Blueberries & Strictures

I love fruit and loathe Crohn's disease at times. Take blueberries, for instance. I went to the grocery store and picked up some fruit. No, not to eat. I can't eat fruit. To blend in my Vitamix. I get home, wash the blueberries and start to eat them, as if it's "safe". Not so fast!! I quickly spit out them out. I can't eat those, I think, and mildly freak out to the thought that I may have some stomach issues later.
I proceed to blend my blueberries, strawberries, apple and banana.

How many people have to think about every single thing that goes into their mouth? Aside from those (myself included) who count points, fat grams and calories. Many Crohn's, Colitis and IBD sufferers know this problem all too well- strictures.

An intestinal stricture is inflammation that has caused scarring of the intestines. Ultimately, a stricture can get so narrow that a fistula is formed (that's a whole other ball game). I have had my fair share of strictures and fistulas. Three times  they have lead to major surgery. First was my proctocolecotmy in 2001, next came the bowel resection in 2004, followed by a new stoma and bowel resection in 2008.

Back to food. My list of DO NOT eat is longer than my list of foods I can eat. I avoid roughage, unless for some reason I think I'm a "normal" person at that moment. As a general rule, I don't eat vegetables, unless they are pureed, a la baby food style. I do eat tomatoes on occasion, if I'm feeling really well and have had a lot of liquids that day. So how do I get nutrients? See below!

Breakfast: 2 Low fat Nutragrain waffles with 2 TBS of PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter and decaf iced  
                 coffee. If I go to the gym before work, I add a protein shake into the mix too.

Morning Snack: Low fat Sharp Cheddar String Cheese

Lunch: High protein pasta with spinach pesto (pulverized in the food processor) with grilled chicken
            with a sprinkling of low fat cheese.

Afternoon Snack: A Zone protein bar. I go to the gym every night, so this is perfect pre-workout.

Dinner: Grilled chicken or turkey sausage with rice, pasta, or a tortilla, with sun-dried tomato pesto or  
             spinach pesto, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Dessert: A whole fruit smoothie made with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, grapes,
             peaches, or whatever I have in the fridge or freezer.


Sometimes when I go out to eat and order a meal, asking the waitress to remove all of the roughage, I think "do people think I am not a healthy eater"? I am an avid gym goer and love to eat healthy foods, when I am healthy. How many people understand that veggies and fruit could be bad for you? It's a foreign concept. The way I eat is healthy for ME. Is it a bummer that some of us Crohnnies have to watch every single thing that goes into our mouths? YES. Is it worth it to avoid surgery? Absolutely.