I have no idea how I got here, for the past several days my diet has consisted of blended papaya, banana, mango and spinach. Somehow I have a partial obstruction and the doctors here are first of all trying to inject me with steroids (I've refused, but they are still giving me antibiotics through IV) and they are talking about possible surgery if this gets any worse. I'm feeling much better today, haven't eaten or drank anything since saturday evening (which I threw up anyway). Things are slowly starting to move again, and I'm hoping they let me go home soon. I plan on doing a juice fast- I need to know what produce is best to heal inflammation and scar tissue. I will be resting as much as possible during this time. What would you suggest I do?

> What would you suggest I do?

I would suggest that you educate yourself in natural healing.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2009 10:18PM by Omega.

They claim you have inflammation and scar tissue, what were the results of the MRI or imaging technique they used to view the scar tissue? How extensive is the damage? Is there a narrowing of your intestinal tract called strictures? How many? Where were the strictures/scar tissue located in your digestive track? Did they say were you susceptible for perforation of your bowel?

I would find out all of answers to the questions above before you go anywhere.

I should mention that I have been high-100% raw for the past 5 months, but only recently have been trying to follow a plan closer to the 80/10/10 diet, trying to simplify.

There is scar tissue/narrowing/inflammation in the place I had my last surgery in 04- that is where the problem is occurring. The section immediately before it is beginning to stretch to about twice it's normal size as the food collected. It's a partial, so things are still moving but definitely not as much was coming out that was going in. This was only from Wed-Fri that I noticed that- I was still going to the bathroom normal amounts in days prior. They say it's possible for perforation if it continues to stretch, but their story changes every time they come in to talk to me, and their sketched images of my intestine change every time too, the stretched area went from just slightly bigger to HUGE, I think they are trying to scare me into taking the prednisone. They did another xray this morning and already they are saying there is some improvement, with stool and gas moving into the colon. I'm feeling better as well (nothing by mouth since sat) and really think extended juice fasting and rest could get this under control.

So the prior surgery from 2004 is slowing things down? Was your surgery from 2004 a resection? This is very common in strictureplasty. They keep on removing and removing until nothing is left; theoretically that means your problem should be gone too.

I'm not advocating this procedure, but they do an innovative technique now to get away from a resection called a side-by-side strictureplasty. It has been proven to be safer than a resection.

I'm not a medical doctor of course; I'm currently not a strict raw foodist either (theoretically I want to be), so my advice for diet is slim. I know when inflammation is occurring you need to give the bowels as much rest as possible.

Ways to do it would be an extended juice fast like you said, or blended salads such as spinach, cucumber, tomato, and celery. You have to be careful of the fiber though. I would get opinions from others too!

They make a plant based digestive enzyme that would really give your body a break from digestion. I don't know where that falls within the realm of raw foodism, sorry if I offend anyone.

One way or the other you have to eat!!
I hope you feel better!! I'll pray for you

I think health is not about single events in your life (including surgery). Get past this crisis any way you can....and eat lightly....focusing on plenty of fresh juices, smoothies and soft veggies (like sprouts)...until you are healed. Then proceed to eat as simply and carefree as your health allows.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Are you recommending the prednisone or surgery? I really would prefer to avoid both at all costs, I don't think it's necessary. Obviously if it came down to it I would take it (which is why I'm considering the entocort even though I know it hasn't done much for me in the past) but there have been people on their death beds that have "nursed" themselves back to health with juicing.
I'm really just wondering what things would be best to juice. Beet? Pineapple? Apple? Carrot?

I'd suggest that you check yourself out of the
hospital immediately, go home, and begin a 7-day Water Fast.
Go 'cold turkey'. The blockage will clear, and normal bowel
movements will occur. If they don't, eat Fruit for 3 days,
followed by another 7-day Water Fast, etc., etc.....WY

Agreed with Wheatgrass Yogi and DZM. It is likely that your body overgrew fibrin after your procedure of a few years ago and the way to correct this is to eat enzyme- rich, quickly passing foods. So I'd only add, lay off the banana. Please keep us posted and get well soon.

I don't recommend surgery. I was informing you with the options they most likely will throw at you. They try to make you pick the best of two evils; which is never the case. My friend just went through a resection and he is on Imuran and entecort. I tried to talk him out of it. They told him the same thing you are telling me; they used scare tactics to get him into surgery.

Here is what they used. "A perforation will occur, its better to have surgery in a controlled environment than a perforation in a non-controlled environment."

Now he can't go anywhere because of a compromised immune system and is afraid to eat. Some fix.

I'm sorry to hear of your recent problems. Most raw food eaters tend to eat a lot of whole raw foods but I don't think that is going to be an option for you due to the blockage. You might consider juicing for a lot of your calories. Possibly juicing all of your greens and hard foods like carrots etc. A good place to start experimenting might be around 50% juice and adjust from there. For fiber you might want to eat soft fruits. This should allow the food to pass the restriction and still give you enough calories. I agree with the posts about getting yourself home and doing a short water fast to clear your intestines and give them a little rest. Good luck.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2009 12:18AM by EZ rider.

WY- Do you feel a water fast would be better than a juice fast?
Tamu- just curious to why you advise to lay off the banana. Does it not pass as easily? Lower water content? Which fruits would you suggest?
Newhoove- sounds all familiar to what they are telling me. At first it wasn't too serious until I started refusing medication, and all the sudden it's perforations and possible emergency surgeries.
EZ rider- can't juice greens, I only have a $70 hamilton beach juicer and since I just bought a vitamix I can't afford to buy an expensive juicer, but I could try blending and straining. I think I do want to stay away from any solids for a while though, at least a week. Then maybe some softer blended fruits to start with.

I just want to be as careful as possible so I don't end up back here. I can't afford to make any mistakes and I feel it's best to juice for a while until I feel like I'm healing up. I don't want to reintroduce solids too quickly- my digestive system is extremely touchy, even with raw foods.

Any fruits you would recommend I focus on that would help with the healing?

petrichor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WY- Do you feel a water fast would be better than
> a juice fast?
Two reasons...(1) Water Fasting is Healing, whereas
Juice Fasting is more Maintaining. And (2) Water Fasting allows
the Body to rest. Juice Fasting is a lot of work. You should be
in bed, resting with your eyes closed.....WY

petrichor,

Of the things you list as having eaten lately, banana is the only one that can be constipating in some circumstances. In a condition where there is serious occlusion, I wouldn't eat it. If you are going to eat, I urge you to liquify your whole foods, as EZ recommends, and if the way to do that is to whiz them in a Vitamix and then strain, by all means do so--your colon could do without all that insoluble fiber right now. The key is liquids, which is why I agree with WY that just water, or at least mostly water, might be best right now.

Please consider that the previous surgery, though necessary, may have created the conditions for the present problem, if it's an overgrowth of scar tissue. It is best to avoid repeating that process over and over. The body can take only so much trauma. Hey, if I were in your position, and getting the hard sell from the doctors, that's exactly what I'd tell them, calmly but firmly. Keep us posted.

I agree only liquids or try making smoothies with ground slippery elm powder added to then. You can also drink peppermint tea. Both of these will help your GI tract.

Slippery elm works wonders!

Hi petrichor i dont have chrones (as far as i know) so our surgerys that could be recommended will be different. I would juice fast, i beleive its the only way. my colon is not having blood since doing the fast. which i know i will have to have another one to get this flare under control. I know juice fasting is hard for us sometimes as it will put me below 100lb but i beleive that i can then slowly gain that weight back. I dont know for you but the blended salads gave me alot of problmes, such as constipation, im much better with a high fruit diet, if i can stick to it. also i think i got in that flare by eating un ripe bananas. i would avoid the bananas and just have mangos and soft fruits.

i wouldent take the pred, i just dumped my pred foam enema which was 20mg of it. I am doing ok for the last 2 days on the pentasa and asacol. I know these drugs are not good for you but for me i have decided to stick to the low drugs and gradually come off of them, im not in a race any more, i know racing before i got my diet right for me was not correct. i dont know whats best for you.

I also agree with Yogi, i did my first water fast on sunday and felt that there were real toxins in my body. maybe try this. god i hope you feel better, i hate ibd i wish it would never exsist. please keep us all posted.

nothing to add just offering my support.

Support offering here as well.

I am a ER RN and have been 100% Raw to mostly raw x 7 years.. Always 100% real
depending on day to day situations and living in the moment of not just physically, but heart, mind & soul..

I agree with water fasting, if that is too extreme(detox) then 3 day fruit then water fasting..After enter juices/ melons slowly..then raw food diet..

Water & rest are your best friends..maybe massage therapy too. However,
Loren Lockman Tanglewood Wellness faciltiy has, in my opinion, one of the best
frameworks for healing..

Get support, read natural healing-Arnold Ehret, Shelton, etc..

You can do it..
Peace

Aloe, slippery elm, yucca root, flaxseed, chia seed, chamomile, horsetail will help to reduce inflammation in the GI tract.


To help prevent a cleansing crisis or Herxheimer reaction an Epsom salt flush of the GI tract may be taken containing one tsp of Epsom salt in a glass of cold water along with 4 drops 2% Lugol’s solution. (The topical iodine used for the cleaning of wounds should not be ingested, as it is poisonous.) Fungi living within the mucous membranes of the mouth may be eliminated by repeatedly swishing the Lugol's before swallowing. When taking higher than normal dose of Lugol’s you should use probiotics to replenish vital intestinal flora.

Thank you all for your support and suggestions.

As far as introducing fruit and then follow with water or juice for a few days, I don't think that would be a good idea. I don't think any fiber at all would be a good idea right now, I think my bowel needs complete rest and no fiber. I will be drinking one juice tonight to see how my body handles it. My mom will be stopping at a juice bar and bringing me apple-cucumber-kale-parsley juice. It's likely I will be checking myself out of here tonight. I will go back to water after the juice, I just want to know how my body responds- if it sits in my stomach and makes me nauseous or if it passes through. I still have had no bm other than the small amount passed yesterday, some gas has moved through today but not much. I feel a lot of gas pressure in my upper abdominal area that's causing some discomfort. I have done some light massage as well.

ok good you know whats best for your body. i think its good that you didnt have bm that means that there is no urgecy which is good. also with d i find that i really lose energy. i will be thinking of you. i hope you get well soon, i know ibd is so unpredictable we dont know how we are going to be from one day to the next.

i know i will have to take it really easy tomorrow after that reaction to pred foam as well. so dont feel alone i still need to get this flare under control.

take care

when you are doing massage on your abdomen how are you doing it ? its really important to do it correctly or you can be jamming things up inside.

starting at the exit point of you colon (which wuold be just above your pubic bone) you should work backwards (counterclockwise) while massaging in a clockwise motion massaging towards your IC valve (the right lower side of you abdominal area)



...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Thank you jgunn, didn't realize there was a correct way- i will definitely give this a try.

I drank an ounce of aloe juice and am currently (and slowly) working on the green juice.

Petrichor,

Hugs I wish you the best. No advice here, sorry. I have IBD too and I'm yearning to do a water fast, but I'm kind of scared, so I'm trying to mentally prepare myself. Anywhoo, I wish you the best and know you will succeed and heal. Please keep us up to date on your progress

I have diverticulitis. I had a flare up two years ago and I literally thought I was going to die. I found this man on the internet, he worked with me for a fee and I ordered his book and I feel he brought me back to health.
[www.healingdigestiveillness.com] He is very informative and knowledgeable.

Please check back and let us know how you are doing, okay?

prescottAZ thanks for posting that- i want to be off meds. are you on any?

I was released from the hospital this afternoon, I'm back home and slowly sipping green juice and reading Green for Life. My gut is feeling ok although still tender and tight with some gas pressure. Things still aren't moving through much, but I know that is something that may take a little more time. Until then, I will continue with the juice, I may try water fasting tomorrow but I haven't really eaten since Saturday and I feel like I need the nutrition.

I managed to keep my foot down with the doctors, which I'm pretty happy about. I'm a young person, and extremely shy but I had no problem showing them a little attitude when they remained persistant with their harrassment about steroids. I even mentioned it to the friendly intern that I really couldn't deal with them anymore and the next day had a few different people apologize for their persistance with it during their examinations.

As far as medication goes, I'm still doing the biweekly humira injections that I've been doing for three years, I will continue with those until my symptoms are completely gone and I'm on track with the raw diet- which I still have much to learn about. I have no idea if high fruit is the way to go for me, I haven't experimented with it enough- but currently I cannot handle digesting salads or vegetables of any kind.

Thank you everyone for your support, and your suggestions; You've all been very helpful. I will keep you updated on the status of my condition next chance I get to use the internet. I've got my fingers crossed that that will be the last time I have to scoop myself off the bathroom floor and be transported to the ER.

HelloKitty,

No, I am no longer on medication. At the time when I phoned Russell, I was on antibiotics after a visit to emergency, doctor wanted to operate on me, and I decided not to be operated and left hospital, and "yes" doctor was a tad upset according to nurse. I was not getting any better and I was desperate, and this man knows about the digestive system. He is very very good at what he does. I believe I paid $150 for consultation and he talked to me for one hour. Before the consultation, I filled out questionares, he went over them before talking to me. I ordered the products he requested that I order, I ate the diet he requested. In no time, I felt so much better. He really knows his stuff in my opinion.

Please go to his website and search around. I did purchase his book. I can share with you some of the things he sent to me.

PrescottAZ,
I'd love to hear more about Russell too. I ordered his book tonight, but if you could PM some details.
Thanks