MOLLY DUES Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio Wedding Photographer » Blog

it started in August of 2007, and was excruciating by the time they diagnosed me 2 months later. Excessive sweating, severe abdominal pain, constant diarrhea, and bleeding.  after 3 nights in the hospital and a endoscopy and colonoscopy, I was told i had ulcerative colitis.  i was given information on a low fiber diet and a prescription to Asacol. this condition is chronic, and the nurse told me that i was one of the worst cases she had seen for my age. i reacted in my way, with fear and denial. i took my prescription and ate the white flour and white sugar, cooked veggies and fruits that i was instructed to eat. as i went into my first remission, the fear went away, and i rebelled by returning to my normal terrible habits; be it fried, carbonated, or chocolate-covered. i have had several flare-ups since then, and some of them have been pretty rough. The sight of blood in the toilet, and the pain would scare me back into behaving, but only until the symptoms were gone.

However, this past month has been one of the worst flares i have had, and by the grace of my Father, i have been finally able to wrap my head against how serious this is. if i didn’t make a serious change, a colostomy bag was in my future. by the recommendation of a dear friend, i picked up a book called ” Breaking the Vicious Cycle ” that introduces the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. the SCD diet is grain free, sugar free, and dairy free. and so i stepped out on this terrifying but hopeful journey. today is my 3rd day on it, and it is so so hard. i can have exactly 5 things in the intro phase: overcooked carrots, homemade apple cider, grape juice, eggs, and a variety of lean meats. one of the hardest things has been giving up soda. i drank {gulp} probably 3 a day. and the surprising thing is, i had no idea giving up sugar and caffeine cold turkey would feel so awful. my colitis is recovering by leaps and bounds- in 2 days, i have had almost no pain, and i don’t spend any more time on the toilet, crying and feeling in labor. a miracle!  but my body has crashed through sugar detox, and so the past 2 days have brought nausea, fever, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and severe aching all over.

but i know i can do this.   because of the most amazing support system God placed in my life before i even knew i would need it. Like one of my kindred spirits that has had her own baptism by fire through a painful and nutritional battle for her son’s health. or the dear dear soul who is doing the diet with me, just to hold my hand and give me strength. many miles separate us, but i feel so much less alone because of it. or the best friends who gave up soda years ago, and promise me that i will get to the place where i don’t have to have that Coke.

and also because of you. You have read my story, and my pain, and i feel the support. thank you so much.

i love you all. xoxo.