Hiking....SCD style

When Jacob was diagnosed at 12 with severe Ulcerative Colitis, I was certain all his dreams of adventure were lost.  Jacob had always been active and adventurous but since his first flare he had not had the energy to spend much time outside.  And after a six week relapse that landed us in a Children's Hospital three hours from home, there was no doubt in my mind that he would just have to find other interests.  At that time, Jacob and my husband were planning two high adventure trips.  When he turned 14 he was eligible to go on a sail boating trip for six days to the Florida Keys.  Then the big one, when he turned 15, a backpacking trip in the Mountains of New Mexico.  This is Philmont a Boy Scout trip.  The latter was a trip where all 14 days were on the trail and they would have to carry all their food on their backs and there was no refrigeration and no way to cook it.  And you had to have things that wouldn't leave residue that would attract bears!  OK well that was just too much for me to wrap my tired traumatized brain around. I just scratched that out with out even thinking about it.  My husband approached me to tell me we had to sign up for the boat trip or lose his spot.  And so I said no! no way.  He responded that we had to find a way.  Looking out the window of our 14th floor hospital room, I watched the rain and thought about how unfair this all seemed.  Also, thinking about our new resolve to follow the SCD fanatically from now on.  How could he go on these trips and stay true to the diet.  But as I prayed it became clear that if I didn't find a way he would have trouble getting well and buying into the diet.  We had to somehow fit the diet into his life.  So we signed him up for the trip.

Since then, we have traveled all over and done many things to make sure he had food to keep him healthy. The biggest discovery came while planning for Philmont.  My husband was sure there was a way we could dehydrate foods and send them.  I just couldn't imagine.  But I searched the web and played with my dehydrator and amazingly enough it works.  And it is sooo easy to do.  The most difficult part was experimenting and planning.  Since I have spent so much time figuring this out I wanted to share it with all of you who are in the same boat and wondering if you have to give all your adventure dreams up.  After Jacob accomplished Philmont, I decided any thing is possible on this diet.  It might take extra work or planning but it is so worth it.

I am excited to say the the SCD site had published all the recipes, tips and menus for Jacob's Philmont trip. You can view it at http://www.scdiet.net/.   And contact me for any questions you have.  Also if you discover something that might benefit this type of trip I would love to hear from you also.

Well we are now in the process of training for the next trip to Philmont.  My younger son, Evan, is now old enough to go so we will be getting ready for that trip.  Over the next few months I will be practicing with some ideas we have come up with since the last trip and I will share them with you as we are sure they will benefit you.

Don't get discouraged if you or your child has just gotten this diagnosis.  It was 2 years before Jacob was ready to attempt such a big trip.  And I would be symptom free for a while before taking on anything like this but it is possible.  You can stay active and adventurous......SCD style!!!!!