Is one ever cured?

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Jan

Subject: Is one ever cured? [From the Archives]

hello, I dont know if this is a question that can or should be answered on this

list but I need an answer or to be directed to where I might find the answer. My

teen daughter has been on the scd diet for over 2 years now and all through that

time has also been on several medications for her ulcerative colitis. My

question is, Is one ever considered totally healed or in remission permanently

or cured. Is it when one has been symptom free for over a year on medications

or off medications. And if symptom free for over a year is it safe to say that

one is healed and able to resume a " regular " diet. My daughter says she is so

burned out on the diet and would like to resume eating foods that she says taste

good to her. This has been a tough 2 years for her and she just turned 18 and

will be entering college next Fall so I feel that she needs to start practicing

making her own choices. Its scary! I have an old edition of the BTVC and cant

really afford a new one

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Re: Is one ever cured?

Hi Cecil,

Well. That IS a tricky question. I'm not sure one is ever completly cured. My

doctor says I am. But he still wants me in for an annual checkup. And I can

still feel symptoms once in a while, if I endulge in something I don't tolerate

well.

It took me 2 years strict on the SCD, before I was med-fri and felt " cured " . I

then started to add some of the things I missed to my diet. Some things I

reacted badly to - and I still avoid them today, 9 years later. (Potatoes and

pasta are both a killer for me). Other things I have been able to enjoy in

moderation.

It's a case of trial and error really.

Personally I'ld say that if she is med-fri and her test results are good - then

she could try to add some items - carefully!

If she is not med-fri, then I'ld say - stick to the diet. But she is young. I

can understand, that she may be very frustrated. And you are right about the

fact that she has to practice making her own choices.

I hope she does well.

Kind Regards

Arielle ;->

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Hi Sherri,

I have Crohns.

Well, I felt an immediate relief from pain durring the intro diet. Then I had a

lot of trouble adjusting to the " normal " diet until I found out I couldn't

tolerate seeds and skins of vegetables and fruits.

Then I would feel general improvement for periods of time with flares in

between. And my " general improvement " still included quite a lot of pain - just

less pain than before.

Then the period between flares would get longer and longer and the durations of

the flares them selves would become shorter and shorter.

So it was something like a rollercoaster ride, were I was constently scared of

eating something that would trigger a flare. But I WAS feeling better in between

- and my only other option was surgery - so I just stuck with it, with no other

alternative.

And one day I realized I hadn't had a flare for 6 months! And my test results

were slightly elavated but fine enough, that the doctor suggested cutting my

meds. I was scared of taking that step.... but nothing happened. I had slighly

elevated test results for years with a slight deminish every year. Last week

they were ALMOST normal.

But I gues the simple answer to your question is " yes " . I did feel improvement,

with quite a lot of setbacks - but slow improvement.

I feel so sorry about your daughter. So young, with a desease like that. Mine

didn't show itsself until mymid 20's.

Have you spoken with Elaine?

Kind Regards

Arielle ;->

-----------------------------------

Mamicecil--

This is our experience: My son (Crohn's since '95) stayed strictly

on the diet for 22 months. At the 22 month mark, he had not had any

symptoms for a year. His SED rate was 1. He was so healthy and felt so

good that he began to eat what ever he wanted. He was 17 then. After

about 4 months symptoms returned. So he returned to the diet. He got

his health back. Later, he went off to college. I can't believe how

dumb I was to let him live in the dorms and eat in the cafeteria. After

6 months of that, he looked white and had obviously lost weight. He

moved into a dorm w/ kitchen this January and within 6 weeks had gained

weight and had his color back. He has stayed on the diet since then.

IF he had stayed on the diet since beginning it (Aug 2000), he would be

starting his 5 year on the diet. As it is, I wonder if we started at

square one this January. From all that I have read on this list-serve

for the last 4 years, it seems that the longer you stay on the diet the

greater the chance that you are cured.

I regret ever allowing our son to go off of the diet. My hope is

that he can stay on it for several years before slowwwwly trying to

introduce bread or potatoes. This diet has been wonderful for my son.

It has given him health where medicine failed. It has helped him grow

in self-confidence and in self-control. It has not been easy. He has

had his days where he felt like cursing the diet. But it has definitely

given him more freedom than it has taken away from him. He has learned

to look for his happiness with friends, church and family, not on his

dinner plate.

I hope that your daughter can make it through this discouraging

period. Does she tell her friends about her diet so that they can

encourage and support her also? That was hard for my son, but when he

finally was able to do that, it made a big difference.

Love,

--------------------------------------------

Hi Sherrie,

All I can say is hang in there. I have been on the SCDiet for five years

and, though I have experienced relapses during that period, I know that I

have moved forward. I have tried everything under the sun to cure this bug

and dropped most all of them, except for the SCDiet. I have adjusted the

diet once with great results. I was eating too much protien, I think, and

guessed that I may be getting to acidic. When I began to eat more cooked

green vegetables, ie alkaline forming, presto, my symptoms began to improve.

Really examine the diet you are currently giving your child, it is easy to

be fooled. But I can assure you, you are not being fooled by the principles

of SCD. The diet truly works wonders. I like to think of this disease as a

slow train that moves through you that's slow to stop. If you want more info

on what else works for me beside the SCD, just email off list. Bye for

now... and wish you and yours all the best health!

I just wanted to add my 2 cents. I know Elaine says in her book that if

the diet doesn't work after a month, it may not work for you. But

frankly, I have found that it takes far longer than a month and much

tweaking just to

figure if it's working (or helping) or not. For me there seems to be so

many variables involved. After 7 months, I have discovered many keys for

me; I can eat certain scd legal things and not others than many others can

tolerate (and this takes time to figure out), and only =BD-1 cup of these safe

foods per sitting, fruit by itself and not combined with other foods, sits

better on my stomach, water, exercise and good sleep help healing process,

as well. Just last week, I discovered relief of my constipation (have had

for months now) by introducing the fresh fruits back again. I had been off

them and only eating cooked for months in trying to stay scd fanatical, and

wait for healing before introducing them, well *for me* they don't pose as a

D problem, or irritate my G.I., and seem to be exactly what I needed to

start moving again. It takes time and lots of patience - keeping a journal to

put the pieces together. That's the only reason I haven't given up on scd

have nothing else to try, and I do feel better in general and see many

connections, and am having greater understanding of what I need to do each

day, because of following scd, it has allowed me to 'narrow things down' so

to speak, getting closer to *my keys to health*. It's just a matter of

tweaking everything to fit the individual, to allow healing to take place.

Through all this, I have really gotten to know myself, my weaknesses, my

addictions, my crutches with food, and have learned so much. Without being

on a fanatical, meticulous diet, I would've never discovered many key

issues. Finally, I am seeing more clearly than before *what* exactly is the

key to solving my problem " the inflammation " if I can get that under control

and keep under control, through diet then healing can take place, and

I am getting closer to this solution everyday.

Blessings,