Interstitial Cystitis Diet: Confident Choices®: interstitial cystitis diet counseling

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

How Others Can Help People with Chronic Illness During the Holidays

Thank you www.robot-hugs.com for the meme!!!

(Just so you know, this was written as a stream of thought on Facebook. I am leaving it as I wrote it....sometimes rants like this deserve their original context! Please add ideas in the comments!)

Although I am better now, I have been there for most of this. All of this has been said to me (and I know others thought it.) I know it isn't fun to have family members or friends who have chronic illness, but it can be very, VERY lonely. Trust me, the person in any one of those cartoon frames wishes that they could jump out of bed every morning, hold a "real" job, run with their kids and grandkids, and plan fantabulous social gatherings.

Let's make this a judgment free holiday season. Instead of avoiding the "negative" people in your life, ask if they would like to go shopping together or have a present wrapping day. Bring some Christmas cookies to someone and help them decorate their tree. Make it FUN, not a chore. If they want to hold a holiday party help them out.

Sometimes a person with chronic pain or illness is more comfortable in their own home, but they don't have the energy to put together the food. Can you imagine? So everyone goes someplace else for the fun and leaves the sick person behind (because they said it was ok....NO, it is not ok, but they don't feel like they have a choice.) Don't be afraid to just "do" things for them. Trust me, they feel bad enough, especially if they used to have the perfect parties and perfect food. If you are in their home and their bathroom looks a little dusty, take a cloth and discretely wipe things down. Unload their dishwasher while they sip a cup of tea.

Sure, ask how they are doing, but make conversations about other things.....tell them what is going on in your church and ask them if they would like to join in. Maybe they didn't make it to church to see the bulletin. Talk about who got a new puppy, or who is expecting a baby. Do a project together.....make a Christmas wreath, help them organize their family pictures...........I could go on and on and on.

We may not have many people who have leprosy these days....modern illness is often invisible. DO you know someone with chronic pain, interstitial cystitis, fibromyalgia, migraines, heart disease, arthritis, depression, anxiety, etc? I know you do. Because everyone does. The Blessed Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” And Nike said, "Just Do It."

For more on holidays, depression, and chronic illness like interstitial cystitis see:

Julie Beyer, MA, RDN

Author, Speaker, Patient Advocate

www.ic-diet.com

Just Tell Me What to Eat!

For step by step guidance for creating your own personal interstitial cystitis meal plan, see: Confident Choices^®: Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet.

For some basic, family-style, IC bladder-friendly recipes, see: Confident Choices^®: A Cookbook for Interstitial Cystitis and Overactive Bladder

For health care workers: Interstitial Cystitis: A Guide for Nutrition Educators

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Interstitial Cystitis Diet and Overwhelm

I often get frantic calls from interstitial cystitis patients who are overwhelmed trying to figure out what they can or cannot eat. Trust me, I totally get it. Early on I was frustrated about the IC diet, ending up in a negative cycle of fixating on the foods I couldn't have, thinking I already had to give up so much of my life, and now I can't even have spaghetti or orange juice. How am I going to handle this?

Despite the frustration; however, the key thing to remember is that dietary modification CAN help control symptoms of IC, and it is actually something we have in our control. The one thing that helped turn my head around was to realize that eventually everyone "gets" something. Some people get arthritis, some get diabetes, some have even worse diseases like cancer.

In fact, if you asked ten people on the street if they are supposed to be watching their diet in some way, nine out of ten would say yes . . . and the last one would most likely be lying!

The good news is that an individual's IC diet usually doesn't have to be as strict as you may think. Most people with a painful bladder or interstitial cystitis find that they can have a substantial and healthy diet if they do a little detective work to identify their personal trigger foods. That is the idea of the IC elimination diet. Most people do not have to be on the most restrictive diet forever. And, although others with IC are great counsel, your diet is probably not going to look like anyone else's.

It can be very helpful to remember that eventually you will feel normal again, or more accurately, you will find yourself accepting a "new normal." You will learn coping skills that will help you on a daily basis. You will be able to navigate your refrigerator and restaurants without putting yourself in a flare. You will find exercises that you can do, and fixate less on what you can't do.

So, if you are new . . . hang in there . . . ask questions . . . be your own best health care provider. Keep a diary or a calendar. Write down what you eat, what is going on in your life, the medications you are trying, and how you are feeling. If you can't figure it out, share your diary with a trusted friend or your doctor. Sometimes we are too close to a situation to see what may be hurting us.

The ultimate message here is that you CAN do it, you CAN get better, you CAN begin to heal . . . it just takes some time and patience.

For more help see:

Determining Your Personal Trigger Foods (an e-book)

Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet: A Confident Choices Book