I'm a Proud New Mommy!

 

I woke up this morning with a really tight stomach, it was absurdly uncomfortable.  I wanted to go back to sleep, but the more I rolled around in bed the more sore my tummy got.  So I finally decided it was time to get up and poop.  This has been happening somewhat frequently lately, and I've learned this pain means I have a big ol' pooh baby waiting to be birthed. Sometimes the little ones are reluctant to come out, and I find that walking around the apartment while massaging my gut helps to sooth the labor pains and I'm able to pop the buns out of the oven with greater ease.  

I'm pleased to report I've been hitting 4's on the Bristol Stool Chart with more consistency, and hope the trend will continue.  I did decrease to 10mg Prednisone this week, but I also increased to 175mg of Imuran.  I see my doctor tomorrow afternoon, I have to remember to make a list of stuff to report/ask.  I always bring a tiny notebook with me with a little list of talking points prepared. It's also helpful for jotting down notes from the doctor so I don't forget anything important.  

I was really, really tired all week, and kind of touchy, but I'm feeling a little more awake and chipper today.  Of course it's really sunny out and kind of warm, so that could be helping out also.  I'd like to note that I only ever have flare-ups during the winter months.  I wonder if seasonal depression might play a role in this? 

Oh, and I realized I haven't kept up with the cheek watches at all.  I basically leveled off, and think I'm starting to see a decrease in the puffiness.  Acne and facial hair are still the same- did I ever mention my little mustache? Yeah, I have a mustache now.  And my hair is coming out, but it's thick so I'm not worried about it getting to a point of being noticeable.  My appetite isn't as crazy as it's been, and I'm sleeping through the night regularly which is a huge relief.  I am, however, going to bed really early by my standards, and sleeping for about 10 hours at a stretch (and still waking up tired).

And that's that....

SCD Updates And This Fabulous Stool Chart

 

1. Pooh Chart

Thanks to the guys at SCD Lifestyle for sharing this amazing pooh chart on their site today. I already have my own names for most of these: for example type 1 is the bunny pooh in my book, and type 6 is the Cadbury Flake.  I think I'm going to start using this chart as a reference in my SCD diary, in which I've been charting my diet, poops, and pill intake.  Maybe I'll share a screenshot with you one of these days.

2. SCD Issues

So, about that SCD thing.  I'm getting really effing sick of it.  I'm exhausted and angry all the time, I'm always hungry, I'm never satisfied, and I'm starting to see blood in my stool.  I can't say that last part is to blame on the SCD- this week I've weaned down to 15mg of Prednisone, and have started taking Pentasa again.  I re-introduced one 500mg pill last Friday, upped to 1000mg on Wednesday, and went up to 1500mg today.  I'm still waking up every morning at 5 or 6, but more and more it's just to pee.  I'm hoping my internal clock will reset soon.  When I get up around 7 I'm pooping a ton, and while it usually starts out looking good -type 3 or 4- it degrades pretty quickly to type 5 or 6 with shades of pink winking out of the brown.  And I've been having tummy cramps more often.

Back to diet- I've been relying pretty heavily on recipes from Comfy Belly, and am a huge fan of the morning sausages and cinnamon cookies.  But then I start to wonder, should I be eating these things so soon? Here are some questions I'm having- I'm going to try to articulate them here and then I'll take them to some SCD communities online to see what feedback I get.

-Am I doing this right?

I made the stater soup on day one, I ate only that and broiled meatballs and broiled fish...and then I had a sweet craving and made SCD-legal almond flour and honey cookies.  The next day I ate cheddar cheese with my soup, and made SCD-legal almond flour crackers. I ate variations of this menu all week, introducing mashed squash, overripe avocadoe, and homemade almond milk banana smoothies towards the end of the week. I know I wasn't adhering strictly to the starter diet and have probably moved too quickly- but I figured I was eating anything I wanted before without symptoms (thanks to the meds), so why not. And frankly, if I can't have the few things that get me through the sweet cravings right off the bat, screw the whole thing.  Also, I haven't been able to make the yogurt yet.  I'm getting a yogurt maker from a friend this week, was it dumb to start the diet before having access to the yogurt?

-What happens if I eat something SCD illegal?
I haven't knowingly cheated at all, but am worried about what the outcome/next step should be if I were to ingest something SCD illegal. Back to square one?  Or take it easy for a day or two and stick it out?

And in no particular order, here are the excuses I've been coming up with to justify giving up:

-My cholesterol.  I cannot tell you how many SCD recipes call for a stick of butter and 2-3 eggs. I don't want to trade intestinal health for a stroke.
-Too much fiber! Even though a lot of delicious things are SCD legal, many of them are things that will still give me the shits, limiting my options even further.
-Holy crap is it expensive.  I've been trying to tell myself, "you're spending as much as you would on take-out" but no, really, I'm pretty sure I'm spending way more on honey, almond flour, and kitchen gadgets.
-I am absolutely, completely exhausted.  Thanks to the 'roids I'm constantly hungry, and as a result I have to constantly accommodate myself by cooking non-stop. And in order to cook non-stop I have to constantly do the dishes and run out to the store.  It is all-consuming and I really don't care to commit all of my free time to this shit. I try to cook enough in advance to give myself a break every now and then, but I just don't seem to be able to cook and clean fast enough. J's been wonderfully supportive, as is his M.O. He made me SCD-compliant chicken nuggets for lunch today, and did all the dishes the other night. Regardless, I'm still constantly on my feet and it's wearing me down fast.

Right now, my shortest-term goal is to make it to Monday, when I talk to my doctor.  My more respectable short-term goal is to make it to yogurt making and see how that goes.  I really don't like the idea of leaving something plugged-in for 24hours, though, so I might not be willing to try making it until next weekend when I can at least be home.  Ideally, I make it a month and see some results. No, Ideally I make it a few more days and start seeing results because patience is a virtue I wasn't blessed with.  But realistically I know it can take a month or more, but then...can I really live this way for the long-term?  I feel less than optimistic about that. Seriously, this diet is harder than quitting smoking.