Update/ Answering do people get 'cured'with SCD?

[Guest guest]

Hi My SCD Friends:

Since it is my birthday today, I thought it fitting to post an update on my

condition.

I have not posted for a while, 'though I read the list digest daily.

For those of you new to the list who don't know me, I was diagnosed in July of

'08 with proctosigmoiditis, a form of UC limited to those anatomical areas. I

was diagnosed only a month or so after I started to have symptoms that consisted

of bleeding, progressing to gas and diarrhea. Luckily, I immediately found SCD

and I started on Lialda, a form of mesalamine in extended release form that

allows once a day dosing. I threw myself into SCD wholeheartedly and was very

vigilant with it ( with some mistakes, of course).

I also was taking Tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen, since I had had abnormal

mammograms with some Atypical Ductal hyperplasia ( excess abnormal cells) on

biopsy found in February of 2007. Currently, my OB-GYN has switched me to

Evista, also an anti-estrogen, now that I am officially in menopause. It

supposedly has less side effects than Tamoxifen. My last mammogram in February

was NEGATIVE.( whopee!)

After 3 months on SCD and Lialda, I became totally symptom free. I experimented

with many SCD legal advanced foods. At the one year mark from diagnosis, I was

taking my Lialda perhaps once or twice a week when I felt I needed it. I

occasionally had some loose stool, but not that I was concerned about. At this

time I saw my GI who was amazed that I wasn't taking my meds, and passed off

this improvement to the fact that he said there is a small percentage of

patients who get better on their own. I asked him for a script for LDN and

brought him the U of PA study and he eventually refused.

I obtained a prescription for LDN finally and started it September of '09. I

totally discontinued my Lialda within the month and have had consistent stool

since then. Recently I have been feeling so well that I actually forget to take

my LDN and take it maybe every 3 days if I remember. I have been adding back non

SCD foods into my diet that I have missed, like garbanzo beans and sweet

potatoes but I do not have them every day. I still continue my daily yogurt (

'cause I love it!) and I do follow SCD. However, I dine out now without being so

paranoid and visit friends and don't bring my own food. I am doing fine. I

consider myself in remission and healed.

I did not eat the so- called SAD prior to my dx. I do not intend to start now. I

will continue to add back in non SCD foods that I enjoyed before and I will

experiment with non grain " grains " such as quinoa, which is actually a high

protein seed used by the ancients. I am scheduled for a colonoscopy next year. I

may wait another year, but I am curious to see what it would reveal.

I don't agree with my GI that I got better on my own. I totally credit SCD for

my healing and progress and I was lucky to find this group several months after

from whom I learned so much. I share my SCD experience with anyone who will

listen and have recommended SCD to many of my patients in my dental practice who

have digestion issues.

I hope that new people who are struggling will read this and be encouraged and I

hope that all the 'old' people with whom I have corresponded will know how much

I appreciated their support and cherished their friendship.

Love and luck to all.

Yours in health,

Terry Rumas, D.M.D

Proctosigmoiditis 6/08

SCD 7/08

LDN 3 times per week

Evista