I have inflammatory ulcerative colitis. My illness is severe, and the medications are not working. I soon need to make a decision about whether or not to take out my colon. Keep in mind that if I take out my colon, I will have a bag attached to the hole in my abdomen, and will carry that for as long as I live (or I could take out some of the colon now and when it gets worse, I will take it out entirely). I am only 21 years old, and I do not have any idea how to make such a choice. What can I do? What can be done? What would you choose?
Mike
Please tell Mike, who is suffering from inflammatory ulcerative colitis, to find the book "Patient, Heal Thyself" by Jordan Rubin.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find it listed on the CCFA website.
But a relative used it as a starting point to CURE his Crohn's disease. (That's what his Doctors at the Mayo Clinic said!) Thank you, and good luck to Mike.
From everything I've read and all the doctors I've spoken to, there isn't a "cure" for Chron's disease, just ways to help control it.
ReplyDeleteIf Mike would like to talk with someone who's recently dealt with this disease, I'd like to share my experiences with him.
ReplyDeleteI tried treating with medication for a few years and last August opted for surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. My wife and I did extensive research on the subject and would be pleased to offer our opinions and experiences to Mike. Thanks for writing your article.
- Roger
After reading your article from a writer who is considering colon removal,I would like to help to answer this persons inquiry.
ReplyDeleteI had Ulcerative Colitis for 20 some years. This was in the early 1960" In 1980, my gastroenterologist discovered that I had the beginning of colon cancer. It was minute, but it was there. This occurred in 1980, in New York City. There was a fairly new procedure that was being done At Mt. Sinai hospital, in N.Y.C. It was called a Koch Pouch. The surgeon used my healthy small intestine to make a pouch ( reservoir ) and attach it to the inside of my body. This procedure was developed by a Swedish Dr. by the name of Koch. My surgeon studied under this physician and learned to perform this surgery. I use a catheter to insert into a Stoma, (small hole ) below my belly button. There is absolutely no pain or sensation when this catheter is inserted into the Stoma. All waste is then voided. I have never felt healthier nor happier since this was done to me in 1980.
I am sure the there are other procedures being done today, like a pull down etc., but I do recommend to your reader to look to the different organizations and gastroenterologist/ surgeons for the best procedure for him/her. Sometimes, a outside pouch may not be desirable but the life saving future is more important.
I was the president of the Brooklyn Chapter of the Colitis Foundation, in the early 1980"s.
Harlan, You had a reader who was considering having an ostomy operation. Please inform him of the Barnett continent intestinal reservoir, or BCIR. I am a healthy active man of 40 I had this surgery 8 years ago. It changed my life completely. I wa sick for many years. Since the surgery no problems.
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to Mike, in his twenties and thinking about getting his colon removed. Probably by now the deed is done. So my comments are for others that may be thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI've had ulcerative colitis since 1982. *Every* gastroenterologist I have had - and because I move a lot- that count is now somewhere around six, starts with the position that my colon should be yanked. Not because I have any serious symptoms (I don't) but because according to conventional medical wisdom, its "dangerous" to have a colon after 10 years with ulcerative colitis. After twenty-four years - well, nothing bad has happened yet.
It has always taken an inspection of my colon (colonoscopy) to convince these six or so docs, that I may know my body a little better than they think.
At first I had ulcerative colitis bad and was hospitalized three times. Each time serious medication helped me recover. But I wanted to live a normal life. So I also began exploring alternatives in addition to taking my meds.
Jin shin jitsu - a type of Japanese acupressure - really helped, vegetarianism, vitamins (calcium, folic acid, omega-3), regular exercise and lately probiotics are all part of my life. Need I add that I don't drink any alcohol or smoke - both are corrolated with colon cancer.
These things may seem wacky and, like I said, they are supplements to the medications. But I decided to try whatever I can to keep the colon as long as possible. Anything that medical and nutritional research says is good for the colon and helps prevent colon cancer, I give it a shot.
I've lived relatively symptom free since I became a vegetarian. But you will never get an MD to offer that suggestion. It's never even been researched except as in weak demographic studies without controls. Probiotics has been shown to help those with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis but I've never heard it in a doctor's office.
When I bring up what I've researched, the docs admit that they heard the same thing but they will never stray from the straight and AMA narrow in their advice.
You need your colon to process the food you eat. Without it, you have permanent digestive issues and difficulty absorbing the nutrients you need to live. With that much of a compromised system - you are susceptible to all kinds of health problems.
Docs call it a cure when you have a diseased part of your body removed. I don't think that word should be used. The word "cure" implies you are "as good as new" and a colonectomy ain't that.
Everyone needs to find his or her own way and we should always consult a specialist for special diseases but we need to ultimately do the research ourselves and make our own decisions.
Mike may be too far gone to have the time to let a healthy lifestyle bring him back to health, but medication alone or surgery are not the only options for most victims of ulcerative colitis.
Just wanted to remind everyone reading these comments -- ALWAYS consult a physician before following any treatment plan. Consult your medical professional.
ReplyDeletePlease tell Mike who has severe colitis and is facing surgery to remove his colon, to find a surgeon experienced in creating a 'J' or 'S' loop with the small intestine. My beautiful 20ish yr old niece had this same disease, had to have her entire colon removed, but now has near normal 'elimination' because of this newer approach to treating colitis.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the letter from "Mike" regarding his ulcerative colitis, I had to respond. I too had UC when I was in my 20's and had my colon removed, leaving me with an ileostomy. Since I've had to live with this for many years since, and have also watched two of my brothers suffer and almost die from the same surgery more recently, it would make me happy if I could save even one other person from the same fate.
ReplyDeleteThe CCFA and UOAA organizations won't tell people about alternative medical options, but these offer a MUCH higher likelihood of cure or at least lifelong control than conventional treatments. Having been plagued with earlier health problems, I've become passionate about learning about non-traditional medicine and for the first time in years enjoy robust health. I even left an executive level job to work in the office of a friend who practices this non-invasive and elegant type of medicine, I felt so strongly about it. (Please note, I am not marketing our services - we don't need the business.)
Anyway, you are welcome to pass along this email to "Mike" if he is interested in learning more. If not, I also can recommend to him a surgeon who is absolutely top notch and one of the best ostomy experts in the country. He did several subsequent surgeries for me and he is the only doctor to whom I would trust my insides now. In fact, no matter where in the world I was located, I would insist on being flown to his hospital in Los Angeles for treatment. I've experienced the worst surgeons and the best, and it's almost impossible to convey the enormous difference their techniques can make to the quality of the rest of your life!
For patients with Ulcerative Colitis there is another option for “curing” the disease called a J-Pouch. It is done in 2 to 3 stages but essentially removes the entire colon, thus the disease portion of the bowel, and then takes the small intestine and forms an internal pouch in the shape of a J that then holds the waste products INTERNALLY allowing control for the patients bowels without an external ostomy. This procedure has been around for several decades now and allows patients to return to healthy living with minimal support from drug therapy.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has lived a very healthy life for the past 15 years with his J pouch...he bikes to work every day, has built our home, traveled, etc. My 20 year old son was diagnosed with UC a few years ago and knows that when the time comes for a definitive answer to this disease that there are options he can LIVE with.
Please pass this on to Mike so he does not wait for help due to fear or “lack of choice”. UC left untreated or prolonged years with the disease dramatically increase your chance for colon cancer. We live in the Northwest and there are several great doctors out here doing the procedure. I would be happy to pass their names on to Mike if he can not find someone in his area.
To Mike - I had that same surgery four years ago at age 49. I am doing very well overall, with a few bad days occasionally. The point I want to make is that one does NOT have to live forever with an ileostomy bag attached to the old body. I had a technique performed where my small intestine was attached to my rectum, which was enlarged surgically. This acts as a "holding tank" for waste that normally would be kept in the large intestine. This works very well and it avoids the misery of having to live with a bag attached like a leach for the rest of one's life. The procedure is called a proctcolectomy with ileo-anal anastomosis. Doctor talk for stitching the small intestine to the rectum.
ReplyDeleteMy life just carried on like normal after six months of recovery. ( I had some unusual complications.) I am very active and able to do any and all things I used to do before I had that miserable disease. I urge Mike to find out about this surgery.
I also am willing to talk to Mike further about this surgery and answer any questions he may have. It is a brutal disease and the cure is certainly dreadful and drastic but there is still hope.
To the young man who has ulcerative colitis and is worried about having an ostomy for the rest of his life. My husband had the same and finally had his large intestine removed. He was blessed to have a doctor that sent him to Cleveland Clinic hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. His doctor, Dr. Wexner preformed what they call a J-pouch inside his body so that he would not have to wear an ostomy. It has worked for the last 15 years and he has lead a pretty normal life since. Would you pass this along to this young man so that he might talk to his doctor about this procedure. If he wanted to talk to me or my husband we would be glad to explain the procedure.
ReplyDeleteDEAR MIKE...
ReplyDeleteI WAS IN MY LATE 30'S WHEN MY COLITIS BECAME SO BAD THAT I STRUGGLED WITH THE PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BEFORE I GAVE IN TO THE NEED TO HAVE MY COLON & RECTUM REMOVED.
AFTER SPEAKING WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, I FOUND A FRIEND WHO HAD AN OPERATION CALLED A KOCH SACK, WHICH IS AN INTERNAL POACH CREATED FROM THE UNINFECTED SMALL INTESTINE. THIS RELIES ON THE EMPTYING THE SACK WITH A TUBE SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
I HAD THE OPERATION DONE WHAT IS NOW, 30 YEARS AGO. TODAY THERE ARE IMPROVED OPERATIONS THAT PROVIDE THE SAME FREEDOM, WITHOUT USE OF THE EXTERNAL APPLIANCES. AT YOUR AGE I WOULD RESEARCH ALL THE ALTERNATIVES BEFORE SETTLING ON THE EXTERNAL APPLIANCE. IF YOU WISH YOU CAN EMAIL ME...
Dear Harlan,
ReplyDeleteReading your column in the Sun Sentinel on January 21, 2006, you had a letter from Mike regarding colon removal. I had the same inflammatory ulcerative colitis. It might ease his mind to know there is a very good alternative. It is called an ilioanal pouch procedure. I had this operation about six years ago at the Mass. General Hospital in Boston. What they do, is they remove your colon, but they then bring down your small intestine and make what they call a Jay pouch. This requires only about four months of wearing a bag, while the inside is healing. Then after the four months, they do a small operation and reattach you and you have no bag, everything is internal. I recommend this operation 100%, especially where he is so young. Dr. Paul C. Schellito of the Mass. General Hospital in Boston, did my procedure, he is in the Colon and Rectal Surgery.
Harlan,
ReplyDeleteI read the letter from Mike who has inflammatory ulcerative colitis. My younger sister had the same illness when she was 15 (in 1979)and had a colostomy for a year after the majority of her large intestine was removed. When she was about 16, she went to Eggleston Hospital in Atlanta for an experimental procedure to attach the remaining colon to her rectum. The surgery allowed her to function without a colostomy. She still had to watch what she ate and how often and had other inconveniences, but she was extremely relieved not to have the colostomy anymore.
I don't know how widespread this procedure is; however, I would encourage Mike to see if it's being performed near him.
I'm a 46-year-old woman who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 25 years of age and suffered with colitis until I was 35 when I had surgery. I was wondering if you can send this email to
ReplyDeleteMike and it may give him another option to discuss with his doctor?
I was living in Salt Lake City when I finally had to face surgery. I went to the University of Utah and was given several choices… One was also the one that Mike talks about having the entire colon removed and having an ostomy bag for the rest of your life. The other option was to have a procedure called “Ileo Anal Pull-Through” or I think they now call it “A Take Down”. In this procedure your colon is removed, however at the time of the surgery they take a part of your small intestines and create a “J-Pouch” which is internal and collects your body waste. I only had an ostomy bag for 6 weeks and then I had a second surgery which they then close up the opening in your stomach and let your body wastes go thru the intestines normally.
I was told that if for some reason my body rejected the J Pouch I could still go back and have the permanent ostomy bag attached and live my life in that manner. I figured that I might as well give the J Pouch a chance since I could still go thru the other kind of surgery if needed at a later date.
Well … it’s now been 11 years and I have to say that I’m so happy that I did make the decision to have the Ileo Anal Pull-Through surgery. The only problem I have ever had was having an intestinal blockage infection. Other than that I have total control of my bowels and can do anything I want. People wouldn’t even know I had the surgery other then if they saw the 2 scars that I was left with.
This is a horrible disease that is very painful and can really take control of your life. I am so happy that I had the surgery and felt so much better afterwards. As with any surgery there is the process that you have to go through to get better but it was the best decision I ever made.
Thanks for listening and if Mike reads this, I wish him the very best and everything will get better.
My husband had his colon rmoved for the very same reasons you are contemplating to have the same surgery.
ReplyDeleteHe lived to be 82 yrs. old.. He had the surgery when he was 42, back in 1966. In those days the doctors did not discuss the alternatives or consequences of such surgery.
There are a lot of both, especially alternatives since those days. I would try all the new drugs, proceedures, and cures of ulcerative colitis that might be available now.
The things that were not discussed were the after effects. In most cases that we came in contact with at the support groups,: erectile disfunction, and infertility, as was the case with my husband. Luckily, we already had our five children.
We went to support groups for many years and they are mostly old folks who attend. This surgery is not nearly as necessary these day. All the young people were cancer patients. Ulcerative colitis is mostly cureable now and that would be my course of action to pursue.
For many years my husband had no problem with diet, but the last 12 years it plaged him everyday. He developed prostate cancer (1992) and we feel the treatment for that caused bowel blockages (radiation
therapy) must have caught the lower part of the small intestine. The cancer came back and 3 months before he died, he need chemo, being already in a weakened condition from the constant bowel blockages, chemo was too much for his body to withstand.
The ostomy pouches are much better than in his early days, They are disposable and easy to use. This condition and surgery is called an ileostomy. If there is any more information that Mike think would be useful, and I might help. I will be more than glad to speak with him. Audrey (altonaudrey@webtv.net)
Dear Harlan,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your reply to Mike about his medical options for his ulcerative colitis, suggesting where he can look for supportive information. We greatly appreciate your mention of UOAA, which we saw in South Florida's 1/21 Sun-Sentinel.com at Considering colon removal * Since you are based in Chicago, we trust your column appears in other newspapers around the country as well. If we can ever be of more direct assistance to someone who contacts you, we hope you will think of UOAA.
Best regards,
Ken Aukett
Chair, Steering Committee
United Ostomy Associations of America
Eml: KenAukett@uoaa.org
Dear Harlan,
ReplyDeleteI would like to pass along some very valuable info to him if you would please forward it to him. In 2002 my 51 yr old dear brother was diagnosed with Acute Ulcerative Colitis and our local hospital closed it's door to him as they didn't know what to do for him next.
I contacted the University Of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia Gastroenerology Dept., Dr. Julius Deren/Dr. Howard Ross and they took my brother in. After all their medical treatments failed to help him, they decided to do the latest medical technology of making removing his entrie colon and making a "J-Pouch" from a portion of his colon and this prevented him from having to have a permanent colostomy bag to deal with. I have read lately this is becoming more popular at many larger city hospitals like Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York also.
I only hope that this very valuable information can reach him asap and I would be very happy to give you my phone number if you or he would like to contact me. We know what this poor guy is going through and if only someone was there to guide us but we were lucky enough to find it before it was too late. My brother lives a normal life now, thankfully. I would like to know where this man is from. We are from Burlington County, New Jersey. Thanking you in advance for possibly helping me pass this info along. Also, thank you for a great column.
I'm a frequent reader of your column. This particular story caught my eye because I an a 23 year old female who just spent the last three years of my life with chronic ulcerative colitis. Like the young gentlemen that wrote to you I also went through the same symptoms as he is now. Like him I thought there was no way out but the removal of my colon and have a bag attached to my abdomen for the rest of my life. After being hospitilized back and forth trying every treatment there was out there for this disease I ran into a good Doctor that gave me a lot of hope. He explained to me that removing my whole colon did not mean having a bag attached to my abdomen for the rest of my life. The Gastro Doctor I was seeing referred me to a colorectal Surgeon at UCI Medical Center where technology is way more advanced then where I had been treated and had no results. After going to UCI Medical Center the Doctor there explained to me something that amazed me. He told me that removing my colon did not mean a bag forever. There is now a new procedure in which they remove your whole colon and cut a piece of your small intestine ,which they use to recreate something to replace your colon in which they call the J Pouch. It's simply a two step procedure. They remove your colon and place a temporary colostomy bag until the new colon heals. In the second step which is usually about two or three months later they remove the colostomy bag and your all ready to perform normal bowel movements through your rectum. It sure hell beats you from having the colostomy bag for the rest of your life. What worries me is that this gentlemen has not been givibg this option when it is out there. A lot of Doctors dont know about this new procedure because the same thing happened to me. This technology is only known to UC Hospitals or that I know for sure UCI Medical Center in Irvine. If you can please get in touch with him and give him my e-mail address so I can tell him that he does have another choice and hopefully I will communicate with him before he makes the drastic decision of removing his colon before consulting UCI Doctors. I had this procedure done a year ago and it's going well.
ReplyDeleteNo more ulcerative colitis.
Natalie (joshanthony310@yahoo.com)
Harlan,
ReplyDeleteI just read Mike's letter regarding his ulcerative colitis. I was 13 years old when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and had my entire colon removed at the age of 15. I wore a colotomy bag for only three months as the artificial "reservoir" called the J-pouch healed. My "plumbing" was rehooked up and I have been perfectly healthy ever since. I even have two kids now, ages 3 and 5 months. I suggest Mike speak with colon surgeons regarding this procedure. It's been 15 years since I had it done and I am sure surgical techniques have improved.
Karen
This is for Harlan, I would like to commend you for your response to the question of the person with ulcerative colitis and which treatment option to follow.
ReplyDeleteI have been an enterostomal therapy nurse since 1980 although I am now retired, I was impressed with the accuracy of your information and your apparent understanding of the content. You also covered all the
aspects of help and support and a positive approach to follow.
Thank you for responsible and helpful journalism.
Annette
Oceanside, California
Hi Harlan,
ReplyDeleteI read your article in the St.Paul Pioneer Press about Mike who is thinking about having his colon removed. I had to write to you to please pass along my email address to him. I would like to share with him some more information and products for him to try before going ahead with surgery. There is a company in Dallas Texas called Mannatech that has come up with dietary products that can help with his situation. I was talking to my sister who is a chiropractor and she has a patient who was ready to have the surgery and then she tried the products for 6 months and the symptoms have gone away. I also have heard another person talk at one of the local meetings here how he had Ulcerative colitis and after a very short time it was cleared up. I am sure that I could get Mike in touch with at least one of these people so he can get more information before going ahead with surgery.
I also have to say that I have a wheat/gluten sensitivity and the products help me keep that under control. Thanks for your time and please pass my email address along to Mike. Let me know if you would like more information. Also please check out www.Mannatech.com My sister also has a website with other links and that is www.globalwellnessnetwork.net
Bill (Williambloom@peoplepc.com)
Dear Harlan,
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the Courier Post newspaper today, I read your column and saw a letter from a 21 year old man suffering from Ulcerative Colitis. I have some information that will be helpful for this young man and would like you to pass it along and also give the gentleman my email address. My husband suffered many years with Ulcerative Colitis. Two years ago he went into a flare that couldn't be controlled by medicine. His only option was surgery. He too was reluctant and hated the thought of living with an ostomy the rest of his life. At 53 years of age, it was not a pleasant option. However, he lost 40lbs and was being fed by parenteral nutrition through a PICC line, so he had no other choice. My husband was referred to a surgeon at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania. He had his colon removed, lived with an ileostomy for 8 months, and then had restorative surgery called J Pouch surgery. The procedure involves pulling the small intestine down, making an internal pouch and attaching it to the rectum. He is now ileostomy free, doing fantastic, gaining wt. and living a normal life. Please forward this information to the gentleman named Mike who wrote to you. Also feel free to forward my email address. I know first hand what living with ulcerative colitis is like and would like to help Mike get his life back.
Barbara
(barbrn58@comcast.net)
Hi Harlan, in this morning's paper you had an article about a twenty-one year old young man with ulcerative colitis, forty-three years ago I was given the same options and could have written that same article. The options that they gave me were unacceptable so I started to eliminate things in my diet that could possibly cause my illness. First coffee and alcohol then I quit eating red meat and after two weeks, there was a small improvement. So I quit eating chicken, more improvement. I also started to eat a bowl of the old fashion oat meal for breakfast every morning, oat meal speeds the elimination process and there was a big improvement. I also found that our doctors in this country, are pretty ignorant when it comes to the body's nutritional needs and are far to quick to operate especially on a twenty-one year old, who's body is still growing and repairing itself. God has designed a pretty awesome body for us, we just need to learn how to take care of it.
ReplyDeleteJKI at 62 yrs
That's great that you've had results, but again, it's vital for anyone reading this blog to consult a physician before pursuing anyone recommended protocol from friends, family or other individuals dealing with IBD or Chron's.
ReplyDeleteMr. Cohen, this is in regards to a letter from Mike who is contemplating having his colon removed at the tender age of 21... My son had colitis beginning at the age of 18. By the age of 28 he couldn't take the constant pain any longer and his doctor suggested he think hard about having the colon removed.Medications were not working.
ReplyDeleteThis condition was considered pre-cancerous by the doctor. My son decided that he would go ahead with the surgery.After 6 months with a bag they were able to attach a small bit of colon to his anus and he was able to use the toilet normally.
This was 8 years ago, in 1998. We have talked about his decision and I know if he had to do it again he would. About the only consequence he has is the need to use the bathroom 10 or more times in a day. He had to do that before the operation already so he was used to that aspect of his disease. But the terrible constant pain was gone.
I am not sure if being "hooked up" again is an option for Mike but he should certainly look into it. If the gentleman would like to talk to my son I know that Trevor would be more than happy to answer any questions he might have.
Bob (bobinminn1@yahoo.com)
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI had my colon removed due to UC in '04 when I was 27. It was the best decision I ever made, I am very happy with my choice. Do your research, be a well informed patient and be your own advocate, make sure you explore all of your options before hand. Please drop in on our message board at uoaa.org on the yodaa board, that is where I heard about your story. Good Luck!
Lots of Love, Your friend, Sarah B.
Dear Mike,
ReplyDeleteI was 18 when I had my colon removed.... I had a j-pouch done, and my results were pretty bad... I was in the bathroom constantly, in diapers, etc. That's not to say that happens to everyone... I don't mean that... btu I was one of the ones it didn't work out for. I chose to have a permanent ostomy at 19 and while I won't lie, it was really difficult at first, I have never regretted it- either having my colon removed or getting the ostomy. I LOVE being healthy, pain-free, and not on any drugs. I go to college, I'm graduating Magna Cum Laude in May after just 3 1/2 years, I've been accepted into several master's degree programs.... I run, I swim, and this summer I'm going to be a counselor at a wilderness camp where I'm going to live in a 3-walled cabin and use an outhouse for 8 weeks :) Having an ostomy is hard at first... but I am so thankful for it... it's given me my life back. I am so grateful for every day i wake up with no pain, no awful drug side-effects, not doctor visits... life is good :)
Kate L., age 22
Maybe you should buy the book the naked roomate! You better buy it now bud!
ReplyDeleteI think you are so Hott Mike!
ReplyDeleteHEY MIKE I'M LOOKING FOR A TALL STRUCTURAL MAN DO YOU THINK YOU FIT THAT DESCRIPTION
ReplyDeletein regards to:
ReplyDelete"You need your colon to process the food you eat. Without it, you have permanent digestive issues and difficulty absorbing the nutrients you need to live. With that much of a compromised system - you are susceptible to all kinds of health problems."
the small intestine can digest food and nutrients and will adapt by taking over many of the responsibilities of the colon. absorption of nutrients should not present that much of a problem due to removal of the colon. and if it does you can take supplements tha will keep your electrolytes in check. if you are sick enough to be considering having your colon removed then you are most likely already susceptible to health problems and an ostomy should only improve your life and wellbeing.
Dear Mike,
ReplyDeleteI can honestly relate to you. I was in a similar situation about 5 years ago. My best advice is talk to your doctor, your friends, and family. Get their imput. But ultimatly, make the choice that is right for you. I know how hard it is to try to figure out bennifits and what will be the best option, when honestly none of them seem good. It is also a lot to have to take in. I'll check this forum later, and if you want some advice, or just someone to talk to, i'll give you my email address.
~Liz
Don't do anything rash yet! I would try every other remedy I could before resorting to surgery. Have you been tested for food allergies and food intolerance? For 10 years my cousin was told she had lupus and was taking heavy meds. After doing her own research, she insited on being tested for a slew of food allergies and intolerances. She found out she has celiac disease (a gluten intolerance, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye) and casin intolerance (present in cow dairy). She has eliminated all of this from her diet and is now symptom free, and does not take drugs anymore. My sister also has celiac disease, though she had 'silent' symptoms. You could be allergic to something that you are consuming everyday: soy, or corn (present in corn syrup and corn starch, which are in lots of processed foods) or many other things. Mention to your doctors that you want to try an elimination diet to investigate if something you are eating could be harming you.
ReplyDeleteAlso, do your own research into alternative therapies, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, chinese medicine, see if there are any solutions that may help you. Use surgery only as a last resort. If the doctors are skeptical, turn back at them, ask THEM what they would do if it was their colon that was messed up....Good luck.