When medical issues force your new lifestyle.

desirerodriguez33
desirerodriguez33 Posts: 9 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello I'm desire and I'm 34. I've been a member before and have had great success. I lost 70lbs then got too comfortable and gained 50 of that back. I was hoping to return, although the motivation just wasn't there.
About 2 weeks ago I suffered a pancreatic attack. I now know what it was although at the time I had no idea. I was hospitalized for a week and was told I had a new way of life ahead of me in order to live a happy life.
It's hard and I need all the help and encouragement I can get. I'm kinda following a vegan diet although I still eat chicken and turkey and some dairy. I can not have oils, fatty food, red meat, and even healthy fats such as nuts, avocado, Pnut butter etc.

Any advice, help, friends are much appreciated!

Replies

  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    edited December 2016
    Help is going to come from your treating doctors.

    Support ... plenty here but don't middle it up with your medical advice.

    I'm so sorry you had to endure - was it acute pancreatitis? If so, how awful. I have witnessed that pain and you have full sympathy.
  • brandilc
    brandilc Posts: 12 Member
    Hi. I'm just home from the hospital after having acute pancreatitis and then surgery to remove my gallbladder. In some pain but slowly recovering (from both) really at a loss of what to eat now. I was told to eat low fat/low sugar, but I'm kind of afraid to eat anything while also being afraid to eat nothing because I get horrible headaches.

    Would love to hear about how you're doing now and about how your diet has changed.
  • Merrycherryo
    Merrycherryo Posts: 24 Member
    Hi there! I was also hospitalized for acute pancreatitis back in 2014 and it was the WORST pain in the world. My gastroenterologist recommended gallbladder removal surgery to prevent possible flare ups, but I decided to wait. Slowly I've been changing my lifestyle and eating habits. I try not to eat more than 30 grams of fat a day (which is hard sometimes), I don't drink alcohol anymore, and I gave up my daily candy habit (sort of).
    I go between being a vegetarian to occasionally eating fish & seafood (pescatarian). This has helped me drop pounds and feel great. My body no longer feels like it hates me! When I went to see my doctor, she was really pleased with my lifestyle change and said I didn't need to have gallbladder removal surgery anymore! Great news as long as I keep this change going!
    Feel free to add me as a friend or ask me any questions. Hope this helped!
  • browneyedgirl749
    browneyedgirl749 Posts: 4,984 Member
    I was diagnosed with Lupus in August. While I don't really have the symptoms, I've had to change my lifestyle, like being careful in the sun. My medication has made me change around my diet, since some foods now upset my stomach.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    diagnosed with celiac in April or May (seems like forever) have had to change everything.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,072 Member
    You may want to avoid describing your diet as "kind of vegan" when you're eating chicken, turkey, and dairy. At best, you'll only confuse people about what you can and do eat, as well as confusing the issue for real vegans who have to face being served chicken, turkey, and dairy by the people you have confused.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    I have Crohn's Disease. I am doing an autoimmune diet in which I can only eat meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits and certain oils and sweeteners. It's actually more various than I thought it would be, but it's also difficult because I have to make everything from scratch. I also am low carb and eat all my veggies and fruits cooked. I miss the convenience sometimes. I also have to focus on sleep and light exercise. It's an entire lifestyle change!
  • rdfaye
    rdfaye Posts: 39 Member
    Dealing with RA here. Doing a Mediterranean diet helped the most, but I got way off track this year. I did note that excessive red meat worsens my symptoms, so I try to keep that to a minimum. It's tough, but you can do it.
  • brandilc
    brandilc Posts: 12 Member
    Lotusrain wrote: »
    Slowly I've been changing my lifestyle and eating habits. I try not to eat more than 30 grams of fat a day (which is hard sometimes), I don't drink alcohol anymore, and I gave up my daily candy habit (sort of).
    I go between being a vegetarian to occasionally eating fish & seafood (pescatarian).

    I can relate to the "sort of" vegan. Before my pancreatitis attack, I never even looked at fat content when cutting calories. But I'm finding that most of my vegan recipes are lower in fat. It's much more difficult to keep fat low with meat (especially red meat) in the recipe. Ha! Who knew?

    I changed my macros, but I'm also finding it hard to stick to those. I seem to be eating a lot of fruit, maybe?! Ugh, it's a little of a mind "eff" trying to figure out what to eat throughout the day that will keep me within my macros. Should have asked Santa for a custom menu that suits my lifestyle, stays within my macros, and includes a shopping list. I feel like I'm a smart person, I don't know why I can't figure this out.
    [Mood:sarcastic]
  • rainbowpuddles
    rainbowpuddles Posts: 118 Member
    edited December 2016
    I have IBS and have found figuring out which foods help and which foods hurt to be my biggest struggle. For me it's lots of fiber, major cutbacks on dairy or use substitute dairy products, and I make sure to have probiotics every day. One thing I found to really help is greek yogurt! I have some every day and my stomach seems to really feel better from that.

    I also have panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and found that even with help with my psychiatrist I have a mental health crisis every few years. I often gain a lot of weight during this time from stress-eating and lack of exercise (because I'm so panicked I just want to hide in my bedroom). I just got over my latest crisis and am looking to lose the 30 pounds I gained over the past 6 months from it.

    It's one of those things where I know eating right, sleeping well, and getting exercise helps, but when I'm in constant panic mode I can't think logically. So frustrating :(
  • scv4
    scv4 Posts: 1 Member
    I have IBS..and now taking vsl #3 probiotics .. its hard to start on them. My email is scv24@yahoo.com if you want to chat on email . maybe we can help one another
    I never really had problems with diet until recent flare up to do GI bug.. I also have some of the same issues you have...

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