Re: The kindness of strangers

[Guest guest]

that is wonderful!! How kind of people!!

I am new but if I may ask, has your husband been deployed to serve our wonderful

country? If so, you must be very proud and strong!! God speed for his quick

return!

Warm Regards

& ASD 11/25/00 in Maine

The kindness of strangers

This Easter I wasn't sure how I was going to get the baskets together. With

gone it has added a whole new spin on things. The financial changes,

along with the fact that I can NEVER get out now with out the kids anymore as he

would watch them for me so I could leave for a while. I had no idea what I was

going to do. Easter for us is also a religious holiday so the baskets are just

a part of that but it does mean a lot to the kids none the less. Anyway Friday

a friend of mine calls and says not to worry about getting anything for the

kids. She had suggested my family to a community service project and they went

out and bought everything for the basket AND a full Easter dinner. They even

made up a little basket with a relaxation theme for me and added a calling card

pens and stationary so I can stay in touch with my man! I just am so

overwhelmed with the kindness of these people whom I don't even know! A huge

thank yo! u card is in order!

- Proud Wife of SFC

" Our civilization would be extremely dull and sterile if we did not have and

treasure people with Asperger Syndrome. "

Tony Attwood

[Guest guest]

Asacol 400 mg 3x a day

Hi Aiazeen,

I'm sorry you had such a stressful day but glad someone came to your aid. Just as a point of information this is what Elaine has said about Asacol. My son did not start to get better until he weaned of the Asacol. If it's not helping maybe you could ask your doctor to change to Azulfidine.

Elaine writes: I know that the Asacol seems to be without efficacy for 98% of the people to whom I speak. But the azulfidine does not breed yeast and it is one of the older and more effective drugs. I was told this story by the president of a drug company: In spite of the fact that azulfidine was the tried and tested help for almost 50 years, the patent began running out. (By the way, the azulfidine fools microbes, bacteria and yeast, into picking up a "counterfeit" molecule with which they make their own folic acid and which they need to multiply) The generic drug companies started producing azulfidine since the patent ran out and the big companies now had a competitive product, just as good, but much cheaper. So the big companies started a big hype about the azulfidine: that they had finally found out what the active component was (this was a lie, they knew for years it minimized the growth of microbes) and that this component would be put in a new breakthrough drug called 5-amino salicylic acid. You know it as Asacol and a few others.The terrible thing about this was that the active component in Azulfidine was not so much 5-amino salicylic acid as it was the sulfated form of para-amino-benzoic-acid which was designed to fool bacteria into picking it up and trying to make their own folic acid out of it (they cannot use preformed folic acid as we do). So every doctor connected with the powers-that-be went about lecturing about this new discovery. I attended a lecture while doing research in London, Ontario at St. ph Hospital and Dr. W. C. Watkins gave the hype on the new drug. I had learned otherwise in microbiology and I raised my hand to say 'BUT WE DO KNOW WHICH COMPONENT IN AZULFIDINE IS MOST EFFECTIVE' and he waved me down. So that is the story.

Take care,

Pat

[Guest guest]

Asacol 400 mg 3x a day

Hi Aiazeen,

I'm sorry you had such a stressful day but glad someone came to your aid. Just as a point of information this is what Elaine has said about Asacol. My son did not start to get better until he weaned of the Asacol. If it's not helping maybe you could ask your doctor to change to Azulfidine.

Elaine writes: I know that the Asacol seems to be without efficacy for 98% of the people to whom I speak. But the azulfidine does not breed yeast and it is one of the older and more effective drugs. I was told this story by the president of a drug company: In spite of the fact that azulfidine was the tried and tested help for almost 50 years, the patent began running out. (By the way, the azulfidine fools microbes, bacteria and yeast, into picking up a "counterfeit" molecule with which they make their own folic acid and which they need to multiply) The generic drug companies started producing azulfidine since the patent ran out and the big companies now had a competitive product, just as good, but much cheaper. So the big companies started a big hype about the azulfidine: that they had finally found out what the active component was (this was a lie, they knew for years it minimized the growth of microbes) and that this component would be put in a new breakthrough drug called 5-amino salicylic acid. You know it as Asacol and a few others.The terrible thing about this was that the active component in Azulfidine was not so much 5-amino salicylic acid as it was the sulfated form of para-amino-benzoic-acid which was designed to fool bacteria into picking it up and trying to make their own folic acid out of it (they cannot use preformed folic acid as we do). So every doctor connected with the powers-that-be went about lecturing about this new discovery. I attended a lecture while doing research in London, Ontario at St. ph Hospital and Dr. W. C. Watkins gave the hype on the new drug. I had learned otherwise in microbiology and I raised my hand to say 'BUT WE DO KNOW WHICH COMPONENT IN AZULFIDINE IS MOST EFFECTIVE' and he waved me down. So that is the story.

Take care,

Pat

[Guest guest]

Asacol 400 mg 3x a day

Hi Aiazeen,

I'm sorry you had such a stressful day but glad someone came to your aid. Just as a point of information this is what Elaine has said about Asacol. My son did not start to get better until he weaned of the Asacol. If it's not helping maybe you could ask your doctor to change to Azulfidine.

Elaine writes: I know that the Asacol seems to be without efficacy for 98% of the people to whom I speak. But the azulfidine does not breed yeast and it is one of the older and more effective drugs. I was told this story by the president of a drug company: In spite of the fact that azulfidine was the tried and tested help for almost 50 years, the patent began running out. (By the way, the azulfidine fools microbes, bacteria and yeast, into picking up a "counterfeit" molecule with which they make their own folic acid and which they need to multiply) The generic drug companies started producing azulfidine since the patent ran out and the big companies now had a competitive product, just as good, but much cheaper. So the big companies started a big hype about the azulfidine: that they had finally found out what the active component was (this was a lie, they knew for years it minimized the growth of microbes) and that this component would be put in a new breakthrough drug called 5-amino salicylic acid. You know it as Asacol and a few others.The terrible thing about this was that the active component in Azulfidine was not so much 5-amino salicylic acid as it was the sulfated form of para-amino-benzoic-acid which was designed to fool bacteria into picking it up and trying to make their own folic acid out of it (they cannot use preformed folic acid as we do). So every doctor connected with the powers-that-be went about lecturing about this new discovery. I attended a lecture while doing research in London, Ontario at St. ph Hospital and Dr. W. C. Watkins gave the hype on the new drug. I had learned otherwise in microbiology and I raised my hand to say 'BUT WE DO KNOW WHICH COMPONENT IN AZULFIDINE IS MOST EFFECTIVE' and he waved me down. So that is the story.

Take care,

Pat

[Guest guest]

As awkward and inconvenient as this experience was today, I am glad to have had the situation happen to me. I am proud of how resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work out in my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a human being today – and so I should. I am more than just my temperamental colon…and I was humbled today for someone else noticing me as such.Amen! People need to understand that we're not just our colons; we're just like everyone else, just with different and more unusual things to deal with. Sometimes it seems like nobody really understands my situation outside this group, so it's nice to hear about stories like this =) Pour Dieu, pour terre,Alyssa 15UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)No meds =)

[Guest guest]

As awkward and inconvenient as this experience was today, I am glad to have had the situation happen to me. I am proud of how resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work out in my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a human being today – and so I should. I am more than just my temperamental colon…and I was humbled today for someone else noticing me as such.Amen! People need to understand that we're not just our colons; we're just like everyone else, just with different and more unusual things to deal with. Sometimes it seems like nobody really understands my situation outside this group, so it's nice to hear about stories like this =) Pour Dieu, pour terre,Alyssa 15UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)No meds =)

[Guest guest]

As awkward and inconvenient as this experience was today, I am glad to have had the situation happen to me. I am proud of how resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work out in my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a human being today – and so I should. I am more than just my temperamental colon…and I was humbled today for someone else noticing me as such.Amen! People need to understand that we're not just our colons; we're just like everyone else, just with different and more unusual things to deal with. Sometimes it seems like nobody really understands my situation outside this group, so it's nice to hear about stories like this =) Pour Dieu, pour terre,Alyssa 15UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)No meds =)

[Guest guest]

Bless your heart, what a terrible experience. I'm glad someone came to help you.

My son, as a baby, pooped everywhere and I was trying to clean him up in the

bathroom sink at a restaurant when the cleaning lady walked in and brought me

some towels.

I still, to this day, think she was an angel

PJ

>

> > As awkward and inconvenient as this experience was today, I am glad

> > to have had the situation happen to me. I am proud of how

> > resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work out in

> > my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be

> > quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a

> > human being today – and so I should. I am more than just my

> > temperamental colon…and I was humbled today for someone else

> > noticing me as such.

>

>

> Amen! People need to understand that we're not just our colons; we're

> just like everyone else, just with different and more unusual things

> to deal with. Sometimes it seems like nobody really understands my

> situation outside this group, so it's nice to hear about stories like

> this =)

>

> Pour Dieu, pour terre,

> Alyssa 15

> UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008

> SCD June 2009 (restarted)

> No meds =)

>

[Guest guest]

Bless your heart, what a terrible experience. I'm glad someone came to help you.

My son, as a baby, pooped everywhere and I was trying to clean him up in the

bathroom sink at a restaurant when the cleaning lady walked in and brought me

some towels.

I still, to this day, think she was an angel

PJ

>

> > As awkward and inconvenient as this experience was today, I am glad

> > to have had the situation happen to me. I am proud of how

> > resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work out in

> > my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be

> > quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a

> > human being today – and so I should. I am more than just my

> > temperamental colon…and I was humbled today for someone else

> > noticing me as such.

>

>

> Amen! People need to understand that we're not just our colons; we're

> just like everyone else, just with different and more unusual things

> to deal with. Sometimes it seems like nobody really understands my

> situation outside this group, so it's nice to hear about stories like

> this =)

>

> Pour Dieu, pour terre,

> Alyssa 15

> UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008

> SCD June 2009 (restarted)

> No meds =)

>

[Guest guest]

Bless your heart, what a terrible experience. I'm glad someone came to help you.

My son, as a baby, pooped everywhere and I was trying to clean him up in the

bathroom sink at a restaurant when the cleaning lady walked in and brought me

some towels.

I still, to this day, think she was an angel

PJ

>

> > As awkward and inconvenient as this experience was today, I am glad

> > to have had the situation happen to me. I am proud of how

> > resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work out in

> > my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be

> > quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a

> > human being today – and so I should. I am more than just my

> > temperamental colon…and I was humbled today for someone else

> > noticing me as such.

>

>

> Amen! People need to understand that we're not just our colons; we're

> just like everyone else, just with different and more unusual things

> to deal with. Sometimes it seems like nobody really understands my

> situation outside this group, so it's nice to hear about stories like

> this =)

>

> Pour Dieu, pour terre,

> Alyssa 15

> UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008

> SCD June 2009 (restarted)

> No meds =)

>

[Guest guest]

love this - there are still good people in the world - AMEN -but of course we

know this from this group :-)

eileen

>

> It's been a little while since I have chimed in. I have been on SCD for 1 yr

and a month. I am off Prednisone as of 7/16/09 (I was on it at various doses,

but mainly 10 mg and lower for about nine months). I still take Asacol 400 mg

3x a day and Imipramine 20 mg in the eve (an old school antidepressant drug that

my GI tells me help with the mind gut connection - it's supposed to make me

less stressed or something). I still have about 6 BMs a day but that I think is

because I struggle with eating late at night. I have found that if I wake up

and have some weak, iced coffee to wake my system up and then wait till about 11

and have something easy to digest (like a buffalo/lean beef patty with some

cheddar and Romano cheese) and then wait another couple hours before have well

cooked zucchini or bell peppers and more protein then I am good…if I eat past 6

pm I can expect to get up in the middle of the night as it appears my digestions

tends to slow down any time after that. I do a lot of tango and walking and I

work as a fine dining server part time…one of these three in the eves so when I

come home I have worked up an appetite. If the day has been stressful (as it

often can be), I find it harder not to give in to feeling hungry and eating

something at midnight. Even though I know I will get up likely 304 times in the

night when I do this, I give in – it's hard, but I keep trying.

> Last night I was expecially bad and added cheese to the late night meat patty

that I would prepare to myself – cheese, cheese and more cheese – maybe about ½

a cup between the Romano and Cheddar...I eat about 23 items still…dry wine seems

to be one of them I can tolerate and let's say after a long, stressful day in my

professional life my judgment was less than where it normally was. Sure enough

I was up several times throughout the night.

> I tried to push the envelope with the cheese and it apparently had the

intention of reminding me that I cannot cross the line today, as the effects

still lingered and now at 6:30 pm I am up to 8 BMs for the day. " So what's the

point, " you might ask – well I am getting to that. See even though I knew I was

a little worse off today because of my late night choices, I decided to be in

denial about how that would affect my activities today. I attempted to carry on

with my business as usual and did not do a very good job of taking into

consideration that I was a little more " frail " than normal, and that a bathroom

location might be a good idea for me today…especially when I was in the crowded

shopping mall. I was walking a long and mother nature called with a vengeance.

Frantic, I asked a pretzel guy where I could find a bathroom – his English was

so poor – I just nodded and said thanks not knowing where I was to go. Time

was running out, my stomach gurgling. I remember this pretzel guy mentioning

something about mother goose and I saw a store that said that…located the

bathroom – success – I beat the odds – hurried but feeling proud of my

resourcefulness I went to the ladies room…all the stalls taken…by a lady with

all three of her kids, playing in the stalls – I tried to tell her I needed a

bathroom – another English barrier CRAP, a blank stare – how do I manage…too

late – one stall opens and I soiled myself halfway in and out of the stall. The

next 45 minutes were an " experience. " I really made a mess and there was no

toilet paper, my shoes and shorts where in bad shape – I was feeling sorry for

myself. I tried to call mall security with my phone but the phone coverage was

bad in the stall. The kids who were in the bathroom prior to me used the last

of the toilet paper so I was doing my best to clean myself up with the seat

covers I had to work with. The public came and went on the stalls to either

side of me – some commenting on how horrible the smell was in the bathrooms – I

felt humiliated – I was surprised no one blatantly called out that the problem

was coming from the middle stall – my MacGyver capabilities to hide my incident

seemed to work. I heard a woman come in with her kids – she felt safe enough of

a person that I cracked the door and asked if she could call security – I told

her that I had a digestive condition and that I had an accident. This lady

turned out to be a nurse who had just moved here from N Carolina days before

(ya, I was feeling like quite the ambassador of the Portland, Oregon populous).

She seemed willing to help me when she littlerally yanked the entire roll of

toilet paper from the next stall which took some work – I felt brace enough to

ask her if she would buy me some shorts so I could make it out of the mall with

my dignity - she disappeared. I continued to get the comments from either

stall and did my best to wash my shoes in the toilet water telling myself that

if I were in a third world country the filth I was experiencing could be

common-place. was her name – and she appeared with some funny

basketball shorts for me, but hey they were on sale so I appreciated her not

buying me a pair of designer jeans. She also got me a towel so that I could

clean myself up. I told her that if she just wanted to write down her contact

name I would send her a check – she refuse and wanted to wait to make sure I was

ok. I came out and she walked out with me from the bathroom – she had another

woman with her and two kids . She stopped her day…for me! A random stranger!

She did not even want to take a check for the clothing, but I insisted. We went

our separate ways – she wished me well. This condition has taught me many

things, and today I am reminded how I have shifted my attention to different

things. A year ago I would have felt sorry for myself and never saw what I saw

today – I saw the kindness of a stranger. I saw a few things that I can do

different in the future( like having a bilingual note that I can give to people

when I am in a crisis), I saw that there are good deals on shorts at Ross Dress

for less (ok, I am teasing on that one). This woman helped me to not focus on

me feeling sorry for myself. As I drove home I looked at the public with softer

eyes. I really do think people, while they can be cruel at times (like the

people in the stalls next to me complaining) – I really do think it was naivety

and/or unintentional – I really do believe that the majority of people are kind

and would be willing to step up when they can. As awkward and inconvenient as

this experience was today, I am glad to have had the situation happen to me. I

am proud of how resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work

out in my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be

quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a human being

today – and so I should. I am more than just my temperamental colon…and I was

humbled today for someone else noticing me as such.

> Aiazeen

>

[Guest guest]

love this - there are still good people in the world - AMEN -but of course we

know this from this group :-)

eileen

>

> It's been a little while since I have chimed in. I have been on SCD for 1 yr

and a month. I am off Prednisone as of 7/16/09 (I was on it at various doses,

but mainly 10 mg and lower for about nine months). I still take Asacol 400 mg

3x a day and Imipramine 20 mg in the eve (an old school antidepressant drug that

my GI tells me help with the mind gut connection - it's supposed to make me

less stressed or something). I still have about 6 BMs a day but that I think is

because I struggle with eating late at night. I have found that if I wake up

and have some weak, iced coffee to wake my system up and then wait till about 11

and have something easy to digest (like a buffalo/lean beef patty with some

cheddar and Romano cheese) and then wait another couple hours before have well

cooked zucchini or bell peppers and more protein then I am good…if I eat past 6

pm I can expect to get up in the middle of the night as it appears my digestions

tends to slow down any time after that. I do a lot of tango and walking and I

work as a fine dining server part time…one of these three in the eves so when I

come home I have worked up an appetite. If the day has been stressful (as it

often can be), I find it harder not to give in to feeling hungry and eating

something at midnight. Even though I know I will get up likely 304 times in the

night when I do this, I give in – it's hard, but I keep trying.

> Last night I was expecially bad and added cheese to the late night meat patty

that I would prepare to myself – cheese, cheese and more cheese – maybe about ½

a cup between the Romano and Cheddar...I eat about 23 items still…dry wine seems

to be one of them I can tolerate and let's say after a long, stressful day in my

professional life my judgment was less than where it normally was. Sure enough

I was up several times throughout the night.

> I tried to push the envelope with the cheese and it apparently had the

intention of reminding me that I cannot cross the line today, as the effects

still lingered and now at 6:30 pm I am up to 8 BMs for the day. " So what's the

point, " you might ask – well I am getting to that. See even though I knew I was

a little worse off today because of my late night choices, I decided to be in

denial about how that would affect my activities today. I attempted to carry on

with my business as usual and did not do a very good job of taking into

consideration that I was a little more " frail " than normal, and that a bathroom

location might be a good idea for me today…especially when I was in the crowded

shopping mall. I was walking a long and mother nature called with a vengeance.

Frantic, I asked a pretzel guy where I could find a bathroom – his English was

so poor – I just nodded and said thanks not knowing where I was to go. Time

was running out, my stomach gurgling. I remember this pretzel guy mentioning

something about mother goose and I saw a store that said that…located the

bathroom – success – I beat the odds – hurried but feeling proud of my

resourcefulness I went to the ladies room…all the stalls taken…by a lady with

all three of her kids, playing in the stalls – I tried to tell her I needed a

bathroom – another English barrier CRAP, a blank stare – how do I manage…too

late – one stall opens and I soiled myself halfway in and out of the stall. The

next 45 minutes were an " experience. " I really made a mess and there was no

toilet paper, my shoes and shorts where in bad shape – I was feeling sorry for

myself. I tried to call mall security with my phone but the phone coverage was

bad in the stall. The kids who were in the bathroom prior to me used the last

of the toilet paper so I was doing my best to clean myself up with the seat

covers I had to work with. The public came and went on the stalls to either

side of me – some commenting on how horrible the smell was in the bathrooms – I

felt humiliated – I was surprised no one blatantly called out that the problem

was coming from the middle stall – my MacGyver capabilities to hide my incident

seemed to work. I heard a woman come in with her kids – she felt safe enough of

a person that I cracked the door and asked if she could call security – I told

her that I had a digestive condition and that I had an accident. This lady

turned out to be a nurse who had just moved here from N Carolina days before

(ya, I was feeling like quite the ambassador of the Portland, Oregon populous).

She seemed willing to help me when she littlerally yanked the entire roll of

toilet paper from the next stall which took some work – I felt brace enough to

ask her if she would buy me some shorts so I could make it out of the mall with

my dignity - she disappeared. I continued to get the comments from either

stall and did my best to wash my shoes in the toilet water telling myself that

if I were in a third world country the filth I was experiencing could be

common-place. was her name – and she appeared with some funny

basketball shorts for me, but hey they were on sale so I appreciated her not

buying me a pair of designer jeans. She also got me a towel so that I could

clean myself up. I told her that if she just wanted to write down her contact

name I would send her a check – she refuse and wanted to wait to make sure I was

ok. I came out and she walked out with me from the bathroom – she had another

woman with her and two kids . She stopped her day…for me! A random stranger!

She did not even want to take a check for the clothing, but I insisted. We went

our separate ways – she wished me well. This condition has taught me many

things, and today I am reminded how I have shifted my attention to different

things. A year ago I would have felt sorry for myself and never saw what I saw

today – I saw the kindness of a stranger. I saw a few things that I can do

different in the future( like having a bilingual note that I can give to people

when I am in a crisis), I saw that there are good deals on shorts at Ross Dress

for less (ok, I am teasing on that one). This woman helped me to not focus on

me feeling sorry for myself. As I drove home I looked at the public with softer

eyes. I really do think people, while they can be cruel at times (like the

people in the stalls next to me complaining) – I really do think it was naivety

and/or unintentional – I really do believe that the majority of people are kind

and would be willing to step up when they can. As awkward and inconvenient as

this experience was today, I am glad to have had the situation happen to me. I

am proud of how resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work

out in my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be

quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a human being

today – and so I should. I am more than just my temperamental colon…and I was

humbled today for someone else noticing me as such.

> Aiazeen

>

[Guest guest]

love this - there are still good people in the world - AMEN -but of course we

know this from this group :-)

eileen

>

> It's been a little while since I have chimed in. I have been on SCD for 1 yr

and a month. I am off Prednisone as of 7/16/09 (I was on it at various doses,

but mainly 10 mg and lower for about nine months). I still take Asacol 400 mg

3x a day and Imipramine 20 mg in the eve (an old school antidepressant drug that

my GI tells me help with the mind gut connection - it's supposed to make me

less stressed or something). I still have about 6 BMs a day but that I think is

because I struggle with eating late at night. I have found that if I wake up

and have some weak, iced coffee to wake my system up and then wait till about 11

and have something easy to digest (like a buffalo/lean beef patty with some

cheddar and Romano cheese) and then wait another couple hours before have well

cooked zucchini or bell peppers and more protein then I am good…if I eat past 6

pm I can expect to get up in the middle of the night as it appears my digestions

tends to slow down any time after that. I do a lot of tango and walking and I

work as a fine dining server part time…one of these three in the eves so when I

come home I have worked up an appetite. If the day has been stressful (as it

often can be), I find it harder not to give in to feeling hungry and eating

something at midnight. Even though I know I will get up likely 304 times in the

night when I do this, I give in – it's hard, but I keep trying.

> Last night I was expecially bad and added cheese to the late night meat patty

that I would prepare to myself – cheese, cheese and more cheese – maybe about ½

a cup between the Romano and Cheddar...I eat about 23 items still…dry wine seems

to be one of them I can tolerate and let's say after a long, stressful day in my

professional life my judgment was less than where it normally was. Sure enough

I was up several times throughout the night.

> I tried to push the envelope with the cheese and it apparently had the

intention of reminding me that I cannot cross the line today, as the effects

still lingered and now at 6:30 pm I am up to 8 BMs for the day. " So what's the

point, " you might ask – well I am getting to that. See even though I knew I was

a little worse off today because of my late night choices, I decided to be in

denial about how that would affect my activities today. I attempted to carry on

with my business as usual and did not do a very good job of taking into

consideration that I was a little more " frail " than normal, and that a bathroom

location might be a good idea for me today…especially when I was in the crowded

shopping mall. I was walking a long and mother nature called with a vengeance.

Frantic, I asked a pretzel guy where I could find a bathroom – his English was

so poor – I just nodded and said thanks not knowing where I was to go. Time

was running out, my stomach gurgling. I remember this pretzel guy mentioning

something about mother goose and I saw a store that said that…located the

bathroom – success – I beat the odds – hurried but feeling proud of my

resourcefulness I went to the ladies room…all the stalls taken…by a lady with

all three of her kids, playing in the stalls – I tried to tell her I needed a

bathroom – another English barrier CRAP, a blank stare – how do I manage…too

late – one stall opens and I soiled myself halfway in and out of the stall. The

next 45 minutes were an " experience. " I really made a mess and there was no

toilet paper, my shoes and shorts where in bad shape – I was feeling sorry for

myself. I tried to call mall security with my phone but the phone coverage was

bad in the stall. The kids who were in the bathroom prior to me used the last

of the toilet paper so I was doing my best to clean myself up with the seat

covers I had to work with. The public came and went on the stalls to either

side of me – some commenting on how horrible the smell was in the bathrooms – I

felt humiliated – I was surprised no one blatantly called out that the problem

was coming from the middle stall – my MacGyver capabilities to hide my incident

seemed to work. I heard a woman come in with her kids – she felt safe enough of

a person that I cracked the door and asked if she could call security – I told

her that I had a digestive condition and that I had an accident. This lady

turned out to be a nurse who had just moved here from N Carolina days before

(ya, I was feeling like quite the ambassador of the Portland, Oregon populous).

She seemed willing to help me when she littlerally yanked the entire roll of

toilet paper from the next stall which took some work – I felt brace enough to

ask her if she would buy me some shorts so I could make it out of the mall with

my dignity - she disappeared. I continued to get the comments from either

stall and did my best to wash my shoes in the toilet water telling myself that

if I were in a third world country the filth I was experiencing could be

common-place. was her name – and she appeared with some funny

basketball shorts for me, but hey they were on sale so I appreciated her not

buying me a pair of designer jeans. She also got me a towel so that I could

clean myself up. I told her that if she just wanted to write down her contact

name I would send her a check – she refuse and wanted to wait to make sure I was

ok. I came out and she walked out with me from the bathroom – she had another

woman with her and two kids . She stopped her day…for me! A random stranger!

She did not even want to take a check for the clothing, but I insisted. We went

our separate ways – she wished me well. This condition has taught me many

things, and today I am reminded how I have shifted my attention to different

things. A year ago I would have felt sorry for myself and never saw what I saw

today – I saw the kindness of a stranger. I saw a few things that I can do

different in the future( like having a bilingual note that I can give to people

when I am in a crisis), I saw that there are good deals on shorts at Ross Dress

for less (ok, I am teasing on that one). This woman helped me to not focus on

me feeling sorry for myself. As I drove home I looked at the public with softer

eyes. I really do think people, while they can be cruel at times (like the

people in the stalls next to me complaining) – I really do think it was naivety

and/or unintentional – I really do believe that the majority of people are kind

and would be willing to step up when they can. As awkward and inconvenient as

this experience was today, I am glad to have had the situation happen to me. I

am proud of how resourceful I was and while I may not always have things work

out in my favor, I am reminded that I am not a bad person that should be

quarantined because I have Ulcerative Colitis – I was treated like a human being

today – and so I should. I am more than just my temperamental colon…and I was

humbled today for someone else noticing me as such.

> Aiazeen

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this interesting information. I find it ironic that a drug is

prescribed that reduces intestinal microbes, while a diet designed to do the

same is not always endorsed. It's interesting that the more I read- the more I

hear about the theory that SCD is based on.

PJ

>

>

> In a message dated 8/22/2009 10:11:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> aiazeen@... writes:

>

> Asacol 400 mg 3x a day

>

> Hi Aiazeen,

> I'm sorry you had such a stressful day but glad someone came to your aid.

> Just as a point of information this is what Elaine has said about Asacol.

> My son did not start to get better until he weaned of the Asacol. If it's

> not helping maybe you could ask your doctor to change to Azulfidine.

>

> Elaine writes:

> I know that the Asacol seems to be without efficacy for 98% of the people

> to whom I speak. But the _azulfidine_

> (http://www.scdiet.org/4faq/azulfidine.html) does not breed yeast and it is

one of the older and more effective

> drugs. I was told this story by the president of a drug company: In spite of

> the fact that azulfidine was the tried and tested help for almost 50 years,

> the patent began running out. (By the way, the azulfidine fools microbes,

> bacteria and yeast, into picking up a " counterfeit " molecule with which they

> make their own folic acid and which they need to multiply) The generic drug

> companies started producing azulfidine since the patent ran out and the big

> companies now had a competitive product, just as good, but much cheaper. So

> the big companies started a big hype about the azulfidine: that they had

> finally found out what the active component was (this was a lie, they knew for

> years it minimized the growth of microbes) and that this component would be

> put in a new breakthrough drug called 5-amino salicylic acid. You know it as

> Asacol and a few others.The terrible thing about this was that the active

> component in Azulfidine was not so much 5-amino salicylic acid as it was the

> sulfated form of para-amino-benzoic-acid which was designed to fool bacteria

> into picking it up and trying to make their own folic acid out of it (they

> cannot use preformed folic acid as we do). So every doctor connected with the

> powers-that-be went about lecturing about this new discovery. I attended a

> lecture while doing research in London, Ontario at St. ph Hospital and

> Dr. W. C. Watkins gave the hype on the new drug. I had learned otherwise in

> microbiology and I raised my hand to say 'BUT WE DO KNOW WHICH COMPONENT IN

> AZULFIDINE IS MOST EFFECTIVE' and he waved me down. So that is the story.

>

> Take care,

> Pat

> **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy

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