Things You Can Do

Those of you living with Crohn’s or IBD are aware of the humdrum that comes with the said illness; the monotonous visits to the hospital, absurd amount of blood tests, and let’s not forget the ever-increasing prescription requests. It can all get a little boring, especially when you have other things to do.

After a while, I felt like missing my appointments with the specialist because more times than not, I left feeling more deflated than when I went in. Why you ask? Well, in a nutshell, my Gastroenterologist would say, “Sam, you can’t eat…you can’t do…your body won’t” as opposed to, “you can eat, you can do and your body will”.

Honestly, I know doctors do a lot – seriously, stop laughing – but sometimes they should consider their choice of words, especially when talking to someone who takes things literal. 

If you didn't already know, diet is a tricky topic as no two Crohn’s patients are alike. What one person might be able to eat, another must avoid like the plague. The main things I’ve been told to stay away from are dairy products and spicy foods. Now, for someone of Jamaican heritage, that was almost like taking away my oxygen. Food without spices, literally impossible!

At first I chose to ignore his advice, I spent several weeks in agony – would not like to relive that pain again – just so I could enjoy flavoursome food. However, at a later date my doctor told me it wasn’t so much the flavour he was talking about, it was the red hot peppers that were the problem. Had I asked him to expand on his definition of “spicy” I would’ve been ok. I also think I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to implement change at that precise moment of my life.

Now when I order food, buy lunch or eat with family, extra care is taken to ensure that chillies and Scotch Bonnet pepper are removed before consumption. Better still, if there’s an option that doesn’t include the burn, I’ll go for that. The pain is seriously not worth it, even if it is your favourite dish of all time.

I’m also a big chocolate lover so this was deeply depressing news! However, I took the advice head on and started to do my research so that I could enjoy eating things that didn’t taste like rubber.

I came across quite a few options and felt slightly overwhelmed. The best option that tasted remotely similar to milk was Lactofree products. Without getting all scientific on you, it simply removes some of the sugars found in dairy products, and tastes great! The downside to this product is that it isn't widely available in all restaurants, but the restaurant guide will let you know where it is stocked.

I’m also a big fan of Starbucks Coffee, so again, I was mortified to learn that I had to stay away from my Chai Tea Latte, Vanilla Spice Latte and Mocha Frappuccino in the summer months. However, thanks to my pushy friend who forced me to drink Alpro Soya Milk “because people with Crohn’s shouldn’t have dairy”, she told me that Starbucks not only serve Soya milk, but with their Starbucks Reward Card, you get Soya Milk for free, otherwise it’s 35p. Being the amazing friend that she is, she got me a card and loaded it with £30 for my birthday – a great friend I know!

Not only do both options taste great - you might need a bit of convincing with Soya milk if you drink it alone - it will do you the world of good to stick with these options. You’ll soon realise that living with Crohn’s doesn’t have to be the headache you thought it would be.

There are times you want to scream and shout, but once you learn to give up the milkshakes and ice cream and choose a soya option or a sorbet, life gets that little bit sweeter – sorry I couldn’t resist. It also boils down to asking the barista or waiter if they have soya milk, if they don't go elsewhere - you may want to ask this before they prepare your drink though.

Try to cut out the negatives with this illness and see it as a way of getting to know you all over again. Buying specialist products might be more expensive, but there are two perks in doing so, one, you won't have emergency trips to the toilet, and two, you won't feel excluded when everyone else has nice drinks or dessert options. 

What foods or drinks do you enjoy now, that you probably wouldn't have tried before your diagnosis?

Go on, try some of the things you can eat, you won't regret it!

Keep smiling,

Sam xx