Educate Not Ruminate
Warning...this is clean but does discuss a medical condition and may make some people uncomfortable. Discretion advised.
Hi and Welcome to the A & J PEI Treasures E Jean Simpson Author Blog Post and Podcast. I’m your host, Jean coming to you from the beautiful Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada!! The blog post and podcast is an opinion piece and only reflects this author’s opinion and not that of any other entity. I hold no designations in politics, economics or medicine. I am retired from the mental health field and I am a humanitarian and speak from that viewpoint only. Whether you agree or not, at least I hope it makes you think. As Lily Tomlin said, “I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.” It seems there are some ‘embarrassing’ conditions that people don’t talk about and it’s literally killing people. If you want to find out more, then stay tuned!
Right from the start, I am stating that I am speaking on this disorder because I have this condition and I was diagnosed later in life. Now that’s out on the table…I hope you are starting to feel uncomfortable because I intend to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly about it. I hope that it will save lives. First, I can tell you, Crohn’s disease is something that cannot be cured. It is one of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...) they all have different issues and within Crohn’s disease, there are different areas that can be affected starting at the mouth and right on down to the anus. It is the complications from Crohn’s, not the disease itself that can kill you (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti...).
Now, there is some good news. Just because you have Crohn’s disease doesn’t mean you’ll have a shorter life than anyone else. https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/cro... so, this is not a death sentence. It isn’t comfortable and some of the symptoms can occur out of nowhere. Sometimes, I get tired easy. I can have flare ups. There can be diarrhea or constipation even nausea and fatigue. I tend to be on the luckier side and mostly manage it with my diet. I found that, for me, I either have an allergy to wheat gluten or I don’t tend to digest it well. I won’t go too deeply into diets…because generally they have advice all over the board and I’m no dietician or doctor. The thing to keep in mind is that depending on what is affected and what your own body tolerates, you may find that what some people can use, others cannot. For example, I know other people who have parts affected that I do not. They cannot even do strawberries because of the seeds. This is not a problem for me. They have better medications that help to control symptoms as well. So, perhaps a dietician can help you to get a better grasp on what can help you.
Now, flares….they can happen. Sorry, it’s a fact. Might as well figure out what to do about it. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c... again, it seems that different things work for different people, but there are generalities. Do not take this as a recommendation in any way. I find in a flare, what helps me are small meals, rice, potatoes, bananas, and Jell-O seem to reduce problems for me as well as some of the things they suggest in the article above. I break one of the rules like the one of no soda…I actually find ginger ale helps when I have nausea. I cannot recommend things as I’m not a doctor. I only say what works for me and it might not work for you. Your specialist can be more helpful. The one thing that the article at the top of this paragraph from the mayo clinic suggests is that one has to minimize the stress in your life. It doesn’t cause the disease, but it can complicate things and make a flare worse.
Now, if I haven’t made you totally uncomfortable yet, hang on dear readers and listeners, I am only half done. Now on to the medical help to keep things from getting out of control. I know no one likes to talk about this, there is the Colonoscopy and in some cases such as mine the added Endoscopy. Let’s start with the colonoscopy. To be honest, the worst part is the prep. Literally. There are different preparation solutions. If you can’t handle one, there are others. Your specialist will be able to tell you. The one I use came in a package with two envelopes. Depending on your size and body mass and system, you may only have to do one. There are also liter bottles of liquid stuff. Anyway, after you take that, you need to have ready access to a washroom. It’s meant to clear out your system so the camera can do a good job of looking. Follow directions from your specialist. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-proc... gives you more details. Essentially a camera is inserted through your back door to keep it polite (where people tell you to shove things is they’re angry with you) and the specialist looks to make sure everything is ok. Now, it’s not fun for anyone. The specialist does it because they want to make sure you live a long and healthy life.
The next thing they can do is an Endoscopy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-proc.... Generally if you need this done too, it is done when you do the Colonoscopy because why do preparation twice. This one is a camera down your throat. I presume a different camera... It is also to make sure everything is ok in there. Now, no one really loves doing these, but the fact is that if you have Crohn’s, you’re at higher risk for some issues (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-info...). Now, there is the embarrassment factor, but I kind of prefer to live a long health life. Believe me, I would love to see some other options. I mean who wouldn’t take a more comfortable method if one was available. Sure, there are other tests that you can get, but generally screening won’t do the whole trick if you have the condition but it might give information. Bottom line, I have done one of the screening tests…because the disorder can come with internal bleeding, I still was sent for the scopes. But, you need to discuss your options with your doctor. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti....
As Josh Shipp has said, “You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” The general population will not understand the struggle that one has when their body decides to do what it wants and not always the thing you would want it to do. As I originally wrote this, I had a bad night. Something new to me that I ate obviously decided that it was going to leave. I was up for an hour (I’ll spare you details). You can’t see the medical condition on the outside. Some people have medical conditions that you can see, some have medical conditions you can’t see. The scars are still there. Some days it is like wading through mud. I would love to have the energy to do everything I want to do, but sometimes, it just isn’t going to work.
As the philosopher Confucius is credited with saying, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Life with Chronic illness is not all fun. We fight multiple stigmas on a daily basis. We fight our bodies and the thing it does that we don’t enjoy. There are things that we can’t do or do as much as we want. With education about the disease and the general Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and less fear of the testing and using the resources that are available we can live reasonable lives. Sure things aren’t always perfect, but we can make things as perfect as we can make them. Life with Chronic disease is just a different lifestyle. Understanding our bodies and the disorder we have can help us to be our best possible selves.
As Toni Bernhard said, “Do not spend your precious energy worrying about how others view your medical condition.” You have to live with it, they don’t. It is important to find ways that work for you. You have to find a happy balance. If you need to rest, then you have to rest. If you have the energy to do things, then you can do things. Sometimes you’ll decide to push past the fatigue or illness and do something if you think it is worthwhile. People will always judge. It is up to you if you’re going to let it mess with being the best you can be or not. It’s also up to you to make sure you take care of your needs. If you have a medical condition, when you get to have your specialist, make sure that you talk with them. Make sure you find the information you need to be the best you can be. I can also tell you that sometimes your specialist knows things about your condition that general practitioners do not know. Doesn’t mean anything against the General Practitioner…they mostly deal with everyday stuff. So, when you are told something that does not hold true to what your specialist told you about your condition, follow the specialist. Remember, a specialist has years of training with your specific illness. They are the ones that know what works and what doesn’t. Even something as innocuous as vitamins or pain relievers can be important in your battle. I’ve had some doctors that thought I was normal tell me there were things I needed or could use and afterward, when I checked with the specialist, this was not good for my particular situation. Remember general practitioners might not have training in the specific disorder. Nothing against General Practitioners, they have to do a lot of different stuff and generally it is with normal populations, so sometimes the different person has to know what their specialist has told them.
Thanks for listening to my podcast and/or reading my blog post and thanks for your interest in A & J PEI Treasures!
Keep watching for more e-books and more formats! We’re always working on something. Thank you! The podcast that matches this blog post can be found on Anchor FM: https://anchor.fm/a--j-pei-treasures/...
Our Blog Posts are available on
WordPress: https://aandjpeitreasures.wordpress.com/ and
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Podcast are available on:
Anchor FM in a variety of formats: https://anchor.fm/a--j-pei-treasures
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-e-...
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/e-...
Amazon: https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/879a...
All my e-books can be found on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/E.-Jean-Simpso...
Smashwords (my Affiliate link): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi... or https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
You can also find us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJS08026749
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zp...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/ej2466
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/e-j-s-151a...
E. Jean Simpson
Hi and Welcome to the A & J PEI Treasures E Jean Simpson Author Blog Post and Podcast. I’m your host, Jean coming to you from the beautiful Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada!! The blog post and podcast is an opinion piece and only reflects this author’s opinion and not that of any other entity. I hold no designations in politics, economics or medicine. I am retired from the mental health field and I am a humanitarian and speak from that viewpoint only. Whether you agree or not, at least I hope it makes you think. As Lily Tomlin said, “I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.” It seems there are some ‘embarrassing’ conditions that people don’t talk about and it’s literally killing people. If you want to find out more, then stay tuned!
Right from the start, I am stating that I am speaking on this disorder because I have this condition and I was diagnosed later in life. Now that’s out on the table…I hope you are starting to feel uncomfortable because I intend to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly about it. I hope that it will save lives. First, I can tell you, Crohn’s disease is something that cannot be cured. It is one of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...) they all have different issues and within Crohn’s disease, there are different areas that can be affected starting at the mouth and right on down to the anus. It is the complications from Crohn’s, not the disease itself that can kill you (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti...).
Now, there is some good news. Just because you have Crohn’s disease doesn’t mean you’ll have a shorter life than anyone else. https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/cro... so, this is not a death sentence. It isn’t comfortable and some of the symptoms can occur out of nowhere. Sometimes, I get tired easy. I can have flare ups. There can be diarrhea or constipation even nausea and fatigue. I tend to be on the luckier side and mostly manage it with my diet. I found that, for me, I either have an allergy to wheat gluten or I don’t tend to digest it well. I won’t go too deeply into diets…because generally they have advice all over the board and I’m no dietician or doctor. The thing to keep in mind is that depending on what is affected and what your own body tolerates, you may find that what some people can use, others cannot. For example, I know other people who have parts affected that I do not. They cannot even do strawberries because of the seeds. This is not a problem for me. They have better medications that help to control symptoms as well. So, perhaps a dietician can help you to get a better grasp on what can help you.
Now, flares….they can happen. Sorry, it’s a fact. Might as well figure out what to do about it. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c... again, it seems that different things work for different people, but there are generalities. Do not take this as a recommendation in any way. I find in a flare, what helps me are small meals, rice, potatoes, bananas, and Jell-O seem to reduce problems for me as well as some of the things they suggest in the article above. I break one of the rules like the one of no soda…I actually find ginger ale helps when I have nausea. I cannot recommend things as I’m not a doctor. I only say what works for me and it might not work for you. Your specialist can be more helpful. The one thing that the article at the top of this paragraph from the mayo clinic suggests is that one has to minimize the stress in your life. It doesn’t cause the disease, but it can complicate things and make a flare worse.
Now, if I haven’t made you totally uncomfortable yet, hang on dear readers and listeners, I am only half done. Now on to the medical help to keep things from getting out of control. I know no one likes to talk about this, there is the Colonoscopy and in some cases such as mine the added Endoscopy. Let’s start with the colonoscopy. To be honest, the worst part is the prep. Literally. There are different preparation solutions. If you can’t handle one, there are others. Your specialist will be able to tell you. The one I use came in a package with two envelopes. Depending on your size and body mass and system, you may only have to do one. There are also liter bottles of liquid stuff. Anyway, after you take that, you need to have ready access to a washroom. It’s meant to clear out your system so the camera can do a good job of looking. Follow directions from your specialist. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-proc... gives you more details. Essentially a camera is inserted through your back door to keep it polite (where people tell you to shove things is they’re angry with you) and the specialist looks to make sure everything is ok. Now, it’s not fun for anyone. The specialist does it because they want to make sure you live a long and healthy life.
The next thing they can do is an Endoscopy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-proc.... Generally if you need this done too, it is done when you do the Colonoscopy because why do preparation twice. This one is a camera down your throat. I presume a different camera... It is also to make sure everything is ok in there. Now, no one really loves doing these, but the fact is that if you have Crohn’s, you’re at higher risk for some issues (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-info...). Now, there is the embarrassment factor, but I kind of prefer to live a long health life. Believe me, I would love to see some other options. I mean who wouldn’t take a more comfortable method if one was available. Sure, there are other tests that you can get, but generally screening won’t do the whole trick if you have the condition but it might give information. Bottom line, I have done one of the screening tests…because the disorder can come with internal bleeding, I still was sent for the scopes. But, you need to discuss your options with your doctor. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti....
As Josh Shipp has said, “You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” The general population will not understand the struggle that one has when their body decides to do what it wants and not always the thing you would want it to do. As I originally wrote this, I had a bad night. Something new to me that I ate obviously decided that it was going to leave. I was up for an hour (I’ll spare you details). You can’t see the medical condition on the outside. Some people have medical conditions that you can see, some have medical conditions you can’t see. The scars are still there. Some days it is like wading through mud. I would love to have the energy to do everything I want to do, but sometimes, it just isn’t going to work.
As the philosopher Confucius is credited with saying, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Life with Chronic illness is not all fun. We fight multiple stigmas on a daily basis. We fight our bodies and the thing it does that we don’t enjoy. There are things that we can’t do or do as much as we want. With education about the disease and the general Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and less fear of the testing and using the resources that are available we can live reasonable lives. Sure things aren’t always perfect, but we can make things as perfect as we can make them. Life with Chronic disease is just a different lifestyle. Understanding our bodies and the disorder we have can help us to be our best possible selves.
As Toni Bernhard said, “Do not spend your precious energy worrying about how others view your medical condition.” You have to live with it, they don’t. It is important to find ways that work for you. You have to find a happy balance. If you need to rest, then you have to rest. If you have the energy to do things, then you can do things. Sometimes you’ll decide to push past the fatigue or illness and do something if you think it is worthwhile. People will always judge. It is up to you if you’re going to let it mess with being the best you can be or not. It’s also up to you to make sure you take care of your needs. If you have a medical condition, when you get to have your specialist, make sure that you talk with them. Make sure you find the information you need to be the best you can be. I can also tell you that sometimes your specialist knows things about your condition that general practitioners do not know. Doesn’t mean anything against the General Practitioner…they mostly deal with everyday stuff. So, when you are told something that does not hold true to what your specialist told you about your condition, follow the specialist. Remember, a specialist has years of training with your specific illness. They are the ones that know what works and what doesn’t. Even something as innocuous as vitamins or pain relievers can be important in your battle. I’ve had some doctors that thought I was normal tell me there were things I needed or could use and afterward, when I checked with the specialist, this was not good for my particular situation. Remember general practitioners might not have training in the specific disorder. Nothing against General Practitioners, they have to do a lot of different stuff and generally it is with normal populations, so sometimes the different person has to know what their specialist has told them.
Thanks for listening to my podcast and/or reading my blog post and thanks for your interest in A & J PEI Treasures!
Keep watching for more e-books and more formats! We’re always working on something. Thank you! The podcast that matches this blog post can be found on Anchor FM: https://anchor.fm/a--j-pei-treasures/...
Our Blog Posts are available on
WordPress: https://aandjpeitreasures.wordpress.com/ and
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Podcast are available on:
Anchor FM in a variety of formats: https://anchor.fm/a--j-pei-treasures
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-e-...
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/e-...
Amazon: https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/879a...
All my e-books can be found on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/E.-Jean-Simpso...
Smashwords (my Affiliate link): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi... or https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
You can also find us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJS08026749
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zp...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/ej2466
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/e-j-s-151a...
E. Jean Simpson
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A & J PEI Treasures/E Jean Simpson, BEd, BA, MA
A & J PEI Treasures is located on Prince Edward Island, Canada. We are a husband and wife team and our companion animals. There are a number of things that drew us to the Island…one of which was the n
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