Wow, sorry to hear that. I mentioned to someone earlier that when I was a kid, like 13, I had severe constipation and some bleeding so I went for the colonoscopy. Apparently they didn't tell my parents that there was a OTC pill I had to take with the liquid (the liquid didn't even work, just bloated me) and they were able to view past a certain point. So like 2 years ago, I went for another one and it turns I have a colitis. BLEH.

Eek, still can't believe you handled so many colonoscopies and endoscopies. So much gas to deal with! :( Oh and yeah, luckily it wasn't cancer!

Oh UGH, colitis does not sound pleasant at all. 8( Also those liquids were always so awful, I was never able to stomach them and would just throw up after a sip. They said it was good enough though, so. /shrug

They just made me feel sooo woozy, and I was awake during one of the endoscopies and THAT was the worst. :c They told me they would put me in a "twilight sleep" and that I wouldn't remember anything but uh, yeah, that was so not true. 8(

Not at all! Worst times for me are mainly mornings but night as well since I get the munchies! At least they said it was enough for you? I had to drink the entire disgusting thing and if I threw up a lot, I would get a new one to drink half!

OMG! I would hate that! I complain a lot about my butt but if I woke up with a camera in my throat.. 🤒

Have you ever been put on bowel rest/TPN/NPO? That's another one of my HATES especially when my appetite isn't affected by UC. I get so hungry! :'(

Luckily, after her doctor and me harping on her for so long she quit smoking. (My mom) After she quit, she said she was having less flare-ups which is nice. She still gets them, but they don't last as long. I know she quick on Valentine's Day so she's been off cigs for 4 months! She sleeps more soundly too. :)

Have you tried edibles? My mom has made her own gluten-free brownies with cannabis butter before and will eat them after getting her munchies. Yeah, but when you've been in her shoes and you've literally tried everything and surgery may or may not be an option, you kinda cling to the first thing that actually helps and doesn't land you in the hospital or give you a cancer scare. 6MP was probably the one that gave us the worst scare though. It lowered her B-12, White Blood Cell count to dangerously low levels. So low that when the results came in, Dr. Sperber called her and told her to immediately get in and actually cancelled his afternoon appointments. He's been her doctor for going on 15 years now. It's nice to have a doctor you can trust.

I'll definitely give that a try the next time she's having flare-ups. She likes her veggies, so she might like this.

Wow, that's good to know! My mom didn't want to because she had no motivation or will power to quit. No matter how much I would harp her she just didn't want to until it was too late. I know that for some people, smoking helps ease the symptoms so if the symptoms ever get out of control and you're mom can smoke only 1-2 for the flare, then she should give it a shot.

No I have not. I know some recipes for brownies but haven't gotten a chance to make them. Plus, I don't have my license and no one really knows.. or I lie to my dad that I don't smoke, lol. He has a big mouth so I'm sure if he knew, he would get me into heaps of trouble.

Wow, glad I didn't try that. I was looking into 6MP but I never tried it. Also, be careful with surgery for Crohn's since I know with UC, there is a very minor to no possibility the inflammation can spread but I heard it's higher with Crohn's. It would be a downer to get surgery and still have it. Did you know that some people can't even qualify for a j-pouch and aren't informed till their small intestine is sticking out their abdomen? D: I'm still looking for a good doctor; the one I have is kind of iffy but it's working for now.

Oh yeah, definitely. If she likes her veggies, then she shouldn't have a problem with this. I also drink this home-made juice from 3 red peppers and guava. It's supposed to help with hemoglobin and platelets; apparently an old Dominican recipe. You can juice the peppers if you don't like the pulp (which I don't) and I use bottled guava juice, as natural as possible. (No "natural flavors" because they could be anything, no corn syrup, etc)

Eeek. I guess for her, it flared her up worse so it was nice to know that post-smoking she is a happy camper. She still smokes cannabis, but she vapes it so no actual smoke.

Gah, that sucks! I guess I should say she doesn't either since I'm in Florida but she still does it. They are very easy to make but the butter is a little stinky. The brownies help to mask that though and they taste great together! (or so I've been told. She's not too keen on sharing her gluten free stuff. lol)

Yeah that's what they are afraid of. You can only cut so much Intestine out and my mother doesn't want to be on a bag. >_< The thing is she has a lot of pain in this one section because it's so badly damaged so while she still has scarring, strictures and swollen areas throughout her smaller and large it might be beneficial to have this one area removed. The last thing she would want to happen is to get backed up, that could cause death. So it's a very delicate situation.

You'd be surprised how hard it is to find products without "natural flavors." If they are so natural.. why don't you list them!? Gah!

That's good. At least she is able to curb cravings for smoking. Just curious, has your mom tried those electronic cigs? My mom used to use the nicotine ones and I felt that they are just a waste of time. Just like all the gums, patches, etc. It's not necessarily fixing the problem.. maybe making it easier for smoker's lungs but not their other organs.

It does. But I prefer to be off the grid. I live in Jersey so it is legal here but, you know. One day you should steal a bite and let me know what you think! :P

UGH! I don't want to be on the bag either. I don't want to be missing organs either lol. It's either I cure this disease of whatever is causing it for me or I'll deal with all the BS it comes with. Unless there are complications of course. Oh yeah, if she is having problems, then she definitely should. Plus, I believe they could put some pig intestine in place of hers? That or some plastic like intestines, which I think my dad has after his cancer removal.

I know RIGHT. It's because they're not and people are so stupid and blind to realize that. Them mentioning "natural flavors" and not exactly listing it, gives them free reign over putting shit into our foods. Just like with the E coli residue. No one believes me when they say that because they think the FDA and our government is so holy. Maybe back in the hay days but now, it's population control. -_-; People fail to realize that all that's good for a person is denied by the FDA and the bad is approved. We're all backwards lol.

OH, and I love your avatar. Right now I'm a zombie (baker unfortunately) to collect all my wants from the den but then I will go back to being a human.

Ahah, I have a ton of different things, I'm starting out taking a low dose of a few different herbs and supplements every day and building up. Some of my daily "musts" are astragalus, ashwaganda, milk thistle, cat's claw, grapeseed, creatine, l-glutamine and B vitamins. And aw, are you in the hospital right now? I'm so sorry. ): I had about three weeks in the hospital back in 2010 and to say it was a nightmare ... I get nightmares and panic attacks about it. So many of the doctors and nurses were awful. I hope you have a much better experience and caring staff to look after you and help. <3 It's still sucky no matter how nice the people are though. Yeah, a vegan would really abstain from all animal products, so I'm not full-on vegan with my occasional egg. I eat them mostly due to pressure from my mom, but at least I know our hens are well treated and I don't eat eggs from other sources.

I saw you mentioning blending and juicing stuff so I wanted to jump in and say I blend most of my food. I tend to keep it on the thin side, but still use a spoon to feel like I'm eating something! There are countless smoothie recipes online for good flavor combos, and ways to work in a variety of different foods and conceal tastes of stuff you might not like. Veggies and fruits can be cooked and peeled before blending. It's definitely made it easier for me to have a single-serving blender and I know exactly what is in it without the mysterious "natural flavors" and "spices" and "coloring" and stuff!

Wow, sounds like an interesting medicinal cocktail! :p Yes, I am but I just was discharged today so I am waiting for my ride. I had 2 pints of blood, mesalamine (maintaince drug for colitis), steroids to stop bleeding, and magnesium for which I assume was my abdominal spasms. Really? I don't mind hospital visits at all. The only thing I hate is I get night sweats from colitis and it's so gross! I wake up like I've been swimming and my hair is soaked. :( The last time I was in a different hospital I had a bad experience but these last 2 times were decent. Plus I had my own private room in the head! :)

You two have been absolute dolls. :) I mentioned to my mom some of your blending tactics and she was super interested. I'm going to do a little more research during my bed rest this weekend and give her some recipes i find. Thank you so much~! c:

I don't have any of the diseases you mentioned but I do have lactose intolerance. x_x I was only diagnosed like 6 months ago but it's been hard to not have dairy cause I LOVE it !

I'm a student nurse though and I've seen many people with lots of auto-immune diseases. :( They're really strong people because those diseases are really hard to cope with. Especially life style changes. A lot of patients I see struggle with that.

I'm glad. I wish my mother was more open to ideas like that but she was stubborn till the end. :p I found quite a few good recipes online.. even those were you cook and soup and blend it for easier digestion. :)

I'm sorry to hear that. Did you stop eating dairy for a long length of time? That happens a lot with people since they lose their enzymes to properly digest dairy.

I definitely agree and not only because I'm tooting my own horn. I've been to the hospital 4 times and had about like 6 pints of blood! I can practically classify myself a vampire, lol.

Haha noo :( I actually increased my intake of dairy by heaps last year. o_o I was OBSESSED with it for like a year (had it with like every meal - breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) D: Then I developed lactose intolerance later on during the year last year. Before I went through my dairy obsession though I'd only have it like for breakfast and snacks containing diary.

Yeah it's really hard for patients physically and mentally. : ( You sound like you have wonderful support especially from your fiance :) support is very important to have !

Oh, so when you don't overdue the dairy intake do you still have the intolerance reaction? Because I know cow's milk can cause unseen gastrointestinal bleeding and a lot of people are unaware of that. Lol, wow, that's crazy! I don't think I would be able to do that. I wouldn't mind drinking a pint (large chinese food soup container?) of milk but that's about it. D:

Yes that is true! Sudden life changes, as you mentioned, that one cannot ease in but jump in head first. You may lose friends in the process because of the unawareness (like those people who stop being friends of cancer patients because they cannot handle it for whatever reason) and even lose your job. It's really a life altering thing— sometimes I wonder what the learning process is in the end. (You know, like everything happens for a reason?) Thank you, yes I do. He is my fan in my times of need.

Nah the most I can handle now is a tiny small piece of cheese for example. I can't have a glass of milk anymore. D: It's been so hard for me to stay away from dairy. I struggled heaps at first ! It's only been 6 months but I feel I have come a long way from what I first started having to cut dairy products out of my diet.

Yeah I don't understand why people can't handle being friends with those who have illnesses :( For me, I think you should be there supporting them. It's like when I see people who are in hospital or nursing homes who have diseases such as parkinson's or dementia but their family doesn't visit them at all. It's really sad for me to see. :/ Sometimes I will see their patients being really rude to the patient. I often think it's cause they aren't aware of the disease itself but... I'm not quite sures at times. Haha yes I definitely agree everything happens for a reason. I too wonder why !

Aye, that totally is a downer. I can handle a few slices and maybe a half shot glass to a full of milk, haha! You can always try to wean yourself back onto it? Or try taking lactose enzymes to help break it down?

Exactly! Healthy people need support but those who are sick, need it the most. When you steer clear of us in our worst days, it's like throwing salt in our wounds. Oh! I cannot stand that. Some families just dump them there like abandoned children. It's so unfair for them. I mean, they spent or even wasted their time raising those children into adults to just have them be forgotten. The way I see it, my mother and father raised me and helped me when I needed it so I will only return the favor. No matter how uncomfortable it may be, one day having to bathe my father, but, I will do it. :/ Jeesh lol. I don't know what is wrong with some people. We all just need some love and no greed.

I think I'll try to get myself back into it. Maybe a little bit each day. The doctor said that sometimes it randomly happens to people but then they are fine again in a few years. I really hope I will be one of those people ! Yeah :D I am drinking this milk called Zymil . It's pretty much normal milk but with enzymes. : ) It seems to work well as a substitute for me :) It sucks though not all places (like cafes) have them :( I am also eating some yoghurt but it has enzymes in it. The bad thing is there's only one flavour- vanilla haha ! I also eat soy yoghurt and other soy foods. While I admit normal yoghurt is better, these are good substitutes :D Also what gets to me are the foods with "hidden dairy" . So like when you read the ingredients on the package it says it doesn't have any but it actually does contain dairy products.

Omg yes. D: It makes me really sad to see. I was raised the same :/ I don't know how those people don't think about how much time their parents took to raise them. I understand those illnesses are very confronting for families but to put them in a nursing home then barely visit them again is harsh. Especially when they treat them so rudely when they do visit. ;-;

That's good. I hope you're able to drink milk again! I'm actually thinking about soaking some almonds today so I can make homemade almond milk. ^_^

I haven't heard of Zymil until you mentioned it. Although, my doctor's/the hospital gave me some Lactaid to drink as a replacement. I can't say that I like it or even would drink it again since it tastes nothing like milk to me and it's just strange. If memory serves me, the feeling it leaves on your tongue is weird. I haven't tried soy foods. I don't think I would like them.. picky eater over here! :P I hate that a lot of products have hidden dairy in them. What gets me, is that it's not even natural dairy. It's probably GMO for all we know. GMO products cause the worst symptoms in me and it's so hard differentiating because they aren't labelled. >:O

Same here! When I think of how those people are treated, it makes me want to volunteer just so that they could have someone to talk to, you know? But my schedule has been so hectic with my condition, work and then I have to get school back on my plate. OH and it IRKS me to no extreme when the family visits once in 21093812 years and are rude. Always in a rush, always having plans and never really spend time with their loved ones. All I can say to that is.. what goes around comes around! nods :p

Yum home made almond milk ! :D

Zymil is great ! It tastes like normal milk just a tiny bit sweeter. Its such a good substitute haha . They have all these weird milks where I am. Like They have A2 milk which gets rid of some enzymes in milk that some people can't have and loads of other milk. I usually alternate between zymil and soy milk. :P I'll occasionally have rice milk, almond milk or oat milk. xD The only downside is all those speciality milks are expensive here. For example, it's $4 for 1 litre of zymil in comparison to $4 for 3 litres of normal milk . x__x

Ahh I see : ) I enjoy soy foods even before I was lactose intolerant! I love tofu ! : D HAHA dw I am a fussy eater too! What foods do you dislike? I hate strawberry, mayonaise and mustard the most !

Omg yes. I reckon a lot of products have GMO dairy. Usually what I see in foods are use milk solids and milk powder being use which they state. But sometimes they don't write anything. I just had an episode from that last week. Omg. I ate these rice crackers which had hidden dairy. -_-; I was sick with stomach cramps that whole day and the next day after. Then a day after I was fine again, then I went to this cafe to order a green tea frappe. I told them to put soy in it and that I couldn't have dairy. They put normal milk in it ! I felt SOOO sick after having it like 30mins later. Then I was really sick that night and the day after. It seems that when I drink a glass (600mL+) of something milk based mainly I get super super sick . By that I mean vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, the works ! Do you get really bad symptoms like that with GMO ?

Yeah it's really sad when you see that happening. I think a lot of families forget they are still human, even if they don't correspond the way we do. A lot get frustrated and leave because they get annoyed and frustrated. x_x

I think a field that needs a lot of support right now is Aged Care and mental health. I think that those two fields are very tough on you emotionally and physically. A lot of nurses don't like those fields so there are heaps of jobs offered. I mean, my personal preference isn't those two either but I wouldn't mind doing them. I just enjoy surgical/theatre nursing a lot more . I LOVE giving transfusions ! XD I'm off to a heart surgery ward prac next month . I'm super excited ! Haha I also enjoy women's health and reproductive health a lot too. ^_^

What are you dong in school currently ? Yeah I would imagine it would be hectic with your condition. Especially when acute situations come up where you have to attend hospital . :(

I have never made homemade almond milk before, so it will be an experience for me! Plus I have finished clearing a lot of junk from the kitchen so now there is so much more room! (We have water damage in the floor so we have to fix that too since it's wood flooring on top of concrete)

Personally, I would have called the company and see what they would have done about that. Because if you were allergic to dairy, it would be a serious serious lawsuit. Yes, I do. I get all of that and even sometimes bloody .. erm.. diarrhea. It wears me out for the next couple of days and I hate that feeliing.

That all sounds like fun. :P I'm just looking to volunteer since I have no experience otherwise. I have experience in the web design and pet sitting area. Good luck with everything though! I'm sure there must be a lot to study!

I go to DeVry University for Web Design. I started in July 2009 but unfortunately, kept dropping out/in due to my condition and my mother being sick. If I didn't have bloody stools, I think I would be able to manage better. Since once those start, I always end up anemic and need transfusions. -_-;