Re: GInger or anyone in remission

[Guest guest]

At 12:40 PM 3/29/2008, you wrote:

first off that is awesome and so

hopeful for us beginners!!! also my hubby was asking after I read him

your post whether you can

just eat anything now or would Crohns flare again???? i imagine i'm

here for life and ok with that but just wonder what not doing that would

do??

Eileen,

As with most things SCD, it depends on the person. Elaine's daughter was

healed completely, and eats around (I think) around 80% SCD -- but she

could never eat rice, or she would start bleeding again, even though she

could eat other non-SCD foods.

I have seen people who achieved remission and were able to add small

amounts of non-SCD foods back into their diets permanently. My niece is

one of these.

I have seen people who achieved remission, went off SCD, returning to

their old way of eating, and soon were back here, looking for help. The

usual cry is that " SCD didn't work. " Uh, well... yes, SCD DID

work. The person achieved remission. But then they went back to eating

the kind of junk that made them sick in the first place, and, well, DUH!

They got sick again!

For myself, I have no desire to eat non-SCD, except for the convenience

of not having to be so scrupulously careful when I eat out. (Like having

to send a steak back because someone didn't read the ticket and piled

onion rings and French fries around it.)

—

Marilyn

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

I think Elaine says in her book that after a year with no syptoms

that you can begin to incorporate other foods into your SCD diet. BUT,

everyone is different. I don't think anyone with these diseases can

ever go back to eating lots of pastas, sugars, lactose etc. For me, I

will never eat the way I did before. I ate pasta at least two times a

week or more, milk every day, sugar desserts when I wanted. I also

struggled with weight problems my whole life. Now, I'm 116 healthy

pounds and have been that way for a year and a half or so.

Also, you asked if my Crohn's flares up if I eat something illegal

now. There are times when I get something by mistake and my stomach

feels slightly different within about ten minutes. Example: This past

Sunday, our family got together for Easter and there was a huge tray of

beautiful cut fruits on the buffet table. I took one piece of

pineapple, a slice of orange and three huge ripe strawberries. After

eating two strawberries, I could feel a weird stomach thing going on.

Not painful just a bit achy. I asked my relative if she had put sugar

on the strawberries. No, but she had put Splenda. I listen to my

stomach and I can tell when something's not right.

Finally, there are two points to make that I think are hugely

important. First, I believe that success is hugely in the attitude of

approach toward this " diet " . It's really a way of life, not a diet.

SCD is the way I live. I'm happy with it and I feel in control because

of it. Yes, I take medicine, the new one, Lialda. But nothing anyone

says will change the fact that I believe SCD is the reason I am

healthy. Even my doctor says I'm his healthiest patient (of 156

patients with Crohn's) and that he believes that 90% of my good health

is attributed to my diet and only 10% to the medication. The second

point is something I only recently learned. I was so devastated when I

was diagnosed with Crohn's. The doctor said that my life was changed

forever and the way that I handled this would be the difference between

a decent life and a very debilitating one. I talked to everyone who

would listen about Crohn's and my eating habits, partly because I'm a

teacher and I like to educate. But recently I heard someone with an

illness say that their illness so consumed them that they BECAME that

illness. I realized that I am NOT Crohn's. I am a person who happens

to have this disease. So it's very important to focus on all the

positive things in your life. Look around you at all the people who

are worse off than you, whoever you are. There's always someone worse

off and there's always much to be thankful for. I believe that it is

extremely important to have that positive focus along with the " way of

life diet " approach. These two things have been the key in my strong

willpower and determination to be healthy. So stay encouraged and stay

strong. With time, you will get better and better.

>

> first off that is awesome and so hopeful for us beginners!!!

> also my hubby was asking after I read him your post whether you can

> just eat anything now or would Crohns flare again????

> thanks eileen

> i imagine i'm here for life and ok with that but just wonder what not

> doing that would do??

>