Husband diagnosed with UC this morning

Thanks so much for all the words. It means a lot. In addition what we are dealing with is a "cold": sore throat, some fever ( all started a bit before the colonoscopy and pills) .......... we don't think related to the UC but who knows?... so working out a regime of pill taking between tylenol, chloraseptic spray and expectorant, with Lialda and diet is a bit daunting at the moment... i must say I don't know if it is wise to continue a planed trip in Jan for 2 weeks to Asia. I mean on the one hand this may be under control in the 5 weeks ( the doctor said )........OR maybe not? I want to be sensible. It is so unbelievable to me that withough any prior symptoms this started 7 am on the last day of September while hiking.
Also I think we should have been folowing a more cautious diet since then instead of "normal". Anyway right now we have started on more bland diet and shall keep track of it. Thanks so much
Chloe

Don't let this illness rule your life. It doesn't have to! I am one of the fortunate ones who has had a relatively trouble-free course with this disease. Your husband may be, too, one of the lucky ones! If you wait to live until all things are perfect, you'll wait forever. Don't cancel your trip.

In a worst-case scenario, if your husband is ill around trip time, your doctor can prescribe a course of prednisone a week or so before the trip, to take during the trip, and he should be okay. Pred has really sucky side effects, but it can often get a flare quite well under control quite quickly -- at least the first time or two that most folks take it. This assumes he's not developed a "resistence" to pred by having taken it in the past for this or some other malady.

I do not agree with the advice that you shouldn't come here. I think what you should do is read everything carefully, here and everywhere on the Net, recognizing that there is a spectrum of this disease from bedridden and needing surgery to having a relatively normal life. Knowledge is power when dealing with just about any issue. You just have to recognize the wide variance of this illness, and recognize that not everyone, everywhere knows what they are talking about, and you have to ferret out the truth - and even ferret out the truth for you and your husband. Anyway, again, I feel like other than taking my meds each morning, I have a normal life -- whatever the heck that is. Your husband may just be fortunate enough to be that lucky as well.

Oh, and diet doesn't have much effect for me. But again, I think you cannot go wrong with trying to address the issue that way. It can't hurt.

Good luck!
Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Pred, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. 2001 colonoscopy dx'd left-sided UC. . Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working, switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007, brought under control with steroid and Rowasa enemas. Lap Chole performed October 26, 2007, after gall bladder attack in June, '07.
Daily meds: 100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression), many vitamins and Primadophilus Reuteri

See? I respect the heck out of Quincy. She is among a handful of what I consider the most knowledgeable folks here. For her, prednisone is more awful than good. In fact, it's only awful as far as she is concerned. And perhaps rightly so. For her. For me, the limited times I've had to take it (three times, the longest for like six weeks), it really worked to get me out of an otherwise serious health crisis. You may not want hubby to take it while in Asia or at any other time, but you also don't want your husband to experience a bad flare while on vacation in Asia and be unable to get help there.

You really do have to do all the research and come to your own decisions, in consultation with your doctor.

Best of luck to you and your husband.

Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Pred, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. 2001 colonoscopy dx'd left-sided UC. . Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working, switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007, brought under control with steroid and Rowasa enemas. Lap Chole performed October 26, 2007, after gall bladder attack in June, '07.
Daily meds: 100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression), many vitamins and Primadophilus Reuteri

It's a Mitz and Quincy mutual admiration society!!!

I agree completely about the pred: Get on, get inflammation under control, get the hell off!!! As soon as possible.

Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Pred, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. 2001 colonoscopy dx'd left-sided UC. . Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working, switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007, brought under control with steroid and Rowasa enemas. Lap Chole performed October 26, 2007, after gall bladder attack in June, '07.
Daily meds: 100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression), many vitamins and Primadophilus Reuteri

Well it is now 10 days since getting the diagnosis for my 62 year old husband, and have been following the posts since then and it is all so helpful. My husband started on 4 Lialda each morning and Rowasa each night
I followed the posts concerning generic Rowasa and realise we have generic. The pharmacy will be obtainig the non-generic for to-morrow as even if it is only the bottle which makes for easier management we want to do this... It was so helpful to hear on the posts that as the inflammation eases one can retain the Rowesa all night and for the last 3 nights he has been able to retain all night.

I have to say there is ONLY 1% improvement in his condition overall with continued bleeding and diarhoea, and has continued to lose weight, with accompanying debilitating fatigue. All we have been told to do re food is to eat normally and experiment with what causes upset. Not feeling that this was sufficient guideline, yesterday I bought the book "The new eating right for a bad gut" by James Scala. He seems so sensible and we are going to start a few days of vanilla ensure so as to give the gut a rest. This will be combined with metamucil and probiotics and omega 3 oil capsules....

We shall enquire of the GI person and his internist just who is monitorng his hemaglobin as he was already anemic on Oct 22.

So here is my question? Can you see any contra indications for staying onthis liquid diet for 4-5 days? I mean it all maks sense to us.....
Thanks to you all
Chloe
PS the way we are going I think the writing is on the wall to cancel the Asian trip for January.

A liquid diet isn't a bad idea. I did the scd diet (you can google it for a ton of stuff...) for a year and a half with no meds other than some vitamin e enemas in the beginning and did great. Now my flare is too bad for that, but it was a wonderful year and a half!
This disease is SO hard to deal with in the beginning. It does get easier, though no happier, but he will learn how to deal with it...when to eat, what to eat, what meds are/are not working. And it is very different for everyone. Nothing works for everyone. For a long time I would just not eat during the day and be fine, and then eat at night and get sick (but be well by morn again). I do know people who are on Lialda (or some similar version) and that's it. It never gets worse. I do hope your hubby is one of those.
On the trip, I wouldn't say not to go, though it would be easier right now. If he wanted to take the prednisone, it would most likely clear it up in a few days. But it is nasty and you do have to get off it so you aren't dependent on it.
The best thing you can do I think is find a good doc and that is HARD to do! There are WAY more bad ones than good ones. I'm lazy and it takes 2-3 months to get an appt, so I'm only on my third in 3 years. I just found a TERRIFIC one, and of course he's retiring at the end of the year. Figures. I can only hope the new one taking his place is as good. He did more for me in 3 days (with tests and scopes, etc) than the other docs did in 3 years!

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dx 4/05 with pancolitis UC after birth of my second child... meds worked randomly

Chloe --

Sorry to hear your husband's not feeling better.  Re the trip, I would have said to give it a week or two to decide, depending on how he is responding to the 5ASAs.  I for one responded pretty much immediately.  But it sounds like his course might not be as smooth.  Hoping the best for you both ...