So, hi. It’s been almost 6 months since I’ve blogged. Shame on me. I’ve decided to start blogging again because I was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, more specificaly, ulcerative proctitis. How fitting for a blog titled, “That’s Just Awkward”, right?
I’ve been doing typical Google searches: “running and colitis”, “popcorn and colitis”, “migraines and colitis”, “dealing with Interstitial Cystitis and colitis”. I’m finding that blogs and discussion threads are proving to be the most helpful and supportive, hence my decision to write again. I’m continually seeking bloggers with UC that are endurance athletes. Running long distances (with or without a UC flare) on a limited diet is proving difficult.
Ninety percent of the time, I’m pretty upbeat an positive about this major lifestyle change. I’ve realized I’ve had UC since high school and there’s always been foods that I just avoid. So this isn’t exactly a major blow to my eating habits (aside from dairy, which is in just about everything). I’m typically a roll-with-the-punches kind of gal and believe optimism goes a long way. However, the other 10% of the time, like when I’m trying to live a “normal” dairy-free life, I grow tired of explaining “no, I’m not allergic to dairy, I just can’t have it” or “no, I can’t just take a pill before I eat that” and “can you tell me what’s in this dish?”. I am trying to be as polite as possible without saying “eating that will make me crap blood”. Awkward.
As the holidays are in full swing I’m living the onset of dread as office holiday parties, potlucks, and traditional family recipes are thrown under my nose and I long for just a taste of deliciousness I know will reek havoc on my digestive tract. For those that follow my pinterest boards, you’ll see I’ve even found a vegan/dairy-free velveeta substitute and vegan desserts. I’m cautiously optimistic, but it’s a step in the right direction to move from “I can’t have that” to “YUM”. As much as a UC diagnosis kind of sucks, I’m pretty pleased I was diagnosed now instead of 5-10 years ago when the dairy-free/vegan market was pretty slim.
I welcome any and all tricks of the UC trade 🙂
That's Just Awkward... 