Newly diagnosed

If you or someone you love has just been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis then here’s a few important things to know.

Ulcerative Colitis means you have an inflammatory bowel disease, it’s a chronic life long disease which can be well managed with maintenance drugs and a personalised diet and mind set.

Proctitis means your rectum is inflamed.

Left sided Colitis or Proctosigmoiditis means you have inflammation in your sigmoid which is the lower end of the colon.

Distal Colitis means the inflammation has extended into your sigmoid and descending colon.

Extensive Colitis goes beyond the splenic flexure.

Pancolitis means your entire colon is inflamed.

Things are going to get better, we’ve both been really ill, Clare with pancolitis and Lucy who had excruciating symptoms just recently.

You can make some instant changes now to help you on your healing journey.

• Start educating yourself on your diagnosis, know you have to take ownership of you and your symptoms.

• Start a food diary if you haven’t already.

• Avoid gluten and dairy, at least until your symptoms start improving.

• Rest, rest, rest and read!

• Get a poop stool.

• Look into why you should may be taking Omega 3, Turmeric and VSL#3 supplements regularly.

• Make or buy organic bone broth (we like SPRING bone broth).

• Up your intake of gently cooked greens and avoid sugary processed food and drink.

• Look into The Specific Carbohydrate Diet and take what you can from it.

• Talk about your UC, you will be amazed at how many people have it or know someone who has it. In our joint sons year one class 4 of us had it!

You are not alone, don’t be embarrassed at your symptoms the meer mention of blood to anyone paints a compassionate picture to even your post man who happened to tell me that juicing purple cabbage really helps UC.

People want to help…let them.