Tag: weight loss

Crohn’s Update: Life as an Ostomate – What I’ve Learned So Far

Crohn’s Update: Life as an Ostomate – What I’ve Learned So Far

davidpwahr

Well, it’s been a little over a month since I became what is known as an “Ostomate.” This is a person who’s insides have been altered to create a new opening for his or her intestine to empty through (aka a stoma).

Hopefully, to assist the few other new ostomates who may stumble across this blog here are a few things I’ve learned so far. Some the doctors, nurses and dietitians warned me about. Most, they did not:

  1. No matter how careful you are, no matter how often you empty your appliance, you will have accidents. It might be a leak or a blowout – but it will happen.
  2. Some of these will occur at an inopportune time like work (once), before a social function (once), or in bed (three times so far).
  3. Invest in a mattress cover. Don’t skimp on this. I got one that’s breathable and noiseless. Sheets can be cleaned. Mattresses, not so much.
  4. Have emergency kits on hand in your car and at work (a pre-cut appliance, powder, solvent, whatever you need to make a change). I also have spare underwear hidden in my office.
  5. Follow the doctors’ and nurses’ orders. I know, this should be a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating.
  6. Be patient. It takes a while to adjust to life with your new friend.
  7. Try a pouch support of some kind. I have a band that I slip into with a built in pouch. Check on line there are several styles out there.
  8. Guys, suspenders are better than belts.
  9. Chew, chew, chew. The stomach is an amazing organ and very efficient at breaking down what you eat. But it can’t do it alone. Avoid “chunks” and chew carefully. Trust me on this.
  10. Share your story with friends and family. My first instinct was to not let people know what I was going through. But, there are more of us than anyone realizes. It doesn’t help to keep it a secret.
  11. Red dye is forever. Before you panic because you think your bag is filling with blood, take a deep breath and think, “what did I eat?” One popsicle or glass of Hawaiian Punch can put a very quick scare into you.
  12. Having stated the above (#9), remember it’s okay to be discreet. I don’t tell everyone I meet that there something different about me.
  13. You are going to learn a lot about how your food is digested. This can be interesting and disturbing at the same time. For example: fish smells like fish going in and coming out.
  14. Try to focus on the positive of your situation. Is your pain from Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis, or whatever issue gone? Hemorrhoids cleared up? And I bet you don’t miss having to strain to relieve yourself anymore.
  15. Don’t focus on what’s changed in your life, focus on what’s the same. Get back to your normal routine as quickly as you can and your energy allows. Remember, your life didn’t change – only your plumbing did! 

Don’t get me wrong, I have my moments of despair and depression, too. I have times when I hate that this thing was done to me and that now I’m not “normal.” But, I then focus on why it was done – literally to save my life – and that perhaps I was spared by God for a greater purpose. I just need to figure out what that is.

You know, like everyone should.

Onward!

P.S. – you’ll also get really good at estimating how many milliliters of liquid there are in any container. You know why…

Fitness Quest: April 2018

Fitness Quest: April 2018

davidpwahr

Several positive items to report in my renewed quest for fitness since the discovery that I had a heart attack sometime in the past (likely, in my mind at least, in January of 2017).

Mental Health: first and foremost, my mood has improved considerably. Thanks to cardio rehab and the natural adaptation process that we all go through after experiencing major life events I’m happier than I’ve been in a while and am functioning again. At least in my opinion (my friends and co-workers may continue to disagree but that’s their problem). I am looking forward to the future for the most part again and not afraid that each day will be my last – even if it turns out to be.

Physical Health and Exercise: cardio rehab goes well and I’m making progress. I’m biking and walking like I should on days I don’t have rehab – even beating several other “steppers” in my weekly Fitbit step challenge – which I wasn’t doing for a long time. I get through my tap dancing each week without feeling like I’m going to pass out and I’m in general feeling more energetic.

More exciting is that my bodyfat percentage has been on a downward trend for about four weeks now even though my body weight has increased slightly. In bodybuilding this would be known as “making gains.” Not by huge amounts, after all I’m not a newbie or a teenager anymore, but a clear trend. It does mean that I’m not losing fat as is actual goal, but it means that I’m gaining more muscle than fat which isn’t bad either. Especially for someone who is in late middle-age (unless I live to be 130).

Last month I mentioned I was being tested for asthma and the good news is that my lungs are “normal” and have no obstructions. Something is still going on with my breathing though and my gastroenterologist has put me on iron thinking that my anemia could be contributing to the issue.

I do have sleep apnea, both obstructive and central, for which I’ll be getting a CPAP machine for this coming week (I hope). I have one more night of testing with various devices to see which will work best for me.

Crohn’s: speaking of gastroenterology, we’ve decided that my Humira may not be doing the best job for me. So we are switching things up and I’m going to Entyvio. The plus side of this is that I only get an infusion every 8 weeks (at home) instead of a weekly injection. I’ll be blogging more on this as treatments begin.

Nutrition: here’s the hard part. I’ve discovered something that I probably should have known all along. Sugar is bad for you. At least added sugar is. And like sodium, the stuff is everywhere. According to the American Heart Association men should restrict their added sugar levels to just 9 teaspoons a day (4 grams = 1 teaspoon) and women only 6 teaspoons. This means that if you have one 12 ounce can of pop a day, non-diet variety,  you’ve gone over your limit. Not to mention the mega servings most of us consume! I drink the diet stuff so that’s not a source of sugar for me, but my sweet tooth may literally be the death of me. Especially when you consider that sugar has inflammatory properties – which can aggravate my Crohn’s, which may have caused my heart attack in the first place!

Overall: I’m doing as well as can be expected and maybe a little better even. I thank God for each day I’m given and that I’m not worse off.

It’s an old saying but true: it could be worse. Oh well, it’s back to the grocery store I go!

Onward!

Mediterranean Diet
Sodium, Sodium Everywhere and Not a Bite to Eat

Sodium, Sodium Everywhere and Not a Bite to Eat

davidpwahr

Question: which do you think has less sodium, a medium order of McDonald’s French Fries or a small salad?

Answer: It depends. Are you going to put dressing on that salad? If so, the fries win. In fact, the fries win even if you go up to large size and small fries can win if you are looking at overall fats, too!

Surprised? Don’t be. Since discovering that I had a heart attack sometime in the past, I’ve been working harder than ever to get my diet in line. I was already doing pretty good in keeping my fats low and started cooking for myself and am getting a little more “Mediterranean” in my eating and food choices each week (more fish, more veggies, less sugar). So, I thought it was time to take the next step and reduce my sodium intake.

Ha!

I now understand the trials and tribulations of people with high blood pressure. Sodium is in everything that is even slightly processed. Fast food, sit down restaurants, frozen food, soups, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables (but not always), baked goods, lunch meat, you name it and I bet it’s got more sodium than you would think.

Fat free means “added salt.” Pizzas should be called sodium pies. Surprisingly, things that taste salty, like potato chips, may have less sodium than a small can of spring peas.

According to the American Heart Association we should be eating no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, 1,500 if you have high blood pressure. But, the average American consumes more than 3,400 mg each day (more at the AHA website)! And I know from MyFitnessPal that I’m somewhere north of that figure on any given day. How much is 2,300 mg of sodium? About 1 teaspoon of salt per day.

Now in my case, I do not have high blood pressure and my heart attack does not appear to have been caused due to any dietary issues (arteries, with the exception of the one where the damage occurred are clear and “beautiful” according to my cardiologist). It’s likely, in fact, that the heart attack occurred due to my Crohn’s. And, I could choose to side with some of the research out there which suggests that if you don’t have high blood pressure sodium intake isn’t really an issue. However, with one big strike against me, I don’t think I should risk a second. So, I’m going to keep doing my best to get my diet in line and that means lowering my sodium intake.

Now should we talk about the amount of potassium in salt substitutes and the effect that has on someone taking ACE inhibitors?

The struggle continues.

Onward!

Fitness Quest: August 2017

Fitness Quest: August 2017

davidpwahr

I know it’s really September now but I thought I’d add a brief update on my activity in August for those interested (and those who aren’t, I guess).

Nutrition and Weight: Slow and steady seems to be the pattern. I had a couple weeks of no loss, but overall the trend is still downward. The problem is I’m really holding steady for the most part and can’t seem to shake the weight I gained several months back – the penalty of not paying attention to my nutrition for a week. I’m doing better now keeping my carbs under control but am still eating too many fats I think and not enough protein. However, though I’m not lighter, I believe that I’m becoming more defined in my arms, chest and shoulders (thanks to the exercise, more on that below). Always a good sign.

The never ending battle continues.

Exercise: Doing well here. I’m keeping to my weight workouts twice a week – though I need to increase the number of exercises I do I think and add more (i.e. any) leg work. I had an experience climbing a lot of stairs this weekend and it wasn’t pretty. Cardio needs to be increased again, too. This has been put on the back burner as I got my Plantar Fasciitis under control. Foot still hurts but with my shoe inserts it’s bearable. Got nearly 40,000 steps in this weekend already though. So that’s good.

I’m back to morning push-ups (30 now) and some light weight work to help me wake up and start the day energized. And I think this is having a positive effect on my overall physique as I mentioned above. Need to shrink the gut though. Always need to do that. Always…sigh.

Overall: Crohn’s is under control for the most part (maybe three days this past month of bloating and other issues), according to my doctor my blood pressure is good, my heart rate is good, so that’s all good news.

Onward!