On Routines

One of the most crucial aspects to understand about Colitis, for both parents/children of sufferers, and patients, is somewhat paradoxical under my theory of observation: full-blown cases of active Crohn's and Colitis are dehumanizing. I don't say this lightly: one of the first motor skills learned by newborns is how to control the bladder and bowels. Therefore, to grasp the extent of an active bout of IBD is always to keep in mind that the sufferer has, paradoxically, the bodily "skills" of an infant and retains their current intellect.

This is to say, therefore, that one very strong commitment the patient of IBD must make is to the realm of routines. Bathroom experiences are fundamental in every human's daily life. We've a host of euphemisms and vernacular surrounding this routine: the "morning constitutional", and the like. When this most basic, most human routine is disrupted, something must stand in for it. This idea of a stand-in routine is where the support group of a sufferer comes in. Don't let a patient resort to inactivity and feeling sorry for themselves. And, if you are the patient and you don't have a support group, don't give in to the illness. There are plenty of alternative routines which may act as a stand-in, among those are: showering, eating, medicine, reading, television (follow a weekly/nightly show), and many more.

Nothing is disruptive to your daily routine as a disruption in all your routines simply because one has been displaced. Now go about your day!