One of the hardest things about having Crohn’s disease is what I know. These things I know are things that should never be on a person’s mind, they carry a heavy weight. For instance I know that my illness is chronic, meaning that there is no cure, meaning that I will have Crohn’s for the rest of my life. There is no magic button, switch, pill or procedure that will take or stop this illness, it’s forever and ever. I do not like this knowledge. It is a frightening experience taking my medications because I know the side effects, one of which it says right on the package “rarely, sudden death can occur”.  I don’t like knowing this either. I don’t like knowing that I am at an increased chance of getting several different types of cancer either because of my Crohn’s or the medications I take to treat it. This disease is just plain downright scary, I know this…

 

However with this information, knowledge or whatever you can describe it as I am empowered. Because of what I know I can talk about inflammatory bowel disease to raise awareness and money for research for a cure. Because of what I know I can help the newly diagnosed understand what has happened to them, what they are going through and what to expect. Because I am sick I can be there for other folks that are ill when they are in need. I know I am a member of a huge community of the chronically ill, and I know they are the most helpful caring people in the world. However the thing I cannot help with or explain is why! I have no knowledge of why, not for myself or anyone else. Why?

Faces of an Invisible Illness

An awareness picture my Crohnie friend Amy Reynolds made several years ago. Puts faces with a serious illness.

Do IBD Patients Care If You Eat Something They Can’t?

Do IBD Patients Care If You Eat Something They Can't?.

Homemade yogurt

I’ve been making my own yogurt for several years, it is so much better for you. I use a yogurt maker and let mine ferment for twenty four hours just because I am so afraid of the lactose. I also make my own buttermilk, yum.

WildFlower Farm

I love yogurt, just to eat and to bake with. Mostly to eat, with raspberries and honey. I can’t have refined sugar so buying yogurt is out (and I don’t like the “extra’s” they add).

Homemade yogurt seems to be the “new” thing, when really it’s been around for centuries. Yogurt is a fermented dairy product, most often made with cow’s milk. Notably the most popular cultured/fermented food for it’s health aspects. Now more than ever. Probiotics are getting lots of press lately and yogurt has a few.

Probiotic are good bacteria that help maintain the  microflora in the intestines. There are 400 different strains of probiotic bacteria in your digestive track. The most populous strain is Lactobacillus acidophilus or lactic acid. This strain is found in yogurt and is probably best recognized today (even if people don’t actually know what it is, kinda like antioxidants, I’ll tell you about those later). Surprisingly people with a…

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