Crohn's Disease Relief

Hobbies and Activites as a Method of Distraction from Pain Part II

I've talked about hobbies and work, and how they are a great distraction from pain.  I saw a post out there on the Internet asking what people's hobbies are.  There were so many different examples of hobbies, I thought I would make a list of hobbies I already have, hobbies I would like to do, and hobbies I am not sure I want to try, but are cool.

Please comment - What hobbies and activities do you do?  What would you like to try if you had the time and energy?

 

1.  My current and past hobbies:

 

Knitting (current favorite)

Scrapbooking

Digital Scrapbooking

Reading

Blogging

Nature walks and photography

 

2.  Hobbies I would like to try Someday

 

Metal Detecting (this is my plan for retirement beach walking)

Geocaching (I'd love to get the kids into this)

Self Publishing a book of my life experiences and advice

 

3.  Hobbies I think are cool but not sure I am wanting to try myself

 

Making home made soap

Fishing

Duck hunting

Home made beer and wine

Gourmet cooking

Boating up and down the Intercoastal Waterway

 

Hobbies and Activites as a Method of Distraction from Pain

A few days ago I read about a study they have done with burn victims using a video game as pain management.  They created "Snow World," a virtual reality video game to help distract burn victims while they undergo painful treatements.  The immersive world of the video game is simple enough to concentrate on but immersive enough to distract the patients from some of the pain.

I was think about the times my pain seems to recede to where it doesn't bother me, and other times when it seems to take over.  During the day when I am working or busy doing hobbies and housework my pain recedes.  I still feel it, it just doesn't bother me very much.  I have excellent coping skills, especially at work where I have learned to push through my tiredness and just get things done.

Once I get home and relax, that's when it hits me.  After I have gotten the kids fed dinner and bathed and I go off duty for the day, everything hits me.  I have a lot of trouble sleeping when my joints ache so badly.

I don't think my pain is worse at night, per se, I think it is that when I am finally ready to relax, my brain finally comes face to face with the reality that my body is in pain.

I do a lot of reading and knitting, and I think it does help distract me from the pain.  Blogging helps too.  I think it's really important for a person with a chronic illness to have a good hobby or two.  Especially if you are not able to work - that hobby can take the place of how work keeps me disctracted from the pain.  The hobby can be anything, really, volunteering, knitting, crossword puzzles, sudoku, scrapbooking, model making, wood working, photography, garage sale and thrift store shopping, cross stitch, video gaming, writing, coin collecting, metal detecting, beachcombing, bird watching, painting, coloring, walking,  I could go on and on with this list!

What do you do to distract yourself from the pain?  Leave a comment and share your hobby or activity.

 

I bet this dog would make an awesome companion dog!

Check out this clip of the world's best trained most helpful dog!

 

 

Trick Yourself into Being Happy?

When you have some major "ouchyness" going on, the happiness kick the world seems to be on might not seem like something you can manage.  And when you're grumpy the last thing you may want to do is read some cheesy life advice from people who tell you that it's your own fault if you're not happy healthy and perfect.  (No, I am not the world's biggest fan of the Secret.)

However, I am a fan of being happy-ish.  I particularly enjoy being content.  I even like being giddy and having fun every once in a while.  I also like giving other people advice, (right?) so when I read an article on HowStuffWorks.com about the "Top 5 Ways to Trick Yourself into Being Happy" I was intrigued.

So I perused the list and have cut it down into a nutshell for you especially for the "Crohnnies."

1.  Hang out around smiling people.  Don't forget the ancillary side of this which is that sometimes you should avoid those people who suck the happiness out of you.  Like Toxic Friends.

2.  Eat a healthy meal.  In specific they note: that complex carbohydrates -- like legumes and whole-grain breads release glucose slowly for a lasting "happy."  Folate from spinach helps the production of serotonin. Proteins like fish, meat and beans have some of the same chemical that make up dopamine - tyrosine and phenylalanine.

So perhaps a happy menu might be:

Lentil Soup

Nice lean steak, fish, or other protein rich entree

Creamed spinach

3.  Try the The 5% trick from zenhabits.com.  It goes like this - say to yourself "If I were 5 percent more responsible today, I would _________" .  This will help identify things in an incremental and bite-sized manner.

4.  Spend money doing something nice for someone else.  I say donate to the World Food Programme or the CCFA.

5.  Workout - even just once. Turns out people who worked out and then stopped were happier than people who didn't try it in the first place.  This is a tough one for me as a lot of workouts leave me exhausted and sore.  That's not happy.  I need to get out and about and get just small amounts of activity.

What to Do When You are Discouraged

Life comes with a lot of ups and downs. Probably one of the most important life skills to have is determination and the ability to overcome frustration.  This is not one of my strong suits.  I generally struggle with something, decide I don't like it, then give up and try something else.  This is great in terms of my ability to try new things.  This is not great in terms of me having to come to terms with being a "quitter."  That's not the way I envision myself as a kick butt tough girl.  (OK, I am not a kick butt tough girl either, but you have to have goals, right?)

 

My 6 year old son Ben is a lot like me.  He's very smart, very sensitive, and does not like criticism or frustration.  I would like to be able to teach him not to get discouraged, and to keep trying something until he gets it.  But how can I teach him a skill that I am not so great at either? 

 

As a person with a chronic illness, it is all too easy to give up to discouragement.  I have a built in excuse.  And when I get depressed, all I want to do is sleep anyway.  I am lucky if I can do the simple normal stuff in life, let alone attack tasks that are tricky and take practice.  I mean lets get real.

 

Probably the ultimate answer here is that you have to pick your battles.  If it is something really important to you, keep going through the frustration and through the discouragement.  When the frustration threatens to get too much, take a break.  After your break, try it another way.  Take your time and don't be afraid to ask for help.  Other times, I think its OK to let go.  If you try something and its not for you, try something else.  You do not have to succeed at everything you do.  Most successful entrepreneurs have had at least one failed business before they make it big with a success.  They keep trying something different until they get it right.  But that doesn't mean they don't have a lot of failures along the way.

 

How do you know when its OK to just give up, and when you have to keep fighting?  Listen to your heart - it always will lead you to what is important. 

28 Feet - One Man Play by Jonathan Mirrin

Jonathan Mirin play deals with his life with Crohn’s - The Boston Globe

If you are in the Boston area check out this one man play by Jonathan Mirrin who discusses (with humor) growing up, and in specific, growing up with Crohn's.  It's called 28 Feet after the length of the intestines.  LOL!

“28 FEET,’’ Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.

For more information about “28 FEET’’ call 866-811-4111 or go to www.ptco.org/solo.

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?

Sometimes You Need a Little Help

Check out this adorable video.  Sometimes we all need a helping hand.

16 Year Old with Crohn's to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro

Clinton Shard is 16, and was diagnosed with Crohn's at age 12.  With the group IBD Adventures, Clinton is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro this September.  

I loved this quote from his bio on the IBD Adventures page:

When Clinton was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 12, he was forced to stop doing all the things he loved: soccer, being with friends, mountain biking, climbing, and hiking. He never imagined being able to begin doing all these things again, let alone climb Mount Kilimanjaro! Crohn’s Disease may have put Clinton’s life on hold, but he sure isn’t going to let it stop him.

 

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I have days where just taking a shower, getting dressed, and going to work feels like climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.  I have a lot of admiration for this group, which is a mix of people who encounter IBD in their daily lives and want to use their adventuring to foster awareness and raise money.  There's a guy with an ostomy, an IBD Ostomy nurse, a 16 year old kid, a musician, an IT guy, a fitness expert...  What a great team.  The group's NO GUTS KNOW GLORY! Seven Summits campaign plans to climb the tallest summits on all 7 continents.

Here is a link to donate to support No Guts No Glory's fundraising for IBD.

Climber's name is Clinton Shard.