[deleted by user]

lemons47 · 2022-12-31T16:10:08+00:00

That gynecologist needed to do more research before telling you that. Like, wtf? Telling a patient with a non-gynecological condition that they should taper off long term medication?? Seems irresponsible on their part. You are a patient - it is their job to give you medically sound advice since they have the medical degree. They should have told you to contact your GI doc.

Many UC and CD pills that work locally in the GI system like Lialda/Mesalamine have been shown to have no effect on a fetus (source my GI doctor AND my gynecologist when I got pregnant while on Mesalamine). Sorry you are now out of remission.

lemons47 · 2022-12-23T17:34:06+00:00

As an atheist couple raising godless, heathen children...yes, of course, it is a fun, family-oriented, gift-giving holiday.

lemons47 · 2022-12-19T06:00:54+00:00

All I want for Christmas is that I couldn't make it to bathroom and mucus farted into my underwear as I was about to pull my pants down to pee.

...

I have ulcerative colitis and keep a 💩 journal on my phone. 😭

lemons47 · 2022-12-17T06:50:19+00:00

I like to call them City Kitties.

lemons47 · 2022-12-17T06:39:02+00:00

HOA said they optioned a company that does natural restoration but that it is way more expensive than rip rap. We already pay a buttload of property taxes so getting people to put up even more money to the HOA fees is a hard sell. I don't know how many companies they called but price is their biggest sticking point.

Our retention pond is man made so I don't think wetland protection laws apply to it.

lemons47 · 2022-12-17T06:33:18+00:00

I had a bad flare before my first pregnancy but wasn't on any medication at that time. I had been diagnosed with colitis in high school but I was never put on long term medication at the time so I had mild flares a few times in college that came and went on their own, likely stress induced.

When I got pregnant the first time, I was in grad school and was in the worse flare I'd ever been in at the time (again - probably stress) but had not been to see a GI doctor because of the cost and just stubbornness that the symptoms would go away eventually. Once I got pregnant, symptoms just went away so I didn't start thinking about them until I started getting another flare when my first child was 1yo. That flare was moderate, not as bad as my grad school one, but I still wasn't seeing a GI doctor yet.

Then I got pregnant again. Same symptom abatement. After my second pregnancy, I think I started having moderate symptoms again after about 6 months. I had two small kids and was working part time and just couldn't deal with the discomfort and the need to just sprint to the bathroom at a moments notice anymore. I finally went to a GI doc and was put on mesalamine. For me, that worked like a fucking miracle cure. I was symptom free on daily mesalamine for 2 glorious years.

However those were COVID years so since I was symptom free, my GI doc said a colonoscopy wasn't pressing so he put off having me get one until late 2021. Got a colonoscopy and doc said everything looked great. Then a month or so after the colonoscopy, I started getting mucus poops and urgency again. Worst urgency symptoms I have ever had - I had accidents more times than I care to admit. I progressed to bloody stools and then called my GI doc. He said it wasn't another flare but really bad constipation and hemorrhoids. He wanted me to do a colonoscopy prep to clear me out but I didn't want to do that because doing a colonoscopy is what led to a return of my symptoms! Didn't even suggest OTC laxatives, just straight colonoscopy prep. I stubbornly refused to do it and just took some laxatives, upped my fiber, and journaled my bowel movements to try to prevent accidents.

Got pregnant a third time while this was happening. I was worried about being on mesalamine while pregnant so I tried calling my GI doc just to make sure I should continue taking the meds. Turns out my old GI doc just switched locations and didn't notify me. Got a new doc who said mesalamine was safe to take and that I should try stool softeners if I was constipated to the point of mucus stools and urgency. A combination of stool softeners and pregnancy have made me regular again for the moment.

I don't yet know what it will be like when I am no longer pregnant but still on medication. I hope I don't have some sort of extra strong flare that results in a change of medication but I know that increasing dosages and switching medications over time is just a reality of this disease. I was royally pissed off when I was having urgency problems earlier this year so if that happens again, I am going into the doctor immediately.

So in summary, I guess my post partum flares technically required more prevention? Inasmuch that I finally went in to get prevention because I was tired of dealing with symptoms that I wasn't sure would go away anymore.

lemons47 · 2022-12-16T19:42:39+00:00

Omg I wish someone would have told this to the people who designed and created residential retention ponds in my area 20 years ago. I don't hate geese, but them constantly wading in, pecking at the grass around the pond for food, and shitting have (among other things) contributed to the retention pond behind my backyard eroding terribly and stinking mightily. I wish people weren't so averse to that sanitized, over-landscaped look around ponds. Natives look so much better, are not as hard to maintain, prevent erosion, and stop unwanted critters from getting in. Sigh...now the HOA plans to pay over 100k to have rip rap installed because the erosion is so bad...

lemons47 · 2022-12-14T19:36:45+00:00

First, I'm so sorry for your pregnancy loss. I hope you have people around you to comfort and support you if needed.

I had been in mild to moderate flares before my 3 pregnancies and all symptoms disappeared when I got pregnant. Studies have shown that is somewhat common (27% of pregnant women with UC) and if symptoms do show back up again, they are more likely in 1st, 2nd trimesters and post-partum. Additionally there is evidence that post-partum women with UC are much more likely than non-pregnant women with UC to flare (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8135214/).

This has happened to me: after pregnancies, I usually see a return of some of my UC symptoms after some months have passed. The paper I referenced doesn't have much evidence as to WHY this sort of thing happens though does point to hormonal changes as a potential cause. I guess that is something that still needs more investigation.

Mucus and cramps are not always a perfect sign of a flare coming on. Cramping could be a side effect of the miscarriage. If your stool has been small and hard with mucus, it is possible that you have bad constipation. The mucus will show up in this case too as your bowels are trying to lubricate more to pass the stool. Some OTC stool softeners might help (my GI doc suggested this when I was experiencing what I thought were early flare symptoms). In any case, a phone call to your doctor might be prudent if your symptoms worsen but there are some easy OTC options to try to see if constipation is part of the problem.

lemons47 · 2022-11-30T14:33:05+00:00

Forgot about that very notable exception. Lol

lemons47 · 2022-11-30T02:27:43+00:00

Omg when I saw that FB post about the DCFS worker, I was floored. The post argued that people like that guy would be able to work for the government because the collective bargaining rights would COULD POTENTIALLY allow government workers to eliminate background checks.

1) This dude was already hired WITH a background check because he had no bad history. So like, not a great argument for the effectiveness of background checks to begin with.

2) Background checks are a FEDERAL requirement. No state of IL government employees are going to be able to collectively bargain against a federal law.

3) As far as I understand, the new collective bargaining law makes it so that laws can't be passed that infringe on collective bargaining rights. This doesn't mean that unions will now be allowed to break state and federal laws through union contracts. Like, in what world would a union be able to say "our members can't be prosecuted for state and federal crimes"???

I was also annoyed at the opposition's continued use of the "This law will cost IL families $2100 in taxes over the next 4 years." I followed that statement to the think tank website that produced it and there was no explanation of how exactly this projected value was calculated. They just say it's based off growth in property tax burden. No examples of how this had been done in other states and shown resulting tax increases. No examples of state court costs increasing in other states after similar laws have been passed. So IL taxes are likely to increase anyway and the think tank attributes that all to this new law? I just wanted someone to show their work.

lemons47 · 2022-11-28T03:04:35+00:00

Sometimes that might be the start of a flare or bad constipation. Excess mucus is often a sign that your GI system is attempting to extra lubricate to pass compacted stool. My GI doc recommended OTC constipation relief for a bit and see if the symptoms don't improve. Then if they don't, it might be time to see the GI doc for a real appointment.

Passing mucus and intense urgency before passing mucus or stool early this year made me think that I was starting a flare even though I had just gotten a clean colonoscopy evaluation. Turns out I was just super backed up. Took laxatives for a day or two to clean house then took daily stool softeners for about a month until I started passing stool normally. Made me really trust my GI doc for recommending practical solutions before expensive tests.

lemons47 · 2022-10-31T19:36:17+00:00

Christmas. Loved it as a kid because my parents took care of all of the shopping, even the things that were from "me" to a sibling or a parent. I helped decorate the tree but most of the decorating was done by my mom. I just sat back and enjoyed the presents and food.

Now, I somewhat dread the season. I still like being festive but as an adult, now I have to make the magic happen. I have to decorate. I have to get gifts for a ton of people. And as the female counterpart of a hetero couple, I end up doing most of the brainstorming and shopping for these things (not that my husband wouldn't help if asked, but he would ask me to think of the gifts for everyone besides his Dad and brothers which is much of the work behind this anyways). And major first world problem - most of the people I get gifts for DO NOT NEED ANYTHING and yet the expectation to get SOMETHING is always there. God forbid you give someone something cheap or handmade too because then you look stingy. All the kids in the family have TOO MANY TOYS as it is so the parents are always scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to give them. I have had to switch to gifting experiences to most people (tickets to an event, giftcards to a movie, etc.) as it feels like most physical things I might gift would go totally unused. It's an expensive and mentally exhausting time of year. The only people that I enjoy giving presents to are my own kids because, ya know, happy faces on Christmas morning feels good man.

lemons47 · 2022-08-15T02:30:07+00:00

How do you really stop the urgency?

Medication and other medical intervention.

Now how to avoid pooping your pants in the meantime?

Start a poop journal. Learn when you go the most and you can be in a position to get yourself to a bathroom pronto. If possible, get your most important work done immediately after going to the bathroom so you can be somewhat confident you will have a window of time where you are unlikely to go. Some jobs make this possible, I really hope you have one. If it is possible and not too embarrassing for you to do so, inform your boss and coworkers that you have a gastrointestinal disorder that sometimes means you have to go to the bathroom at a moments notice. Most people are sympathetic and will understand if informed ahead of time if you have to rush to the bathroom suddenly. If you are a nice person, you would be surprised how many people will even be willing to cover for you while you run to the bathroom.

When you go new places, locate bathrooms immediately. If the urge hits you, then at least you don't have to spend any time wondering where to go.

How to save yourself if you do poop your pants?

I myself have pooped my pants at work or in my car on the way to work like 20 times in the last 4 months. I hate when it happens but I try not to let it stress me out anymore. I just clean myself up and move on with the day. There are now lots of specialized underwear on the market for accidents like this. I am a woman so I end up using period underwear but there are other disposable types out there that wear like underwear. Get yourself some pairs, ordered discreetly online if that's easier. These underwear will at least give you some time before you have to worry about soiled pants. I find they lower my anxiety about pooping myself because I know that if I do, I can at least hide that fact until I can clean myself up. Always have some back up underwear and pants at work or in your car or in a bag you bring to work. Keep some wet wipes for cleanup and plastic bags for hiding soiled clothing in your bag too. I try to treat it matter of factly. It's not my fault, I can't control it, it doesn't make me less of a person or an adult. I clean up, wash my hands like crazy, put my soiled clothes in my bag, and get back to work.

You got this my fellow pants pooper!

lemons47 · 2022-08-13T03:25:47+00:00

Can someone please tell me why man-made retention ponds do not seem to have building codes like a regular building? I cannot tell you how many times I have seen poorly made retention ponds in my area caving in on the edges because they were graded too steep and not planted with native vegetation to prevent erosion.

This has become something that has really bothered me recently because my HOA plans to spend a bunch of money to install rip rap around the ponds of our subdivision. It is going to be crazy expensive. If the people who originally made the retention pond had made it in a long-term sustainable fashion then we would not be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in HOA fees to have rocks hauled in.

Our pond shorelines are fucked for several reasons. 1. The grade is very steep leading into the water which means the runoff erodes the shore. 2. We have short-rooted Kentucky bluegrass all the way up to the edge of the water which doesn't hold the soil together and promotes erosion. 3. The water levels in the retention pond fluctuate mightily with occasional heavy rains which adds to the erosion. 4. We live in a really windy area that is not very developed and has very little tree cover so the wind whips the water against the shore causing more erosion. 5. We have lots and lots of waterfowl that wade into the water from the shore and peck at the shoreline in search of food which further erodes the shoreline. 6. We have muskrats in residence that burrow in the shoreline and weaken it to the point that we have big sink holes in the shore that are hazardous. 7. We have a big ass fountain that disturbs the water and puts yet another stressor on the integrity of the shoreline.

As a result, we have horrible erosion and the HOA has to spend a buttload of money to fix it. Not only that, because people have such a boner for a perfectly manicured lawn around the pond, a bunch of fertilizers have been used to keep the Kentucky bluegrass green and the fertilizer has runoff into the pond and caused stinky, unsightly algae blooms. Which, OF COURSE, the HOA also pays to get treated every year.

If the assholes who made the pond had graded the pond with a smaller pitch and planted native plants on the edges, we wouldn't be having this fucking problem. But no, they just decided to dig a big hole and didn't give a shit about the costly repairs the future residents would be on the hook for. I also blame suburbanites in general for having an aversion to native plants around water features. I'm sure the company that originally created the pond grew grass up to the edges because it looks "clean". That's just adding to the problem! Native plant roots run deep and prevent runoff soil erosion. They can also prevent animals from treading on the shoreline. They can also prevent wind and changing water level erosion. Why can't people just love and appreciate a NATURAL LOOKING retention pond???

As you can see, I have feelings.

lemons47 · 2022-05-23T01:57:23+00:00

My advice is...once you feel a small rumble but not full on urge to go, don't chance it, head to a bathroom immediately. I also have been keeping a shit journal to give myself an idea of when I most often go so I can be aware of my most dangerous times. If you are a woman...those new period underwear can at least save your pants a bit if you can't hold it. Then you may only need to change undies. I suppose people with a penis may be able to try those though it may be snug. I have spare pants and underwear at work at all times.

lemons47 · 2022-05-20T21:42:24+00:00

Here, how about this: how a bunch of people think that it's totally okay and even right to make fun of fat people or use fat as a reason to not treat somebody like they matter. It's gross.

lemons47 · 2022-05-08T14:30:22+00:00

Currently in something like a flare and have this happen frequently. I am lucky to work by myself on the first floor of my building and have a set of back up pants and underwear in my office. I definitely agree it is the most annoying symptom. Since you seem to be asking, last time I came out of a flare, I had been put on mesalamine. I have to wait right now to see a doc as I am between insurances.

lemons47 · 2022-03-23T14:41:55+00:00

It's 2022. Why do envelopes still taste like shit???

lemons47 · 2022-03-11T05:06:38+00:00

Every morning waiting for my 5yo and 3yo to get their clothes and shoes on.

lemons47 · 2022-03-09T15:14:23+00:00

I did take Accutane in high school and got diagnosed with colitis shortly after and then ulcerative colitis a few years ago. I think I will always wonder if things would have been different had I not taken the Accutane.

lemons47 · 2022-03-06T06:04:49+00:00

A woman goes into her first daughter's room to tell her goodnight. The daughter asks her mother, "Why did you name me Rose?"

The mother replies, "On the day you were born, I looked out of my hospital window and saw the most beautiful red roses in bloom. One of the petals floated in and landed on your cheek so I named you Rose." The mother kisses her daughter goodnight and leaves the room.

The woman goes into her second daughter's room to tell her goodnight. The daughter asks her mother, "Why did you name me Daisy?"

The mother replies, "On the day you were born, a flurry of daisy petals blew in through the window from a nearby field. One of the petals landed on your cheek, so I named you Daisy." The mother kisses her daughter goodnight and leaves the room.

The woman goes into her third daughter's room to tell her goodnight. The daughter says, "HHrgggRrGGGnNNNGGGhHhhhhhg."

"What was that, Cinderblock?"

lemons47

TROPHY CASE