See that person up there? That's the face of Crohn's disease. The puffy cheeks and eyes are thanks to prednisone and lack of sleep. My hair? A bit thin from the meds I have to take. You ought to see my medicine cabinet--box--drawer--suitcase. I even have meds in the refrigerator. I take extra Vitamin B12 and D because my body doesn't absorb it. I also have to take magnesium, calcium, and zinc, along with niacin, potassium, and a regular vitamin. I take a thyroid pill for Hashimoto's disease, a blood pressure bill, and Januvia for my newly diagnosed diabetes.
My morning pill fest is enough to fill one up for breakfast. And on some days it does.
I have a wonderful--funny--sarcastic--friend that just found out he has Crohn's disease. Right now he's in the hospital--he's a bit low on fluids. We crohnies tend to have that happen. So, we drop in for a quick fill-up and back out we go. Oh, and the docs have time to play around with our meds.
*hand wave*
My buddy is in the throes of adjusting to the diagnosis and trying to get the disease under control. It's a difficult time. Coming to grips with what you have is life changing and a little embarrassing. Who wants to tell people you have Crohn's? I didn't. It took me a long time to adjust and I just started blogging about it because another crohnie said I should make it known I have the disease. That I could help bring awareness to this incurable disease.
I just hate the word incurable, don't you?
So here's what happened to me this week.
My blood sugars for the most part are normal. They average between 82 and 93. Now my Crohn's is a bit of a problem. I'm only partially controlled due to only being able to take one drug--Humira--because I'm allergic to everything else. My Crohn's alternates between extreme diarrhea and constipation. The constipation is not caused by the usual stuff that causes constipation, it is caused because my intestines swell up in reaction to some food I ate and won't let anything pass. As soon as the swelling goes down, I'm back in business.
There are some foods that make me sick right away. I don't ever touch these foods because if I do, I can count on being out of commission for at least 1-2 days. Those foods are:
Pizza
Dairy
Nuts
Hard breads
Italian seasoning
When it comes to other foods, it's a hit and miss thing. Sometimes I can eat them and other times I can't. I never know when that might be. My doc once told me it depends on where my intestine is having difficulties. I dunno. I haven't figured this one out. It's a bit like a crap shoot.
However, after poking my finger ten thousand times, I've noticed my highest blood sugars come when I react to some food. My intestines swell up and I can't pass what's in my stomach. My 'normal' blood sugars went up to 187 during one of these episodes and 137 during another. As soon as I pass the food, blood sugars return to normal.
I thought that was really strange so I Googled constipation and high blood sugar. All I could find is that high blood sugar can cause constipation--not the other way around.
*shrugs shoulders*
I've had constipation all week--in a minute I'll tell you about it. So, not more than ten minutes ago I poked myself and took my blood sugar. 176. Five minutes ago, I had to use the restroom. As soon as I exited the restroom I took my blood sugar. 120. That's a drop of 50 some odd points in ten minutes.
Trust me, this experiment is at an end. So what started this?
My husband, the dear man, does the grocery shopping. Each Sunday after church he asks me, "Do you want anything special to eat this week?"
A few months ago I tried the paleo diet. Dang was I sick. However, my memories are fleeting. They come and they go. This time they went too fast.
"I'm going to try a new diet. Get me some wheat flour, sun flower and flax seeds along with some yeast. I'm gonna make my own bread."
Now, I know I can't eat bread. It clogs me up. Why I thought I could eat bread baffles me.
"Your diets don't usually end well," he finishes with a sad look in his eye.
"I'll be fine." My usual answer as I wave him off.
Later that afternoon I whip up a bee-u-ti-ful loaf of bread with flax and sunflower seeds.
"Ah, don't you think you should rethink this?" my wonderful other half states.
"I'll be fine," I answer cutting a slice and sticking half of it into my mouth.
Oh, the bread looks and smells wonderful. I'm drooling, thinking what a wonderful week I'm gonna have eating this healthy bread, eggs, and cheese like my doc wants. She also advised me to eat beef jerky. I thought that was kinda weird, but whatever. And she told me to eat as many eggs as I liked as they are filled with Omega threes. Eggs and bread. Could life get any better?
By Tuesday I knew I was in trouble. Wheat bread was not going down well. As a matter-of-fact I had developed some severe gut pains that set off esophageal spasms that are killer. If you've had them you know what I'm talking about. They are painful enough to stop you dead in your tracks. Not only did I have gas, I had stopped going to the bathroom. And, I noticed my blood sugars went up.
Ah, ha!
*light-bulb*
You would think I'd have sense enough to stop right then, but I was hooked on this inflammation thing and high blood sugar. I was so sure I could eat bread, I did it again on Wednesday, but had to stop when the pains were bad enough to send me to ER.
I should have been a doctor. Or at least a lab rat.
Did I mention I'm chronically stubborn? Or that I have an outstandingly magnificent ability to lie to myself? Did it occur to me that wheat bread is high in carbohydrates? Did it occur to me that if carbs are stuck in the gut it might just add to higher blood sugars?
Sub-conscious speaking, 'No. Let's face it. You wanted the bread. You wanted any bead you could get your hands on and you wanted a lot of it because you don't eat bread and when you do it has to be white bread BECAUSE YOU CAN'T EAT ANYTHING ELSE.,
I swear, Crohn's makes you insane.
Psychologically speaking--this was a full revolt of my sub-conscious mind who wanted bread at any cost. And since white bread makes me feel guilty, my conscious mind decided I could eat wheat bread because it was healthy.
I know I can't eat wheat--not in cereals--not in anything else, yet I somehow convinced myself I could. Now that is really weird.
It has to do with Crohn's ability to take from you all the wonderful comfort foods people love. Bread was one of them and I had no idea how much I wanted to eat it.
I'm not sure how I'm going to fix this. Perhaps I need to take my sub-conscious mind into a chat room for some one-on-one conversation. It would be nice to know how to communicate better so I don't make myself sick again. Since this is not the first time I've done this, I think I have quite a bit of work to do.
#slamsheadondesk
(((hugs)))
Louann
My morning pill fest is enough to fill one up for breakfast. And on some days it does.
I have a wonderful--funny--sarcastic--friend that just found out he has Crohn's disease. Right now he's in the hospital--he's a bit low on fluids. We crohnies tend to have that happen. So, we drop in for a quick fill-up and back out we go. Oh, and the docs have time to play around with our meds.
*hand wave*
My buddy is in the throes of adjusting to the diagnosis and trying to get the disease under control. It's a difficult time. Coming to grips with what you have is life changing and a little embarrassing. Who wants to tell people you have Crohn's? I didn't. It took me a long time to adjust and I just started blogging about it because another crohnie said I should make it known I have the disease. That I could help bring awareness to this incurable disease.
I just hate the word incurable, don't you?
So here's what happened to me this week.
My blood sugars for the most part are normal. They average between 82 and 93. Now my Crohn's is a bit of a problem. I'm only partially controlled due to only being able to take one drug--Humira--because I'm allergic to everything else. My Crohn's alternates between extreme diarrhea and constipation. The constipation is not caused by the usual stuff that causes constipation, it is caused because my intestines swell up in reaction to some food I ate and won't let anything pass. As soon as the swelling goes down, I'm back in business.
There are some foods that make me sick right away. I don't ever touch these foods because if I do, I can count on being out of commission for at least 1-2 days. Those foods are:
Pizza
Dairy
Nuts
Hard breads
Italian seasoning
When it comes to other foods, it's a hit and miss thing. Sometimes I can eat them and other times I can't. I never know when that might be. My doc once told me it depends on where my intestine is having difficulties. I dunno. I haven't figured this one out. It's a bit like a crap shoot.
However, after poking my finger ten thousand times, I've noticed my highest blood sugars come when I react to some food. My intestines swell up and I can't pass what's in my stomach. My 'normal' blood sugars went up to 187 during one of these episodes and 137 during another. As soon as I pass the food, blood sugars return to normal.
I thought that was really strange so I Googled constipation and high blood sugar. All I could find is that high blood sugar can cause constipation--not the other way around.
*shrugs shoulders*
I've had constipation all week--in a minute I'll tell you about it. So, not more than ten minutes ago I poked myself and took my blood sugar. 176. Five minutes ago, I had to use the restroom. As soon as I exited the restroom I took my blood sugar. 120. That's a drop of 50 some odd points in ten minutes.
Trust me, this experiment is at an end. So what started this?
My husband, the dear man, does the grocery shopping. Each Sunday after church he asks me, "Do you want anything special to eat this week?"
A few months ago I tried the paleo diet. Dang was I sick. However, my memories are fleeting. They come and they go. This time they went too fast.
"I'm going to try a new diet. Get me some wheat flour, sun flower and flax seeds along with some yeast. I'm gonna make my own bread."
Now, I know I can't eat bread. It clogs me up. Why I thought I could eat bread baffles me.
"Your diets don't usually end well," he finishes with a sad look in his eye.
"I'll be fine." My usual answer as I wave him off.
Later that afternoon I whip up a bee-u-ti-ful loaf of bread with flax and sunflower seeds.
"Ah, don't you think you should rethink this?" my wonderful other half states.
"I'll be fine," I answer cutting a slice and sticking half of it into my mouth.
Oh, the bread looks and smells wonderful. I'm drooling, thinking what a wonderful week I'm gonna have eating this healthy bread, eggs, and cheese like my doc wants. She also advised me to eat beef jerky. I thought that was kinda weird, but whatever. And she told me to eat as many eggs as I liked as they are filled with Omega threes. Eggs and bread. Could life get any better?
By Tuesday I knew I was in trouble. Wheat bread was not going down well. As a matter-of-fact I had developed some severe gut pains that set off esophageal spasms that are killer. If you've had them you know what I'm talking about. They are painful enough to stop you dead in your tracks. Not only did I have gas, I had stopped going to the bathroom. And, I noticed my blood sugars went up.
Ah, ha!
*light-bulb*
You would think I'd have sense enough to stop right then, but I was hooked on this inflammation thing and high blood sugar. I was so sure I could eat bread, I did it again on Wednesday, but had to stop when the pains were bad enough to send me to ER.
I should have been a doctor. Or at least a lab rat.
Did I mention I'm chronically stubborn? Or that I have an outstandingly magnificent ability to lie to myself? Did it occur to me that wheat bread is high in carbohydrates? Did it occur to me that if carbs are stuck in the gut it might just add to higher blood sugars?
Sub-conscious speaking, 'No. Let's face it. You wanted the bread. You wanted any bead you could get your hands on and you wanted a lot of it because you don't eat bread and when you do it has to be white bread BECAUSE YOU CAN'T EAT ANYTHING ELSE.,
I swear, Crohn's makes you insane.
Psychologically speaking--this was a full revolt of my sub-conscious mind who wanted bread at any cost. And since white bread makes me feel guilty, my conscious mind decided I could eat wheat bread because it was healthy.
I know I can't eat wheat--not in cereals--not in anything else, yet I somehow convinced myself I could. Now that is really weird.
It has to do with Crohn's ability to take from you all the wonderful comfort foods people love. Bread was one of them and I had no idea how much I wanted to eat it.
I'm not sure how I'm going to fix this. Perhaps I need to take my sub-conscious mind into a chat room for some one-on-one conversation. It would be nice to know how to communicate better so I don't make myself sick again. Since this is not the first time I've done this, I think I have quite a bit of work to do.
#slamsheadondesk
(((hugs)))
Louann
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