mikeyarmo
Co-Founder
Esquire magazine has an article written by someone with Crohn's Disease that you should all read called Crohn's Disease Diet.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
-
Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.
Esquire Magazine - Article on Crohn's Disease
- Thread starter mikeyarmo
- Start date
forum contributor
Captain Obvious
Thanks for posting, Mike.kenny said:
Depressing yet makes me realize how lucky I am...
I remember some of those feelings with my own perforation. Though I'd say the feeling's more like white hot coals being placed in your guts and then someone squeezing on the whole thing with a giant vise. It's probably the closest a male can come to what child birth probably feels like. When doctors say, on a scale from one to ten, ten being the worst pain you've ever had, what's your pain level... I have to go, hrmm, a firm two.... on most other pain. Seriously, it puts pain in a whole new perspective.
And that looking in a mirror thing? Yeah, I came out of the hospital, 24 years old, 86 pounds. Seeing myself in a full length mirror really hurt. Thing is, I coulda gone one way. I coulda felt sorry, lost all will at seeing the bones of my feet prominently through the skin, just gave up or broke down, but instead I got teary, then I got mad. I endeavored to try to keep myself up no matter what because it wasn't dragging my butt down. By the time I went back in to the hospital to get my small intestine put back together, after having the ostomy for six or so months, the nurses and doctors told me that I was the healthiest person that they'd ever seen come in for one of those. I had some weight back, I had some muscle back because I did any exercise I could think of that wasn't a strain on the stoma to try to not look like that guy in the mirror. It sucked. I learned a bit from it. It was the closest thing to taking care of a baby ever. Getting up every couple hours to several alarm clocks arranged around the room to empty the bag, constantly having to be aware of it, making sure it wasn't going to leak, bringing supplies for it wherever I went. I learned quick ways to change the thing, how to keep it from spurting as much when I needed to change it (no swallowing or eating before you change it and for guys, shave!!! Can't stress that one enough).
Though, I didn't have the not eating part. Mine was the opposite. My Dad and step mom's grocery bill went up by around 200 dollars while I was there because I had to eat ALL THE TIME. Literally. Probably every 2 hours I had to eat something or I'd get dizzy and shaky, tunnel vision and weakness. My digestion has always been quicker than normal, but everything just kinda passed like a bullet train. And I tell you, seeing what passes through the terminus of your small intestine really teaches you to chew your food a bit more slowly and thoroughly.
I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't eat for 2 months though. I'm a foodie. I'm already constantly upset by things I can no longer eat. It's why I say that I have so few food vices that I'm not going to cut the remaining loves I have until I absolutely have to. Popcorn, gone. Tortilla chips, gone. Hot buttered corn on the cob, gone. Big salads, gone. Fresh carrots, fresh onions, most fresh fruits and veggies in general, gone. I have to cook my veggies to a point where no one else likes them. I have trouble eating at Asian restaurants because of how they cook their veggies. So, yeah, clinging to those last bits of enjoyment with tooth and claw.
I also love to cook. Would it take something away from the enjoyment of cooking if I could no longer eat it? Would I put the food in my mouth like he was, just to get the flavor, just so my tastebuds didn't forget the beauty and epicurean poetry of a well prepared dish? Would I even want to cook anymore if I couldn't even enjoy it? It's funny, that was the one thing that bothered me the most about that article, the lack of that enjoyment that many people take for granted, the flavor of food. Not simply the nourishment of it, but the sensory enjoyment of it. The zing, the crunch, the tang, the burn, the cool, sour, salty, sweet, even bitter. The things that make food more than just something to fill your stomach and nourish the body.
Definitely food for thought.
And that looking in a mirror thing? Yeah, I came out of the hospital, 24 years old, 86 pounds. Seeing myself in a full length mirror really hurt. Thing is, I coulda gone one way. I coulda felt sorry, lost all will at seeing the bones of my feet prominently through the skin, just gave up or broke down, but instead I got teary, then I got mad. I endeavored to try to keep myself up no matter what because it wasn't dragging my butt down. By the time I went back in to the hospital to get my small intestine put back together, after having the ostomy for six or so months, the nurses and doctors told me that I was the healthiest person that they'd ever seen come in for one of those. I had some weight back, I had some muscle back because I did any exercise I could think of that wasn't a strain on the stoma to try to not look like that guy in the mirror. It sucked. I learned a bit from it. It was the closest thing to taking care of a baby ever. Getting up every couple hours to several alarm clocks arranged around the room to empty the bag, constantly having to be aware of it, making sure it wasn't going to leak, bringing supplies for it wherever I went. I learned quick ways to change the thing, how to keep it from spurting as much when I needed to change it (no swallowing or eating before you change it and for guys, shave!!! Can't stress that one enough).
Though, I didn't have the not eating part. Mine was the opposite. My Dad and step mom's grocery bill went up by around 200 dollars while I was there because I had to eat ALL THE TIME. Literally. Probably every 2 hours I had to eat something or I'd get dizzy and shaky, tunnel vision and weakness. My digestion has always been quicker than normal, but everything just kinda passed like a bullet train. And I tell you, seeing what passes through the terminus of your small intestine really teaches you to chew your food a bit more slowly and thoroughly.
I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't eat for 2 months though. I'm a foodie. I'm already constantly upset by things I can no longer eat. It's why I say that I have so few food vices that I'm not going to cut the remaining loves I have until I absolutely have to. Popcorn, gone. Tortilla chips, gone. Hot buttered corn on the cob, gone. Big salads, gone. Fresh carrots, fresh onions, most fresh fruits and veggies in general, gone. I have to cook my veggies to a point where no one else likes them. I have trouble eating at Asian restaurants because of how they cook their veggies. So, yeah, clinging to those last bits of enjoyment with tooth and claw.
I also love to cook. Would it take something away from the enjoyment of cooking if I could no longer eat it? Would I put the food in my mouth like he was, just to get the flavor, just so my tastebuds didn't forget the beauty and epicurean poetry of a well prepared dish? Would I even want to cook anymore if I couldn't even enjoy it? It's funny, that was the one thing that bothered me the most about that article, the lack of that enjoyment that many people take for granted, the flavor of food. Not simply the nourishment of it, but the sensory enjoyment of it. The zing, the crunch, the tang, the burn, the cool, sour, salty, sweet, even bitter. The things that make food more than just something to fill your stomach and nourish the body.
Definitely food for thought.
Yikes!
GoJohnnyGo
One Badass Dude
Yeah, I was NPO for about five weeks after my surgery. I still find it hard to discuss the pain I was in. I think those with Crohn's would be the only ones who truly understand.
that was a window into every fear i have. scary and yet therapeutic. thanks for posting
J
JillianB82
Guest
Thanks for posting that Mike
imisspopcorn
Punctuation Impaired
That article brings back a lot of bad memories...like lying in the hospital, NPO, watching the Food Network channel. I must have been completely wacked to torture myself like that!! Hunger is a powerful thing.
It's true! I remember after only a few days of not eating I had to stop watching tv. I remember seeing a fry up in the cafe on eastenders, the baked beans, the idea of them drove me nuts. i had to resorted to switching the tv off. I guess its the same thing that makes us eat a kfc when we know we shouldnt. It's a complex emotion. People don't quite understand until they aren't allowed to eat certain foods. My brother was always very pious about what I should and shouldn't be eating until one day he decided he couldn't eat dairy for his health. A week later he was on the phone telling me how he just cracked and had to have a jam and cream finger. Finally he said he understood that feeling.
The article brought back all those memories of being a TPN thing in hospital. God knows I'm grateful they put the needle in when I was under anesthetic. They did one on holby city last week it was horrible! I remember it felt like being attatched to a great big udder. Luckily mine was only in for about a week. I'm sure it did me the world of good or some such.
I hope that guy is ok.
The article brought back all those memories of being a TPN thing in hospital. God knows I'm grateful they put the needle in when I was under anesthetic. They did one on holby city last week it was horrible! I remember it felt like being attatched to a great big udder. Luckily mine was only in for about a week. I'm sure it did me the world of good or some such.
I hope that guy is ok.