Lesson Learned: How I caused and overcame my 8th flare

Akala ko mauutakan ko sakit ko, pero hindi.

I thought I could outsmart my IBD, but I didn't, and I couldn't. What was I thinking, indulging in that deliciously decadent dessert called ice cream? 

Gluten. Dairy. Sugar. Full stop. 

Well, it should've been a full stop, but I gave in (marupok ako!). I thought it'd been waaaay too long since I had this treat. Maybe one serving won't hurt. But it did. It started as diarrhea - which I thought was my lactose intolerance. By the third day, my IBD symptoms appeared - hello, bleeding. 

This is my 8th flare since I was diagnosed in 2015. The difference with this episode is that I acted as an accessory to the crime. My past flares were triggered mainly by stress; this was triggered by food. 

I freaked out because I had just started my new job. Thankfully it's fully remote, so I was able to manage my bathroom trips. An upcoming business meeting would require me to fly to San Francisco. How can I get better in a month?!? Eeeeek! [Panic mode].

Here's what I did:

1) Increased my medication: Upon my doctor's advice, I increased my Mesalamine oral meds from 6 to 9 capsules and augmented it with Canasa suppositories for six weeks. By the 4th week, my bloody stools finally stopped.

2) I adopted AIP and SCD Diets. I mainly ate natural food, all prepared at home. I avoided pork and beef (personal choice) and favored fish, chicken, and vegetables

3) I avoided sugar at all costs (which is hard because I have a sweet tooth). I satisfied my cravings by eating bananas and almond butter and taking Manuka honey.

4) I turned to the experts - fellow IBD patients for tips, tricks, and good ol' encouragement. 

5) I read my past flare journals: I keep a food journal and a flare journal, documenting my food intake and bathroom trips - down to every detail so I can look back and see what I could've done better and what I did right. 

I'm approaching my 6th week of Canasa treatment as I write this. I've also completed one month with my new job. Now more than ever, I appreciate working from home because I could not imagine onboarding for a new company in an office setting. 

One moment of indulgence changed six weeks of my life between March and April. It was a harsh reminder that my IBD is dormant. My IBD is not gone, nor is it capable of having amnesia. Therefore I have to treat my body better because who knows what war it's trying to battle within my gut's dizzying twists and turns. 

Next time I'm offered ice cream, I can say with conviction, "No, I'll pass." It's not worth it. My body deserves better.