Crohns Update #1

I started my natural journey to remission 2/15/18, removing a great deal of harmful foods, adding others, and including supplements to help heal and restore my gut back to health. I have had a few bumps in the road (cheated a handful of times--regretted and suffered every time I did; suffered a bout of Tourette's, and, in turn STRESS due to the fact that I forgot to take my methylated B vitamins for a little over a WEEK [I forgot I had more in the cabinet and wasn't refilling my pill container, *sigh*), but overall I can say with confidence that diet plays a HUGE role in healing the gut, and I feel better than I have in years.

When I originally started this, I was seeing two doctors: my integrated doctor (holistic/natural approach, but also learned and practices medicine)--who also serves as a GP, and my gastroenterologist (or "GI" - Crohns doctor).

My integrated doctor has been such a huge support for my plan to follow a natural route, and I can't give enough praise for how much she has helped me by really digging deep into what has CAUSED these problems, and directing me on how to help fix them. She listened to every detail I told her, and reviewed every single component of my (very intricate) lab work. It has been an amazing experience. She has also helped to hold my hand and guide me when I was given other information from my GI doc that made me feel uneasy about following.

My GI doc, while very polite and intelligent, is asking me the same questions any other GI would when coming into the office in a very sick state (just before I committed to the lifestyle I follow now): "Why haven't you seen a GI until now? Why haven't you been on something for so long? Why WON'T you take anything now, even though you are so sick? Crohns is a lifelong disease, and so you have to manage it for the rest of your life." And frankly, it's embarrassing to answer those questions going in so sick. "Um, I believe in a natural route and that food and supplements can heal me." She must be thinking, "how is that working out for you?" (although, at the time, I was not necessarily following a rigid plan). Then I get the spiel about different medications and how they manage the symptoms/disease, and their side effects. Their viewpoint is this: a proper diet is great, but you NEED to be on SOMETHING. I really think they are just trained that way. Anyway, she had me run some tests--blood-work panel and a CT. The blood-work showed nothing abnormal, but the CT--which was performed approximately two weeks after I started my new plan showed inflammation in the ileum (the place that joins the small and large intestine), which is the same spot I was operated on, and the same spot that showed inflammation via a colonoscopy a year prior. It is suspected to be active inflammation (versus scar tissue), although there's no way to really tell except if blood-work comes back with a super high white blood cell count (which I did not have). The GI suggested that since inflammation was present we move forward with some kind of long-term medication use. My integrated doctor agreed that if it was bad ENOUGH and/or I was not feeling better with diet and supplements that I should look into a short-term treatment (NOT something permanent). Getting my GI on board with a short-term yet hardcore treatment would be tough, but fortunately after my last follow-up visit with the integrated doctor after my tests, that was no longer a concern (!!!).

The integrated doctor said that since I am feeling so well and the inflammation was not THAT concerning, I should continue on the path I have been on! WHAT A RELIEF. She also suggested that I request periodic fecal cal protein tests to monitor inflammation as a way to track progress (or lack of), and keep the GI's mind at ease. She reassured me that complete healing is going to take a WHILE (anywhere from 6 months to a year), and even then my body may be sensitive to certain things (like food, stress, lack of sleep, etc.). She insisted I try my hardest to stay on track, since one little thing could cause a flare during this fragile time of healing, BUT is hopeful this route will work.

So for now I am going to keep doing what I am doing! Other than my recent little flare (due to stress), I have felt better than I have in over two years. To go from feeling like I may literally be dying--MISERABLE (physically) every single day of my life - to having NO PAIN, in a positive mood, and even ENERGETIC...there are no words to describe how thankful I am.

P.S. I was trying to incorporate that super corny pic of me somewhere in the main page, but it just wasn't working, so after all the ridiculous photoshopping I figure I had to use it SOMEWHERE. haha (yes, I know I'm not very good at photoshop)

P.P.S. I cannot wait to share my latest discovery and recipe with you all!!! Stay tuned.