How does one “Feel Better?”

With Crohn’s disease, when you start feeling like shit you know you are in for the long haul.

Crohn’s is a Victorian wasting disease where the only remedies are hot pads, cold compresses, and moving to the mountains where the air is less tubercular.

Except it’s 2025 and you can’t buy morphine or heroin over the counter anymore, so your pain relief options are limited to marijuana and whatever your doctor will give you, if anything.

So what can self care look like? What can a healing mindset look like?

This is what I’m struggling with for flare #5.

I’ve worked a lot over the last two years on fitness both of my body and mind, and overcoming the mindset that Crohn’s is a permanent limitation on my body. For sure there will be periods where I’m knocked out, because you can’t do shit if your body is starving. My body won’t be able to heal itself if it can’t absorb enough nutrients and that’s the raw deal.

Cutting the inflammation for me I think has to do with de-stressing and bowel rest. This has worked in the past but it’s possible my disease is progressing and this won’t continue to work now or in the future. I guess psychologically I’ll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

Dietary intervention should hypothetically work as well as meds but all of the interventions take time, 4-6 weeks, up to 12. And I feel at this point in my life like time is the thing I do not have, with the necessity of caring for my family and paying my mortgage and bills. This year I have short term disability insurance, which hopefully will cover me and I can actually afford to take the time off I need.

So maybe part of my healing mindset is acceptance of what needs to happen, digging in for the long haul, and taking the time off I know I will need to get better.

Things I need to care for myself

• Smoothies
• Meal replacement shakes
• Blended food
• A working toilet
• Wet wipes
• Frequent showers
• Clean comfy clothes
• Blankie
• Kitties
• Walks to regulate my nervous system
• Low key cardio like rowing or cycling to maintain some kind of muscles and cardiovascular fitness
• Low key resistance training for muscle and bone health
• Swimming for fun and also hot tub
• Painting for contemplation of beauty
• Time spent with friends and family
• Maybe help with chores if I get really weak
• Grocery pick up
• Flu vaccine
• Figuring out how to make my FMLA paperwork and my short term disability paperwork meet my needs