How are you feeling today?

Crohn's Disease Forum

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Son is still feeling good..knock wood, on his cycling diet, no meds. Just mild joint pain occasionally and of course it still hurts to poop, though that's only once a day. We should have his FCP results in about 5 days. I'm quite nervous about that.
 
YUCKY...it is prep day for scopes and biopsies tomorrow. Ugghhh, there is never a way to make this stuff go down easily. And the scopes are not scheduled until 2pm...Earlier I thought I would starve to death, now I never want to see food again. :/
 
I cycled to the seaside today with my sister. It's only about 7 km away but that is the first time I have been there in over 3 years. What a great feeling and what a beautiful landscape.

Of course that only tells half the story. I was quite nauseous especially by the end. At the beginning I wanted to head back home because I had urgency - luckily there was a visitor centre en route with good public toilets - and this afternoon/evening I have been so tired. Tomorrow will be tough.
 
I know I'm getting my old life back because I have bruises from training. I still gotta be careful and I don't want to spar until my inflammation markers are down but it feels good to feel good.
 
I had my psych exam with SSD (I think it lasted about 6 minutes) and tomorrow is my physical exam. Probably will last 5 minutes. Such a joke.

But I feel ok overall.. second dose of Imuran taken tonight. Hoping for no side effects since I'm prone to reject any and all meds.
 
Yesterday I got the call that I was approved for SSDI. This just isn't supposed to happen, I was expecting far longer then the 10 month fight it's been. On the crohn's front things are as up and down, left and right as they ever are - but everything else seems to be falling into place so I can live and lead my life the way I would like rather than having it ruled by medical pursuit alone.
 
Higher pain today. Not unbearable, but noticeable. I wonder if it has anything to do with my nemesis - tight pants.
 
Second not so good day in a row. I ended up leaving work early because I was having multiple (solid) BMs that left me with lingering pain.
 
Feeling accomplished. Traveled 1000 miles and FINALLY got to see my S.O. for the first time in 7 months. Managed an appointment, grocery shopping, and picking up some stuff for the house - all with his help and eyes, I swear this man is getting quicker at spotting bathrooms then I am. Tired like no other, and muscles are certainly fatigued but nice to be pushing it a bit and see where things are at! Hope everyone's having a good week and find enjoyment in the little things.
 
Started out ok today but my stomach/intestines are making the most horrendous noises, and the office is sparsely populated so I am getting up and going to the bathroom every 5 mins to cover the noise.
My lymphedema is playing up, and I feel bloated and sluggish.
Ack, I just want to go home and hide
 
Colonoscopy in 2 days, first laxatives to be taken tonight. Why on earth do the tablets contain wheat?!! I only just realised an hour ago.
 
duh panda said:
Yesterday I got the call that I was approved for SSDI. This just isn't supposed to happen, I was expecting far longer then the 10 month fight it's been. On the crohn's front things are as up and down, left and right as they ever are - but everything else seems to be falling into place so I can live and lead my life the way I would like rather than having it ruled by medical pursuit alone.
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:dusty:
 
It is almost 2am on Wednesday, April 1st and I AM STILL AWAKE !
This hasn't happened in a LONG time !
It is a good thing that I am staying home tomorrow.............oh, yeah, I mean TODAY !
 
@Ann Morgan - I wish I was still in bed!

My weird tummy caused me issues all yesterday and I am exhausted today.
I'm almost afraid to eat anything except I am STARVING, and counting down to lunch time with a big whey protein shake.

I'm feeling somewhat reflective today - a bit "meh, why do i bother at all" and at the same time "if i can just shake off this exhaustion, i can do anything"
 
Hello everyone. Was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis that has crohns. I had an mri. ..showed ms...second mri to confirm of spine. .waiting on results.remicade increased for arthritis in feet and ankles. Still painful but not as bad. I read that remicade can cause or increase risk of getting multiple sclerosis. Anyone's thoughts? ??
 
Today I'm feeling good because I got outside and walked my dog rather than asking my dad to even though it's really windy. I love the cold, love the rain, but winds I just don't like since I've been ill, it's just too much for my screwed up temperature regulation to deal with and I don't like branches falling down everywhere. For some reason we've had exceptionally windy weather the last few days so I've not been out much. Today I just really needed to go out though, and feel a lot better now.
 
evaj said:
Hello everyone. Was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis that has crohns. I had an mri. ..showed ms...second mri to confirm of spine. .waiting on results.remicade increased for arthritis in feet and ankles. Still painful but not as bad. I read that remicade can cause or increase risk of getting multiple sclerosis. Anyone's thoughts? ??
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I had Optic Neuritis in my left eye in 2001. I took Solumedrol in an IV three times a day for three days ( at home ) and then 2 weeks of Prednisone. I guess a certain percentage of MS patients do get Optic Neuritis. In the past I have had an MRI and even a lumbar puncture to check my spinal fluid. I don't have MS. I think the lumbar puncture is the most sure way to tell if you have MS or not ? I don't really know what caused my Optic Neuritis.
 
I think diagnosing MS is similar to diagnosing Crohn's in that you get some clear-cut cases and some.... really unclear. I don't have MS but at one point they suspected it. My lumbar puncture suggested it - it showed oligoclonal bands, whatever they may be. But then MRI of head and spine ruled it out. But MS is much more complicated than Crohn's because it has such a huge number of symptoms affecting so many different areas of the body.
 
UnXmas said:
Today I'm feeling good because I got outside and walked my dog rather than asking my dad to even though it's really windy. I love the cold, love the rain, but winds I just don't like since I've been ill, it's just too much for my screwed up temperature regulation to deal with and I don't like branches falling down everywhere. For some reason we've had exceptionally windy weather the last few days so I've not been out much. Today I just really needed to go out though, and feel a lot better now.
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A blast of fresh air can do the world of good!
 
I've got another half litre of moviprep to get down and then its off to bed. I have to say the prep is so much easier without a flare (at least up to now).
 
I ate cooked broccoli yesterday. I cannot eat raw or cooked vegetables. Diarrhea, bloating and cramping this afternoon. I am glad I stayed home today. Ahhhhhh.
 
5:30pm April 1st. My Primary Care Physicians office calls me, after hours, to tell me the Lab results from my stool sample I gave just yesterday. I have c-diff. How do I feel today .....sad. I thought my Lab results would come back in a week or two and say NO c-diff. It is April 2nd now at 12:04am and I am going to bed.
 
i am so tired the last few days, literally unable to do anything from 8pm in the evening. my iron levels were fine but i am just so lethargic and everything feels like an effort.

due for a minor surgery next week - removing skin tags and moles, but have to go under general anesthetic. very much not looking forward to the impact of those drugs
 
I got my latest DEXA scan results today: not good at all. T score -4.0
 
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Still less than great today. Strong cramping in all my sore spots. The fatigue game is strong today. I can barely keep my eyes open.
 
I am exhausted again. I slept 18hours yesterday. That is not an option today-I have dr appointments. My PCP is thinking about directly admitting me to the hospital.
 
Concluding a week of not feeling so hot. I can already feel that the bits of red pepper that were in my breakfast are going to cause hell. I can feel the pain but have not had to run to the bathroom yet. :/ I actually took a half a suppository of bisacodyl last night because I was so backed up and was so uncomfortable.

My body has two modes - three times a day or every three days.
 
Marijuana for one year at age 17; intake was daily, multiple, heavy and strong. After college, completely stopped to seek job. Massive gut pain, quelled by high dose prednisone during hospitalization. High anxiety pushed my predisposition into full blown Crohns in combination with no agent to control my generalized anxiety disorder. My belief, stopping marijuana cold turkey, plus high anxiety over job search, began the cascade of physical breakdown. My belief, if I never stopped the herb it would have never occurred. Humira modulates the disease beautifully for me. Don't touch herb but VERY infrequently but it has seriously effective medical use for the combinations of digestive disorders lumped into the aggregate diagnoses called IBD, IBS.
 
UnXmas said:
I got my latest DEXA scan results today: not good at all. T score -4.0
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After you mentioned your T-score I had to pull out my DEXA scan results from December 2014.

Lumbar spine....

L1 -1.6

L2. -2.8

L3 -3.9

L4 -3.2

Total. -2.9

On the bottom of my report it says FRACTURE RISK :HIGH.

I take a D3 Vitamin each day. I am supposed to be taking Fosamax once a week but have been very, very lazy about taking it. I also have Spina Bifida Occulta in my lumbar spine ( a low-lying tethered spinal cord).....it is a birth defect.

And my sister wonders why I worry so much about falling !!!!!!! I was in Idaho last December walking on ice and snow at night just so we could look at Christmas lights at the Botanical Garden !!!!! My brother-in-law had to hold my arm to walk me out to their car so I would not fall on the ice. Crazy. I am glad I live in Arizona.
 
brooklyn23 said:
Concluding a week of not feeling so hot. I can already feel that the bits of red pepper that were in my breakfast are going to cause hell. I can feel the pain but have not had to run to the bathroom yet. :/ I actually took a half a suppository of bisacodyl last night because I was so backed up and was so uncomfortable.

My body has two modes - three times a day or every three days.
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I miss eating food with FLAVOR !
Everything that is good for my tummy is so boring to eat.
My sister was in town recently. We went out to eat one day but I made sure that I would be going back to my apartment right afterwards just in case I had diarrhea.

PS: Yeah, last year I found out there were things I absolutely could not eat at an airport restaurant.... fish and chips....French fries....Cole slaw.....chicken salad sandwich. I guess I am stuck with smoothies, cereal and milk and macaroni and cheese. :boring:

I WANT MEXICAN FOOD !
 
Ann Morgan said:
After you mentioned your T-score I had to pull out my DEXA scan results from December 2014.

Lumbar spine....

L1 -1.6

L2. -2.8

L3 -3.9

L4 -3.2

Total. -2.9

On the bottom of my report it says FRACTURE RISK :HIGH.

I take a D3 Vitamin each day. I am supposed to be taking Fosamax once a week but have been very, very lazy about taking it. I also have Spina Bifida Occulta in my lumbar spine ( a low-lying tethered spinal cord).....it is a birth defect.

And my sister wonders why I worry so much about falling !!!!!!! I was in Idaho last December walking on ice and snow at night just so we could look at Christmas lights at the Botanical Garden !!!!! My brother-in-law had to hold my arm to walk me out to their car so I would not fall on the ice. Crazy. I am glad I live in Arizona.
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My family, my parents especially, and doctors treat me like I'm super-fragile, which I suppose I am. I know my T score of - 4.0 (spine and hips, and somewhere else too I think, I don't have the results to hand right now) means osteoporosis - do you know if that is very severe osteoporosis? My balance and coordination are deteriorating due to my other medical condition, so I fall often. My doctor has arranged for someone to come and install rails and things so I don't fall in the shower - and I'm still young!
 
Son is currently experiencing steroid anger. It's awful to be around and I know it must be a lot worse to experience in your own head. :(
 
Doc's apt this morning was so useless. He said he wasn't concerned about the mucus or fatigue, and is saying it's probably IBS and gave me an anti spasmodic to take as needed. I don't know if it will do anything for me. Also he seemed utterly unconcerned by the irregularity of my bowels 3-4 times a day or not at all for 3 days. WHO KNOWS. I DON'T.

*headdesk*

Maybe the blood tests will show something.
 
brooklyn- the official normal frequency of bowel movements is from twice a day to twice a week, so your doctor wouldn't be concerned since you're not far from this. What was "normal" for you? It sounds like he's ignoring your quality of life and would only be concerned by immediate threats to your health. I know the standard advice for me to give you in this situation is to suggest you seek a new doctor, but I'm sure you're already considering that and I know it's not always that easy to find one. I hope the blood tests are more useful.
 
Prior to feeling bad? I was a once daily or every other day goer. And I'm really apprehensive about this antispasmotic, I'm worried it will make the constipation worse. Ugh... I'm just so frustrated right now. My quality of life has dropped drastically over the last 3 months and I'm trying so hard to get it back. And he's ignoring my pervasive pain too.
 
Can it be that a colonoscopy (last thursday) delayed my period by 5 days? It has arrived slap bang in the middle of my Easter holiday. That plus the after-effects of the colonoscopy are leaving me feeling far from my best. But the benefits of being on holiday - there is a huge range of kids activities and I can just sit quietly on the side somewhere and rest! We have hired bikes for tomorrow though, I couldnt delay it any longer, please help me that I am up to it.

Have a good day and night everyone!
 
Sneaky red pepper got into my lunch. :( I'm starting to feel less than phenomenal.

ETA: Lol, guess what's not helping. The Levsin my doc prescribed.
 
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Hi guys u havnt been on here in ages last year in November I had a vowel resection and it worked wonders I put on weight ( Norty me) but I havnt been in pain but in the last week or 2 I been going to the loo a lot and I'm not sure wat a fissure is but every time I poo or fart my bum stings and I feel sum thing odd their im going for a scope on the 28th should I just wait till then or go to doc?
 
Hi Leezapeza
It could be a fissure, you might have one and never notice except for a bit of blood on toilet paper sometimes, or they might be painful (sometimes very painful!) every time something comes out that end.
If it's not bothering you then wait it out. If it is a simple fissure it is easy to treat with topical cream. If you are worried then of course go and see a doctor.
 
Thanks king it not too bad but last couple of days my poo has been runny without warning and it a very dark colour I might just wait it out I'm not in serious pain like I was last year and I'm eating well just thought I'd mention it but I will keep a diary of what I'm eating so the GI can see
 
I did not know where to ask this.
I have Ulcerative Colitis does that automatically mean that I have a weakened immune system ? I am confused about autoimmune diseases.
Oh, yeah, I have c-diff right now. Going to start Vancomycin soon.
Have a good weekend everyone.
 
Feeling sore and sensitive after several biopsies, removal of some warts and sigmoidoscopy on thurs.
Ibuprofen helps, thankfully!
 
I went to the bathroom six or seven times yesterday and twice so far today and I have a cough I haven't been able to shake.

2
 
Oddly enough, ibuprofen works for me without too many IBD impacts as long as it is spioradic use for a short time.
I generally stay away from NSAIDs and Tylenol doesn't cut it in my case
 
out hospital again - was severely inflamed at colon and sigmoid, fluid round right hand side and constipated amoungst other things. was fun. wish meds would work. back tomorrow for infliximab
 
Really tired the last few days, and the NSAIDs are making my tummy run a bit now so temperature is also affected

Thank god tomorrow is Friday!
 
kikig said:
Really tired the last few days, and the NSAIDs are making my tummy run a bit now so temperature is also affected

Thank god tomorrow is Friday!
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What are your plans for the weekend then?

By the way do your employers/colleagues know about your illness?
 
So Hoping that next week I'm told I can stop taking anti-biotics (one or both, I'd be find with either). Knew that flagyl could cause nerve pain and numbness in the extremities, but never understood just what that entailed till now. Plus, even if that wasn't a developing side effect I'm beyond ready to no longer have to get up in the middle of the night for that third dose.

Regardless, today is a pretty good day! 48 hours out from taking my weekly Methotrexate injection and vomiting/ nausea/ fatigue has subsided. Energy levels are high enough where I may actually get something done beyond eating and showering - although House of Cards on Netflix may just draw out my afternoon "break" a while longer before tackling cleaning the bathroom and kitchen (If it's lucky).
 
King of Orange said:
What are your plans for the weekend then?

By the way do your employers/colleagues know about your illness?
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for better or worse, i have only given the high level to them. i work in an office full of men, for whom the common cold is a major illness :)
nah, i'm underestimating them, they know roughly that i'm dealing with a crohns type thingy

had some bad news, due to my crappy immune system (and other malfunctioning systems) i have hpv16, and entails more surgery in 6 weeks.

so now i have to face building myself up for another general anesthetic and its effects on my digestion. still only getting over the one last week which came with a free sigmoidoscopy

honestly, talk about kicking someone when they are down :cry:
 
In general, I've been doing a lot better, to the point where I started being bothered by being overweight. Which is good, it means I feel well enough to worry about something other than illness.

So, I'm back on weight watchers and trying to take advantage of the fact that fruits and veggies are free.... but it's definitely led to an uptick in pain. No change in BMs, but the pain is worse in two spots. :( why, body?
 
Twisted my ankle and it really hurts. I hate not being able to walk. I'm sitting here with ice on it.
 
so now i have to face building myself up for another general anesthetic and its effects on my digestion. still only getting over the one last week which came with a free sigmoidoscopy
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Do you mean that aneasthetics affect your digestion? What effects do they have?
 
brooklyn23 said:
In general, I've been doing a lot better, to the point where I started being bothered by being overweight. Which is good, it means I feel well enough to worry about something other than illness.

So, I'm back on weight watchers and trying to take advantage of the fact that fruits and veggies are free.... but it's definitely led to an uptick in pain. No change in BMs, but the pain is worse in two spots. :( why, body?
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Maybe I'm the last person you'd want advice from on this as I'm very underweight, but if it's the fibre in fruits and vegetables that upsets you, I spent years having to eat a very low fibre diet, and I can make some suggestions of low fibre, low calorie foods (including low fibre fruit and vegetables) if you'd like them.
 
UnXmas said:
Do you mean that aneasthetics affect your digestion? What effects do they have?
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Firstly, stress from the whole idea. Then my body cleans itself 7hrs after the anesthetic by running a nasty fever for a few hrs. Not to mention the antibiotics and painkillers administered during surgery. Its a mess for up to a week.
 
UnXmas said:
Maybe I'm the last person you'd want advice from on this as I'm very underweight, but if it's the fibre in fruits and vegetables that upsets you, I spent years having to eat a very low fibre diet, and I can make some suggestions of low fibre, low calorie foods (including low fibre fruit and vegetables) if you'd like them.
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I would like to know which fruit and veg you eat on a low fibre diet, UnXmas!
I hope you will be able to walk again soon.
 
King of Orange said:
I would like to know which fruit and veg you eat on a low fibre diet, UnXmas!
I hope you will be able to walk again soon.
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Hi King of Orange,

Bananas
Avocados
Any tinned fruit except pineapple
Stewed fruit (apples, pears, etc. - remove all skin and pips)
Well cooked root vegetables like carrots, swede and sweet potato (but some people will need to be careful of these, and cook them very well)
Smooth tinned vegetable soup
Fruit juices with no bits
Potatoes without skin

I know this one doesn't seem like a fruit, but I became a big fan of these tomato pastas when I was eating low-fibre, which count as one portion of the "5 a day" fruits and vegrtables people are supposed to eat: http://www.heinz.co.uk/en/Products/Pasta/Ranges/Spaghetti/Spaghetti-in-Tomato-Soup

Another weird one, babyfood fruit pots - they're yummy to adults to! They're healthy (usually pure fruit and nothing else) and most have no bits in at all
Here's one brand I've had: http://www.hipp.co.uk/products/our-baby-food-and-drinks/fruit-pots

And if you're wanting low fibre, low calorie foods besides fruit and veg, try low fat dairy (yoghurts, cottage cheese), white meat, fish, eggs, and smooth soups besides vegetable ones. Refined grains - white rice, white bread, low fibre breakfast cereals (Rice Krispies, Cornflakes and others) are pretty similar in terms of calorie content to their wholegrain counterparts (brown rice, brown bread, bran, wholegrain breakfast cereals), so grains on a low fibre diet shouldn't mean any more calories than grains on a high fibre diet.
 
My ankle's much less painful today, but everything I've read says it's best to rest it 'til all the swelling's gone down, so I'm still sitting here with my leg elevated with an ice pack on it.
 
UnXmas said:
Hi King of Orange,


Another weird one, babyfood fruit pots - they're yummy to adults to! They're healthy (usually pure fruit and nothing else) and most have no bits in at all
Here's one brand I've had: http://www.hipp.co.uk/products/our-baby-food-and-drinks/fruit-pots
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Thank you UnXmas, you have given me a few ideas. I had forgotten about the baby purees and you're right some of them are quite tasty. I'll put them down on my shopping list.

So not many vegetables to choose from then? I might have to start reading the posts on juicing. Although a vitamin pill just seems so much easier.
 
By the way, seeing as the post is How are you feeling today?
Bad. In a way that I can't really describe. Slightly out of it, abdominal discomfort, tired, slightly nauseous. And I don't know why. I havent felt like this for a while. I need to get some rest on Sunday to survive the week next week.
 
I woke up feeling pretty decent. The last couple hours or so I've started feeling kinda nauseated, headachey and just overall weak and ....gross?
 
King of Orange said:
Thank you UnXmas, you have given me a few ideas. I had forgotten about the baby purees and you're right some of them are quite tasty. I'll put them down on my shopping list.

So not many vegetables to choose from then? I might have to start reading the posts on juicing. Although a vitamin pill just seems so much easier.
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If you look for smoothed tinned soups, you can get a bit of variety of vegetables that way. And there are a few quite a few root vegetables besides the ones I mentioned above, e.g. parsnips and turnips. You might also be alright with butternut squash and aubergines. But they do have to be cooked until they're like mush. :p Or at least they do at first until you can figure out your tolerance levels by gradually building them up. But vitamin pills are easier. Or supplements like Ensure.
 
In general, I am doing a lot better. I have a lot of my health and stamina back. But I'm continuing to have pain in the same few spots, made worse after a BM. :/ Luckily it's all solid and about once a day, but damn it hurts.
 
I have a bad cold, a sore throat and a fever. Does anyone else get incredibly thirsty during a fever? It would make sense if I was dehydrated, but I'm drinking and drinking. And I get cravings. This time I want milk. With previous fevers I've wanted apple juice. And does anyone else get weird electric shock like feelings?

But my ankle is now better and completely pain-free. I'm pleased, because it was so painful I thought I'd done something awful to it that might take ages to heal.
 
It was recommended to me by my GI doctor that I not take my Questran during my Vancomycin. I tried this for three days and ended up with my very uncomfortable yellow watery diarrhea, so I started taking my Questran again and notified his office ( they will call me back). The Pharmacy paperwork says that I CAN take the Questran during Vancomycin as long as I take the Questran 3 hours before or 3 hours after the Vancomycin. I paid a lot of money for this Vancomycin, but I cannot be having yellow watery diarrhea every day for 2 weeks. I have to stay home and do nothing because I am infectious. Boring.
 
duh panda said:
So Hoping that next week I'm told I can stop taking anti-biotics (one or both, I'd be find with either). Knew that flagyl could cause nerve pain and numbness in the extremities, but never understood just what that entailed till now. Plus, even if that wasn't a developing side effect I'm beyond ready to no longer have to get up in the middle of the night for that third dose.

Hi. I am taking my Vancomycin at 12 am ( midnight), 6am, 12pm ( noon) and 6pm. I just wait until 12am to go to bed. I have 6 alarms set on my cell phone ..... four for the Vancomycin and 2 for my Questran ( so I can space the Questran and Vancomycin 3 hours apart).
I am staying home doing nothing.
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UnXmas said:
If you look for smoothed tinned soups, you can get a bit of variety of vegetables that way. And there are a few quite a few root vegetables besides the ones I mentioned above, e.g. parsnips and turnips. You might also be alright with butternut squash and aubergines. But they do have to be cooked until they're like mush. :p Or at least they do at first until you can figure out your tolerance levels by gradually building them up. But vitamin pills are easier. Or supplements like Ensure.
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I saw a Nutritionist last year. She gave me some recommendations, like cooking vegetables until they are mushy. I am afraid to try this because I don't want to experiment and then have diarrhea from the vegetables. The only vegetables I can really eat are root vegetables cooked, with no skin. But I never eat potatoes really. And the only fruit I can eat are bananas.

My Nutritionist did give me some smoothie recipe (s) and I TRY to drink one each day. I can eat an apple in a smoothie because it is pilverized, but I cannot eat a raw apple just the way it is from the grocery store. My smoothies contain: one ripe banana, one apple without the skin and core, 1/2 cup fresh carrot juice, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup soy milk, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon real vanilla. I have a Nutribullet blender. I have used Whey Powder for the protein source in my smoothies, but I prefer the plain Greek yogurt.

The only Vitamins I take are Vitamin B12 over-the-counter and Vitamin D3 over-the -counter. I JUST started taking Culturelle probiotics each day. I have been told to take the Vitamin B12 from my Primary Care Doctor. The Vitamin D3 from my Endocrinologist. And I mentioned the Probiotics to my new GI doctor and he gave me a list of the ones that he recommends. I always tell my doctors if I am taking supplements.

For Ensure Drink information ( the true story) go to www.fakefoodwatch.com. I used to be hooked on the Ensure, no wonder.....the first two ingredients are sugar and water. ( And Ensure is expensive. Better to eat real foods than this stuff ? )

Later.
 
Ensure suits me, I need the sugar! Even my dentist told me to keep drinking it. And it contains all the vitamins and other nutrients you need, so it's healthy, especially for people can't eat many fruits and vegetables. I get mine on prescription (along with Calogen shots) so I don't have to pay anything for them at all, but I can see how that would be a problem for many. My only issues with Ensure are that the taste isn't that great, and all the fat and protein in them makes them much more filling than drinks based mainly just on sugar, which is a downside when you're trying to gain weight. But I suppose you have to compromise somewhere, as the more calories a food or drink has, the more filling it's going to be.
 
The Ensures I have are not the same as those talked about in the article. The ones the NHS provides (as well as all the other supplements used in medical situations) are never sold or marketed as aids to help body builders put on muscle or for "picky children" as decribed in the article.

I know there are many other supplements marketed for other purposes and never aimed at sick people, and which anyone can buy and which don't require anything from a doctor, but they're never used by doctors. I think you can buy Ensure here, but the kind I have says on each bottle that they can only be used under medical supervision.

Also:

"Common adverse conditions include constipation, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. These conditions are generally mild and typically abate once your body adjusts. Improper usage, on the other hand, can lead to more serious medical problems such as seizures, irregular heartbeat, changes in mood or mental status, weak pulse, muscle cramps, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing."
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There is no way this is true of the Ensure I drink. For one thing, like many people here, my digestive system reacts to the slightest thing, but I've never had a single side effect from Ensure (besides fullness, but if you count that then you'd have to say that most foods and many drinks have that as a side effect), not even when I was having three Ensures and four Calogen Shots a day.

A better, healthier solution than drinking an 8-oz bottle of Ensure?

Eat a banana, and take a daily, natural multi-vitamin. Skip the chemical-laced sugar water.
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Where are the calories in that substitute?

Sorry for the rant. Don't take any of that personally, Ann. I've just had a lot of frustration in the past with people claiming various foods/supplements/drinks/medications/surgeries/etc. are bad when they're things I really really need, and telling me things are really really good when, for me at least, they're bad. Sugar is a food. It's not unhealthy in itself, it only becomes unhealthy for people who eat too much of it.
 
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Ann Morgan said:
Hi. I am taking my Vancomycin at 12 am ( midnight), 6am, 12pm ( noon) and 6pm. I just wait until 12am to go to bed. I have 6 alarms set on my cell phone ..... four for the Vancomycin and 2 for my Questran ( so I can space the Questran and Vancomycin 3 hours apart).
I am staying home doing nothing.
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I also spend my days staying home and sleeping around dosing schedules. I don't think my sleep schedule would change much without meds in the picture because I prefer a split sleep schedule but... I don't like feeling ruled by it all! I'd like to think I don't do nothing at home all day... but sometimes it certainly feels that nothing is my accomplishment for the day between making sure meds are taken when needed, appointments are made and met, insurance companies and bills dealt with, and of course nutritional needs met.

If it were not for alarms, calendar reminders and a few good close people around me to help keep things in order everything would seem so scrambled. Not that it's any less scrambled... just a bit less chaotic when charted out a bit.

On a totally different note, from anything on here lately, shopping for clothes is enjoyable right now since it seems elastic stretchy waist bands, loose pants and flowy skirts/ dresses are in this season. Why is this notable? Generally, because I come from a family of women that hate shopping and for the first time ever it feels like there are options - good options to work with both my crohnsie body and budget.

I now have pants. That fit. For the first time in 2 years. NO SAFETY-PINS IN THIS WAISTBAND. And I didn't have to choose them because they weren't the only option. They aren't jeans, aren't exercise clothes, and are light enough to wear in summer soooo I don't burn to a crisp! :dance: Never thought I'd be that girl where buying an item of clothing would be such a mood lifter.
 
Well done those on time schedules for medicines. It must be exhausting. I hope you are able to go back to sleep straight away once the meds are down.
 
From someone who also hates clothes shopping - congratulations!!! I hope you bought more than one!
Click to expand...

I love clothes shopping, but it has two problems for me: 1. Actually going to shops is exhausting and miserable. I live in the middle of nowhere, and I'm just too ill with all sorts of different symptoms, I haven't been real shopping for ages. But I've solved this by learning to love online clothes shopping! Which has all sorts of advantages to real shopping. The only downside is you can't try things before you buy them, but as long as you get free returns, you can try them and send them back if you don't like them when you get the clothes on.

2. In very underweight and need clothes which aren't tight around my sore, bloated stomach, and which allow me to empty my stoma bag easily. The last isn't nearly as big a problem for me as it is for many others with ileostomies, as I usually only empty twice a day. On my top half, I usually fit into teenager clothes or a UK size 8 to 10 (which is loose on me, but it means nothing tight around my stomach). But I wear stretchy vests which cling without feling tight underneath whatever I'm wearing because otherwise I can't lean forward without revealing too much as my top hangs down. But on my lower half, my legs are too long for kids/teen clothes, and despite how underweight I am, my hip bones are simply too big to ever fit into a UK size 6. I'm actually a UK size 8 on my lower half, but wear a 10 because of not wanting anything tight.

My style to meet these requirements is a very short tunic-type top/dress over leggings. And a cardigan over it if cold. And child's knickers, age 12 - 13. The short length of the tunic means it's out the way if my stoma needs emptying, the leggings are comfy round my stomach (even as bloating increases through the day) and it can be smart or casual. The cardigan is easier to get on and off than a jumper, which is usefull as I'm always changing temperature, and I always have a beanie or headscarf on because meds caused my hair to fall out, so I don't have to redo my headscarf when my temperature changes and I strip a layer off. :)

Oh, and I've heard in the media about how some women desperately want to fit into a UK size 8 or even 6 and believe they're fat because they can't. I can assure you that I'm very, very, dangerously underweight and I still can't fit into a UK 6 on my lower half because my hip bones are simply too big, and no amount of fat loss/weight loss is going to change that. Women who are petite, like 5', and are skinny will fit into a UK 6, but women as tall as I am or taller simply won't. So no one should belive they're fat on the basis of not being able to fit into a 6 or even an 8 or 10 if they're average height or taller. (I'm 5'4").
 
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Today was Administrative Professional's Day so my office threw a lunch for us. I thought I was pretty good in terms of my portions, but in terms of just... the meal being what it was I'm not feeling very well. More pain. My supervisor said I look white.
 
UnXmas, you just described pretty much my winter outfits! Since my mom retired she's been letting me raid her closet - which has a lot of soft sweaters and cardigans. Since chopping off my hair I've added scarfs/ thick head bands to my deep deep love of hats - hats are the one thing I will buy online without worry because there isn't so much worry about it fitting or not and I despise having to wait on returns when purchases don't work out.

Yesterday I went in for Entyvio infusion and had a new nurse. As we were working our way through the general "wellness" questions she follows up after asking for weight/ height with "I was wondering if being that pale and thin was average for you or not because you have such a slim build." (That may sound totally bitchy written down but she was pretty sweet about it.) Nothing like feeling like skeletor yet having others think it could actually be "normal."

Like you, I'm also really underweight, but very narrow through the shoulders/ hips, average height yet lanky so it is very difficult to find things that don't look terribly baggy through the legs, completely disappear my waist line, or are too short. I tend to fit a xs/ s both tops and bottoms (having given up on most number sizing unless I can try it on in store) but even most "form fitting" or "fitted" clothes are roomy and pants and long sleeve shirts usually fall short length wise by an inch or more. Ug, even just writing/ thinking about the clothing challenges makes me feel 10x more anxious.

Biggest pet peeve from other women: "Oh how I wish I had your build and was a skinny as you!" I have yet to find a response that doesn't brush it off or come off as a bit rude to date. It really irks me how western culture has instilled such an emphasis on the concept of "thinness" according to numbers over something more universal such as approaching fashion/ beauty from a standpoint of well-being and body shape... since humans are shapes - physical things, not abstract numbers/ sizes.
 
I hate clothes shopping too ( I am "obese"). But when I DO go shopping I usually buy several things and it is so nice to have something new to wear for a change ( even if it is just a new pair of jammies : - )
 
UnXmas said:
I love clothes shopping, but it has two problems for me: 1. Actually going to shops is exhausting and miserable. I live in the middle of nowhere, and I'm just too ill with all sorts of different symptoms, I haven't been real shopping for ages. But I've solved this by learning to love online clothes shopping! Which has all sorts of advantages to real shopping. The only downside is you can't try things before you buy them, but as long as you get free returns, you can try them and send them back if you don't like them when you get the clothes on.

2. In very underweight and need clothes which aren't tight around my sore, bloated stomach, and which allow me to empty my stoma bag easily. The last isn't nearly as big a problem for me as it is for many others with ileostomies, as I usually only empty twice a day. On my top half, I usually fit into teenager clothes or a UK size 8 to 10 (which is loose on me, but it means nothing tight around my stomach). But I wear stretchy vests which cling without feling tight underneath whatever I'm wearing because otherwise I can't lean forward without revealing too much as my top hangs down. But on my lower half, my legs are too long for kids/teen clothes, and despite how underweight I am, my hip bones are simply too big to ever fit into a UK size 6. I'm actually a UK size 8 on my lower half, but wear a 10 because of not wanting anything tight.

My style to meet these requirements is a very short tunic-type top/skirt over leggings. And a cardigan over it if cold. And child's knickers, age 12 - 13. The short length of the tunic means it's out the way if my stoma needs emptying, the leggings are comfy round my stomach (even as bloating increases through the day) and it can be smart or casual. The cardigan is easier to get on and off than a jumper, which is usefull as I'm always changing temperature, and I always have a beanie or headscarf on because meds caused my hair to fall out, so I don't have to redo my headscarf when my temperature changes and I strip a layer off. :)

Oh, and I've heard in the media about how some women desperately want to fit into a UK size 8 or even 6 and believe they're fat because they can't. I can assure you that I'm very, very, dangerously underweight and I still can't fit into a UK 6 on my lower half because my hip bones are simply too big, and no amount of fat loss/weight loss is going to change that. Women who are petite, like 5', and are skinny will fit into a UK 6, but women as tall as I am or taller simply won't. So no one should belive they're fat on the basis of not being able to fit into a 6 or even an 8 or 10 if they're average height or taller. (I'm 5'4").
Click to expand...

Shopping makes me very tired too and trying on the clothes is uncomfortable because of my arthritis. I hate big stores. I have not been to a Mall in years.

I occassionally shop online too, which works out well once you learn about sizes and brands that fit you ( each store website seems to have their own size-chart). I have purchased athletic shoes and underwear online, but I knew the exact size and brand and style that fit me. No returns.

Sometimes I buy large women's elastic waist "jeans" at a store called Catherines.

I know that some folks may be low on cash and so I also recommend local, clean and organized" Thrift Stores". My elderly mother would always find shirts there that looked brand new and clean.....she just had a talent for finding the good stuff. I am obese, so finding clothes at Thrift Stores is almost impossible.....BUT.....I lost 60 pounds in 2006. In 2007 I bought 2 pair of black stretchy pants at Goodwill. I gained back the weight but I still can wear those pants ! I have never purchased pants that I kept for 8 years that still fit me and still were not worn out. Long live polyester !:eek2:

PS: I have short, short hair on purpose. I cut it 3 years ago. Now I have sensitivity to sunlight heat on my skin.....so now I must find a hat or hats to wear so l don't fry the skin on my head.....I LIVE IN ARIZONA !
 
UnXmas said:
The Ensures I have are not the same as those talked about in the article. The ones the NHS provides (as well as all the other supplements used in medical situations) are never sold or marketed as aids to help body builders put on muscle or for "picky children" as decribed in the article.

I know there are many other supplements marketed for other purposes and never aimed at sick people, and which anyone can buy and which don't require anything from a doctor, but they're never used by doctors. I think you can buy Ensure here, but the kind I have says on each bottle that they can only be used under medical supervision.

Also:



There is no way this is true of the Ensure I drink. For one thing, like many people here, my digestive system reacts to the slightest thing, but I've never had a single side effect from Ensure (besides fullness, but if you count that then you'd have to say that most foods and many drinks have that as a side effect), not even when I was having three Ensures and four Calogen Shots a day.



Where are the calories in that substitute?

Sorry for the rant. Don't take any of that personally, Ann. I've just had a lot of frustration in the past with people claiming various foods/supplements/drinks/medications/surgeries/etc. are bad when they're things I really really need, and telling me things are really really good when, for me at least, they're bad. Sugar is a food. It's not unhealthy in itself, it only becomes unhealthy for people who eat too much of it.
Click to expand...

I don't take it personally at all.

My elderly mother got quite thin and they wanted her to drink the Ensure but she did not like the taste or texture. She really needed the calories too. ( She passed away in 2013).

Anyhow, when I was "hooked" on the Ensure I was already obese ! I drank 3 a day ( I needed them, I craved them ). That was 750 calories a day just for the 3 Ensures each day. And they are expensive here, I would guess I was spending about $5.00 per day on the 3 Ensures ! That was $150.00 per month....WOW.:duh:

Have a good week.
 
Ann Morgan said:
PS: I have short, short hair on purpose. I cut it 3 years ago. Now I have sensitivity to sunlight heat on my skin.....so now I must find a hat or hats to wear so l don't fry the skin on my head.....I LIVE IN ARIZONA !
Click to expand...

I love the variety of hats on forever21 (and the prices :thumright:)
 
Biggest pet peeve from other women: "Oh how I wish I had your build and was a skinny as you!" I have yet to find a response that doesn't brush it off or come off as a bit rude to date. It really irks me how western culture has instilled such an emphasis on the concept of "thinness" according to numbers over something more universal such as approaching fashion/ beauty from a standpoint of well-being and body shape... since humans are shapes - physical things, not abstract numbers/ sizes.
Click to expand...

I'm so skinny I've moved way past the point where anyone envies it or could ever consider it as normal in any way. There is definitely a point where people recognise thinness numbers as too low and prefer wellness.
 
Feeling very frustrated after arguing with my health insurance.
Idiots.

And they have no understanding of why I get upset that they offer homeopathy but when it comes to preventative things like nutritional support, they tell me there is no basis to fund my protein drinks as they are regarded as grocery items???

Getting daily IV protein infusions and possibly a long stay in hospital is cheaper than paying for lousy protein powder???
 

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