You my dear, have a very pissed off colon
These were the words of an ER doctor to me after he ordered bloodwork for a transfusion. Furthermore, he told me I was going to be admitted into the hospital. Tears rolled down my face as I struggled with emotions and feared my condition was worsening. What did this mean? How much more debilitating would this make me? I’ve never had a blood transfusion before. My thoughts were everywhere.
Allow me to be transparent:
Growing up, I was always athletic and, what many would consider, a healthy person. Most people that look at me will not know that I have an illness. The first symptoms resembled PMS, cramps, fatigue, and joint pain- to name a few. I started to notice certain times of the month when the symptoms showed their ugly head. My trips to the bathroom became less frequent as I battled constipation and began to notice things were looking very different in the toilet (not to be graphic.) My first thought was to go to my OBGYN. My symptoms were all over the place! To make a long story short, I got opinions from 3 gynecologist because they all said they were unable to find anything and didn’t have any answers for me. I was already seeing a Gastroenterologist where I had a colonoscopy, CT scans, MRI’s, x-rays, blood work, numerous appointments. Finally, I was sent to a pain management doctor for even stronger pain medications and steroids. This was the worst. I hit rock bottom and felt so alone. I was really close to seeing a psychologist because I was beginning to feel as if my pain was made up. Was it really in my head? I felt like none of the specialists believed me, and some dismissed it and told me “you’re getting older and this happens.” Depression was sinking in. Having to manage my day-to-day tasks, such as work and taking care of my family, became more and more problematic. I noticed I did not really want to go out. When I did, I was experiencing pain and discomfort and didn’t feel like laughing. My medication helped, however, I would typically forget to take them in a timely manner and the pain would knock me to my feet. I had to tell myself that this disease was not going to stop me from being great!
Quite some time has passed and FINALLY, A DIAGNOSIS! Turns out I have Ulcerative Colitis which is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in my colon. My body is attacking itself and trying to reject the healthy cells. Other terms people use are the invisible illness, the “poop disease”, or IBD. Literally, It took over 2 years to get answers! Can you imagine being in pain for over 2 years? All I wanted to do was lie down and sleep. I thought my IBD was under control until I had some setbacks. More test were done and more illnesses were found. Turns out I had fibroids and needed a partial hysterectomy. Then, months later, I had a full hysterectomy after learning that I also had endometriosis (another story for another day). From pain to purpose moving forward, I finally felt as if I could find my way back to all the things that gave me joy.
On the road to remission with true wellness as the ultimate goal presented me a new challenge as the side effects of my medications became visibly and physically noticeable. I learned that the largest contributor to a flare was diet and stress. I had to figure out what I can and cannot eat when the only thing that really seemed to not piss off my stomach was chicken broth. My GI doctor told me “you can’t live off just chicken broth.” A change in diet can have a huge impact on how my body heals. I have African-American and Hispanic roots so food is an emotional part of my culture. Plus, I love to partake in the local culinary cuisines when I travel, so, I now have to be very cautious. A major problem is that there is no one single list of foods to eat. It’s different for everyone. My food intolerances are very personal. I have to experiment and learn what my gut will or won’t tolerate. The strange thing about UC is that sometimes I can eat something and be fine and, then all of sudden, the next month my gut does not like it. There is no rhyme or reason and that makes things extremely frustrating. The best thing I could think to do was journal everything that I was eating even if it was something small. I am pleased to say that, currently, I primarily eat fish, fruits, vegetables, no dairy, and feel my best when I eat a completely raw diet. I’ve settled with the fact that there is no cure and I will have to take medication to manage the symptoms indefinitely. This does not mean that I cannot still do the things that I love. I just have to be a bit more strategic when going out or traveling.
From pain to passion:
Traveling with Ulcerative Colitis, Anemia, Endometriosis and Osteoarthritis and all while being Menopausal (geeze that’s a mouthful) has its challenges of course, so, please join me as I share how I am living my best life with my illness and how it affects my travel experiences. I am aware how fortunate I am to have the strength and will to travel. My desire is to inspire those who may feel it’s not possible. Indeed it is. You can do it!
