Protocol for a Flare
Protocol for a Flare
I had to have my gallbladder taken out by emergency surgery around Christmastime last year, 2015. To be very honest, I've been struggling since. I've ended up back in the emergency room three times and the hospital twice for several days at a time for severe abdominal pain. The last time, in February, they did upper and lower scopes on me and discovered that the lining of my stomach is inflamed and that a lot of the pain I am experiencing is because of my back. I've had arthritis due to injuries since my late twenties, and I have multiple herniated disks; so it is not surprising that my back would be causing me issues.
With the diagnosis of an inflamed stomach lining, I decided to go on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The diet is described in detail in the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, by Elaine Gottschall. It was designed specifically for inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and other intestinal conditions. My sister has crohn's and was at the point of needing radical surgery. She asked me to research alternatives and I discovered Elaine Gottschall's book. She did the diet and reversed her crohn's. With that knowledge, I decided that it certainly wouldn't hurt me; and most likely, it would help!
I began the diet the day after I got home from my last trip to the hospital. I immediately improved. I have been doing it for about a month now. I've lost several pounds and inches around my midsection. My pain level is much better, I'm sleeping better, and my tummy hasn't been hurting.
Well, it hadn't been until a couple of days ago. I ate some dried fruit without thinking clearly about what I was doing. I had some stewed prunes, and a couple of hours later I had some dried dates. Within about three hours I had severe diarrhea and horrible burning pain in my stomach. The first day and part of the second I tried to continue eating. Then a friend of mine on the Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Specific Carbohydrate Diet Facebook Group suggested that I stop eating solids for a time until I am feeling better. He said,
Sometimes it's best not to eat it all but just stay on non-acidic fluids with lots of honey...Putting any type of food in that will cause digestion and scarring or scraping as it moves along and digestion is the last thing that you want. Isn't it?
That seemed like really wise advice, so I stopped trying to eat any solid foods. Now, this doesn't mean I'm not taking in any nourishment. Actually, I am quite comfortable, food wise, and actually, I'm feeling a whole lot better.
One of the things I learned while I was at the hospital and subsequently is that pain control is really a lot more important than I ever gave it credit. When my pain is out of control, so many other things go out of control as well. Is the the pain that is causing my problem or the problem causing the pain? It seems like it is a vicious circle to me. Much of my protocol is geared at pain control. It is concert of food and medication seeking to balance each other with the end being restored functioning. My goal is to document what I'm doing and why. My hope is that it will help someone else along the way.
My Personal Protocol for a Flare:
Bone broth with egg stirred in, aka "Cream of Whatever Soup" without the spinach -- this provides easily digestable minerals and protein that don't process in the stomach.
Weak peppermint tea -- steeped for only 3 minutes, soothes the entire digestive tract and is anti-inflammatory.
Warm or room temperature water -- soothing to the digestive tract and maintains hydration.
Honey -- raw, local honey can be stirred into the water or tea or eaten off of a spoon. It has many healing benefits as this article describes.
Warm packs -- offers comfort to a very sore tummy.
Pain medication -- either Tylenol or prescription offers pain relief, as needed, and should be taken along with the bone broth and egg to protect the stomach lining.
Hyland Leg Cramp Pills -- Although these are not SCD "legal," I have discovered that they not only help with leg cramps but other muscle spasms, as well. I have not found anything else that works as well as these tablets do. I take them 2 at a time, as needed.
Topical pain relief -- I use essential oils and other topical creams to help with the pain. I use the Now brand Peppermint and fennel oils which are good for digestive issues. (Clicking the link will go to PureFormulas where high quality supplements can be purchased. I will recieve a small referral credit if anything is purchased through this link.)
Benadryl -- if allergies are involved. I use the WalMart brand, dye-free liquid gels.
Stay down and rest! This is actually harder than it might seem.
After things are beginning to calm down:
Add diluted home made fresh juice in small amounts. I started with a small serving of carrot and apple because I tolerate both well. Be sure and chew your juices, as described in this article:
Benefits of Chewing Your Juice
While you are chewing, your body is figuring out how many enzymes and what kind it will need to produce in order to digest this bite. It is also allowing the temperature of food to match its own, as well as absorbing the sugars from the carbohydrate digestion directly into the bloodstream before you even swallow. So it only makes sense to drink a fresh juice slowly, mindfully, holding each sip in the mouth for a short while before swallowing. Remember—it's ultimately all about how much of the good stuff the body will be able to absorb and make its own. This practice will ensure the best assimilation of the juice you took effort and time to extract.
Then try as tolerated:
Soft scrambled eggs
Applesauce in very small amounts
Homemade SCD yogurt
Again, I hope this will help someone else along their way.
Blessings!
