Living with Crohn's During Bathing Suit Season

It's that time of year. Almost everybody under 100 is living in shorts or bathing suits during their leisure moments.

However, if you suffer from Crohn's disease, this can be a season filled with anxiety. Frequent unplanned trips to the restroom, the fear of soiled clothing and the temptation to overindulge in summer foods often make life tough during the summer months.

In 25 years of volunteering with my fellow Crohn's patients, I've found some common threads to help all of us enjoy the season more:

Be prepared: Everyone with Crohn's disease should carry a customized emergency preparedness kit when they travel, even on local excursions. A small kit with just the basics will fit nicely into a large bag. At a minimum, it should contain these items:

1. A change of underwear and an extra set of shorts

2. Water

3. Disposable wash cloths or napkins

4. Wet wipes

5. Hand sanitizer

6. Paper tissue

7. A few large and small zipped plastic bags

8. Small flashlight in case you need to see in the dark

9. Mint flakes or matches to help with restroom odors

10. Imodium or other diarrhea zapper if your physician allows it

In the wild and wacky days of summer, we tend to relax in groups. Plans change, and the group might quickly move from one activity to another. If you want to go along and won't have the access you hoped to have to a restroom, you can anticipate the possibility of an accident. You might be on vacation and in the car for hours at a time. Use your emergency kit if the unexpected happens.

Choose appropriate clothing: Most patients have learned that there's a time and a place when they can get away with wearing white shorts, slacks or skirts. If you're going to be out of the house for more than an hour, you would be better off with darker clothing.

Those of us who have had one or more surgeries will probably want to select a one-piece bathing suit for women. Men might opt to wear a very lightweight summer shirt to conceal recent or very prominent surgical scars. Recent ostomy appliances are very flat and lightweight and should fit fairly smoothly under close-fitting clothing. However, if lines bother you, consider buying a suit with seams that conceal any suggestion of the appliance.

Eat moderately: Okay, I love baked beans as much as the rest of you. However, bare in mind that a major pig out on summer goodies such as beans, coleslaw, hot dogs, melon, barbecue and ice cream will cause major bathroom problems. Expect gas and diarrhea. If you must swallow these foods to feel social, take just a spoonful. You might be dubbed creative by serving your family and friends frozen butter pecan Ensure. It mimics ice cream and is refreshing on a really hot day. Throw a little low-fat whipped topping on it, and it looks almost like a frozen latte.

Stay hydrated: Lose too much water in the sun, and you could become dehydrated. This can lead to dangerously low levels of potassium, which in turn results in low electrolyte levels causing all sorts of medical problems. By the time you actually feel thirsty, you've begun to dehydrate. Drink lots of water and other fluids without caffeine.

Develop a sense of humor: To enjoy a relaxing summer with a group of friends or family members, you don't have to do exactly what they do. Neither do you have to wear a tee shirt that reads, "Ask me about my Crohn's disease." If you must limit your activities, beach time or favorite foods, have a sense of humor about it and enjoy the rest of the day. Others tend to see you as you see yourself. The ability to laugh at life's limitations shows that we're confident individuals.

And as for digestive accidents, that's why we have washers and dryers.