Coping with change

There’s the person I was and then there’s the person I’ve become. I went from being independent, active, determined and relatively healthy to becoming dependent, less active and unable to work, scared and somewhat bitter. For me, ulcerative colitis is more than just having diarrhea. UC zaps my energy and I feel sick all the time. Sometimes I think that maybe I didn’t change that much after all because I am still determined to fight this illness. If I wasn’t already a determined person, I think I would have given up long ago. I am battling depression and close to losing the fight. It’s not a fun place to be and determination is my strongest ally.

I think people learn to adapt to their situation and that’s what makes humans survivors. I have survived eleven years of this hell. Some of the ways I cope are by writing and reading, which are great escapes from reality. I try to spend time with friends and family—I’ve succeeded in the family part of this, but am failing in the friends’ part, unless you count the Internet as spending time with friends. I suppose that’s better than nothing. The truth is I have retreated from social situations like my writer’s group. I still belong to the group, but I don’t attend the meetings anymore, mainly because I am just too tired and I have to be realistic about what I am able to do in a day. I have to make sacrifices.

It’s just hard sometimes to think that I used to be so active and happy doing something I loved and now I struggle through each day. Sometimes I feel like I am falling into a black hole or just barely keeping my head out of the water. Overwhelmed is the best way to describe this feeling.

Change is never easy. I have to put that person I was away in a drawer somewhere and concentrate on the person I am now, to focus on the positives in my life—a caring family, devoted husband, my writing, my dogs and try to accept what is and forget what was. I have evolved even if it’s not the evolution I envisioned or wanted.

I see only one option if I am to live a somewhat normal life: accept what is.

Colitis Chick

My Mad Colon

Exercise is Good for the Soul and Colitis

Anyone who has ever suffered from chronic pain knows how hard it is to get up and do any type of exercise. Just getting out of bed can be Hell and the thought of going for a walk seems impossible. But it’s not. And I have discovered that doing some type of exercise actually helps the pain. Doctors used to tell patients suffering from arthritis to refrain from exercising because it could do further damage to their joints. Not any more. Now doctors encourage people with arthritis and other types of chronic pain to exercise to help strengthen joints and muscles. The pain can get worse without some exercise.

http://www.arthritis.org/exercise-intro.php

Now, when I say exercise, I’m not talking about high impact aerobics. Certain exercises could hurt joints and muscles. It’s best to check with a doctor or physical therapist to see what type of exercise works for you. All of the exercises I do I learned while in physical therapy and I know what might hurt me and what is good for my body. I walk and swim. I also have an elliptical machine because it gives me an impact-free workout, much easier on my joints than a treadmill. I really like it because it works out my whole body. I also do some stretching for my back, abdominal crunches to strengthen my back, lift hand weights for upper body strength and butt lifts for those buns of steel that I yearn to have, but have yet to achieve.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisegear/a/treadelliptical.htm

There are some days when my energy level is so low that I can’t exercise or can only handle a light ten-minute workout. It’s important to listen to your body and learn what you can and can’t do. If exercise causes the pain to get worse, it’s best to stop.

Exercise is also good for colitis and maintaining colon health. It is a bit challenging for me though when I am in a flare because walking and moving certain parts of the body can make things move too fast through my digestive system. Not a good thing when out for a walk. This is a good time to listen to what the body is saying and alter the workout to do exercises that won’t irritate the flare. During a flare, I might exercise at home so I am close to a bathroom and I might skip the stomach crunches, especially if I am having severe stomach pain.

Exercise is the best thing you can do for your body and mental well-being. I enjoy walking early in the morning with my husband. It is our quiet, reflective time and also our time to converse about things we want to talk about without any interruptions. The mornings here are beautiful, the rising sun painting the mountains in pink and gold, illuminating between deep shadows and splashes of light. When exercising at home, I watch television, usually reruns of Charmed or Supernatural—not as breathtaking as the mountains, although the hot brothers in Supernatural come close, LOL—but watching television is a good way to pass the time on the elliptical.

Cheers and good health!

Colitis Chick

My mad colon

Technorati Tags: chronic pain,colitis,exercising,health tips,arthritis

Technorati Tags: colon health,relieving pain with exercise

What is chronic pain like?

Chronic pain is like the endless sound of death metal music—super distorted guitars and a gun machine beat with no melody in sight. The singer grinds out what sounds like the Devil’s throaty pitch. The pain, the music, rattles my skull all day and all night. Or sometimes the pain sounds like a large rock being run over by a lawn mower, the blade grinding the stone in an ear-splitting roar. I cover my ears and it still doesn’t go away.

Chronic pain is like the stench of rotten meat or burnt flesh, stinging my nose, my eyes, and making me retch—over and over again. The awful smell follows me around every day.

Chronic pain is like the endless sight of a diseased foot with fungus or pus-filled sores. Or like a maggot-infested corpse. These repulsive visions remain in my head all the time even when I try to see something beautiful like a rose or a sunset.

Chronic pain tastes like this horrible-tasting antibiotic I had to take, which had a bitter, metallic aftertaste that made me wince and gag every time I had to swallow it. Or sometimes the pain tastes like sour milk. The horrible taste never leaves my mouth.

What is chronic pain like to you?

Cheers and good health!

Colitis Chick

My mad colon

Technorati Tags: chronic pain,chronic diseases,ulcerative colitis,inflammatory bowel disease,health issues,coping with colitis,self help,humorous articles,venting,ranting,dealing with chronic pain