Oh, my mother is going to cringe when she reads this!
She thinks- as many do- that the word “colonoscopy” doesn’t belong in polite conversation. And she’s probably right. But this blog isn’t always “polite.” The blogosphere is also a great way to share ideas, tips, and stories, and since I’ve been sharing my stomach struggles with you for some time now, I didn’t think it would be right to leave out the more uncomfortable subject matter. I like reading about bodies and medical procedures, but if you don’t, feel free to skip right over it! I have a recipe coming soon
So, the last time I wrote about this, I’d recently been to see a gastroenterologist, who prescribed a daily probiotic (Align, which was a big help), as well as an endoscopy and colonoscopy. She also told me to make sure I got in a serving of wheat each day, so that if I did have a gluten allergy, it would show up on the test.
I wasn’t so worried about the tests themselves, but was more concerned about what I would be able to eat in the days leading up to them! Most of the meal suggestions they gave me were for carnivores.
Three days before the tests, I had to eliminate all raw vegetables, seeds, nuts and beans from my diet. Basically, anything that could get “stuck” inside the colon. I ate bowls of yogurt with fruit, cereal + creamy nut butter for breakfast; for dinner, I had steamed vegetables with cooked grains + tahini sauce.
The day before the tests, I was allowed to eat a “regular” breakfast. It was my solid meal of the day, so I made it hearty! Two slices of whole wheat toast with almond butter, honey, cinnamon + banana. (This was my typical pre-race breakfast, back in my running days.)
The rest of the day, I was only allowed to eat clear(ish) liquids, so I brought a container of miso paste and a jar to work to make soup. This brand of miso actually has bits of rice in it, but they sunk to the bottom and I was able to avoid them.
I spent the night at my parents to keep things “romantic” with B (heh heh). As soon as I got home, I mixed a bottle of Miralax with 64 ounces of coconut water, and took four Dulcolax laxative tablets. (Gatorade was also an option, but I’d rather have a more natural form of sugar. And I LOVE coconut water! I craved it when I was in the hospital.)
I drank 8 ounces of the mixture every 15 minutes. The taste wasn’t so bad at first! It started to taste sort of “thick,” though, and drinking all that liquid started to catch up with me. It didn’t “get things moving,” so to speak, but made me really tired instead. I fell asleep while watching the finale of Downton Abbey! When I got in bed, though, I had a really hard time falling asleep and felt uncomfortably full.
Because the Miralax + Dulcolax hadn’t cleared me out, I set my alarm for 4:30 AM. My appointment was at 8:30, and I wasn’t allowed to consume anything for four hours before. So at 4:30, I woke up and chugged a bottle of Magnesium Citrate (they have you buy this in case you need a little extra) and that helped.
The next morning, I was tired but otherwise feeling fine. I got to my doctor’s office an hour early so they could get me all set up. I met the anaesthesiologist, who monitored me the whole time. He was actually my favorite person that day… once he put the IV into my arm, I started to feel really good! Ha! I think I like anaesthesia
I woke up an hour and a half later. My doctor told me she’d taken biopsies from samples in my colon and throat (and removed a benign polyp in my esophagus). She didn’t see anything alarming, but said she’d call me with the results. I was a little groggy, but felt good enough to go out for omelets and a movie (Beautiful Creatures) with my mom.
A couple weeks later, my doctor called with some news: I had collagenous colitis. Resulting in inflammation of the colon, collagenous colitis is associated with taking too much of medicines like Tylenol and Aspirin. I hardly ever take any medicines, so we’re not sure how I got it, but the issue has actually resolved itself since my tests. Collagenous colitis can come and go, so my doctor encouraged me to continue to avoid these medications to reduce the risk of a flare-up.
This past Friday, I met with my doctor again. She recommended continued use of Align, and strict adherence to a low- FODMAPS diet. I’d heard of this food lifestyle before from my friend Elise, who’s been following it for several years. Thank goodness I have her as a resource, because there’s actually not a lot of information out there about it, particularly if you follow a mostly vegetarian diet.
I felt overwhelmed at first, because so many FODMAPS- a group of foods that don’t digest well for people suffering from IBS-like symptoms- are staples in my diet. Forget wheat products, which I knew would probably be off the table, but now things like beans, lentils, avocados, soft cheese, apples, broccoli, and asparagus- just to name a few- are out as well. What the @$(# am I supposed to eat?! I sent Elise a panicked message, but she was very encouraging, and told me that while it is kind of a steep learning curve at first, she got used to it. And once you follow the low-FODMAPS diet for long enough, you can begin to add some FODMAPS back in and figure out how each food sits. I felt I needed a little extra help, so I downloaded Elise’s 10-day elimination plan e-book- FOR VEGETARIANS!- and took it with me to the grocery store for meal ideas.
This is my second day following a low-FODMAPS diet. And… it’s going pretty well. My only issue so far is that many of the recipes I’ve come across call for a lot of eggs and nuts, so I have to be mindful about not overdoing it in that department. Today, for example, I ate a good amount of this (delicious) almond-based bread (honey is a FODMAP, so I subbed maple syrup)…
… followed by (equally delicious) almond-based crackers. My stomach hurts from all those nuts, and the whole point of this is to provide GI relief!
So, it’s a learning process. Like most things, it’ll just require a little extra prep, and practice. We’re going on vacation this Thursday to a food city I’ve dreamt of visiting for years and years, so I may choose to put my new diet on hold until we get back.
Are you familiar with FODMAPS? What’s your experience with dramatically changing your diet?
