A "Unique" Start to School

This will be my 13th year of teaching. Each year, a few days before the start, I think about, and reflect on my summer. I always give myself a pep talk, as the “First Day Jitters,” begin to set it. 

This year will be like no other. This school year will be different. Even though it will be very different for me, I found that when it comes to my Crohn’s, there are some positives. Positives? What are you talking about Paul? How can something positive come out of this?

Teaching and working from home this year

The hardest part of having IBD is traveling. As we know, it is often difficult to stop to use the bathroom. I often become self-conscious, and uncomfortable. 

Now that I am teaching from home, that stress is dwindling. I will be in front of twenty-seven 2nd graders on Wednesday. These days, when one of us has to go to the bathroom, we can merely turn off our camera and walk a few feet to the nearest toilet. How convenient right?

Able to experiment with different foods at home

If I know I will be in the car for a long time or spending time at work, I will not eat anything I am not used to. I know what certain foods do to my IBD, so sticking to a bland, low-fiber diet is what I usually do. 

Since I have been home, and the worry of getting to a bathroom on time is much less, I have experimented with foods that I was not sure how my body would react. For example, 2% milk in my coffee. 

For years, I have drunk and have been successful with half and half. I wanted to add milk to my diet. In the beginning, my stomach didn’t really agree with milk, but now I am doing quite fine.

Sauces and spices that promote a healthy gut, has been something my wife and I have been implementing in the kitchen. These include cinnamon, turmeric, rosemary, and basil. This really “spices up my life.” Get it? See what I did there? I don’t do too bad with these spices, and even if I did have a flare, the bathroom is five feet away!

Keeping a food journal at home

I really haven’t beekeeping track of the food I eat, and the effect it is having on my IBD. I should have and kick myself sometimes. Now that I don’t have to travel far, I have more time at home.

Keeping a food journal will help you create a unique and creative diet that will help you have more “good” days than not. Spending less time in the car has allowed me to see (through my words), what remission is like. I highly recommend a food journal.

In conclusion, yes this is a school year to write home about. I hope next September, schools will open and children and staff will attend like they used to. Until then, we must work together to get through these days. Be kind to one another. Remember, to be kind to yourself. Listen to your IBD, and don’t let it control you. Take care.