The Final Tour of a Musical Journey: Part 3- Band Camp Conclusion

I kind of had a moment of clarity today.  I am writing this on the final day of band camp as I don't think I can bring up these thoughts again.

 Leading up to my final years in the UC band, there are some things I just wanted to be able to remember.  One of them was my final band camp.  I suppose I had some thoughts as how it might go.  During my first few years, I figured it'd be somewhat typical of a college band student, go for 4 or 5 years, have a few good laughs, reminisce on the shenanigans that are par for the course of being part of such a group, and be done with it.

Most of the day ran like usual for a final day at band camp, our director nit picking the shows we were doing, lots of cleaning of music and marching drill sets, and, as a typical part of a UC band camp, give a show at the end.  With my first few years at the away camp we were sent to, it was more of a big thank you for the camp staff.  With camp on campus, it took kind of a different feel.  Having that feeling of knowing a lot of alumni in the audience and people who have supported me a ton through the tough parts felt empowering for lack of a better word.  That particular performance for this year's band camp felt a little bigger, had more meaning than even a lot of the performances I've done in front of bigger venues and audiences.  Its been a while since I've that much emotion into a marching show, at least since the 2 years I was still marching between and after my surgeries.  I will say that the downside to bringing that kind of energy and intensity to a marching show for me is that it is extremely draining on me, but its the kind of tired where you sit there and in the back of your mind, you come off very satisfied.  I know as musicians, we do push ourselves, even to the point of frustration, to get things perfect, but the flip side of that is seeing what that work does when its performed.   That moment of satisfaction is one of the main reasons I stuck to marching band.

And so, the 2014-2015 season beings for the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands.  More to come as things happen.

The Final Tour of a Musical Journey: Part 2- Band Camp prep and final thoughts

Today is the eve of the start of UC band camp.  Most of it was gathering all the things I'll be eating and drinking through the week.  Concerning drinks, other than breakfast, I stick to Gatorade and water.  I prefer Gatorade as I like getting the electrolytes and I like a little taste.  I feel like its more refreshing in that way.  Sometimes with water, it takes a while for me to feel hydrated again, and I tend to over-drink.   Speaking of hydration, I'll technically be in a state of dehydration the entire time in the heat.  When I'm out like that and sweating, my body just barely expels more than it takes in, so I have to have water nearly all the time, though not by chugging it.  Pro tip- when you're dehydrated (regardless of health), you want to take water in like an IV line, sipping it and gradually taking more in.

For food, some of what I'll be eating may surprise people, but do know that these choices come from things I've heard from nutritionists as well as other people with similar medical conditions as me.

First, I've recently learned I also don't absorb salt as well, so I do have a few snacks.  Some fruit as well, mostly citrus and watermelon.  Pretty much anything without skins, such as berries and apples which I don't feel like peeling.  As weird as this sounds, PBJ is also something I've been recommended to eat, much to my dismay and surprise.  Also some diet supplement drinks, I stick with Boost.  With that, I will be focusing on eating through the day instead of eating mainly at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Heck, I may be eating a few things here and there in the middle of rehearsals.  I've learned that a constant flow of little things cuts down on air in the digestive tract, which is mainly what causes cramps for me.   Obviously this is a concern with me using my lungs all the time playing my sax, but having food in there helps with that, even a little bit.   I will be eating things like sandwiches with meats and similar things, mostly for dinner when my body is a little more open to things, so I have some source of protein.   Another interesting thing I've picked up is that one shouldn't drink too much during a meal.  The extra water nulls down the acid in your stomach, making it harder to digest things.  I think it goes without saying at this point that when you get something that affects your digestive tract, you really get to learn how to eat better.  

I have a bit of a separate thing I want to write about.  I have to admit, since I went in last week to fill out my band paperwork for the last time, its been feeling more surreal as its been inching closer to the start of the year in band and school.   I've been giving a lot of thought towards how I want this year to go.  Part of that does hinge on the football and basketball teams doing well, would love to go to a good bowl/tournament location when the time comes.  A bit out of my control, but I can dream, right?  I do feel a bit more prepared musically this year than in years past.  The UC Community Band's season and some of the more rigorous music certainly helped keep me at the top of my game, and I chose to get a head start on memorizing music, too.  I also somehow got myself playing all 12 major scales fluently and am starting to extend my range into the altissimo range on the alto sax, the stuff way high in the octave register with some pretty radical fingerings and such.  I'm really hoping to kick but in concert and jazz band this year.

The Final Tour of a Musical Journey: Part 1- A final new year

I was going to start a different blog in itself for this, but I'm not good with thinking up a good title and, well, I haven't been making many entries in this one, so might as well go with trying to maintain this one.

This post is the start of tracking my journey through my final year with the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands.  If you haven't seen previous blogs on this, I'll elaborate.  I've been in college for 10 years, 9 of which in the UC Band starting this year.   I've gone through a major medical dilemma in having been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and having 3 surgeries to remove the affected areas.  I think I've covered that enough in my previous blogs.   This blog serves as a stepping stone of sorts.  In my time involved with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), its occurred to me that there are a lot of younger folks that have to suffer though IBD.  I've only experienced the disease through college, and that in itself was a challenge to maintain the lifestyle I wanted.  I can't begin to imagine what its like to have those diseases in grade school or high school.  Long story short, I came to be inspired to stay in band for a while, not only because I love to play and that its helped in this major transition in my life, but I want this decision to be an example for those who have their future ahead of them to know that being diagnosed with IBD isn't the end of the road.

Overall, I hope this blog serves to express all the emotions and interpretations of all the things that transpire over my final year in the UC Band.  And it'll start this week as I embark on my final band camp ever.

At the peaks- feeling good is possible!

With all the mental processes I go through in dealing with my condition, there are those moments that come around that are just meant to be enjoyed.  After all the work of finding the right things to eat, pacing myself through certain activities, and keeping in a good state of mind, there are those moments where things just go right.  It's moments like that where you just sit back and think simple, thinking of that despite all the hardships in life and things that hold us back at times, life can be good.

As someone who is a musician where I'm constantly trying to get better and perfect my craft of choice, its often easy to forget to just be happy about your current situation in one way or another.  Adding even a little silver lining to things, even things that seem hopeless or nearly impossible to overcome can help.  Setting your mind at ease, stepping back and letting your mind come at ease, even for a moment, is something I practice all the time, even in more fast pace situations (you fellow band members know of that kind of work).

In going to the support group meetings, I've heard many stories which make my situation a pale comparison to others.  Its always amazing to hear how simple they put things in perspective and just learn to live and laugh.  Most importantly, in even the toughest moments, there will come an end to it, and overall as told to me by a fellow member who's been through it all- "Everything will be alright".  A simple phrase, but an extremely important notion to hold onto.

UC Band 2013- Band Camp and the First Game

It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride of sorts through these first weeks of school. Included in that is band season getting back into full swing.  With most of the summer being milder than usual, it seemed like things would go well for me, which they did for the most part of the first few days though the weekend during band camp.  Then Monday hit and things got pretty hot.  This year, however, I came prepared.  Through the earlier part of the year through June, I took it upon myself to do a bit more research into how to do things better in light of my current anatomy.  Things like how best to pace myself, eating things that work better for me, and learning ways to keep hydrated despite lacking certain organs worked out very well.  There were a few issues with my mental state later in band camp, but it worked itself out overall.   Health wise, it was probably the best band camp I've had since 2008.  

The real test came on August 31 for the home game vs Purdue.  I admit I was boarder line on whether or not to attend that game with the heat, but I'm glad I stuck it out.  I guess part of that was getting to that point in my head where I am confident that I could be more active, which is important to me in finding ways for me to be able to exercise and know how long I can go as well as how my body responds to certain ailments.  I actually did pretty well hydration and diet wise, though breathing in all the hot air got to me.   The field turf being an oven didn't help.  A HUGE adrenalin rush hit me as soon as pregame started, which helped me a lot in staying excited and keeping my mind off my physical state.  Knowing that this is usually the worst game for heat, I'm definitely excited to keep it going the rest of the year.  

The J-Pouch

Before I go on, I would like to put out this disclaimer.  I am in no way, shape or form a doctor or a medical expert.  My goal is to spread awareness and information with various sources at my disposal to put out there.  Though I went through the procedure I'm about to explain, I can't vouch about it being the best decision when one is faced with how to deal with colon disease(s).  You and your doctor must determine that on your own, for this may not be the best way to go for everyone.

Also read this at your own discretion as this can be a tough subject for some. 

Most of this information comes from CCFA.org and j-pouch.org, which are two websites I highly recommend for any information concerning this topic.

So, I spent a little over 2 years with ulcerative colitis before it was determined I needed the surgery.  My specific case of colitis spread very quickly, to the point where I had to have my colon and rectum removed with all the damage done.  It was obvious at that point it was colitis, for if it was that bad and I had Crohn's, I'd probably be in a lot worse shape.  It was brought on as an emergency procedure as my body was pretty much withering away with my body rejecting food and water and with my colon in such bad shape.  The whole thing took a year, including 3 surgeries and around 100 days in the hospital, 68 of that in my first stay due to how hard it was for my body to cope, what with being racked with colitis and having to deal with the new anatomy.  I don't have as many limitations on diet as I did when I had colitis, and with it going on 4 years since my last surgery, I've learned and gained strength to control a lot of how I feel, mainly in controlling cramps and not having to go to the bathroom as much day to day.   It's about as close to my pre-colitis perception of 'normal' as I'm going to get.

Anyways, here's what happened during those 3 surgeries for me, though this can be narrowed down to two if you're not in an emergency situation like I was.  First, obviously, the colon and rectum were completely removed, just to get the colitis out of my body.  At that point, since things down where the rectum used to be are healing, the end of the small intestine comes out through a small protrusion, or stoma, in the abdomen.  To handle waste, I had to wear an ostomy pouch, which was emptied a few times a day.  I went that way for about a year before my second surgery as I wanted to try and get some school in between.  For surgery 2, I had the actual j-pouch made.  That is where a loop is made from the last few portions of the small intestine, which requires some stretching.  The goal is to make this new area a place for waste to be stored, much as your rectum did.  The end of the pouch is then connected to the anal area and sphincter muscles (I think its more technical than that, this is a simplification).  The removing of the colon and the j-pouch creation can be done in one surgery.  At that point, a temporary ostomy is created to allow the pouch area to heal and check for leaking before it gets used.  This may take a few months.  The final step is to route the tract back to the pouch and close the stoma hole.  It'll take about 6 months to a year before everything is running as it should, both in the body getting used to things as well as expanding your diet back to having a good variety.

Most of the foods not recommended are high fiber items, such as leafy vegetables, fruit skins, nuts, seeds, eggshells, or tougher meats, all of which can cause clogging (which, from experience, is very painful).  Corn and celery are tops on that list.  Foods that cause gas, beans in particular, are also best to be avoided as air pockets can cause cramping.  Chewing gum can also create air pockets as you swallow air when you chew gum, plus for me, I'm deftly afraid of swallowing the gum.  I have some slight symptoms that have carried over from colitis, mainly the lactose intolerance as a lot of creamier things bother me, in particular, alfredo sauce, ranch dressing, and a few creamier cheeses.

The BIG thing is water, since that was one of the colon's main jobs.  A combination of drinking liquids through the day as well as eating small meals throughout the day will keep the body hydrated as well as prevent some cramping.  Eating small meals through the day is also easier for the digestive tract whether you have digestion problems or not.

And to put things in perspective if you've seen my previous blogs, I still do band and the like even after having gone through all that, which I think I've laid that out pretty clear. I hope this is helpful for those in search of information.

What are Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease?

I figured I should come around to this topic eventually, which is one of the soul purposes of this blog.  What exactly are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease?  I'd also like to put in context how ulcerative colitis affected me and, of course, the differences between the two.

*Most information is from CCFA.org, the main website for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, one of the leading groups for advocacy and support for those with the two diseases.

Let's start with the one I was diagnosed with.  Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease of the large intestine and rectum.  It is caused by an abnormal reaction of the immune system.  Some sort of trigger, which it isn't known what that is yet, causes the immune system to act as if a foreign contaminate, such as a virus or bacteria, is present in the large intestine.  However, it could very well be attacking things that should be in there, like food and liquids being digested.  The way the body goes to fight those things in the large intestine area makes it so the walls are lined with white blood cells and antibodies.  This is the start of what many call 'flare ups'.

There are a few things that happen while this is going on.  First, your body will act as if it is sick, both possibly due to how your body responds to diseases and the fact that the immune system has its resources concentrated at the large intestine.  Second, since the body is rejecting things going into that area, nausea and weight loss may occur and the body doesn't absorb as much, since the body doesn't want to absorb things it thinks are threats.   Lastly, with the enzymes given off by the white blood cells, the concentration of them causes damage to the tissue, causing ulcers, which causes the colon not to be as effective while causing discomfort with cramping.   Bleeding and loose stools are common as the colon is also not absorbing as much water along with the damage.  Obviously with the lack of absorption, fatigue can also be an issue with the lack of nutrients coming in from what people may be used to.

While Crohn's is caused by the same ailments, its the areas affected that make them unique from one another.  Ulcerative Colitis can affect the lining as well as the main tissue, but is limited to the colon and rectum.  Crohn's, while it only affects the lining, can affect the entirety of the digestive tract.   Due to the differences, it is possible to have both at the same time.

The lifestyle effects can be pretty drastic as well.  For me, I had to miss a lot of school and have had to essentially start college over now that I have my surgeries.  I'll get to that in my next blog writing.  I also had to deal with certain psychological affects.  Living up to having Crohn's or colitis is a very hard step to get to, having to drastically change your diet and habits while being out.  Knowing how far the nearest bathroom is a pretty big deal, especially with the increased frequency of having to go and the sudden urges to go, let alone making it in time.  I often think I may have had boarder line agoraphobia during the time I was at the peak of my ulcerative colitis right before my surgery, though the first 2 years after surgery were hard as well in getting used to that new anatomy.  Finding the right kind of support can be a HUGE thing, and if you have one nearby, by all means go to it and learn more about what you are going through with people who may have more experience with it.  Finding the right doctor is also essential, so if you feel you're not at the right one, by all means find one you're comfortable with.  Finding the right people outside those groups is a great thing as well.  Just knowing you have people who can understand you and who you feel comfortable talking to can take a lot of stress and burden off your shoulders.

As I've said before, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and their website (CCFA.org) is a great place to begin to learn about either disease.  There are lots of articles and links to point you in the right direction as well as a directory to support groups in your specific area.

Next blog- the surgery I went through.