Growing up, I definitely had my share of stomach issues and was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome) in 2011. In January 2014, as a junior in college, I began experiencing additional stomach symptoms, and started withdrawing from my responsibilities and social activities. I felt exhausted, on edge, embarrassed, and alone. After traveling to Nicaragua on Spring Break in April my symptoms became too severe to ignore, and I turned to my doctor for help. I was treated for infection several times and referred to a gastroenterologist for further testing. While I waited for a diagnosis my health continued to deteriorate. On June 6, 2014 I participated in my first colonoscopy and was diagnosed with a severe case of Ulcerative Colitis. I was placed on oral medication and prescribed steroids.
After my diagnosis, my health went downhill rapidly. I was running to the restroom over 30 times a day and experiencing severe blood loss. Within a month, I lost thirty pounds. Soon, I was unable to leave the house, sleep, eat, or drink. I was admitted into the hospital for a weeklong stay on July 1st, where I received IV steroids and a blood transfusion. I also began Humira injections and removed gluten, dairy, and refined sugars from my diet.
While my health improved, and I returned to school in the fall, I continued to flare throughout the semester. I was fatigued, sickly, and barely able to attend classes. I was terrified to eat and lived off a diet of bananas, gluten-free fried rice, and chicken. I personally did not respond well to Humira (some people have great success), and I switched to Remicade infusions in December.
I experienced my second large flare two days before the start of my final semester of college. I was ordered by my doctors to not return to school, and through the amazing grace of God and the mercy of my administration I worked on my degree remotely while I healed. It was during this flare that I became desperate to get some semblance of a healthy life back, and I began to search frantically for a way to improve my health. I react incredibly poorly to steroids. When I was placed on steroids during my second flare I experienced severe anxiety and mood swings. I was unable to leave my house without experiencing a panic attack and had to rely on my parents and then boyfriend, now husband, for guidance.
Finding online resources (againstallgrain.com, mangiapaleo.com) created by people with Ulcerative Colitis that use a paleo diet to heal their bodies helped me understand the link between diet and healing. I began eating modified paleo centered around the foods I knew I could tolerate. Immediately, I noticed a difference. Not only did my stomach symptoms subside, my joints ached less, my energy level increased, and my anxiety began to subside. I slowly added back in foods that I had heard would cause flares, such as berries, nuts, and various vegetables.
As I added healthy foods back into my diet and increased my IV medication of Remicade, I began to feel better. I used exercise to treat my joint pain and fatigue. I began to place an emphasis on stress reduction, proper sleeping patterns, and water intake. After a few months I was officially placed in remission. While my health varies and I still have days where I struggle, I feel so much better. I truly feel diet is the number one way to combat the inflammation associated with chronic illness. While a paleo diet may require more effort, it has been essential in my healing process. Two years later I have moved from infusions every 4 weeks to every 8 weeks. I have started exercising, and I am currently enrolled in graduate school.
