Welcome to the forum Lisa!
Some people get to learn when flairs are coming on and others are not as good at telling. Some people may have symptoms a day or two before a flair, like joint pain or other symptoms. This is not the norm (at least not for me) though so do not get angry that your son is not sure what is going on with him and his body.
Food is often what triggers a flair up, in the sense that things start getting bad after eating a meal. It is best to start very carefully noting what is being eaten for meals, and also how Caleb is feeling after eating (or what symptoms he has). It is best if he is motivated enough to do this on his own, and you should try and encourage him to take control or an active role in his condition as early as possible. This will make him feel more important and the responsibility of managing his disease will likely ensure he does a better job eating better foods, taking medications and avoiding other triggers for flairs (like stress).
Some foods that are common triggers to cause flair symptoms/bloating/cramping/vomiting. Please note that this is different for everyone though, so do not take this as a list that must be followed.
Common trigger foods: nuts, seeds, whole grain/wheat breads, skins and peels of vegetables and fruits (and for some the acutally fruits themselves), peas, corn, meats (like beef and pork), and milk (especially in larger quantities), but this is not so for everyone. Lighter meats like chicken and fish are usually better tolerated and cause less cramping).
Some safer foods (these foods can usually be taken as a flair calms down): apple sauce, bananas (the riper the better... so let it get nice and black!), soup (just broths like chicken soup), applesauce, rice (white), mashed potato, steamed (and mashed) vegetables (no seeds or skins though) plain crackers and jello. Plenty of fluids should be taken after vomit or diarrhea occurs, as these both cause dehydration. Sports drinks like gatorade, fruit juice, water (but it is best to have drinks with sugars and electrolytes) and tea are all fine.
So for now what I think the best advice you can take is:
-Start keeping a food diary (updat the list with what is eaten throughout the day and how Caleb felt afterward, and all symptoms felt) to help find what foods cause symptoms.
-Learn! This forum has a lot of good information, and there are books at your local library you can likely find also. Feel free to ask any specific questions here though and we will do our best to help you
-Be aware of what is going on in life. Stress, lack of sleep, certain eating habits and other factors can all negatively affect Caleb and worsen symptoms. Ensure he is drinking (especially after vomit/diarrhea sessions) and not becoming mal nourished. This is not always easy when you are flairing, so it is important to try and be aware of changes in weight and energy, as these can be signs that Caleb is not getting enough calories or nutrition. This (if occurs) should be mentioned to the doctor and monitored. Another option is liquid nutrition through nutritional shakes like ensure and boost. They are lactose free, and contain quite a few calories, fat and protein per can (including plenty of vitamins and minerals). Many people (including myself) have gone periods of time on these only, and taking 5-6 or even more a day can provide adequate nutrition and calories. You can even get them in plus calorie form. Just make sure that they are always taken very slowly with small sips. Each can should be consumer over 15-30 minute period to ensure that bloating does not occur. Caleb should try and chew all foods slowly, eat smaller meals more frequently and keep his food diary up to date after each meal. You may also want to consider other factors that may be affecting him, like stress. Stress can negatively affect the disease, so try and relieve him of any stress or anxiety. It may help for him to come here and ask any questions or give his fears or worries so that he can see how othersTHRIVE with this disease.
Please ask anything you need to and I hope this helps.
