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My Antibiotic Story: Living With a Weak Immune System

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 As I have mentioned in a previous post, I take biologics which weaken my immune system. I have recently realized just how careful I need to be when dealing with a weak immune system. Recently, I have gotten two infections back-to-back that lasted much longer than it should have. One of which got so bad I had to go an emergency clinic.  My most recent infection that I got was a urinary tract infection (UTI). This was the one I had to go to the emergency clinic for. When I went to the clinic, they diagnosed me as having a UTI and sent me home with antibiotics. Now, when you have ulcerative colitis, you are supposed to avoid antibiotics if at all possible. I had been dealing with the symptoms of a UTI for about two weeks before this trying to treat it on my own because I knew I would be prescribed antibiotics. When I realized I was not getting any better, I gave in and took the antibiotics.  Antibiotics can cause UC flares and are usually very hard on your gut. Everything I researched re
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How to Stay Positive During a Flare

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  If you know what it's like to be very sick for a very long time, then you know that it can be pretty depressing. For me, when I have a flare, it takes me about two months or more to really start feeling like myself again. I have definitely gotten depressed or down at those times. But I have found some ways to help stay more positive during those very difficult times. Cling to God. If you are not a Christian, I would highly recommend seeking out Jesus. When things were at their worst, God was definitely my primary source of comfort. I knew that He saw what I was going through and would take care of me. When I didn't have the strength to study the Bible I would pray whenever my mind would allow it (there were times I was so out of it mentally from my medications, I couldn't focus enough to pray). This helped me a lot during my flares.  Think of a place that you feel the most at peace at, and pretend you are there. This part is why I have the picture that I do above. I have
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Knowing Your Limits

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  Recently, I have discovered the hard truth that I simply don't have the same energy levels as most young adults my age. My limit comes sooner than I'd like, and I get very tired after working for just a short time. I'm much, much better than I used to be but not where I'd like to be. I get discouraged when I've been out for one day and the next day, I just feel exhausted and weak. It makes me worry that I might be lazy or seem lazy to others when I really am trying my best to work as much as I can and do as much as I can. It's times like that when I need to have grace on myself and remember that I'm not healthy or normal even though I don't feel like I'm dying like when I'm in a flare. I will say that this experience of being diagnosed with UC has brought me closer to God. I need to lean on Him more than I ever have. He has been my comfort through all the difficult times. Praying helps a lot. Praying gives me the strength I need to make it thro
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Food Allergy/ Intolerance Test

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  Recently, I decided to get tested to see if I had any allergies or intolerance to any sort of food or drink so I could know what to avoid so I could prevent future flares. About a week ago I got my blood drawn to test and see if I was allergic to the top 12 most common foods people are allergic to which are: milk and dairy products soy shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster) mustard eggs peanuts fish wheat tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews) sesame fruits veggies My results came back negative. I am not allergic or sensitive to any of these. So, I bought a different test called Simply Sensitivity.  The one I bought tests for up to 900 different allergies and sensitivities. Yep. 900.  I thought that was pretty crazy. This test is done by mailing your hair to a lab and getting your results emailed back to you. This is a good test for anyone to take just so you can have a healthier lifestyle and know what foods to avoid. The test I bought was around $80. But there are cheaper versions of thi
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Recipe: Tilapia and Rice

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 This is probably one of my favorite UC friendly meals to have. It's simple and delicious.  Tilapia and Rice Recipe Ingredients 1 tilapia filet  olive oil salt garlic powder paprika oregano (or basil if you don't have oregano) 2 cups of rice Shredded cheese (any kind) Directions Put 2 cups of rice in rice cooker or pot Before you put water in, put a dash of olive oil in rice and mix until the rice looks shiny and coated (this will make the rice not stick together). Then put 4 cups of water in with 1 tsp of salt. Leave to cook. Heat up small pan to medium heat  Put thawed tilapia filet in a small to medium sized bowl and coat in olive oil Sprinkle seasonings on each side of tilapia Put a little oil in pan and cook tilapia on both sides, 4 minutes on each side When rice is done, mix in some shredded cheese  Put rice into a bowl and cooked tilapia on top of the rice.  Enjoy!
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Recipe: Potato Wedges

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  Potato wedges are a really tasty snack or side dish that is UC friendly. It's not really quick to make, but it is very easy. There are no measurements in this recipe, and it takes minimal ingredients to make. Potato Wedges Recipe Ingredients:  4 potatoes (any size, the bigger the better) Italian seasoning Garlic powder Salt Olive oil Pam spray (optional) Directions:   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Rinse potatoes ( Note: If you are in a flare, peel the potatoes . The skin is too difficult to digest during a flare and will make symptoms worse.) Cut potatoes in half long-ways then cut the halves long-ways as well Put wedges in bowl and put a small drizzle of olive oil over the potatoes  Toss potatoes in the bowl until coated in olive oil Grab a large pan and spray with pam or use butter to oil pan Dump potato wedges onto pan and set them all on their side  Sprinkle each seasoning generously over the wedges, flip wedges onto other side, then sprinkle again on the other side Bake for
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UC Diets and What's Best During Flares

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 Something that I found when trying different diets is that everyone is different. The GAPS diet may work for some people while a liquid diet works better for someone else.   GAPS is a diet that eliminates four things that you can eat: 1. Grains 2. Pasteurized dairy 3. Starchy vegetables 4. Refined carbs So, you basically stick to meat, bone-broth, non-starchy veggies, and fermented foods. The liquid diet is pretty self-explanatory -- liquids only. I will say that the GAPS diet was better than the liquid diet for me. The liquid diet made me feel worse and the GAPS diet didn't really make things better or worse. The thing that I found that worked best for me during my flares is the low-fiber diet. No raw fruits or veggies and primarily meat only.  The foods that I found were pretty good for me during flares was grilled meat, eggs, and rice. That's what I stuck to for the majority of my last flare. It's pretty close to what the GAPS diet is, just with a few adjustments. Some
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