yey for the beach!

I am so thankful that the crohns and celiac was being good today so that I could spend a few hours on the beach for a few hours. Look at my handsome hubbs. I love him so!

I have been having so much fun with my juicing!

I have been doing so well with my juicing that I was able to go to The Bonefish Grill (a local place that has a yummy gluten free menu. The waitress we had (Lauren) was very attentive & made sure the menu was just right.

It was so good. But it ended up being heavier that I was use to so my belly felt like after a huge Thanksgiving meal. But it's all good. At least I was able to eat something 'real' as in a whole meal. And I didn't flare up.......my latest flare up was when I read somewhere I could have something that ended up not being true for me. At least my mouth healed, and only the 'heat rash' behind my ears and one place on my lip remain. Valuable lesson learned.

Real life happens
I found out the other day that I'm going to be Gramma for the first time. Babies are such blessings. I can't believe my baby girl is having a baby. She's a grown woman, but still. It's crazy!

crohns can bite it.

I don't know what caused this minor flare up, but I've spent most of the day on the toilet and now I'm breaking out again. Yeah. It looks so awesome on my bottom lip (not). I've already stopped using 'real' soap *using baby soap instead* and have cut down how often I shampoo......am I going to have to cut out moisturizer as well?

day 23 no colas and saving the world.

I have been so proud of me. Even after going to stores, etc. I haven't been tempted to get a Dr. Pepper....which is huge for me because of how addicted I use to be to them.

Juicing is working like a charm. I am still hoping all the fruits don't cause weight gain because of the sugars in fruits (different kind of sugar). I am very happy to no longer have a hurting tummy. I am disappointed that the swelling is slow about going away, but a flare up this terrible takes time to heal...I know...still doesn't make me happy.

I had such a last week with my crohns and with my celiac that I did little else than walk/bike for a few minutes.  At least it was something. Why does this seem to be the year of setbacks? I surely don't understand that....I'm trying so hard to reach my fitness goals but it seems to be getting further away due to these setbacks. :(

I'm hitting the gym again today. Here's hoping I can do it! I miss being able to workout like I like to. :(

a day in the life of a crohnie and celiacer

(made those up, can you tell?)

Some people believe that my life with these 2 problems are easy to cope with......they so are not. I miss a lot of sleep due to pain and gas and bathroom trips and then I have to suffer with days of swelling that causes constipation and then days that I have diarrhea that I can not leave the house. It's a luck of a draw. And it always goes back to diarrhea. ALWAYS.

It's more than I've had to give up bread & cakes and such. If you look on many of your labels, you'd be surprised what all can cause celiac problems. I'm down to using baby wash because soap (even the most gentle) started being a no-no...and don't forget I can only use 1 kind of tissue. ONE. Hows that for fun?

on the rare occasion that we go out to eat I have to ask about making sure their veggies were nowhere near their noodles and such. I've been to places that they boiled their veggies in the noodle water (hello, Chilis....dummy!). Added to that I no longer get to eat those yummy yeast rolls......or anything basically fun.

I also have people that pity me. Don't do that either. I could go along & do whatever I wanted with my diet & suffer like I've suffered with this flare up before I started juicing....but it's just not worth it for all the pain I go thru. I mean nothing tastes that good. It's worth it to me to say "no" to yeast rolls to not be bent over in pain and on the toilet for 2 days.......you know what I mean?

in this flare up, I've had so many days of pain that I don't know how to count them all. This is normal for someone like me that is trying to go holistic......or at least that's the norm for me. There are days for me that my belly feels bloated and days that I think I'm going to be great & it bites me in the butt in the middle of nothing. Seriously.
  
My family still eats what it wants. It's not fair to restrict them because of me. I see things that use to tempt me.....like snacks and crackers and even bread and yet with this flair up still lingering a bit, it has no draw to me. Might as well be glasses sitting on that shelf for what it does for me. As a matter of fact, that would probably be easier for me to digest glass, huh? LOL LOL!

I have days that I eat something and then I go "doh.........I messed up" and I pay the price.......but I'm getting to where I'm having more good moments than bad. Yeah, I will get there.

I fall down. I get back up. As long as I don't stay down I'm winning. My days revolve around toilets sometimes but at least I'm on this side of the dirt and that's a good thing for me.

I have fitness goals and yes these problems interfere with them. This year especially. I have cried and felt depressed and even yesterday I felt a bit like a 'sissy' because I couldn't do a 'real' workout. But I refuse to give up. Even when and if I want to. I will get there I will.

Sometimes I feel like God must hate me to give me these problems (and others) and then I think about how maybe if I'm suffering with them someone else was spared and I feel like it's more worth it. Thinking someone else is without pain because I'm in pain instead (while it may read like I'm crazy) makes me feel a little better than thinking all this suffering is for nothing good, you know?

Today I'm missing big fat burgers and super sized fries. Dr. Peppers have come up in my mind a bit........but I know I have to stay strong. And I will.

crohns denial.

I have been living in a state of denial for a long time now and I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I truly have full fledged crohns...no more borderline crohns for me.... :((

crohns and celiac and belly aches on my!

If you've been reading this blog (which I'm sure I'm the only one that reads it, but still)......I spent way too much time trying to ignore my tummy issues and now I'm having what has been one of the worst flair ups of crohns I've ever had.

if you don't know

Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It usually affects the intestines, but may occur anywhere from the mouth to the end of the rectum (anus).
mine has been so bad it has reached my mouth and even into my rectum.....so I knew I had to do something......my belly was swollen to the point that I looked like I was 3 or 4 months pregnant. It was hurting so much!

this is an example of what my 'insides' look like during one of my flare ups (its gross, you've been warned)

I have not had dr. peppers in just over 2 weeks and that alone has helped my flare ups. My rash is gone from behind my ears, my sores are gone from my mouth and rectum and now its really starting to heal inside. I just have to keep to keep doing my crohns/celiac diet....

what is celiac?
A disease in which chronic failure to digest food is triggered by hypersensitivity of the small intestine to gluten.

so basically that means I have to eat (certain in small bites) meat, protein shakes, and veggies/fruit.
In this being so sick I'm having to juice my diet.......called juicing.
you can learn more about what I'm starting to do...
www.877myjuicer.com
its a healthy way for me to take in my needed nutrients and let my guts heal a bit.

Add to that I'm going to eat real dinner and I'm good to go. :)

it's worth it to not have this problem.......or the flare up..wouldn't you say the same?

crohns can suck it.

well, I've been doing even more research about what I need to do to make me healthier & I have decided to do more of a holistic approach (since the meds ruin your teeth-ask me how I know) and can make you gain weight *umm yeah..I don't think so!*......and I'm also going to be juicing at least until my liver & my intestines go down.

Yesterday I ate corn chips (which never hurt me) and ate bananas and drank protein shakes and ended the day with some cornbread. I will eat things like this until next Friday when I can go out to get a juicer and other supplies. I'm almost looking forward to it because quite  honestly I'm sick of my belly being so swollen. :(

I tell you, I don't know what I would do without my guy. He takes such good care of me & talks me into taking meds to make me better (elsewise I wouldn't take them) and is so sweet to me, especially when I'm my sickest & out of commission. I'm one blessed girl.

After my failure to do well in the gym due to EVERYTHING hurting my tummy....I'm hoping that I will be able to do a better job this Wednesday. hope springs eternal.

day 8 (really day 9)

 UPDATED: FULL FLEDGED CROHNS....I have had a terrible weekend health wise this weekend.

It all started a few days ago with tummy swelling (especially on the right side) and then was followed by a rash around my ears and neck and face.......and I still didn't take the hint. I had not visited the bathroom for a 'serious' visit in over a week and I still didn't get it.

it all led to trying everything I could think of to help. Nothing worked until my guy got me to drink Epsom salt. And even then it's been a slow go.

I've had celiac borderline crohns well since about birth. I've had days and terrible nights that I won't go into here...I have been a bad girl forgetting my gluten free existence and the fact I don't need luncheon meat for more days than I care to count......all because of Subway BMT......

at first I thought it was my giving up dr. peppers cold turkey, but I knew I couldn't even have one or I'd be back on them full fleged......but no. It was my friend celiac and this time he brought his hateful older brother crohns. Yep. It just got real.

my intestines are still pretty swollen, especially on my right side, but it all should get better over the next few days.......I hate having to live a life of such a strict diet, but this is something I really have to do now if I want to be healthy.....so many changes......so many things I'm giving up now.......and again....but I have to keep telling myself it is going to be so worth it, when all that swelling goes down.......right now it's making me miserable!

I am looking to working out this week. I just hope my belly allows me to. :(