           |
The following are the full testimonials and success stories that appeared in the SCD listserves.
|
||||||||||
Knowledge
Sharing question, with responses (Dec. 5, 1999)
1999 |
||
|
Date:
Tue, 19 Jan 1999 17:30:59 -0700 Anyways, I
more or less grumbled along without taking the drugs for about a
year and then resorted to the horrible stuff - worst of all the
prednisone. During all of this the SCD had always been surfacing,
but I never really took it seriously, fooling myself with the reasoning
"I'm just not sick enough". What I'm about to tell you
next, makes me wish I had taken the SCD sooner and embraced it as
the foundation to intestinal health that it is. In my last year
of high school, I had a SEVERE exacerbation of my disease. I ended
up in the hospital for a total of six weeks on TPN (kind-of like
an intravenous feeding to give the intestine rest), MAJOR doses
of prednisone, and the horror of surgery hanging over my head. FINALLY, with
the help of my parents I started the SCD. It's been 2 1/2 years
since I made the commitment and I haven't looked back, I consider
it my lifeline. It truly has given me my life back. My days are
happy and fulfilled and best of all I'm physically entact. I'm not
scared anymore of surgery because I have the best prevention of
that in the SCD. Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 15:11:01 EST From: IRENKEN@aol.com Subject: Re: Crohn's disease My husband has Crohn's disease - about 8 years now. He has been through alot. Nine months ago he went on this food plan. We found Elaine's book through a co-worker of mine. He is soooo much better. His last colonoscopy was excellent. There is hope. Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 07:42:44 -0500 From: Nancy Emerson <nemerson@newfound.k12.nh.us> Subject: Weight gain!! This is simply a triumphant success note!! I started really gaining some weight, slowly but surely, a few weeks ago, but this week it's really taken off! I had lost 25 lbs being sick and another 4 when I first started the diet. I have now gained back a total of 15 lbs! Another 10-15 and I'll be back to normal!! Yahoo!!!! I really I am going to have the rest of myself back again soon! Thank you so much to everyone who has given advice and suggestions and to those who have just read my messages. Writing to this list sometimes is just what I need to feel like someone out there is listening. THANK YOU EVERYONE!! Nancy Date:
Thu, 11 Feb 1999 13:31:33 PST I have been
on the diet for just over a year and it has been a great remedy
for me. I have just recently discovered this list and it has helped
me a lot, and helped me stick with it. It is so good to hear other
peoples stories. I am from Kansas and wanted to know if there was
anybody else around here that was on the diet. I have been reading
this list for a while and just decided to get on and say something.
I was diagnosed with Crohn's when I had horrible gut pains. It was
the night before I was to go into the Darrien Jungle in Panama on
a missions trip. I has been a wild ride since then, but the diet
has been a great help. Matt
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 19:49:52 -0500 Well I have
been on this wonderful diet for over 2 years now and I feel "Thank
God" cured! I am eating things that I really shouldn't be eating
with no adverse reaction. I stuck with the diet 110% for over a
year. After that I started to introduce foods real slow and nothing.
I was 125 LB. on 12/24/96 and now I am 186 LB. I don't run to the
bathroom 12 times a day, I don't feel any pain in my gut, and no
bleeding. I am currently eating on a regular basis bread, pasta,
rice, milk, potatoes and sugar type foods. I did not just throw
all these foods down my throat. First I introduced pasta for a few
weeks, then bread, for a couple of moths, etc. Good health
and God bless, Date:
Sat, 10 Apr 1999 12:04:28 -0400 (EDT) I have been on the diet for two and a half years and now my UC is 99% in remission. This past New Years I was able to finally drop the small dose (5mg) of prednisone that I had gradually tapered to. Other people have said this, but I want to echo that these diseases hit all of us slightly differently. I don't believe the diet cures UC, rather it helps put/keep us in remission. The only cheating I engage in is to drink coffee, and once a week I may have a sauce that has a little corn starch for thickening or a marinade that has a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. I consume no pototoes, pasta, rice, wheat, sugar, chocoloate, beer, etc. To beginners, I would say that you will get used to this restricted diet. A lot of our group have posted some very interesting recipes but I have found that most of these dishes are too time consuming and so I stick to a limited diet of meat, vegetables, fruit, honey, cheese, raisins, nuts, cookies, and the Laing and banana breads. For dessert I have either the ice cream, the carrot cake, or cookies. Perhaps the extent to which you seek variety in the SCD is related to how much you live to eat or eat to live. I guess I have reluctantly but easily settled for the latter. :) I agree with others who say they will never go back to the diet we used to eat pre-SCD. So far I have found that I can cheat lightly maybe once a week, but not in any big way such as by eating ice cream or regular Italian food. Bart Date:
Sat, 10 Apr 1999 22:42:57 -0500 I just thought some of you might want to know that all SCD legal foods agree with my husband, who has Crohn's Disease. When he cheats (much to my chagrin) he suffers for it, but no problems when he is on the diet strictly. It is like night and day. I am so thankful for SCD; without it who knows where we would be today. Michelle
|
Date:
Fri, 26 Feb 1999 14:06:15 -0500 From: Karl Partridge <karlpartridge@compuserve.com> Subject: Lori - SCD disappointment Dear Lori, I continue to take herbal medicine and have never been on strong drugs in four years of UC. I took Asacol for 1 month and then for two weeks a year later. The second time I proved allergic to it and had to stop. I am wondering about going onto sulfasalazine to get the D under control and reduce bathroom visits from present 12 times per day. Then, maybe I would put on some weight and could afford to retry the diet. Hope you manage to find another way to get back onto the road to recovery, but with CD and in the absence of the diet I know its difficult. I sometimes think a dedicated SCD clinic would be a great idea as starting the diet is so difficult. Except the medical profession would probably rubbish it! By the way, Rachel, although not on the SCD at present I still read this list for its general UC/CD advice and I really value your efforts. Well done and you should feel proud that you have helped so many back to health. I sometimes feel I would rather lose a limb than continue suffering UC!! IBD blights your life like nothing else, so to be able to help even one person is marvellous. Karl Partridge
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 22:35:17 -0500 Hi Paula, My story is not a major success story, as I was not on the brink of having my colon removed, but I believe a success none the less. I have been on this list or it's previous incarnations for 3 years. I mostly just read all your wonderful messages. Even though things are going well for me I get a lot of support from everyone. I miss it when I'm away from it for a few days. I'm grateful for this list and everyone here! Don't give up! Wishing everyone
the best, Date:
Thu, 1 Apr 1999 00:59:08 EST Well, I've been
on the SCD with fanatical adherence for 1 year and 8 months. I've
had 2 relapses in that time. In spite of having this last one which
lasted about 1 1/2 months, the results of my colonoscopy were quite
good. I went for it a few weeks ago when I was still in a relapse.
As badly as I had been feeling the entire month leading up to my
procedure, the doctor said my colon was 98% perfect with just a
slight inflamation at the end 2 inches. Every time I've mentioned
the diet in the past, he rolls his eyes with the usual response
"diet has no effect on this condition". Well this time
he said, it looks excellent! Just keep doing whatever you're doing.
Well, needless to say I felt very excited. One thing I did discover
during this most recent relapse, is that even when just the very
tip is irritated, you can still feel really terrible. I began using
just the rowasa suppositories just at the tip instead of the rowasa
and cortezone enemas that seemed to increase my diarrhea and actually
inflame the area more. But that little suppository, right at the
very tip, did the trick. Just prior to the colonoscopy, I was getting
very depressed, thinking that all my fanatical adherence had been
in vain. So to all of you that may be in the throes of what seems
to be a never ending relapse, have faith, for sometimes the symptoms
can trick you into believing your condition is much worse than it
actually is. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and maybe
only a slight inflamation at the end of your colon! Date:
Monday 5th of April, 23:40:51 Thank you so much for providing the SCD information on the internet. I have suffered from chronic diahrea since 1986. Last year my digestive system deteriorated to the point that nothing would slow down the diahrea. I was desperate and decided to search the internet for "diahrea". I found the SCD site. After reading the information, I decided to put it to the test. I ordered the book and begain a basic SCD diet. The diahrea stopped immediately. Here is my story. I first began sufferering bowel problems in 1986. After six months of tests by a Gastro Intestinal specialist, I finally figured out that eating bread was making me sick. I stopped eating bread and wheat products and was able to survive. My digestive system wasn't normal, but I could get by if I didn't eat wheat products. The GI doctor told me I might have celiac disease. Over the years, my digestive system was very sensitive and I would have occasional bouts of diahrea. Periods of stress would make things much worse. I was also suffering from other allergic problems during this time. Last year, 1998, things got much worse. I started having chronic diahrea, that I couldn't stop, even with immodium. I narrowed my diet down to a few basics like vegetables, meat, rice and potatoes, but it didn't help. I didn't know what to do. Out of desparation, I decided to search the internet for anything related to diahrea. I found the SCD site and began reading the information. I decided that it was worth a try. I ordered the book and started on a basic SCD. Things improved immediately. Instead of having to go to the toilet every fifteen minutes, I now only went once a day. The stools weren't normal, but at least I was getting some nutrition. In addition to the chronic diahrea problems I had last year, I had other health problems. I lost a lot of weight and began having heart palpitations. Then I started having pains in my arms and shoulders. I went to a cardiologist, but after doing a stress test, he determined that the problem wasn't coronary blockage. He just called it stress. I have always been very active, hiking, racquetball, basketball, tennis, etc. I passed the treadmill test with flying colors. (At that time I was still in pretty good shape. Since then I have had to cut back my activity, but still do some walking and light hiking.) I begain the SCD diet in October of 1998. It is now March, 1999. Because of the other health problems I have been fighting, I decided to work with an MD who goes beyond the standard "cookie cutter" medicine practices. This doctor had me do a stool analysis for bacteria and yeast by the Great Smokey Mountain laboratory in Tennesee. The test identified a bacteria called Citro Bacter Frieundi that has been associated with diahrea and cross immune problems. The test also identified an anti-biotic that could be used to kill the bad bacteria. I took Septra DS for two weeks to kill the bad bacteria. (I just recently completed the anti-biotic 3 weeks ago.) After taking the anti-biotic and then taking pro-biotics, in order to restore good bacteria, I have seen a significant improvement in my digestive system. The stools now appear normal. Before that, even though the SCD diet had stopped the diahrea, the stools were not formed or normal. I am still on the SCD diet. I plan to try introducing some brown rice and maybe potatoes in about a month. For now I'm just excited that my bowels have improved so much. I am still dealing with some strange burning pains that I get in my arms. I have insomnia, and when I don't sleep, I am miserable the next day, with these weird pains. Has anyone else with intestinal problems had weird pains. One of the other things I have done, to improve my health, is have my silver dental fillings removed. I believe that this provided some improvements. The burning pains are much less than they were before, and I don't have near the throat drainage I used to have. Anyway, I feel that I'm now on the right path, the SCD diet saved my life, and I'm eating healthy with hopes of continued improvement. Thanks, Jim Johnson
|
|
