I'm very excited. I am finally showing signs of healing, and today I was able to decrease my dose of Corticosteroids! Yay! Even though I did feel a bit lost after receiving my diagnosis initially, I have been able to do a lot of research about how to treat Crohn's Disease and Crohn's Flare-Ups and I think that it has helped. Right now, I have chosen to focus on these three things: Medication, Diet, and Lifestyle Changes. Today lets talk about medication. I have been working with a great doctor out of the University of Washington. One of my favorite things about him is how open he is at communicating with his patience. It is very important to start treatment right away when you have a Crohn's Flare, and the most common therapy is the use of Corticosteroids. Most steroid treatments are short term because if the serious side effects associated with them. This was my biggest concern because I could not afford to be on a medication with serious side effects. I don't have extra support and my life doesn't stop when I am sick so life altering side effects were not an option. Thankfully my doctor understood my situation and worked with me to chose a Corticosteroid with the least amount of side effects. After 5 weeks at the highest dose of medication, today I got to decrease my dose by 1/3. It basically means I get to take 2 pills instead of 3, but I am so excited. It means treatment is working. I'm not in any pain, I am beginning to eat again, and I've experienced moments where I feel absolutely amazing! I caught myself dancing in the kitchen with my son the other day without any hesitance at all. We were having so much fun, and the only reason my stomach hurt was because I was laughing so hard. I do miss my chin though and am not fond of these chipmunk cheeks that come with the use of Corticosteroids, but hopefully they will go back to normal as the dosage is lessened. I must say the puffiness is my least favorite side effect. That and the racing mind. My sister and I often send humorous picture back and forth to each other as a happy thought to brighten each others day and the ones about steroid use with Crohn's Disease are hilarious. The best past is they are totally true. Take a look and see if they make you laugh as hard as they made me laugh! Let me know which one was your favorite! Have a blessed start to your week! Danielle
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Friday nights are quickly becoming one of my favorite nights of the week. Friday nights have become our family nights. My son waits for his Daddy to come home from work every night. He leans over the back of the couch and peers out the front window eagerly waiting to see headlights come down the driveway. Then, once he sees their glow and hears the tires crunching the gravel he races as fast as he can off of the couch and to the front door. He flings it open, regardless of the weather, and waits for moment when he can be engulfed in a giant Daddy bear hug. The scene warms my heart every time. Last night my son couldn't wait to let Daddy know that it was family night, which means after dinner and after about an hour of wild play time, we get to blow up the air mattress and camp out in the living room while watching movies and eating a special sweet treat. Last night we made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and watched Frosty the Snowman. My husband is usually the first one to fall asleep, which makes me laugh because he swears that he can't fall asleep during movies. So far he is 2 for 3, but I don't tease him too hard about it because I know how tired he is by the end of the day. Most of the time, I bake things that only the boys can eat. I have no will power when it comes to sugar, so I do this intentionally to keep myself from overeating things that I should not be eating. Friday nights, however, are the exception. The Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies were both Vegan and Gluten Free, but I'm proud to say that this recipe makes such great cookies, that it is almost hard to tell that they are not your normal cookies. I have written the recipe below. Go ahead and try it. They are yummy! Too Good To Be Vegan and Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Prep Time: 20 Minute Cook Time: 10 Minutes Total Time: 30 Minutes Author: GraceInAGlass Serves: 24 Small or 18 Large Ingredients: * 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Vegan Butter at Room Temperature * 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar * 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed * 1 Tsp Vanilla *2 Ground Flax Seed Eggs (2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed Plus 5 Tbsp Water, Combined **See Note**) * 1/2 Tsp Salt * 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder * 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda * 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Gluten Free Flour (**See Note**) * 3/4 Cup Gluten Free Oatmeal * 1- 1/2 Cups Vegan Chocolate Chips (**See Note**) Instructions: 1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F. 2. Using a mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. 3. Add Vanilla and Flax Eggs. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. 4. Add Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Flour. Beat until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. 5. Add Gluten Free Oatmeal and Chocolate Chips. Again beat until evenly combined. 6. Using a tablespoon, scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. (You should be able to get about 12 cookies per cookie sheet). 7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are just starting to turn golden brown. 8. Let cool and Enjoy! Notes: *Usually you use 1 Tbsp of Ground Flax Seed plus 3 Tbsp of water when using a Ground Flax Seed Egg as an egg substitute, but I found that my batter was too runny. I decreased the water to 2.5 Tbsp per egg instead. So in this recipe, for 2 eggs you use 5 Tbsp of water instead of the usual 6. *For this recipe I like to use a Gluten Free Flour that already contains Xanthan Gum. Namaste Organic Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend is the one I lean towards because it is free of the top 8 allergens, and we all know I'm allergic to almost all of them! *When it comes to chocolate chips, I like to chose brands that have organic options with the least amount of processed ingredients possible. It is not because I have jumped on the organic band wagon, but because I am allergic to so many things, that I find the less processed the better I feel. But, everyone has their own preferences, so feel free to chose the one that works for you! I hope you enjoy the cookie recipe. Please let me know what you think by commenting below!
Happy Baking, Danielle |
AuthorHi there! Welcome to Grace In A Glass. My name is Danielle and I am so happy that you are visiting this site today. We all have something in life that we are working to overcome. I began blogging about my struggle with overcoming Esophageal Dysmotility and Crohn's Disease with the hope of reaching others with words of encouragement and hope. Thank you for letting me share my stories with you, and hope you have the most wonderful day! Archives
November 2022
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