needed. (Better put that also on my shopping list.)
For my trip, I'm guessing the delight of connecting with friends and family will counteract 'food regrets' (croissants? who cares!!!). I'm sure that will be even more powerful a force for you in traveling in "your" Norway.
Wishing you a joyful and rewarding journey!
Love,
Sara
I'm so glad you've been able to avoid the surgery, especially so close to your trip. Now you can focus on this wonderful vacation, and family. Have a wonderful trip - I look forward to stories when you return. By then our Paris trip will have come and gone - and we can compare MC travel notes. I am shopping this week for my almond-butter packs and other "purse" food.
Sorry your food expansion backfired - but actually, good to know before Norway. And also good to know that Imodium is working when needed. (Better put that also on my shopping list.)
For my trip, I'm guessing the delight of connecting with friends and family will counteract 'food regrets' (croissants? who cares!!!). I'm sure that will be even more powerful a force for you in traveling in "your" Norway.
Wishing you a joyful and rewarding journey!
Love,
Sara
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8367
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Wow - how exciting 2 days till you depart,
try and not let the food and meal situation unsettle you too much or consume too much of your energy, enjoy the holiday as much as you can. (easier said than done i know)
Big hugs, i hope there is more awesome enjoyable moments than Mc related moments
take care
try and not let the food and meal situation unsettle you too much or consume too much of your energy, enjoy the holiday as much as you can. (easier said than done i know)
Big hugs, i hope there is more awesome enjoyable moments than Mc related moments
take care
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Kari,
I'm glad you were able to avoid the surgery. I was concerned about how you were going to be able to do all that flying and touring, while trying to recover from a painful surgical procedure. Hopefully, your flare will settle down before the trip, so that you'll be able to leave all the anxiety at home, and thoroughly enjoy your travels.
Love,
Tex
I'm glad you were able to avoid the surgery. I was concerned about how you were going to be able to do all that flying and touring, while trying to recover from a painful surgical procedure. Hopefully, your flare will settle down before the trip, so that you'll be able to leave all the anxiety at home, and thoroughly enjoy your travels.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Kari,
Here's wishing you a safe and wonderful trip, take lots of photos to share with all of us. It will be great visiting with your family.
I don't know if this really helps, but I throw quite a bit of epsom salts in the tub and take nice long hot baths to help with those nasty hemmrhoids. It seems to help and Sitz baths are the best.
Enjoy, can't wait to hear all about it.
Nancy
Sara, I don't know how I missed it, but didn't know you were going to Paris. I love Paris and was there two years ago. I'd love to go back.
Here's wishing you a safe and wonderful trip, take lots of photos to share with all of us. It will be great visiting with your family.
I don't know if this really helps, but I throw quite a bit of epsom salts in the tub and take nice long hot baths to help with those nasty hemmrhoids. It seems to help and Sitz baths are the best.
Enjoy, can't wait to hear all about it.
Nancy
Sara, I don't know how I missed it, but didn't know you were going to Paris. I love Paris and was there two years ago. I'd love to go back.
Thanks everyone for your kind notes. Hopefully I will have some 'travelling with MC' insights to share with you when I come back, and will also attempt a couple of pictures. I wish all of you good health and lots of fun filled summer times.
Love and hugs,
Kari
Love and hugs,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
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MaggieRedwings
- King Penguin
- Posts: 3865
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 3:16 am
- Location: SE Pennsylvania
Kari,
If you don't already, take one baby aspirin per day. It seems to help me with hemorrhoids. I can relate. I think it keeps the blood a little thinner to avoid the thrombosis. It doesn't affect my LC either.
Also, when you have a bowel movement, be sure to simply exhale like you are lightly blowing out a candle. My physical therapisit has taught me some great techniques that help me in is area. Surgery is so painful and risky I hear.
Rich
If you don't already, take one baby aspirin per day. It seems to help me with hemorrhoids. I can relate. I think it keeps the blood a little thinner to avoid the thrombosis. It doesn't affect my LC either.
Also, when you have a bowel movement, be sure to simply exhale like you are lightly blowing out a candle. My physical therapisit has taught me some great techniques that help me in is area. Surgery is so painful and risky I hear.
Rich
"It's not what I believe. It's what I can prove." - A Few Good Men
Here I am, bringing up the rear (no pun intended)!
Kari, have a wonderful, relaxing, and healthy vacation. We had lunch today with Scott's 101 year old uncle, and he was telling us about his favorite vacation of all time. It was on a business (not commercial) boat that traveled all along the Norwegain coast delivering mail to tiny towns. In fact, he gave Scott a hat from that cruise - it says "M/S Nordkapp, Hurtigruten" on it.
Anyway, I digress! Have a safe trip and a super duper time! Don't forget to pack Norman in your duffle bag!
Love,
Polly
Kari, have a wonderful, relaxing, and healthy vacation. We had lunch today with Scott's 101 year old uncle, and he was telling us about his favorite vacation of all time. It was on a business (not commercial) boat that traveled all along the Norwegain coast delivering mail to tiny towns. In fact, he gave Scott a hat from that cruise - it says "M/S Nordkapp, Hurtigruten" on it.
Anyway, I digress! Have a safe trip and a super duper time! Don't forget to pack Norman in your duffle bag!
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Hi everyone,
Well, I'm back and thought I'd post - don't have pictures yet (Bill took them), but will attempt some at a later time when they are available. The trip was absolutely fabulous - very successful for all of us. I managed to keep the MC under control and only took a total of 3 imodiums. I simply took charge of my own food preparation and shopping and told everyone not to worry about me. The few times I ate at restaurants, it went very well. The technique I have developed for ordering is to peruse the menu and pick out the few items I think I can eat, and then ask them to prepare a "special" meal for me from the chosen items. Everyone was very accommodating, and this system worked very well.
We spent a few days in Oslo and a few days in Bergen and then we boarded "Hurtigruten" for the fjord journey up north. (I got such a kick out of your comment Polly - it's a small world :). Gloria - you'll be happy to know that the staff on the ship bent over backwards to accommodate my special food needs, and although I was jealous of all the food everyone else was indulging in, I was thrilled to be able to eat safely. The feeling of being safe far exceeds any momentary satisfaction from eating "forbidden" items.
While in Oslo, I got to reconnect with my dear niece, who stayed with me for 3 months in NYC when she was 18 and I was 28. So, while Bill, his sister and daughter were sight-seeing, I spent quality time with her and my sister (who are the only family members living in the Oslo area). Other than getting to visit with my sister and niece, the highlight for the 3 of us was when my niece's husband took us on a tour in his helicopter. Talk about a "birds eye" view of the area :).
In Bergen, we got to visit with my other 4 sisters and their families. It was so wonderful for the two families to meet and get to know each other a bit. Bill's daughter stayed with my nephew and his family a couple of nights to get to experience a young Norwegian family. I stayed with my sister and her daughter. She is the sister who I've been closest to over the years, and she is like a surrogate mom to my son, as I used to send him to Norway to spend summers with them while he was growing up.
The highlight of our Bergen stay was a concert on "Trollhaugen" - Edward Grieg's home, where he lived when home in Norway, and where he was also buried. A small concert hall has been built into the side of the mountain, and the back of the stage has floor to ceiling windows looking down on Grieg's little composer's hut, which overlooks the fjord. Two of my sisters came with us to the concert, and it was quite magical. After the concert, we went to my sister's house where my niece had prepared an amazing fish soup. As usual I could not partake in a fabulous meal - sigh - again, a small price to pay for staying well.
My sister and niece (who I stayed with) joined us on our "Hurtigruten" trip - I was really happy about this, as my sister is struggling with bone cancer and is in a lot of pain. Up until the last minute, we were not sure if she would be able to make it, but fortunately she was, and we got to spend a lot of quality time together on the boat. Seeing how she's struggling sure puts my own fight with MC in perspective. We're all so fortunate that we're dealing with a relatively manageable, non-fatal, disease.
The boat trip was spectacular - the nature in north of Norway is just pure magic. The entertainment on this journey is nature, rather than shows, which is so refreshing. We were fortunate to have good weather - so we were all sitting on deck watching the beautiful scenery glide by, while enjoying the midnight sun. I highly recommend this trip to anyone interested. Unfortunately the dollar is very weak right now, so it's definitely not the right time to travel in Norway, which has a sky high living standard to begin with. Anyhow, we all agreed that the money was well spent, as the trip exceeded our expectations in every way.
Now I have to catch up with all the posts here since I've been away. Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the summer.
Love,
Kari
Well, I'm back and thought I'd post - don't have pictures yet (Bill took them), but will attempt some at a later time when they are available. The trip was absolutely fabulous - very successful for all of us. I managed to keep the MC under control and only took a total of 3 imodiums. I simply took charge of my own food preparation and shopping and told everyone not to worry about me. The few times I ate at restaurants, it went very well. The technique I have developed for ordering is to peruse the menu and pick out the few items I think I can eat, and then ask them to prepare a "special" meal for me from the chosen items. Everyone was very accommodating, and this system worked very well.
We spent a few days in Oslo and a few days in Bergen and then we boarded "Hurtigruten" for the fjord journey up north. (I got such a kick out of your comment Polly - it's a small world :). Gloria - you'll be happy to know that the staff on the ship bent over backwards to accommodate my special food needs, and although I was jealous of all the food everyone else was indulging in, I was thrilled to be able to eat safely. The feeling of being safe far exceeds any momentary satisfaction from eating "forbidden" items.
While in Oslo, I got to reconnect with my dear niece, who stayed with me for 3 months in NYC when she was 18 and I was 28. So, while Bill, his sister and daughter were sight-seeing, I spent quality time with her and my sister (who are the only family members living in the Oslo area). Other than getting to visit with my sister and niece, the highlight for the 3 of us was when my niece's husband took us on a tour in his helicopter. Talk about a "birds eye" view of the area :).
In Bergen, we got to visit with my other 4 sisters and their families. It was so wonderful for the two families to meet and get to know each other a bit. Bill's daughter stayed with my nephew and his family a couple of nights to get to experience a young Norwegian family. I stayed with my sister and her daughter. She is the sister who I've been closest to over the years, and she is like a surrogate mom to my son, as I used to send him to Norway to spend summers with them while he was growing up.
The highlight of our Bergen stay was a concert on "Trollhaugen" - Edward Grieg's home, where he lived when home in Norway, and where he was also buried. A small concert hall has been built into the side of the mountain, and the back of the stage has floor to ceiling windows looking down on Grieg's little composer's hut, which overlooks the fjord. Two of my sisters came with us to the concert, and it was quite magical. After the concert, we went to my sister's house where my niece had prepared an amazing fish soup. As usual I could not partake in a fabulous meal - sigh - again, a small price to pay for staying well.
My sister and niece (who I stayed with) joined us on our "Hurtigruten" trip - I was really happy about this, as my sister is struggling with bone cancer and is in a lot of pain. Up until the last minute, we were not sure if she would be able to make it, but fortunately she was, and we got to spend a lot of quality time together on the boat. Seeing how she's struggling sure puts my own fight with MC in perspective. We're all so fortunate that we're dealing with a relatively manageable, non-fatal, disease.
The boat trip was spectacular - the nature in north of Norway is just pure magic. The entertainment on this journey is nature, rather than shows, which is so refreshing. We were fortunate to have good weather - so we were all sitting on deck watching the beautiful scenery glide by, while enjoying the midnight sun. I highly recommend this trip to anyone interested. Unfortunately the dollar is very weak right now, so it's definitely not the right time to travel in Norway, which has a sky high living standard to begin with. Anyhow, we all agreed that the money was well spent, as the trip exceeded our expectations in every way.
Now I have to catch up with all the posts here since I've been away. Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the summer.
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein