I WILL NOT LET CROHN'S GET ME DOWN! Jessa's diet;;*

[jessaboo]

SO.

Sometime this week, I am expecting by word from my doctor to be diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I'm looking to start a diet to help with this and to also help me get toned. The DBF loves me the way I am, but is all for me getting smaller. I have a MASSIVE family history of gallbladder problems and I have been trying to be consistent. I had a HIDA scan done, and it came back normal; I'm just waiting on other tests. They should be coming back tomorrow.


I'm Jessa. I'm 20 years old. 5''1'. 185. I'm a 2 time breast cancer survivor, full time college student, part time working girl. I am not a fan of running, as I have had a breast reduction in September of 2009. I used to dance competitively, and I BMX'ed for the longest time.


I'm looking to start after today to make my life a better one.


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As a soon-to-be Crohn's patient, I have a diet I will have to be sticking to.


* Drink lots of fluid (8 - 10 servings daily) to keep body hydrated and prevent constipation
* Your doctor or your registered dietitian may recommend a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement to replace lost nutrients
* Eat a high fiber diet when IBD is under control. Click here for a list of high fiber foods. Some patients find cooking and steaming the vegetables more tolerable than eating them raw
* During a flare up, however, limit high fiber foods and follow a low fiber diet or even a low residue diet to give the bowel a rest and minimize symptoms. Click here for a list of low fiber foods.
* Avoid lactose-containing foods such as dairy if you are lactose intolerance. Otherwise, you may use lactase enzymes and lactase pretreated foods. For details, please read Lactose Intolerance Management
* It is very important to continue nourishing your body even during a flare-up. Try small frequent meals. Eating a high protein diet with lean meats, fish and eggs, may help relieve symptoms of IBD. Your registered dietitian may recommend pre-digested nutritional drinks (elemental diet) to give your bowel a rest and replenish lost nutrients so that your body can repair itself
* Limit caffeine, alcohol and sorbitol (a type of sweetener) as these may exacerbate IBD symptoms. Click here for a list of food products containing sorbitol
* Limit gas-producing foods such as cabbage-family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts), dried peas and lentils, onions and chives, peppers and carbonated drinks
* Reduce fat intake if part of the intestines has been surgically removed. High fat foods usually cause diarrhea and gas for this group of patients.


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AHHHHH!!!

I guess I'll be looking at new diets. Any suggestions?

 

[Plumeria]

Hey there! I will be rooting for you! I am on day three of my diet myself.

Good luck to you!!

 

[jessaboo]

Hey there! I will be rooting for you! I am on day three of my diet myself.

Good luck to you!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOURS AS WELL.
I think I will subscribe to yours!!


I called the doctors office this morning, and they said no word from Mount Carmel West's medical labs. WHAT?!?! They TOLD me they'd be in!

Oh, well. So much for this week..

I just found out that I'm speaking at THE RACE FOR THE CURE COLUMBUS, OHIO. In front of all of the survivors!

I had a MONSTER energy drink this morning, it's a guilty pleasure. I had a pudding cup fat free, and raisin bran. :]

I hope hope hope hope HOPE this will work!

I'm also planning my DREAM wedding in hopes that it will someday happen!

 

[jessaboo]

So, I've turned into a walking medical mystery.

Tests came back normal.



I went to the urgent care this morning and in the next week I'm going to have a crap ton of tests run.


Endoscopy.
Upper GI.

More bloodwork.

Blahhh.


I'm not in the mood to exercise.

 

[Plumeria]

THANK YOU THANK YOU!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOURS AS WELL.
I think I will subscribe to yours!!


I called the doctors office this morning, and they said no word from Mount Carmel West's medical labs. WHAT?!?! They TOLD me they'd be in!

Oh, well. So much for this week..

I just found out that I'm speaking at THE RACE FOR THE CURE COLUMBUS, OHIO. In front of all of the survivors!

I had a MONSTER energy drink this morning, it's a guilty pleasure. I had a pudding cup fat free, and raisin bran. :]

I hope hope hope hope HOPE this will work!

I'm also planning my DREAM wedding in hopes that it will someday happen!

Thanks! I've subcribed to yours as well! I have never tried those energy drinks before. I am pretty sensitive to caffiene. But I know what you mean about guilty pleasures!

That's awesome about the wedding! I know you can do it! Just keep coming on here and updating every day. It is helping me already. When people are reading what you eat every day and whether or not you exercised, you just feel more obligated to do well, you know?

 

[Plumeria]

So, I've turned into a walking medical mystery.

Tests came back normal.



I went to the urgent care this morning and in the next week I'm going to have a crap ton of tests run.


Endoscopy.
Upper GI.

More bloodwork.

Blahhh.


I'm not in the mood to exercise.

UGH, that doesn't sound fun! Well, I hope they come back normal too. YOu may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I had a bunch of tests run in 2002 because I was having similar symptoms. That is what they concluded I had, because they couldn't find anything.

 

[iggbees]

i just wanted to say congratulations on beating breast cancer twice! i really hope all the best for you. i'm a grad student in a breast cancer research lab ad it's really incredible to hear survivor stories! i've heard a lot, but never from someone so young. you must be so strong!

have you thought about getting tested for celiac disease? my cousin has it and it started out with symptoms very similar to irritable bowel.

i would suggest trying weight watchers for a diet. it worked for me once and i lost 30 lbs one summer just from watching what i ate and counting points and walking 30 min a day! i'm trying it again, but it's been so hard for me because school has been so stressful lately. i'm determined this summer though! good luck!

ps. i'm hoping that my boyfriend will propose and i also like looking at wedding planning stuff. we've been together 5 years as of may 6th!

 

[jessaboo]

I had an Upper GI done with a small bowel follow through. It was TERRIBLE.

I had to drink Barium. It was terrible. It's making me sick.

I have a Dr.'s appointment tomorrow. CROSSING FINGERS.


Thanks, I really appreciate it. :]

 

[gamomof2]

also an abdominal CT could help. Our daughter is 14 with Crohn's variant and was diagnosed based on colonoscopy and CT scan. She's in remission now but had a 6 month flare earlier this year. Good luck. Oh and if it was the Prometheus test that was negative so was hers so it isn't always very diagnostic for Crohn's. I think there's like a 26% false negative rate with it.

 

[jessaboo]

also an abdominal CT could help. Our daughter is 14 with Crohn's variant and was diagnosed based on colonoscopy and CT scan. She's in remission now but had a 6 month flare earlier this year. Good luck. Oh and if it was the Prometheus test that was negative so was hers so it isn't always very diagnostic for Crohn's. I think there's like a 26% false negative rate with it.

I would do the CT, but I'm allergic to the contrast :\
Is there a way to get around that?

 

[gamomof2]

yea you can have it without it. but are you allergic to the oral contrast or the IV? Also the first thing that ever showed crohn's in dd was the colonoscopy. the ct was done as a follow up. pretty much just reconfirmed it.

 

[danajune]

Yah a colonoscopy is the best way to do it! That's the first test my gastrointestinologist did and it showed Crohn's right away! He also took a biopsy of the colon to check for various things including celiac disease, but luckily nothing else was present!
Immediately after the colonoscopy, while I was still drugged up, he also did the one that goes down your throat to your stomach, and took a biopsy of my stomach. You should get that done as well, extremely uncomfortable, but worth it!