For many teen Crohn's patients, holidays are a depressing time of year. After all, there's lots of delicious forbidden foods, long car trips to see family, and the stress of buying gifts. Can you relate to this scene? Send in your stories about holiday troubles (Any holiday at all - Chanukah, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Passover, etc.)
Katie: Hi! My name is Katie and I am 13. In October of 1998 i was diagnosed with acute Crohn's disease. However, before they found out that it was Crohn's the doctors had to perform a colonoscopy on me. Now, to perform a colonoscopy your stomach has to be totally cleared out. So the night before my colonoscopy which was October 31st, (Halloween!) I had to take three tablespoons of this really foul tasting laxative drink. The laxative was so sour that I gagged after each tablespoon. I really didn't want to take it and even when I mixed it with lemonade it tasted terrible and I don't think that I'll ever drink lemonade again! Anyway I finally got it down, but by that time the night was almost over and I didn't even get to go trick or treating! So my dad took me down the block but I only got a few pieces of candy because soon the laxative went to work and I really had to go to the bathroom, badly!! I can't wait till next Halloween, maybe it will be better.
Rachel: For Hanukkah, go easy on the fried latkes. They're delicious but they're kinda hard on the CD. Also watch what's in the food you eat at other people's houses and watch what's in the cookies. I know my family received two tins of cookies and 3/4 of the cookies in one had some sort of nuts in them. Other than that, have fun lighting the candles and opening all those presents!!
Anonymous: I have a problem with Christmas dinners and traditions! I'm on a low fiber low residue diet so I can't eat any fruits and veggies unless they're canned, popcorn, chocolate (drat, and we just found out that I'm really not allergic to it!), chips, not too much dairy, fattening meats, bacon, and fried foods! At least I'm finally done with my fish oil formula! So that embarrassing problem is gone! Does anyone have a suggestion for the holidays?
Laura: The doctor said I had Crohn's right before Christmas.
There was a good part and a bad part. The good part was while I was in the
hospital I got tons of gifts including the Hope beanie baby that I had been
dying for. The bad part was that when I returned from the hospital on Christmas
I looked in my stocking
expecting the normal tons of chocolate. Nope, my doctor had said no
caffeine meaning no chocolate!
Christina: Hi! My name is Christina and I just turned 13!! I remember those really bad holidays that were caused by those funky relatives of ours. But mine was as almost like everyone else during Halloween. I remember picking out my costume a month before I even knew I had Crohn's. I wanted to be one of those STAR TREK people with the badge and everything. I was bummed out when it was two days before Halloween and I was still in the hospital after my surgery unable to laugh at anything. The only enjoyment I had was the nurses call button. When I did get out I was happy that I could go all around my neighborhood asking for candy! But if you know doctors as well as I do when they always put restrictions to what you can do on your time of glory. Anyway, I got to go but, the fact that there are restrictions to what you can eat if you have CD, you can probably guess that I couldn't eat nuts, seeds, anything red you know what I mean. Well, anyway I spent most of the time getting candy from like every home in the neighborhood, I even got more candy from those who knew I was in the hospital. To make a long story short I had to give practically all my candy to my sister because of the doctors restrictions.
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