The SCD Journey of the Woodward Family
My husband, Mark, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease twenty-five years ago. He has had multiple surgeries and have used multiple medication to manage his symptoms. Things became more complicated four years ago when our son, Jack, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and 5 short months after our daughter, Kristina, was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.
As you might know, the traditional treatment for Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis is drug heavy. As we struggled to grasp the fact that three of the four members of our family had Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, we focused on getting everyone stable. Our next question was, “Is there anything we can do to help minimize flares and encourage remission without medications?” The children’s pediatric gastroenterologist from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – GI Care for Kids recommended the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), since they were doing a pilot research with positive results.
We have been on the SCD since February 2012, and although the lifestyle choices can be a bit challenging at time, Mark, Jack, and Kristina are all currently in remission. Our daughter Kristina who was the last one to be diagnosed has never used medications to control her UC symptoms. We know this diet works. We are living proof of it! Within 3 months, all symptoms were gone. Our son, Jack who hadn’t grown for over 1 year at the time of diagnosis, showed his first growth after 6 month on SCD.
Due to the incredible results we saw with our own two eyes, we started the Woodward Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (WCCF). Our Foundation funds non-pharmaceutical medical research to help people with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis achieve remission and improve their quality of life. Currently, we are partially funding a multi-hospital SCD medical research, run by the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – GI Care for Kids and the Seattle Children’s Hospital pediatric gastroenterologists.
If you are considering taking on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), I am here to tell you that it can be done. I believe that knowledge is power, the more you read and refer to valuable resources, the more knowledge and empowerment you will have.
Our Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) journey began February 2012 after both of our children got diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). At first, it was very overwhelming and frustrating, as we walked into a grocery store and realized that most of the items we used to buy, we could no longer eat. It took us numerous trips to the store to find items and to not leave completely frustrated.
I have written a book title “Taking on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet”, and I currently offer coaching options to alleviate the challenges of SCD. I want to make the introduction of the SCD diet a bit easier for anyone attempting to start this lifestyle change. Whether you are starting the SCD diet for health reasons or just to feel healthier, I know I can help you!
For more information regarding my coaching options, please visit http://www.woodwardccf.com/.