One year before my wedding, I switched from Remicade to Sulfasalazine, a 5-ASA oral medication. It kept me in remission for nearly about twelve months, but I fell into a flare one month before my wedding.
In this post, I share the flare food that helped me manage my symptoms until a new medicine kicked in.
The Flare that Broke Through Sulfasalazine
Out of nowhere, I felt the familiar pain and cramps. I ran to the bathroom at my office and tried not to cry. My wedding was just one month away!
Perhaps it was the stressful wedding planning that welcomed the flare, but the reason didn’t really matter. What mattered was that I get in touch with my GI immediately to set up a plan so that my symptoms can be managed on my wedding day.
The Steps My Doctor and I Took
My gastroenterologist and I chose a plan of action right away.
Deciding the Next Drug: Remicade (Again)
Instead of trying a brand new drug, my GI and I agreed that I should go back onto Remicade. I had been on it for about a year before, and we knew it worked well for me.
A part of me was disappointed that I had to revert back to this drug; it made me feel like my situation would never improve.
Rushing to Get a TB Test
Since I’d been off Remicade for over a year, my TB test had expired! I’d completely forgotten about this, and now I was rushing and panicking to renew my TB so I could receive my Remicade infusion.
The Meal that Helped Manage My Symptoms
Those days waiting for my Remicade infusion dragged on. My awful, bloody UC symptoms had returned in full force. Somehow, I was able to go to work these days, as long as I stayed near the bathroom.
During these days, I skipped breakfast and brought a small, light lunch every day. The lunch consisted of only white rice, oyster crackers, and orange juice.
White rice is less fibrous than brown rice, and it’s typically recommended to avoid fiber during flares in which you’re already going to the bathroom enough.
Also, I made the rice in chicken broth rather than water. It added more flavor without any crazy seasonings, sauces, or difficult-to-digest additions. The rice was easy to digest, the crackers coated my stomach, and the juice gave me some extra sugars.
Another Flare Food Tip
Another thing that helped me was to snack lightly throughout the day so that I steered clear of feeling stuffed. Easy-to-digest food in small portions is what allowed me to go to work these days.
Of course, I still had painful sprints to the bathroom, but they were not constant like how things were when I was first diagnosed.
Finally, by the end of the week, I got my TB read and I went back to the hospital to get my Remicade infusion.
Back on Remicade
In my case, Remicade was a powerful drug that helped turn me into this invincible, incredibly happy, energetic person.
Like all my other infusions, I left the hospital that day feeling great and ready to tackle the last of the wedding planning.
Feeling Good on My Wedding Day
The next four weeks were happy ones. The Remicade took effect right away, and since I was getting infusions every eight weeks, I’d have about a two-week buffer time after returning from our wedding and honeymoon before feeling the pain and needing my next dose.
My wedding day was gorgeous and sunny, (though too chilly for my liking), but absolutely perfect. Tyler and I said “I do” at a woodsy winery surrounded by blooming flowers, a lovely pond, and all our friends and family. We ate BBQ food, took photos, and danced the night away.
My wedding day was amazing.
I thank God I didn’t have to pause my vows to double over in pain.
I was able to eat the food that was much tastier than rice and orange juice.
And best of all, my white dress stayed white.
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Your wedding was beautiful! Glad you were feeling well and able to enjoy!