My journey with IBD

The only reason I would write about Inflammitory Bowel Disease is if someone out there is having symptoms to be your own advocate and get help.  My journey started probably longer then I realized anything was wrong.  But made me aware was when I needed gallbladder surgery at 39 yrs old that everything got worse.  I started getting sick and when I was finally checked for Celiac disease (Because it is so common in this family), that they found Colitis.  I am the only one I know of in the family who has it.  My father was the first Celiac patient in the Atlantic provinces.  But he almost died before they finally found out what it was.  So I knew coming from a special breed that things would be difficult.  The Doc that found it didn't specialize in this so I was sent to the proper doc that was, which I was less then happy with.  I decided to go to Halifax for a second opinion.  Which I was happy with.   With IBD you can go for long periods and be well, but when it decides to show up there is nothing you can do to stop it.  But ride out the storm, of not being able to eat anything without a reaction.  You feel like you have the flu, your joints hurt.  Keeping food in a challenging.  I had enough at one point when we got back from Florida, it started and went for a year!  So i Decided to go to a Holistic Dr. in Bedford.  I was at the end of my rope at that point.  The thing with this disease, when you are in a flare you can't eat any raw fruit or vegs without a bad reaction.  Everything healthy seems to go against you.  Anyway I seen the Holistic doctor until my family became worried my weight had dropped off too much and was having other symptoms so I decided to stop.  And I went  on to be symptom free for 3 years!  I thought I had this thing beat, silly me!  I have had a couple eposides like when my older brother passed away.  But all was good, then after everything I have had to endure this fall, on Christmas day it started.  And you know right away when everything you eat or drink sets your bowel off and off you go.  And anyone who has this knows it isn't as simple as that.  There is alot that goes alone with it.  It feels like one bomb on my head after another and they say that doesn't set off this stuff but it sure doesn't help.  My family doc dropped out of practise so now I have no one to look after me.  I have no where to turn.  But am by no means a quitter, so I go about my business everyday, not letting this or anything else I suffer hold me down.  And I feel so much better for it.  Like they say to someone like me  "But you don't look sick"  ha, if they only knew...But I have great faith that everything will work out for my good.  And never feel sorry for yourself, just fight the good fight.

Happy Me, and I really am.  Meds may make you a little chunky, but who cares, I love being alive.