If you have read this blog you probably know that I track my bowel movements (BMs) because they indicate my current UC severity. In this post I will review the figures I derive from this data. I created all the figures in the first week of July. The fact that it is now August (!) and I am just finishing this post is indicative of how busy I have been lately. I have not had enough free time. The busyness has not led to any troubling signs in this month old data set, but I will try to update you on some early signs of a flare in a future post.

All the BM data I record is on a 0 to 10 scale. A 5 or 6 is a normal value when I record BM urgency, density, volume, or color. A zero is normal for blood and mucus measurements since it should not be in healthy stools. The number of BMs per day is also derived from the data.

My BMs have stabilized at two to three a day. The density is slightly on the soft side of normal.I think one less trip to the stall would be my ultimate goal, but this is so much better than a couple years ago when five trips were normal. Looking at the ~six months before and after I started the SCD diet I would estimate it has reduced my BMs by one every two days.

My current maximum urgency for a BM in any day is on the high end of normal. The three highest urgency days of the last three months correspond to days where I did not follow the SCD diet (in some cases this may have been the day following the non-SCD meal). Their is a very slight trend up in the max and mean urgency data. This is worrisome because I have been busy. I am putting long hours in at work and I am running a lot of miles to prepare for the Portland Marathon this October. Both these things add a level of stress although the running also helps diffuse it. Getting enough sleep while being busy is my biggest concern. Nothing impacts my GI health more than a good night's sleep. When I get up early to run or stay at work late to wrap up a project I inevitably impact my sleep patterns. This is an area that I need to be more focused on in the future.

The final figures show that there is no blood in my stools although occasionally I see mucus. The color is slightly dark because I take iron pills, and the volume is stable (color and volume figures not shown).

So thats about it. The data remains good and I have been able to stay off UC medications.I will try to update soon on how I currently feel and how the marathon training is progressing. It's about time to check my fitness in a tune up race and target a marathon time...