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.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
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.
*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.
Friday, July 5, 2013
My Band Experiences
So I've done band for quite a long time, going on 17 years. In spending a lot of that time in high school and college band, I've compiled quite the list of the many gigs, concerts, parades, and sporting events in that time.
My high school tenure went about the same as pretty much anyone else's high school band experience, but with a few neat twists. My band, the Oak Hills High School Highlander Band, got to do one of the premier parades every year, what with the way Cincinnati celebrates the coming of a new baseball season every year in the city-wide holiday known as Reds Opening Day, with a parade that is part of the tradition. Getting off school AND being part of a big tradition like that, not to mention great weather?! Yes, please! Other than that, you had the usual gigs in high school like football/basketball games, the 3-4 concerts every year, and a few community gigs, but one did stand out from those. My senior year, our band had the distinct honor of playing for the President of the United States when President Bush came to Great American Ballpark during his campaign run. Sure it wasn't under the best circumstances, which we didn't get told until right after our last game vs our big rival at the time, thus we had to rehearse "Hail to the Chief" THAT night. The only thing is we didn't get to play it as they blasted recorded music over us when Bush did come out to speak, but still, the notion of playing only 50 ft from the President was a pretty big deal.
Then came college, particularly the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands. With that came the likes of playing in front of big stadiums, playing on national TV, lots of small gigs, and a few unique opportunities sprinkled in. The learning curve between high school and college was pretty steep, but the payoff was more than worth putting in that time. In fact, my first college performance wasn't at the home confines of Nippert Stadium. Nope, my first game was at Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium. Talk about a jarring experience for a first time college band member; coming right out of band camp and thrown into a 110,000+ seat stadium full of the type of fans OSU brings in, not to mention playing opposite one of the best college bands in the nation. It kind of painted a picture for me what the epitome of college band life was like, in a nutshell so to speak. A big thing about marching band I've come to appreciate more and more is the Bearcat Bands infamous tradition of charging the stadium steps for each home game. For those first few games where Bearcat football was barely a speck on the map, it was alright. However, when the team started getting good and the stadium filled, it became quite an intense ritual. Not much in band compares to flying down those stairs at a sold out prime time game. Heck, I have to run on adrenalin the whole time as I wouldn't have the energy otherwise to keep marching and play at full tilt after the stair run. I could go on and on about each other experience, but to keep it short and let the list speak for itself-
Football
- Away football games- Miami (OH), Ohio State, Akron, West Virginia
- Home games and appearences at Bengals games @ Paul Brown Stadium
- International Bowl- Cincinnati vs Western Michigan- Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- PapaJohn's.com Bowl- Cincinnati vs Southern Mississippi- Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama (ugh)
- Orange Bowl- Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech- Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Florida
- Sugar Bowl- Cincinnati vs Florida- Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Liberty Bowl- Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
- Belk Bowl, Cincinnati vs Duke, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Basketball
- Random neutral site games- US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Multiple Crosstown Shootouts vs Xavier, one of the most heated rivalries in college sports
- 2011 NCAA Tournament, Round 2/3-Verizon Center, Washington DC, Cincinnati vs Missouri, Connecticut
- 2012 Big East Tournament, Madison Square Gardens, New York City, Cincinnati vs Georgetown, Syracuse, Louisville
- 2012 NCAA Tournament- Round 2/3- Sommet Center, Nashville, Tennessee, Cincinnati vs Texas, Florida State
- 2012 NCAA Tournament- Sweet 16- TD Bank Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Cincinnati vs Ohio State
-2013 Big East Tournament, Madison Square Gardens, New York City- Cincinnati vs Providence, Georgetown
My high school tenure went about the same as pretty much anyone else's high school band experience, but with a few neat twists. My band, the Oak Hills High School Highlander Band, got to do one of the premier parades every year, what with the way Cincinnati celebrates the coming of a new baseball season every year in the city-wide holiday known as Reds Opening Day, with a parade that is part of the tradition. Getting off school AND being part of a big tradition like that, not to mention great weather?! Yes, please! Other than that, you had the usual gigs in high school like football/basketball games, the 3-4 concerts every year, and a few community gigs, but one did stand out from those. My senior year, our band had the distinct honor of playing for the President of the United States when President Bush came to Great American Ballpark during his campaign run. Sure it wasn't under the best circumstances, which we didn't get told until right after our last game vs our big rival at the time, thus we had to rehearse "Hail to the Chief" THAT night. The only thing is we didn't get to play it as they blasted recorded music over us when Bush did come out to speak, but still, the notion of playing only 50 ft from the President was a pretty big deal.
Then came college, particularly the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands. With that came the likes of playing in front of big stadiums, playing on national TV, lots of small gigs, and a few unique opportunities sprinkled in. The learning curve between high school and college was pretty steep, but the payoff was more than worth putting in that time. In fact, my first college performance wasn't at the home confines of Nippert Stadium. Nope, my first game was at Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium. Talk about a jarring experience for a first time college band member; coming right out of band camp and thrown into a 110,000+ seat stadium full of the type of fans OSU brings in, not to mention playing opposite one of the best college bands in the nation. It kind of painted a picture for me what the epitome of college band life was like, in a nutshell so to speak. A big thing about marching band I've come to appreciate more and more is the Bearcat Bands infamous tradition of charging the stadium steps for each home game. For those first few games where Bearcat football was barely a speck on the map, it was alright. However, when the team started getting good and the stadium filled, it became quite an intense ritual. Not much in band compares to flying down those stairs at a sold out prime time game. Heck, I have to run on adrenalin the whole time as I wouldn't have the energy otherwise to keep marching and play at full tilt after the stair run. I could go on and on about each other experience, but to keep it short and let the list speak for itself-
Football
- Away football games- Miami (OH), Ohio State, Akron, West Virginia
- Home games and appearences at Bengals games @ Paul Brown Stadium
- International Bowl- Cincinnati vs Western Michigan- Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- PapaJohn's.com Bowl- Cincinnati vs Southern Mississippi- Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama (ugh)
- Orange Bowl- Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech- Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Florida
- Sugar Bowl- Cincinnati vs Florida- Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Liberty Bowl- Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
- Belk Bowl, Cincinnati vs Duke, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Basketball
- Random neutral site games- US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Multiple Crosstown Shootouts vs Xavier, one of the most heated rivalries in college sports
- 2011 NCAA Tournament, Round 2/3-Verizon Center, Washington DC, Cincinnati vs Missouri, Connecticut
- 2012 Big East Tournament, Madison Square Gardens, New York City, Cincinnati vs Georgetown, Syracuse, Louisville
- 2012 NCAA Tournament- Round 2/3- Sommet Center, Nashville, Tennessee, Cincinnati vs Texas, Florida State
- 2012 NCAA Tournament- Sweet 16- TD Bank Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Cincinnati vs Ohio State
-2013 Big East Tournament, Madison Square Gardens, New York City- Cincinnati vs Providence, Georgetown
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Blog Update
I have now started a new blog which will focus on coasters and parks while this thread will remain on things about music, life etc. If you're a coaster fan following this blog, here's the link to the new blog.
http://midwayrush.blogspot.com/
http://midwayrush.blogspot.com/
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