Crohns / ulcerative colitis sufferers

[wingman]

An interesting range of studies on diet if anyone wants to read them. Main article is here

At the end of the article there's an excellent list of additional / reference studies.

Diet has been transformative for me. No exclusion aside from triggers, predominantly focused on nutritious, anti-inflammatory foods, avoiding excessive fibre, and supplementation for things I can't eat enough of, or am deficient in (Turmeric, Boswella Resin Extract, and Vit D).

TLDR version:

• Everyone is different, there's way too many variables to consider
• People can't be trusted to follow diets
• This is more for people with Crohns
• The persons involved with this study have an agenda to push Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN).

With that being said I did find some snippets of interesting information, so appreciate the post @WantoN

Dietary calcium and vitamin D are important for patients with IBD, not only for bone health, but also because vitamin D is involved in anti-inflammatory pathways

These findings reveal a possible mechanism by which the Western diet alters the composition of the gut microbiota to promote inflammation and other immune disorders.

Vitamin D can be obtained from food, supplements, or sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States and among patients with IBD. Researchers have tested whether vitamin D can be used to treat IBD. In an observational study, patients with documented correction of vitamin D deficiency were less likely to require surgery for IBD, during a specific follow-up period, than those who remained vitamin-D deficient71. A small randomized trial of patients with CD in clinical remission demonstrated numerically and nearly statistically significant lower rates of clinical relapse among patients given 1200 IU daily of vitamin D3, compared with placebo72.

The mechanisms of digestion and absorption of food are well described (for a review, see114, 115), but affected by the food’s physical form. A diet of diverse, colorful, whole-foods may activate digestion differently than repetitive or bland diets such as EEN.

 

[WantoN]

*snip*

There's also quite a lot of interesting information on the impact of diet not just on gut flora, but the mucus membrane of the intestine.

I take all studies with a pinch of salt, but not all of the studies were on enteral feeding, and they too posited some things worth considering.

Like all things like this, it's about wading through, and making sure you read across the spectrum to get enough data to form your own opinion.

My intention was to provide food for thought (terrible pun intended ).

• Everyone is different, there's way too many variables to consider

This has always been my stand point. I've never suggested 'woohoo' diets or whatever Dowie called them. Nor have I said that diet is the be all and end all.

There's pretty much no way to do a double blind / gold standard study on diet that could provide beneficial evidence, there's too much variability from person to person, and frankly, we still don't fully understand the disease. And I think that feeds into the problem.

I see the same sentiment echoed on these forums that I've felt, for many years. So many of us are utterly frustrated with the dietary support offered to us by professionals, and many of us have had almost *nothing* to guide us. Even after many visits to many different people.

There's nothing pie in the sky about discussing diet. I'm not talking faddy, woohoo diets. Not liquid diets or aggressive exclusion (except when advised by professionals to isolate trigger foods, or aid in recovery).

I'm talking reasonable, sustainable, balanced diet. Taking the time to isolate and remove trigger foods, and introduce potentially beneficial ones, to create a diet that has a net positive impact on your disease, and your life. In my case this was trial and error with foods considered anti-inflammatory, and then supplementation. The change was astounding.

I do sometimes wonder if the sensitivity with diet discussion ties into what so many IBD sufferers have had to put up with during the course of their disease. It gets old (and annoying) very quickly, when people who know nothing repeatedly accuse you of making yourself deathly ill by eating the wrong things, or look at you funny when you eat something they consider inappropriate.

My point being that it's a good thing to have open discussion about diet and IBD. What's worked for you, what hasn't, and how you've gone about finding that out.

 

[dowie]

This has always been my stand point. I've never suggested 'woohoo' diets or whatever Dowie called them. Nor have I said that diet is the be all and end all.

Glad to hear it - not sure what the issue is if you're not promoting them as that's what I've been critical of in the above few posts.

There's pretty much no way to do a double blind / gold standard study on diet that could provide beneficial evidence, there's too much variability from person to person, and frankly, we still don't fully understand the disease. And I think that feeds into the problem.

That's not entirely true - especially re: specific things that people claim work, or have anti-inflammatory properties - you can run a double blind trial of some suppliment or other.

I do sometimes wonder if the sensitivity with diet discussion ties into what so many IBD sufferers have had to put up with during the course of their disease. It gets old (and annoying) very quickly, when people who know nothing repeatedly accuse you of making yourself deathly ill by eating the wrong things, or look at you funny when you eat something they consider inappropriate.

My point being that it's a good thing to have open discussion about diet and IBD. What's worked for you, what hasn't, and how you've gone about finding that out.

Yeah it definitely does, there was one guy who used to pop in here, didn't have IBD, and kept suggesting clean eating etc.. and have people tried it etc... I don't really have much time for "woo" or BS claims, diet can help, certainly don't want to eat things that aggravate symptoms, it's alway worth consulting dietitians even if you're adamant about following a particular diet etc.. they're not the enemy, they work with IBD teams and they're interested in evidence based solutions... even if someone is adamant about wanting to try a particular diet they could still be helpful and they're unlikely to make you stop taking some supplement that does no harm, even if there is no good evidence for it doing much good either.

 

[wingman]

My intention was to provide food for thought (terrible pun intended ).

You 100% did, it was an interesting read (anything to do with diet and IBD I'll read through thoroughly). I just took issue with a few pieces; but I also took many more snippets and pasted them into an online note taking page for my future reference, so it's massively useful for forming a more rounded opinion for myself.

I also found it interesting about the histamine:

Biogenic amines such as histamine, an important regulator of physiological functions of the gut, might also affect the immune response in patients with IBD. Histamine is derived from the amino acid histidine, and dietary histidine can reduce symptoms of immune-mediated colitis in mice40. Tryptophan is a precursor to immunoregulatory biogenic amines, such as kynurenine, via indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity, promotes development of T-regulatory cells and immune tolerance

I don't know if it plays into anything else but I have hayfever too, I'm wondering if it's casually linked.

I'm talking reasonable, sustainable, balanced diet. Taking the time to isolate and remove trigger foods, and introduce potentially beneficial ones, to create a diet that has a net positive impact on your disease, and your life. In my case this was trial and error with foods considered anti-inflammatory, and then supplementation. The change was astounding.

It gets old (and annoying) very quickly, when people who know nothing repeatedly accuse you of making yourself deathly ill by eating the wrong things, or look at you funny when you eat something they consider inappropriate.

Absolutely, I've removed wheat (but still take other gluten's from time to time), and people look at me like I'm a madman - questioning how I am even able to manage such a drastic dietary change but I tell them I've ultimately found it easy, especially in conjunction for drastically improved symptoms.

I also limit dairy, but I'm not as determined about dairy as I am wheat. In the three years or so I've been wheat free I've basically slipped up once, and that was in the early days where my knowledge was still growing. But I allow myself some dairy periodically, but that's down to the skin breakouts I get with too much cow's milk.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I had "professional" advice for 20 years and they never suggested removing gluten for me.

Bottom line is that as individuals we're seldom given the time we need with the NHS, and even when we are, it's difficult to find a practitioner who would encourage various different techniques.

Besides, even registered dietitians rarely agree on the same thing. There is no one diet to fit all, as @MOOGLEYS post above. It's about finding what's right for you.

Call it "woo territory" all you like, it's really quite simple, you are what you eat. It's not hard to understand that a chronic bowel issue can benefit by changing what you put through it. If that's woo, then everything is.

My doctors have finally put me onto a dietician who just recommended that I cut out as much fibre as possible. It's helped.

I had an appointment by phone on Sunday morning (weird in itself) and the doctor knew nothing at all about me. I'm pretty sure I even had to tell him that I had Crohn's. He was early ringing me and I just thought, why the hell didn't you spend this time reading my notes instead of asking the patient what their professional opinion is.

I ended up having a bit of a go at him. I don't care that I'm not seeing the named specialist for the Gastro department. I do care that my doctor is different every single time. For my wellbeing that makes zero sense.

 

[wingman]

My doctors have finally put me onto a dietician who just recommended that I cut out as much fibre as possible. It's helped.

This is interesting as I've heard so many various reports on fibre, both good and bad. Massively glad to hear it's helping you.

I've had some bloating as of late and discovered the low FODMAP dietary route. I was mostly surprised I was roughly on a low FODMAP diet by virtue of what I enjoy anyway, but a big two are onions (which I knew about), and apples (which I didn't). I normally eat one big apple per day so I cut them out of my diet completely in the last week and I've experienced a lot less bloating and cramping.

For me it's just about fine tuning the little bits and pieces. I'm considering cutting caffeine soon, but I really love my coffee...

 

[Minusorange]

So I tried some boiled tomatoes last night with some peeled cucumber to accompany my not really chicken burgers, I am disappointed, it's like removing the skin and seeds takes all the fun from the tomato and makes it like eating soggy cardboard, I'm really stumped for what the **** I can eat in terms of greens/veg I can't just live off potatoes or cucumber as a side. Is it just a case of trial and error with different greens/veg to see which ones **** you up and then just eating the ones that don't ? Breakfast & lunch are fine, frosties for breakfast and either cheese or egg sandwiches for lunch, I'm wondering if it may be better to just completely change stance on tea time and go from standard meals to just a bowl of fruit like peeled pears & apples & melon at least it will taste nice and be relatively healthy

 

[dirtychinchilla]

This is interesting as I've heard so many various reports on fibre, both good and bad. Massively glad to hear it's helping you.

I've had some bloating as of late and discovered the low FODMAP dietary route. I was mostly surprised I was roughly on a low FODMAP diet by virtue of what I enjoy anyway, but a big two are onions (which I knew about), and apples (which I didn't). I normally eat one big apple per day so I cut them out of my diet completely in the last week and I've experienced a lot less bloating and cramping.

For me it's just about fine tuning the little bits and pieces. I'm considering cutting caffeine soon, but I really love my coffee...

That's interesting. I'm glad to hear it's working so well for you.

I find myself in a similar boat; I don't want to cut out onions and I have had a granny smith every day for years. Recently, I've been having it peeled - you might be able to get away with that.

Sucks though doesn't it! I'm also cutting out caffeine but that's more because during lockdown I ended up having maybe 6 caffeinated teas per day.

 

[WantoN]

Glad to hear it - not sure what the issue is if you're not promoting them as that's what I've been critical of in the above few posts.

It's a long while back dowie, and I'm really not the type to trudge up old discussions, especially when there's nothing to be gained for anyone.

Suffice it to say that I've really enjoyed the interactions I've had since popping back into this thread.

So I tried some boiled tomatoes last night with some peeled cucumber to accompany my not really chicken burgers, I am disappointed, it's like removing the skin and seeds takes all the fun from the tomato and makes it like eating soggy cardboard, I'm really stumped for what the **** I can eat in terms of greens/veg I can't just live off potatoes or cucumber as a side. Is it just a case of trial and error with different greens/veg to see which ones **** you up and then just eating the ones that don't ? Breakfast & lunch are fine, frosties for breakfast and either cheese or egg sandwiches for lunch, I'm wondering if it may be better to just completely change stance on tea time and go from standard meals to just a bowl of fruit like peeled pears & apples & melon at least it will taste nice and be relatively healthy

I'm afraid from my experience mate, it really is about exactly that. I feel your pain.

I found keeping a diary incredibly helpful. I'd record what and how much I ate, and also my mood, energy, pain, frequency, and any relevant factors like blood and consistency.

There were a few more, but they were specific to other diseases.

Things I also noticed were I could manage veg much easier if it was cooked longer, or made into things like soup. I could eat brocolli, cauliflower, carrots and runner beans if cooked well (I removed the actual bean inside for the latter.) and later moved onto cabbages like pointed and Nero, kale etc.

These days I can eat tomatoes raw; my father in law has just grown the most delicious ones I've ever eaten. Back then I would pop them in a hot pan with some decent olive oil long enough to make removing the skin easy, then cook them down and strain them for use in salsas, sauces, soups etc. I simply couldn't eat them with skins and seeds.

This is interesting as I've heard so many various reports on fibre, both good and bad. Massively glad to hear it's helping you.

I'm considering cutting caffeine soon, but I really love my coffee...

Anything brown (bread, pasta, rice etc) was absolute murder. So I assumed the advice on eating simple carbs was universal.

One of the first 'new' foods I tried was small portions of overnight oats for breakfast. I started simple, but ended up having cinammon, Manuka honey, raw cacao and eventually blueberries with it. I was amazed I tolerated it, let alone benefited.

I'm not for one moment saying anyone else try it, just that I've found over time that not all sources of fibre were equal in impact for me.

As for caffeine, removing it was an absolute must. I eventually went back to having one cup of black coffee in the morning; it helps morning fatigue without any perceivable impact on my IBD.

I find myself in a similar boat; I don't want to cut out onions and I have had a granny smith every day for years. Recently, I've been having it peeled - you might be able to get away with that.

To this day apples are ruinous for me It's always a bummer when foods you love are triggers.

 

[dowie]

It's a long while back dowie, and I'm really not the type to trudge up old discussions, especially when there's nothing to be gained for anyone.

Suffice it to say that I've really enjoyed the interactions I've had since popping back into this thread.

OK so why keep mentioning me then? I mean you've done it twice now, you say there is nothing to be gained and you're not the type to trudge up old discussions but you've literally done that - if you're not promoting "woo" then I don't see the issue tbh...

I've been very clear about what I'm critical of here so I really don't see the issue or why you've started having a go - why not just discuss the topic?

 

[dowie]

My doctors have finally put me onto a dietician who just recommended that I cut out as much fibre as possible. It's helped.

That's good, certainly does help if you've got any stricturing (can help when you have flare ups too) - I presume this was the gastros rather than you GP?

Have you got stricturing - like have you ever had an abdominal MRI or CT at all?

I had an appointment by phone on Sunday morning (weird in itself) and the doctor knew nothing at all about me. I'm pretty sure I even had to tell him that I had Crohn's. He was early ringing me and I just thought, why the hell didn't you spend this time reading my notes instead of asking the patient what their professional opinion is.

I ended up having a bit of a go at him. I don't care that I'm not seeing the named specialist for the Gastro department. I do care that my doctor is different every single time. For my wellbeing that makes zero sense.

Yikes, that's not good - this was a Dr from your IBD team???

I mean you don't always get the same consultant with the NHS - sometimes you even get a registrar in the consultant's team, but they all ought to be present in the MDT meetings where they discuss your case and if you do have a registrar then sometimes it might be the case that the decision on the next possible course of treatment etc.. was already made in the meeting in conjunction with other consultants, radiologists looking at your scans etc.. I've had appointments with IBD pharmacists, IBD dietitians etc.. though all of them were familiar with my notes etc.. that bit is a bit worrying.

If you have insurance then you could have course see the same consultant - though that might just be a better option for the initial diagnosis, you don't necessarily want to be under one person for long term care IMO - with the NHS you're under a whole team of people and in an emergency it's an NHS hospital you'll go to I guess... that made the decision easy for me for long term care. I was initially under one guy at a private hospital then moved to his team within the NHS anyway... could still pop back for a scan etc.. but really I've just stuck with the NHS now.

Especially for operations - screw going private for that (save for private wing of a big NHS hospital) - I've had minor ops like wisdom teeth removal and keyhole surgery on my knee privately, no chance I'd go private for serious bowel surgery etc..

 

[Minusorange]

I'm afraid from my experience mate, it really is about exactly that. I feel your pain.

I found keeping a diary incredibly helpful. I'd record what and how much I ate, and also my mood, energy, pain, frequency, and any relevant factors like blood and consistency.

There were a few more, but they were specific to other diseases.

Things I also noticed were I could manage veg much easier if it was cooked longer, or made into things like soup. I could eat brocolli, cauliflower, carrots and runner beans if cooked well (I removed the actual bean inside for the latter.) and later moved onto cabbages like pointed and Nero, kale etc.

These days I can eat tomatoes raw; my father in law has just grown the most delicious ones I've ever eaten. Back then I would pop them in a hot pan with some decent olive oil long enough to make removing the skin easy, then cook them down and strain them for use in salsas, sauces, soups etc. I simply couldn't eat them with skins and seeds.

Oh man that sucks, I'm already a fussy eater with giving up meat and not being particularly fond (at all) of cooked veg, will probably follow suit and log which foods work and which don't, I'm hoping to get around my hatred of cooked veg that eating more Chinese style meals would work as I can manage cooked veg in stir fry type meals

 

[dirtychinchilla]

That's good, certainly does help if you've got any stricturing (can help when you have flare ups too) - I presume this was the gastros rather than you GP?

Have you got stricturing - like have you ever had an abdominal MRI or CT at all?

Thanks for all your advice, dowie.

Yes, I’ve got a stricture. Had about 10g of fibre yesterday so I think I’m on the right track.

Yikes, that's not good - this was a Dr from your IBD team???

I mean you don't always get the same consultant with the NHS - sometimes you even get a registrar in the consultant's team, but they all ought to be present in the MDT meetings where they discuss your case and if you do have a registrar then sometimes it might be the case that the decision on the next possible course of treatment etc.. was already made in the meeting in conjunction with other consultants, radiologists looking at your scans etc.. I've had appointments with IBD pharmacists, IBD dietitians etc.. though all of them were familiar with my notes etc.. that bit is a bit worrying.

If you have insurance then you could have course see the same consultant - though that might just be a better option for the initial diagnosis, you don't necessarily want to be under one person for long term care IMO - with the NHS you're under a whole team of people and in an emergency it's an NHS hospital you'll go to I guess... that made the decision easy for me for long term care. I was initially under one guy at a private hospital then moved to his team within the NHS anyway... could still pop back for a scan etc.. but really I've just stuck with the NHS now.

Especially for operations - screw going private for that (save for private wing of a big NHS hospital) - I've had minor ops like wisdom teeth removal and keyhole surgery on my knee privately, no chance I'd go private for serious bowel surgery etc..

Honestly, I really don’t know who this guy was. I may have met him before but certainly he wasn’t familiar with me or my medical history. I expect that at the least, whether he’s in the MDT meetings or not. I told him I wasn’t happy anyway.

The problem I have is that my symptoms are fairly minimal, so there’s no reason why they’d be that familiar with me. It’s not the worst problem to have of course! But it is frustrating.

When I was first diagnosed at 16, I was fortunate enough that my father had private healthcare through work. That ran out maybe 10 years ago. For that period I had a great doctor who knew all about me, and it was the same guy every single time. He was very knowledgable. Nowadays, I guess I just get whoever is free.

Ah well...just got to be sensible I guess. The most annoying thing at the moment is that it wouldn’t be smart to drink. And everyone is finally starting to hang out together again. More often than not when I see my friends on a school night, I don’t drink. It’s actually pretty rate that I do. But Friday nights I’d love to have a few pints.

Anyway, are your symptoms under control @dowie?

 

[dowie]

Yes, I’ve got a stricture. Had about 10g of fibre yesterday so I think I’m on the right track.
[...]
Anyway, are your symptoms under control @dowie?

Yup, mostly. I've had surgery (removal of the section with the stricturing, which I guess is also where the inflammation was mostly occurring). That was the main issue for me - getting bunged up and that causing some pain/vomiting. Like you know when you have an MRI it's generally on an empty stomach - I had an emergency admission and a CT scan, with an obstruction, that's where you can see the effect - the healthy bit of the small bowel before a stricture dilates, like it expands several cms in diameter... thus the pain, bloated feeling and vomiting. That was in itself a good illustration for me of why it's a good idea to go with dietitians who know what they're talking about not BS artists/nutritionists who might not have a clue about your recent procedures, scans/tests etc.. and the effect of fiber on this particular medical condition or why & when you may need to reduce it etc.. Like for me at the moment I am supposed to eat fiber as I've had the operation and am not having issues with flare ups.

Now my dose of humira has been reduced - just one one injection every 2 weeks and that's it, that's my Crohns medication. I can eat more fiber now, have had more appointments (video calls now) with dietitians, have another one booked soon.

I think my strictures formed well before I was diagnosed and received treatment, there was a time when I was trying to do the whole clean eating thing, assumed I'd just caught a bug sometimes etc.. when I needed to vomit. It isn't like I cut out all fiber, it was more a case of doing things sensibly - a big bowl of greens/salad etc.. would obviously be a bit of a risk in terms of causing an obstruction and/or vomiting... on the other hand a bowl of porridge with plenty of soluble fiber wasn't really a risk in the same way and fine when not flaring up. Peeling veg is another tip I was given - cuts down on insoluble fiber.

I guess the other thing with fiber, stricturing or not, is perhaps just irritating the bowel during a flare up. So while I don't need to worry about and am actively encouraged to have normal quantities of fruit and veg at the mo if/when I do flare I can cut back on it and stick to stuff that is going to be much easier on the bowels.

 

[dowie]

Oh man that sucks, I'm already a fussy eater with giving up meat and not being particularly fond (at all) of cooked veg, will probably follow suit and log which foods work and which don't, I'm hoping to get around my hatred of cooked veg that eating more Chinese style meals would work as I can manage cooked veg in stir fry type meals

If you cook veg then there are various tips to reduce insoluble fiber if that is causing irritation - firstly remove the skins. Secondly, with things like broccoli, ditch the stems, just stick with mostly the head of the broccoli. Carrots are often tolerated quite well - in particular if cooked well so they're soft.

This is assuming you're symptomatic (or indeed if you have stricturing) - though I guess if you've not had a diagnosis or any scans etc.. you might not know, hopefully you get that confirmed soon.

 

[WantoN]

OK so why keep mentioning me then? I mean you've done it twice now, you say there is nothing to be gained and you're not the type to trudge up old discussions but you've literally done that - if you're not promoting "woo" then I don't see the issue tbh...

Great. That's that then.

Oh man that sucks, I'm already a fussy eater with giving up meat and not being particularly fond (at all) of cooked veg, will probably follow suit and log which foods work and which don't, I'm hoping to get around my hatred of cooked veg that eating more Chinese style meals would work as I can manage cooked veg in stir fry type meals

No question mate, it's a tough disease for so many reasons, and getting on top of it, when that's even possible, can be like a second job. I'll eat most things, but I'd wager its a huge pita if you're a bit limited choice wise.

Diaries can be quite empowering though. Sounds like something out of a cringy presentation, but I felt pretty helpless until I started recording everything.

Once you've accrued that knowledge and drawn appropriate conclusions, you can really start to experiment, and enjoy preparing meals you don't spend time worrying about, or regretting

Love a stir fry! Bear in mind though that you've got skins on things like pepper, and stir fry means things can be cooked considerably less. Something to bear in mind at least.

Even if it transpires it's not IBD, it'll help if you've got intolerance or allergies.

My doctors have finally put me onto a dietician who just recommended that I cut out as much fibre as possible. It's helped.

Awesome news mate.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Tbh my colitis getting so bad I needed emergency surgery was the best thing to come out of my 15 odd years off crap. Since surgery I’m no longer in pain, I no longer spend most of the day on the toilet, I can go out without worrying where the nearest toilet is or having to come home due to cramps, I’m not constantly anaemic due to constantly bleeding, I’m not being pumped full of drugs and the biggest for me is I can finally enjoy eating again for the first time in years. So much so I have put on 2 stone since surgery I can pretty much eat anything other than a few skins and rhubarb.

No real point to this post really other than I know a lot of people that really fear having a stoma and carry on even though things are bad. Tbh I was not a fan of the idea myself when it was talked about during appointments. But I now wish I had had it done years ago....

If things are real bad consider getting a stoma one literally saved and gave me a life....

 

[DanTheMan]

.

100%. Surgical options should discussed way sooner than they currently are.

I definitely didn't realise how bad I was compared to your average person without UC until after surgery. I still don't know what to do with the extra mental space I've gained since not having to use 50% of my brain planning toilet trips and worrying about incontinence!

Obviously I'm more biased towards surgery now but I spent over 10 years convincing myself that different foods could slow / cure / ease symptoms of my colitis. For 99.9% of that time, I was fooling myself. For the other 0.1% of the time different foods simply eased symptoms rather than keeping colitis in check.

I'm now in a lot of stoma groups on various social media platforms and the telling thing for me is that so many of the people in those groups tried everything to do with diet and medication and still ended up needing surgery. I used to think that my body would be different but I think most of us are on the same path with UC / Crohns.

 

[WantoN]

100%. Surgical options should discussed way sooner than they currently are.

I definitely didn't realise how bad I was compared to your average person without UC until after surgery. I still don't know what to do with the extra mental space I've gained since not having to use 50% of my brain planning toilet trips and worrying about incontinence!

Obviously I'm more biased towards surgery now but I spent over 10 years convincing myself that different foods could slow / cure / ease symptoms of my colitis. For 99.9% of that time, I was fooling myself. For the other 0.1% of the time different foods simply eased symptoms rather than keeping colitis in check.

I'm now in a lot of stoma groups on various social media platforms and the telling thing for me is that so many of the people in those groups tried everything to do with diet and medication and still ended up needing surgery. I used to think that my body would be different but I think most of us are on the same path with UC / Crohns.

So, so glad the stoma has worked for you guys. My first surgical consult terrified me, the doctor explained potential complications as it's so deep in the pelvis; damage to your fun time nerves was particularly worrying, as were the issues that could arise around the stoma. So glad it's worked out well.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

So, so glad the stoma has worked for you guys. My first surgical consult terrified me, the doctor explained potential complications as it's so deep in the pelvis; damage to your fun time nerves was particularly worrying, as were the issues that could arise around the stoma. So glad it's worked out well.

Mine was pretty much the same the Surgeon went through the Pro's and con's and then said "But all of that does not matter, If I don't remove your bowel within 48hrs you will be dead". Pretty much decided it was best to go ahead..... lol..