February 2006

Carleen just sent me a link to a website discussing this Diet for Crohn’s and Colitis sufferers (amongst other diseases). It’s called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet - SCD for short. Basically, from what I’ve gathered, this diet believes that both of these diseases are bacterial in nature (something that most doctors and specialists believe is NOT true) - specifically, that in your Gastrointestinal system there are lots of good bacteria, but also some bad ones. Crohn’s and Colitis happen when the bad bacteria start increasing and your body adjusts to the changing chemistry - effectively attacking your body in an attempt to be rid of the harmful bacteria.

So the SCD teaches us that we need to “starve out” the bad bacteria by not leaving them anything to eat. This involves cutting out complex carbohydrates, starches, complex sugars, etc. which your body has a difficult time digesting so that everything you eat is thoroughly digested and absorbed, so nothing is left over for the bad bacteria to eat.

I like the sound of this, and there is more and more evidence that “Probiotics” is the way to go when fighting Inflammatory Bowel Disorders - my only problem is that it’s a low fiber diet. Most doctors currently subscribe to the “high-fiber” diet plan, and this is what I’ve been going on. However, it’s obviously not working, so it’s time to try something different. Fiber just seems so good for you and with any IBD there is an increased risk of cancer, so taking lots of fiber seemed like a good way to go to try to prevent that.

SCD was created by a woman named Elaine Gottschall, who has degrees in biology, nutritional biochemistry, and cellular biology. Unfortunately, her work is largely dismissed by doctors and specialists. Taking a guess, I’d say it’s because it involves a simple plan of a change in diet. Pharmaceutical companies don’t like the sound of that - diseases like these are big money makers - most people have to be on pills most of their lives i.e. $$. Despite that, the SCD has quite a large grassroots movement.

Well, I’m going to give it a try - luckily it’s not like Macrobiotics where you need a complete cultural change to go on the diet, you simply have to cut out certain items and replace them with alternatives. Fruits and Vegetables are big on the list; as is meat, cheeses and homemade yogurt. Things to avoid include grains, flour (eek! that’s a tough one), sugars, and milk. I found that last bit about milk interesting as most cheeses (not processed) are fine on this diet. Then I read a bit about it on Mrs. Gottschall’s website. In her own words, “…in fact, butter and most respectable cheeses (not the processed) DO NOT CONTAIN LACTOSE.” That’s good to know - I had no idea - it must have something to do with the aging or process innvolved in making the cheese that uses up or destroys the lactose.

Anyway, if you have either of these diseases and normal treatment is not working, check this website out. I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t make any kind of testimony, but I know how desperate people can get (I’ll be honest, the idea of completely removing my colon, the only known cure, has sounded qutie appealing a few times). It’s obvious the medical community is just going to push more and more dangerous drugs at us in order for us to live with the disease, rather than cure it. It’s about time we take our health in our own hands and find ways to reduce or maybe even eliminate drug use while still leading healthy happy lives.

[climbs off soap box]

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette with a satisfied smile on its face. The egg is frowing and looking a bit pissed off. The egg mutters to no one in particular, “Well, I guess we finally answered THAT question!”

Don’t get it?! Read it again, and think dirty.

Ok here’s a better post. Me and Carleen were talking the other night about what kinds of music our children at the very least, need to be aware of. I heard a story a while ago from this guy talking to a younger relative ( I think the relative was in his teens) about Jimi Hendrix, and the relative said, “Who’s Jimi Hendrix?” Ouch. That is NOT going to be our children. They don’t have to LIKE Jimi Hendrix, but they’re damn sure going to know who he is. So we decided to compile a list of 10 CD’s each that we will be playing constantly as our children grow up. So here are our lists (I’ll let Carleen put in hers on her own, so you may not see anything for her yet):

I’ve been thinking about this post for some time (which does NOT guarantee that it will be any better quality than the crap I usually spit out when I actually take the time to write on this thing), and I’ve finally gotten around to writing it.

I’m going to be a Daddy. This is unbelievable news to me and I must say, I don’t think I could be happier. I’ve tried and failed at a lot of things, I’ve tried and succeeded at a few too. But there has always been one thing that I’ve known I would be good at, it’s being a Dad. I’ll be honest, I’ve cried at least twice already (happy tears) and I suspect there’ll be more.

I’m really at a loss for words, this is this single most happiest moment of my life and I don’t have the words to describe how I feel. Luckily, so far everyone has pretty much been very supportive as well as equally happy for us. I’ve heard several times in the past, people speaking to other pregnant couples about how expensive it is, how much sleep you lose, how little time you have and all that nonsense. It’s not that those people are wrong, in fact they’re probably woefully underexaggerating the difficulties of raising a child. However, I don’t think any parent would wish they could have that time, sleep or money back. I certainly won’t. I’m bringing a tiny little human being into this world and teaching it and protecting it and helping it to grow and whatever I may lose - I’ll gain so much more.

Now for the “Sad” part of this post - my ulcerative colitis. Man, I was doing so good. I found this stuff called Boswellia, which is actually just Frankenscense - which has been used for a while to help with arthritis and other inflammatory conditions and has been recently studied as a possible aid in dealing with colitis. It was working, until I went to the doctor for some muscle pain in my legs (something which is still bothering me for some reason) and he put me on Prednisone (a corticosteroid) now this stuff is also used to treat colitis, so I was stoked. Sure enough, that week I was on the steroids I was flying high, hadn’t been better in months. Until I got OFF the steroids, then I got worse than I’ve been in months. I’ve also started getting these sharp, crampy pains in my abdomen, which I hadn’t ever had before - these are starting to worry me as they’re coming with more frequency. It looks like I might have to go see my GI specialist soon. Another thing: I’ve been strangely cold lately, no matter how many sweaters I put on, I”m shivering. I’m wondering if maybe I’m lacking something in my diet (the other drug I’m taking, Asacol, also strips some nutrients from your body, but I can’t remember which one, it might have been either Zinc, or Iron).

Anyway, lots of conflicting emotions going on, but I’ll get myself better somehow. Want to be 100% when my little baby is born.