Crohn's Disease Relief

Public Service Announcement: If you have Crohn's it's probably not a good idea to eat pickles with orange juice. Just sayin'.

Prevacid on Sale

If anyone is taking Prilosec Prevacid  - I saw on slickdeals.net that Amazon has a good price on it right now.

Prevacid 42 cheapest price seen here or in stores even with coupons.

Normal price $18.99

amazon subscribe and save, save 15%

$16.14.

14 and 28 count available with subscribe and save but this seems to be the best deal.

Free shipping.

5 things that will make you happier

Some scientists have argued that happiness is largely determined by genetics, health and other factors mostly outside of our control. But recent research suggests people actually can take charge of their own happiness and boost it through certain practices.

via www.msnbc.msn.com

Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, Riverside has come up with a list of 5 things that can measurably improve your happiness.

There are no surprises here - the list s full of things that your Mother could have told you will make you happy, such as being grateful, optimistic, working with your individual strengths, and being kind to others. What is great though, is that the study results which were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, show that this stuff actually works.

The doctor even wrote an iPhone application you can use to help put these behaviors into use.

Does Your Crohn's Get Worse When the Barometer Changes?

I just read a great email I received from Craig S.  Craig said he has been suffering with Crohn's for over 20 years and wanted to recommend a few things to us.  One, he said that people with Crohn's should in general steer away from dairy, or use Lactaid treated milk.  Also avoid Whey protein.   He also said that he takes a supplement of colloidal silver.  ****EDITED TO ADD*** Read the comments below for warnings about colloidal silver.  It is listed as not only quackery but also having dangerous side effects.

He also noted that his Crohn's gets worse when the weather / barometric pressure changes and asked if I noticed anything like that. 

Thanks for the note, Craig.  I totally notice my Crohn's is worse when the weather/barometer changes.  And I get terrible migraines when the weather changes, as well.  It all goes together for me.

I have heard a lot of people can't have milk, but I swear it does not bother me at all.  Fried foods on the other hand, chocolate and popcorn are killers for me.  :::sad cause I love popcorn and miss it:::

That is cool that colloidal silver helps you.  I had a friend who told me about that years ago.  I am afraid of heavy metals, though so never tried it.  Too scary for me.

I appreciate the story of how it helps you.  I swear by Primadophilous Reuteri by Nature's Way.  Plus my own homemade yogurt which is so good.  I could live off of it.  (Sometimes, do!) LOL.  My Crohn's is pretty mild, but it really does slow me down.  And I not only work full time but have two kids 5 and 6 years old so those joint pains and the fatigue really bring me down.  Oh well, life is never perfect I guess.

So readers -- do any of you notice your Crohn's flares up worse when the weather changes?  Or are Craig and I just out here by ourselves with our weather effects?

Vitamin D supplements could fight Crohn's disease

A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and the Université de Montréal who present their findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

via www.sciencedaily.com

This is pretty interesting. I wonder if we need more sunlight, or if supplements can provide what vitamin D is beneficial. It's the middle of winter and most people are not getting a lot of sunlight right now.

Another interesting thing to consider - my favorite food when I am flaring is cereal and milk - milk with vitamin D added.

Just Gotta Laugh - February Edition

What could be better for the Crohn's Disease Blog than TP humor.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Prozac Kitty - Just Gotta Laugh

Whenever I am having a rough day, I find that those silly LOLCats can always cheer me up. Me and my teenage niece have this in common. 

I once read an essay that was deconstructing the LOL Cats and how they are really an example of schadenfreude.  (laughing at other people when they are down, really)  I don't think that's all it is, though.  To me they represent the ability to express human pathos in the guise of cute or funny animals.  Like cartoons, the LOL Cats are allowed to say things we might not feel comfortable saying about human beings.  But they're animals so it's safe.  So we can enjoy the pathos and the humor.  Plus LOL Speak is just hilarious.  We take the butchering of English to the extreme but it's ok - cause its just kitties, right.  No pressure.  Just funny.

Here's your Medical Themed LOLCat of the week.  No extra charge for the mini-essay on the true meaning of LOL Cats. It's just part of the full service I provide here at Crohn's Disease Relief.  Cause laughter is the best medecine.  But sometimes you need a little Prozac. I hear the generic zoloft is a good vintage this year as well.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

The only doc

At 2 am Thursday, Ivers rested. She’d gone 48 hours without sleeping, eating, or even sitting down.

How did she handle being the only doc?

“I don’t know,” she says. “I think automatic mode kicks in.”

via pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com

From Dr. Gupta's blog - the story of Dr. Louise Ivers who happened to be at a meeting in Haiti during the earthquake. This story relates how she was the only doctor in the area and was trying to treat hundreds of people with no supplies or medication. An amazing story.

Dr. Gupta hasn't been on the air because he is performing trauma medicine instead of reporting. The right thing to do, and I applaud it.

While Crohn's disease sufferers have our own things to deal with, it's nothing like what people in Haiti are going through this week.

Just Gotta Laugh

This made me bust out laughing and I had to share.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

MediClim - Weather Health Warning System

Sign up to MediClim^® for FREE and you will begin to get your health forecast the day before your health problem may be aggravated due to changes in the weather. You will also gain access to our forums where you can meet people with health problems similar to your own. MediClim is a FREE service currently available to everyone in Canada, the USA (lower 48 states), the UK, Ireland and France.

via www.mediclim.com

This is interesting. You sign uo for your location and tell them what your ailments are and then they send you a warning when the weather is going to be something that may aggravate your condition.

Changes in the weather are one of my strong migraine triggers, so I can really see this as being useful. From the Crohn's disease perspective, the acheyness that comes along with damp cold weather affects me as well.