Ulcerative Colitis and gratitude.

bobby earle (@bobbyearle) (@bobbyearle) (@bobbyearle) - http://t.co/w1ylFJkSeptember 6, 2011 - 12:58 am

Alice - How open are you to Chinese Medicine? I have a friend who has a family history of Crohns and her and her mother went to see a Chinese Doctor near Carlsbad. Now both of them very rarely have flare ups (I'm talking once or twice a year, and it is usually because they ate too much of something they weren't really suppose to) and don't really have to give up many types of food. The downside is that you have to be drinking a Chinese herbal medicine for a long while. I think it took her almost 3 years to get to the point where she can cheat and eat foods that she never thought was possible again. If you like, let me know, and I can put you in contact with either my friend or the Doctor. Btw as a disclaimer, I have no affiliation with the doctor and will by no means gain anything. Regardless of what type of treatment you choose, I wish you and your family the best. Any type of disease sucks.September 6, 2011 - 7:10 am

Ravyn - Bleh! So sorry to hear this news Bobby. Stomach issues fucking suck. Pardon my french. I'd love to talk with you more about it. Here's the short of it: around the age of 13, my stomach started to show all signs of Crohn's, UC, IBS, lactose intolerance, etc. After years of tests, no one had an answer. As you can imagine, going through those oh-so-precious teen years with stomach issues really sucked. Every time I ate anything (except steak for some reason), it was baaadddd news, ha. Every day was bad, but then the flare-ups were even worse. Fast forward to 2008 ... I became a vegetarian and a week later, I noticed I no longer had the issues. After all of these years of pain, embarrassment, tests, non-working treatments, it turned out that my body just wasn't good at processing meats and grease. I feel like people treat these intestinal problems like a bit of a taboo, but dude, I totally feel where you're at right now. Medication will help some, but maybe you should play around with your diet a bit to see if you can cure it (or at least lesson the side effects that way). Not saying veggie is the option, but it's amazing what your body will do with different foods & nourishment. I realize I should have written you an email after typing this!! :) I wish you well with your research & healing. Cheers.September 6, 2011 - 8:03 am

Donelle - I feel for you, my husband has it and so does my aunt and cousin. My husband got it when he was 28 (now 32) he was so sick and took so many pills and probiotics all of which didn't help. After reading alot he started avoiding certain foods that he noticed made his colitis act up. Once he stayed away from those things he hasn't had a flare up in years, in fact its like he never had it. My cousin on the other hand had it so bad that she takes remicade treatments, but they definitely help her tremendously. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.September 6, 2011 - 8:04 am

bobby earle (@bobbyearle) (@bobbyearle) (@bobbyearle) - Being diagnosed with an incurable disease and the gratitude that comes with it (blog) -> http://t.co/w1ylFJkSeptember 6, 2011 - 2:33 pm

Ashley Dawn - I am so sorry, thats a total bummer. :( Well.... Not that you will really want to know.... but.... I was having alot of stomach issues (not to your extent, but bad), feeling tired, feeling sick, not being able to loose weight even with working out (which was hard since I was tired all the time) and never feeling better. At first I thought "Maybe I need to switch to Organic Milk" (why I thought that... I can't remember) so I swapped. ALL DAIRY I ATE WAS ORGANIC.... It helped for like a month. Then it slowly all came back. Then I made two friends who each had celiacs. They need to eat Gluten Free foods. I decided to Try it with my organic dairy (now cut to a minimal) and after one month I felt a little better...but not 100% like I wanted. WELL... I was introduced to a book, and I read it. And.... it was making sense. So I told myself "I am going to TRY THIS for a month. Eat how the book tells me to 6 days a week to give my self a cheat day!" because it was a serious change in eating habits. I felt SO MUCH BETTER after that first month, I started eating that way all the time. Reading the book it made sense from moments in my past and present of why my body was acting the way it was. I now have this as my regular diet now, I feel better, have been sleeping better, and have had energy to be able to run, bike AND do photo shoots all in the same day. It was a miracle for me to find it. Some people call it voo doo, but it worked for me so much that this last year has been such a positive turn around. I don't know if you would be interested in reading this book, but if you are.... http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eat-right-4-your-type-peter-dadamo/1102538522 I really hope that you find something that will allow you to feel better as I was able to find something to help me feel better. I was never diagnosed with anything but I have seen many drastic changes since I started this a little over a year ago. My husband noticed them as well. Good luck :) You will be in my prayers :)September 6, 2011 - 4:47 pm

brittany s - bobby, my step-brother was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 12, and after living with it for about 8 years he ended up having his entire colon removed. it wasn't a decision he took lightly. his symptoms were difficult to manage and he almost died on more than one occasion. for him, the surgery was essentially a cure. since the colon is what is affected with uc then taking it out took out his problem. i hope your symptoms can be managed with diet and medication and you find the best possible solution for you and your body.September 6, 2011 - 8:48 pm

Leslie - Hi Bobby - longtime follower, second time responder :-) I went to undergrad with a naturopath who now runs a nationally recognized IBS clinic in Seattle. He's been on NPR, etc. and has had a lot of success with his approach. I haven't personally been, but friends have, and they all have benefited. Here is the link to a post on his blog about UC and it's relationship to IBS. They do treat people remotely (his site says treatment usually requires one in-person visit), too. Best of luck to you! http://ibstreatmentcenter.blogspot.com/2011/04/treating-ulcerative-colitis-and-crohns.htmlSeptember 8, 2011 - 10:44 pm

michelle brooks - Bobby, I have to say the first feeling I had when reading your blog post was guilt; guilt because whenever I come to your website or blog I'm always thinking, "What a charmed life this guy leads! His life is a fairy tale." I haven't changed that totally (you still have a pretty awesome life, as your post reveals you recognize), but it just goes to show we all have our daily burdens to bear, some worse than others, some inconveniences and some life-changing. It's a blessing that they have pin-pointed the causes so quickly - as some have pointed out, many suffer for years from something before a correct diagnosis is found. I'm sure your doctors will be able to give you guidelines and routines to follow to help you deal with this, but I pray for the best possible outcome. I know no matter what, your love of life and family will carry you through with the Bobbyesque aplomb and humor we have all come to appreciate. Feel better, dude.September 9, 2011 - 8:55 am

Nick Nishizaka - Bobby, Sorry to hear about this news. But I have tremendous respect for how you are taking this. I have a friend who has chrohn's so I can certainly relate a little bit. I sometimes wonder why he's so care free just living his life. He's got a great wife, 2 wonderful kids, so life is good for him and he manages. Hopefully your case is mild. I have a feeling though, that no matter what, you'll always have a positive outlook on things and continue to live your life to its fullest! Best wishes.September 9, 2011 - 10:05 pm

Rachel - My SIL had/has severe ulcerative colitis. 2 years ago she had her colon removed as the doctors were worried she was days away from rupturing. They had tried every medicine with no success. Recovery was long with many setbacks. The remaining few inches of colon that she had, remained inflamed with lots of pain and bleeding. Every solution the doctors tried was unsuccessful and she needed a large amount of pain killers to get through the day. She started going to a naturopath, and he put her on a diet that included no dairy, no wheat, no corn, no sugar and no caffeine. Within two months the bleeding and pain stopped. The difference has been amazing. If she sticks to her diet, it works. I'd highly recommend going to a naturopath.October 1, 2011 - 11:52 am