To me, food is my enemy.
Don't get me wrong, I love eating a nice steak, baked potato and a dinner salad covered in blue cheese dressing. But, I also know the consequences of what I eat.
The aforesaid meal would pretty much put an end to my day. I would most certainly head straight to the bathroom before completion and, ultimately, be ready for bed.
Don't get me wrong, after a big meal most folks get tired.
I write this the day after Thanksgiving when we've all gouged ourselves on turkey and the trimmings. I mean your Uncle Bob is usually asleep in the recliner before the Lions score their only touchdown of the day.
We all experience some sort of drowsiness after a meal. Unfortunately, my fatigue doesn't go away. In fact, it gets worse throughout the day and I hate feeling like my body is shutting down at 2pm.
In order to combat this problem, I've decided to eat smaller meals more frequently. For instance, I'll eat foods that I know won't upset my stomach and will prevent me from visiting the restroom. I've been eating a lot of yogurt, crackers and tons of water. I also take a daily multivitamin and have been pretty consistent with my monthly B-12 shot.
I haven't ordered "sesame chicken" from the local Chinese restaurant near work in months. I only eat pizza if I know I'm in for the night and, even then, I'm pretty sure I'll be up at least once during the late night hours in the bathroom.
My new diet plan has seen me lose 25 pounds over the past 4 months. Thankfully, I seem to be at a stable weight now and my bathroom visits have decreased significantly since forgoing my traditional eating practices.
To be honest, I lived a long time thinking that I could eat whatever I wanted and simply neglect the fact that I have a chronic disease that is affected by the foods I put in my body.
So, if you suggest Mexican for lunch and I decline while drinking my bottle of "Ensure", I'm not trying to snub you...I promise. I am merely putting the right kind of nutrients into my body that will allow me to make it through the day without wanting to go home and go to bed right away or straight to the bathroom.
Ultimately, I want to read books to my son when I get home from work, tell my wife about my day and be able to venture out from time to time to social events (even if I do have to take Imodium before I go).
I've been through so much bodily distress over the past ten years, everything from surgeries and kidney stones to bowel obstructions and abscesses, that I can handle the physical pain. It's the mental shut down that frustrates me the most.
"Inflammatory bowel disease" affects so much more than you gut. IBD can set off a chain reaction of symptoms. In my case, fatigue leads to anxiety over having the energy to be productive. Then, anxiety leads to depression because I can't do the things I want to do. And that depression keeps me from being the proactive, positive person I know that I am.
That's why it's so important for me to stay active...I have to keep my mind sharp.
Everyone is different and I can only tell my story about how IBD affects my life. It is my suspicion that many of you reading this relate to what I go through on a daily basis.
Find what works for you and, hopefully, you'll find yourself in control of this disease! I encourage you to journal your daily health, listen to music, join a support group and, most of all, be cognizant of the foods you eat.
Be well.
Cheers,
Brent
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