How To Safely Drink Alcohol With Crohn’s Disease

First, let me start this post off by saying I’m not endorsing underage drinking. I am, however, realistically acknowledging that alcohol is to college as marijuana is to Willie Nelson concerts: it’s always around and, at many schools, is also a big part of the culture.

For example, I go to a large public university where football Saturdays are typically spent waking up at 7 a.m. to start drinking, going to the game or watching it at a bar, then drinking late into the night. Is it fun? Yeah, usually. But is it safe? Probably not.

It’s nice actually remembering the game, so pregame easily.

I happen to enjoy alcohol, but I’ve learned how to drink responsibly, which is something you’ll have to do too if you want to keep your disease under control at college. It’s a balancing act and it’s one that takes time to master when you’re constantly surrounded by the binge drinking, bar specials and 21st birthday parties that pop up around campus every weekend.

That’s why I’m sharing some tips and tricks for how you can drink safely with Crohn’s:

• First and foremost, make sure it’s safe to drink alcohol with the medications you’re taking. If you’re taking Flagyl , for example, alcohol will make you extremely ill because the two don’t mix well. Even if you’re underage, you should feel comfortable talking to your doctor about drinking, and he or she can tell you if it’s safe for you or not.
• Experiment, within reason. Unfortunately, there’s no definitive list of what drinks you can and can’t have with Crohn’s. Beer has never really agreed with me, but wine and vodka are fine. Some people are the exact opposite, while others can’t even tolerate alcohol at all. Everyone is different, so trial and error is really the only way to find out what works for you. Just do it in a smart way by not trying too many things at once.
  

  Hmmm…does this drink agree with me?

• Which brings us to this next point: try to stick with one kind of drink the whole night. Don’t go for a smorgasbord of alcohol (i.e., first a beer, then a shot of tequila, then a glass of wine, then a long island iced tea…) because the chances of you getting sick will be much higher.
• You don’t have to keep up with everyone else. Alcohol should be enjoyed in moderation, not abused in excess, so be careful around beer pong and other drinking games. If you’re at a bar and want to create the illusion you’re “keeping up,” try this: order a non-alcoholic drink that looks like a mixed drink (for example, a coke and lime to look like rum & coke, or anything with sprite or club soda.) It’s a nifty party trick for when you don’t want to drink but don’t want anyone to bug you about it.
  

  Cocktail or mocktail? You’ll never know…

• If you’re flaring, fuhgeddaboudit. Alcohol does irritate the GI tract, so drinking while flaring is way too risky.
• Let’s say you choose to ignore all these tips, get really drunk, and wake up with a monster hangover tomorrow morning. It’s OK, you’re only human, so here’s one last tip for the dreaded morning after: rehydrate and renourish! Pedialyte is surprisingly good for this. Also try Vitamin Water, Gatorade, or anything with electrolytes.

I just want to finish this post by saying I understand that, especially if you’re diagnosed with Crohn’s at a younger age, it can make you feel like an outcast among your friends because sometimes you can’t do all the same things they do. But having Crohn’s doesn’t mean you will be robbed of having fun. And you don’t need to drink like a fish to have a good time, so not being able to play beer pong doesn’t mean college is going to suck for you. There are much more important things than that, like staying out of the hospital and being healthy. Cheers to that!

Here’s to drinking safely!

Start Of The Semester Tips

As the spring semester begins, everyone on campus seems to be running around with their heads cut off–“I can’t find the math building!” “I need to meet with my advisor so I can drop this class!” “I have to work out so I can keep my new year’s resolution!” “I should join another club and get more involved!”–I’ve been overhearing these kinds of comments all week (classes started on Monday at my school) and I can’t help but think all this stress is taking a major toll on people.

For those of us with Crohn’s and IBD, we get the added stress of worrying about how our disease will affect our performance at school. That’s why there are some key things to keep in mind as we begin new classes. Here are some of my tips for starting the semester on a smart and healthy foot:

Avoid the hunger games.

• Look at your class schedule and identify times when you can take a break and eat a snack. I know it sounds strange, but this is something I’ve learned over the years: sometimes when you’re planning your schedule, you don’t realize that your classes are back-to-back-to-back from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., leaving you no time to refuel yourself in the middle of a hectic day. If this is the case for you, think about when you’re able to eat between your classes, so you can avoid those hunger pangs, and then stock up on foods that are easily portable, like granola bars or fruit.
  

  Survival section of the backpack

Pack like a Scout.

• If you take medications during the daytime, remember to pack those with you as well. It’s always good to have a few spare pills in your backpack anyway. If you have an ostomy, make sure you have extra bags/bases/scissors, etc.

Know the restroom routes.

• The first time you go to your classroom building, identify where the restrooms are, and which are closest to your room. Ideally, you should do this before the first day of classes so you’re prepared in advance.

Credit: blog.lib.umn.edu

Talk to your teachers.

• A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how to talk to your roommate. Talking to your teacher is similar: tell them you have Crohn’s and explain what it is in a nutshell if they don’t already know. Then tell them how it might affect you in class. For example, I always tell my teachers that I might need to leave in the middle of class to use the restroom. Most teachers really don’t care, but it’s better to let them know in advance so they know you have a legitimate reason for constantly leaving the room.

Make it official.

• Register with your school’s Office of Disabilities. At my school, I have an assigned counselor who is able to help me if I need an excused absence because of a medical emergency or flare-up. Having someone who can act as a liaison between you and your teachers will take a lot of stress off your shoulders. Honestly, I rarely need my counselor’s services, but it eases my mind knowing she’s there if I need her. (BONUS: at my school, registering with the disabilities office gets you priority scheduling).
  

  You’ll even get a nifty handbook!

Now let me ask you: what do you do to make the start of the semester as smooth and stress-free as possible? Do you have any of your own tips you would add to this list? Let me know!

And to all my fellow College Crohnies: I hope you have a great, homework-free first week of classes!

How To Combat Finals Week Stress

This is it, guys. For four months, we’ve been plugging away, filling our brains to the brim with information, some of which is actually useful and some of which isn’t, and hoping it stays put long enough for us to reel it in during this most dreaded of times: yep, it’s finals week.

The end of the semester is tough for everybody, but those of us trying to juggle school and a chronic illness are put at a special risk. For most Crohn’s patients, myself included, stress can easily trigger unwanted symptoms, which is why managing and reducing stress is crucial during times like these. But how are we supposed to do that with a never-ending to-do list and an apartment that keeps getting dirtier and dirtier because we don’t have time to clean? The key for me is time management. There are plenty of ways to help keep stress at bay, as long as you plan accordingly and avoid procrastination.

This, my friends, is what we call “the get shit done top bun.”

Here are a few tips for managing your stress–and your Crohn’s–during Finals Week:

• Exercise. Working out is the perfect study break because it rejuvenates your body and clears your mind. Again, this is where time management is key, but even if you can only manage a brisk walk around the block, it’s better than nothing and will definitely leave you feeling refreshed. If you’re too crunched for time, you can even bring some flash cards to the gym and study them while on the elliptical or stationary bike.
• Everything in moderation. It’s tempting to chug coffee and Red Bull to stay awake, but caffeine and sugary drinks should be enjoyed in moderation to avoid an upset stomach. Plus, coffee is a diarrhetic, so take it easy on the espresso. Try to drink one cup of water for every one cup of coffee.
• Get enough sleep. I know it’s easy to resist getting some shut-eye when you just want to go over those notes one last time, but I’ve found a little extra sleep does better for the memory than extra cramming. Power naps are also great if you feel your brain going into overload mode, even if it’s just a 20-minute snooze. Just make sure to set an alarm so you don’t doze off into the nighttime!
• Snack well. I’m a stress eater, so this is a tough one for me, too. But eating junk food to de-stress is a bad idea, especially when you’re trying to fight IBD. Instead, opt for healthy study snacks–my go-to’s are apples with peanut butter, smoothies, and yogurt with fruit and granola. Saving that trip to Cold Stone will feel so much more rewarding AFTER you finish your tests.
• Study at home. Everyone’s personal preferences are different, but I like to study at home so I can be closer to a bathroom. There’s nothing more annoying than studying in the library and having to use the bathroom, which means packing up your things because you don’t want to have your laptop stolen, then coming back to find your spot’s been taken, then finding a new seat, having to use the bathroom again, and repeating the process over and over again. That kind of situation is stressful enough, so I study in my apartment, at my kitchen table (NOT in bed because it’s way too easy to fall asleep), away from the TV and anything else that’s too distracting. Of course, I know it’s not an option for everyone to study at home, so if you do opt for the library or a coffee shop and want to avoid the above scenario, go with a friend so he/she can save your spot while you do your business, and make sure you know ahead of time where the bathrooms are located.

Remember, we’re almost at the finish line; finals will be over soon and then the holiday season will officially commence! I wish you all the best with your tests, projects and papers, but just in case you need some extra motivation, here’s a little something to get you pumped up:

Now go ace those finals!

How To Have “The Talk” With Your Roommate

Me and my roommate-innocent little freshmen

Ah, college. The place of new beginnings. You’ll meet interesting people, take fun classes, develop a lifelong addiction to coffee…

You get a clean slate when you arrive on campus that first day as a frosh, which is awesome for a Chronie because no one knows you as the “sick kid” in your high school who missed weeks of school at a time because of flare-ups.

Sooner or later, though, you’re going to have to tell someone about your disease. And most likely, the first person you tell will be your roommate. It’s a discussion that needs to be had, as you’ll be sharing a living space, and possibly a bathroom, with this person.

I lived in a traditional dorm my freshman year on a floor with all girls. There was a communal bathroom, but I was lucky enough to snag the one room on the floor with a private bathroom. My parents had called the school to make sure I could get this luxury, and you should try the same thing. Call the residence offices and find out which dorms have rooms with private bathrooms and ask how you can be assigned to one. You’ll probably need a doctor’s note verifying that you have a valid reason for needing it, and it will be SO worth it.

Private bathrooms are the best

Whether you’re able to get your own bathroom or not, you’re still going to need to have a conversation with your roommate about how you need to manage your disease. You don’t need to do it the first second you meet him or her (“Hi, I’m Madeline and I have Crohn’s disease!” isn’t exactly getting it off on the right foot). But when it comes to this conversation, the sooner, the better. It may seem uncomfortable, but you’ll be glad you did it.

Here’s what you should say to your roommate:

• Tell them you have Crohn’s disease and then explain what it is in a nutshell. No need to go into your whole medical history, but keep in mind that a lot of people don’t know what Crohn’s is, so give them the Reader’s Digest version.
• Tell them what symptoms you commonly experience and how these will affect you on a daily basis. For example, tell them you frequently get swollen joints that you need to ice, or that you get severe stomach aches which keep you in bed with a heating pad. This will let your roomie know when you need to be left alone.
• If you have diet restrictions, let them know so that you don’t accidentally eat the left over pizza in the fridge that sends your stomach into a frenzy. This is especially important if you have any food allergies. If you share food, make sure items are clearly marked.
• Tell them about the medications you take so they won’t be surprised to see you swallowing pills on a daily basis. I was taking Humira my freshman year, which needed to be refrigerated, so I had to let my roomie know about it since we shared a mini fridge.
• Lastly, let your roommate know  you’ll need easy and frequent access to a bathroom. After I let my roommate know, she made sure to do her hair and makeup in front of a mirror in the room rather than in the bathroom. This way, I wouldn’t delay her morning routine in case I needed to use the bathroom.
  

  Our room. Typical.

Even if you and your roommate don’t become super close BFF’s, remember he or she is not your enemy but your ally. If you respect them, they will respect you in return, and they might very well come in handy if you need them. My roomie always offered to run to the drugstore and get me more Tums or People magazines whenever I was sick. And in return, I cleaned up a vase she shattered when she came home drunk one night. You give a little, you get a little, right? 🙂