An Open Letter to Anyone Suffering With Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders

[MountainDon]

You know who you are. Males in particular may be reluctant to see a doctor. There can be all sorts of reasons for reluctance. The thought of a colonoscopy may be one of them.

I suffered for years with cycles of some sort of disorder, cramps, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and so on. It would come and go. Stress seemed to be a factor.

About ten years ago the symptoms became severe and put me in the hospital. I had my first colonoscopy. Bad news. I had Colitis, a sometimes severe inflammation of the colon. Drugs would help, the doctors said. Drugs did help. I would take them for a while, get more or less better, quit taking them because (1) they were expensive and (2) I didn't like taking pills three times a day.

So the pattern of discomfort and relief went on for years and years. I had another emergency five or six years ago. Another hospital visit. The emergency treatment almost killed me as it wiped out my immune system and I went septic. After I survived that I tried harder to stay on the regimen of drug treatment. This was the only treatment suggested by the doctors.

Along the way I received varying advice on diet. Much of what I was told to try did not seem to have much effect anyways. Nobody even thought to suggest that I could be tested for food allergies or sensitivities.

One of the dangers from chronic colon inflammation is the increased likelihood of encountering colon cancer. I have a friend who has been through colon cancer treatment three times and now has a bag in place of a colon. I did not want to get to that point. Every year for the past half dozen years I had a colonoscopy. The past two years I had polyps which were removed during the colonoscopy and tested. The good news was they were always benign. The doctor warned that if the polyps began to show precancerous traits I might be advised to consider a colectomy, removal of the colon to avoid developing colon cancer. Not a good thought.

Yesterday I had another colonoscopy. The results were vastly different from all the previous examinations. In the past there were always signs of inflammation, sometimes throughout the entire length of the colon. They do a video of the tour of the colon and after every one I received color still prints. Yesterdays examination appeared completely normal. My GI doc said I had a normal colon, the colitis was gone. I did not have colitis anymore! What happened, he asked?

I told him that early this year my dear wife arranged to have food sensitivity tests performed. We paid for this ourselves as such theory is outside the realm of standard medical practices that are covered by health insurance policies. $400-some dollars. The results indicated multiple sensitivities, many to foods I have loved for years. (Hmmm. Could there be a connection to my gastrointestinal problems?) So we cut some of those foods right out of our diet for a couple months. Miracle of miracles, I began to feel better. Symptoms of colitis abated. I felt good enough I again quit taking the meds my doctor was all too willing to prescribe. Over the past couple of months we have reintroduced some of those foods into our diet, no more than twice a week, some only once a week.

So what's my point here? It is simply to state that if you are one of the many who suffer from periodic to continual intestinal disorder do something about it. Get tested for food allergies/sensitivities. You may have to search for a doctor outside your normal mainstream health care provider. There may even be an aura of mysticism around that doctor. Give it a chance. It's preferable to years/decades of discomfort and the sceptre of a surgeon's knife hanging over you.

I'm still not ready to put everything about my health into the hands of medical mystics when it comes to things like bone tumors, but mainstream medicine seems to have a disconnect or two.

[StinkerBell]

I am too afraid to have another food allergy test. The last one the Dr was on the fence if I had an alergy to chocolate! Bad enough I had to give up peanut butter and my favorite candy, Reeses peanut butter cups. ~sigh~

I also subscribe that our food is so adulterated that it does damage to us.

Thanks for sharing MtnD!

[MountainDon]

I fully sympathize, stink.
I have peanut butter maybe once a week.
Makes it very special.
Not impossible to do, but it is difficult.

Ditto cheese and ice cream.

We use a rice based pasta instead of wheat most of the time.

The good thing is I don't have serious life threatening immediate issues like not being able to breath.

Life without a few favorites is probably more bearable than life without a colon.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Don, thanks for your post.  I think I'm going to copy and paste in an email to my mom.  She had colon cancer 7 years ago, and still has regular screenings, though she has had no cancer since then.  She always has one area that is inflamed near where they did the resectioning of her colon when the cancer was removed (thank the Lord she didn't have to have a bag) and this might be helpful to her.  She eats better than she did before she had cancer, but still not very good....too many fast food and junk meals, too much diet coke and loads and loads of coffee. 

[bayview]

   Thanks for sharing MtDon!   I'm glad that you are feeling better.   

   Our "western" diets aren't very good for us.   It's been proven that Asians live longer because of their simpler diet. . .    Until they start eating like us westerners.   They then suffer the same problems that we do. . .   

   I had problems periodically with pain near my appendix.   I went on a mostly fruit and vegetable diet and the condition cleared up by itself . . .    I am now eating foods with more fiber. . .    By limiting the "wrong" foods, such as, red meats, dairy products, sugars and alcohol.   Trying not to be gross here . . .    But there is a better fragrance and more regularity in the bathroom now that I don't eat as much meat.

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[diyfrank]

MD, Good to here your doing better.
My wife and I were both tested and had food sensitivity's. Our insurance paid for the tests in full minus a copay.
We have an ND and think he's done better at diagnosis then any DR we've seen in the past.

It was good that you posted this. It just may save someone a lot of unnecessary discomfort.  

[peternap]

Yes Don...Thanks!
It's always good to know alternates that have worked.

 

But there is a better fragrance and more regularity in the bathroom now

Uh..thanks for sharing Bayview

[MountainDon]

I know first hand what bayview means.   

[bayview]

Yes Don...Thanks!
 

But there is a better fragrance and more regularity in the bathroom now

Uh..thanks for sharing Bayview

  You're welcome!      

  I think I did handle that subject rather delicately . . .     And I did have a disclaimer before that statement!

  Besides . . .    It's MtDons fault.      

   BTW   My grandfather had stomach problems . . .    Mostly from smoking cheap cigars.   And he ended up with a colostomy bag.   Wasn't much fun . . .

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[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Don, I forwarded your letter to my mom and she is talking about using her flex account to do the testing next year.  She has lousy insurance that won't pay for stuff like that, but the once her flex account is back to full in January, I think it may have convinced her to try it.

[MountainDon]

Good news.