Hate this liquid diet, need to vent :(

[AgB621]

I'm reaching end of day 11 of my 14-day liquid diet. I'm so close to being done but these last few days are so brutal! I got about three non-consecutive hours of sleep the other night, my stomach growling with hunger made sleep impossible. And when I do sleep, I dream about food! I just want this to be done so badly It's interesting, the first few days I felt so full and so satiated from the drink that I had a hard time getting my daily allotment down. But now I'm hungry in a way I have never experienced before, it is INTENSE. I'm hoping it's a good sign, that it means some healing has happened and my system is feeling a little more able to handle food. Is this silly? Does anyone have any thoughts?

A quick word about why I'm doing this: My Crohn's is very mild and under control, but for almost a year now I have suffered daily extremely severe bloating. So severe, in fact, that it caused three hernias which I can't even get fixed until the bloating is under control. My GI doctor thinks the problem is motility, but I also had a breath test for small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) which came back "ambiguous". Considering I'd had D a couple of days before from overdoing the laxatives (I just can't seem to find the right balance between "food isn't moving" and "overdrive") and based on my symptoms, she figured the best thing to do would be to interpret the test as positive. A round of antibiotics was unsuccessful, so I'm doing a treatment called Vivonex. Vivonex is an elemental diet that is absorbed within the first two feet of intestines, thereby starving the bacteria of the remaining digestive tract. I'll be going for another breath test on Monday, and if it's negative, I can start a reintroduction diet. I don't know anything about their protocol, but I'm also going to try and assess if I have any food intolerances, as well as begin a low-residue diet.

I know that there are people who suffer far more terribly than I am right now, but there are moments (like right now ) that are truly agonizing. In addition to the overwhelming hunger and constant hypoglycemia, I started having burning D on day 3. The burning has gotten a lot better but, WOW, it was like razor blades, dipped in acid, set on fire. The first time it happened I nearly cried, it hurt so much! I'm hoping the fact that it burns less now is also a good sign, that some of that nasty bacteria's been all cleaned out.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent!

 

[MisB]

Hi, you have every right to vent. liquid diets are very tough, especially when you get to the point where you are getting hungry. I've been on mostly liquid/soft diet since April 7th. 5 months now. They finally did surgery 3 weeks ago, but I've had some other complications and after about a week of getting to eat some solid foods, i'm back to clear liquid for a couple of days and then full liquids. As for regulating laxatives, that's a never ending battle. as for the burning D, could you possibly have a hemoriod? I know I'm very prone to them and they can make you feel like your insides are being ripped open.

Be proud of yourself...you've made it 11 whole days! that is wonderful. only 3 left? you can do it. Just one step at a time. And you did the right thing by coming here to vent. it does help. I should know, I've become a pro at it lately. So, hang in there and keep us posted. good luck.

 

[jamilea]

Vent anytime you want to sweetie *hugs*

P.S. Bouillon cubes r0ck!

 

[bobby.parker]

Hey!

I know it's so tough, I don't really have much advice to give you. I've done it twice, once when I was on steroids which increases your appetite so that was so hard!

Have you tried putting the chocolate on in a cup, and microwaving it to make a hot chocolate?

This liquid diet is good, it gives you the perfect healthy diet and gives your body a rest!

 

[AgB621]

Thanks for the support everyone I think the diet would be a lot easier if I were allowed some variety but I can only have the vivonex flavored with Crystal Light and water...not even coffee or tea! Two solid weeks of nothing but sweet...ughh. And I'm more of a salty/savory person already.

It's a quarter to three in the morning and I'm starving!!! *sigh* Not too much longer but it feels so interminable

 

[bobby.parker]

Do you drink a lot of water?

 

[Crohn's 35]

Liquid diets are very hard to say the least, I have to give you a star because I would only last a day. Hang in there, hopefully all this time it should help!

:medal1:

 

[AgB621]

Thanks guys *sigh* Time to start day 12!

Bobby-yes I drink a ton of water! Total fluids (water + vivonex) I get probably 5 quarts a day right now.

 

[bobby.parker]

I promise it will get easier! After 6 weeks, I didn't have any desire for food and I had to get forced to back to normal food!

Your body will be grateful for the rest, you could catch the Crohn's early before it does any damage!

 

[Shannon]

Well I'm sorry you've had to go through this, firstly. Maybe I can help by sharing a funny bit.

I was on clear liquids for quite a while to treat symptoms before my Crohn's diagnosis. Then, when I began hemorrhaging, I was admitted to the ER for a colonoscopy. Even an emergency one couldn't be scheduled right away, so I had about 2 more days of clear liquids, and eventually, nothing at all (not to mention the awful scope prep). They put me on general anesthesia, did the scope, sent me up to my room. My family recalls that before I fully came out of the anesthesia, I would wake up and scream "CHEESEBURGER!" occasionally, and fall back into a miserable starving stupor. When I finally could eat food, I ordered up two entrees - a cheeseburger and six chicken fingers with chocolate pudding and a candy bar. I can't wait for you to have that moment.

 

[Jer's Girl]

I had to go on liquid diets a lot last year before I had my ileostomy and it was so awful! I really do feel your pain. Plus, people who haven’t had to go without food for days at a time (even one day is intense) have no idea how hard it is on you physically and emotionally. I am the type of person who wants sympathy for everything and I got none at all LOL! I also got super grumpy, although that was really my husband’s fault for eating in front of me all of the time.

I had to go on one liquid diet right before Thanksgiving and he not only made me go to dinner with his folks Thanksgiving night (I drank broth at the table), he kept forgetting and eating huge delicious looking turkey sandwiches in front of me every day for the next week! I was ready to kill him!

Even though I wasn’t able to eat much before without pain, actually not being able to chew ANYTHING for weeks at a time is so much worse. Hope your liquid diet gives you some relief and hope you are back on solids and feeling better soon.

 

[AgB621]

You guys are making this so much better I'm so grateful I live on my own right now, I hid all my food (literally, there's a box in the fridge, Whole Foods bags in the freezer, and a closet full of boxed non-perishables). My boyfriend visited last weekend, and at first I kind of enjoyed watching him eat and getting to smell and imagine the food. But then the last night he ordered pizza, which I haven't had in YEARS...That pizza showed up in my dreams last night. Actually, I've been dreaming about food almost every night, when I can actually sleep.

SOOO close to done now, day 12 is nearly done! I'll probably still stick to soft, gentle foods (lots of broth and pureed foods), but getting something other than Crystal Light flavorings is going to be SUCH a relief. I just hope this works, I hate being so unhealthy, it's making it so hard to get where I want to go in life.

Actually, the one thing that's come from this is that the tiny part of me that wanted to become a doctor rather than a veterinarian (being a vet has been my goal since I was 2 years old) has become, well, not so tiny. I really think I want to become a doctor. Fortunately, the classes I need to take are pretty much the same, and I'm in a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program anyway, and still have some time to explore my options. It's just not a goal I will be able to attain unless my health improves, and that's the most frustrating thing of all.

 

[bethyd78]

Be what you want yo be I'm 53 am a LPN and still studying for RN. And bless your heart liquids are hard to stay on for 11 days
Bethy