It has been a while since I posted. I toyed with the idea of keeping up this blog, but ultimately decided that I wanted to share my journey to help those also suffering from IBS.
I started seeing a physician in the new area I'm living in. He is fantastic! I went into his office and cried for a half hour about how miserable I have been for two years and that I cannot treat myself anymore. This physician was so kind and actually listened to me. He asked me what I wanted to do! I have never EVER had a physician ask me that before. So he prescribed me an anti-depressant and a strict fiber regimen. He told me I would feel awful for two weeks but that I needed to trust him. Sure enough, I was very ill for two weeks but then started feeling so much better. I feel like the old me again before I got sick! It is amazing!
I do have my bad days, but my bad days are nothing like the everyday normal was. I still have to watch what I eat and pay attention to my body. Rich, greasy, and spicy foods still really bother me, but I can now handle very small amounts of dairy.
I have also started taking a better vitamin and probiotics. I read in some IBS books that probiotics could exacerbate IBS problems. I have not had any problem with the probiotic yet, but that could also be because I have leveled out my digestive tract and it is not quite so extreme.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Call Me a Doctor
After spending the day crying and being in so much abdominal pain, my aunt and I decided I need to seek clinical help. It has been two years since I was diagnosed with IBS, and I have spent those two years managing my health on my own. It is time for me now to overcome the stigma my previous physician gave me that it was all in my head and I did not need help to now seeking another physician and praying I can get the help I need. More on this later.
A New Food Plan
While I have been doing my research, I have found that most IBS triggers are from food allergies. This shocked me. I would never have considered myself having food allergies, but by golly I guess I do! I knew before hand that I am mildly lactose intolerant. I did not think I had gluten allergies or any others.
While reading a book called What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About IBS by Dr. Richard Ash, I came across a food plan I thought I could stick to. All of the other plans seem over the top with foods or ingredients that no one would use or eat. Dr. Ash recommends mostly vegetables, some fruits, whole grains, lean protein. The no-nos on the list include caffeine, lots of sugar, dairy, peanuts, and alcohol. Other nuts are okay and believe me I eat a lot of them!! You can buy Deluxe Nuts at grocery stores by Planters or store brands that have all kinds of nuts without the peanuts. They are delicious too!
Once I found this eating plan, I decided to give it a try. I did not want to take any medications for my IBS after reading all of the side effects and thought that since IBS is triggered primarily by food allergies, that this may be the way to go. I did a one day liquid detox to give my gi tract a rest and then started on the new eating plan. The advantages of the plan are that you can eat like a human being and if careful can eat out on it as well. Fast food is impossible to follow the plan unless you eat salads, plain burgers, or grilled chicken. Be careful of the bread! A typical day on the plan would look like this for me:
Breakfast: two eggs scrambled and whole wheat toast (we used 12 grain).
Lunch: leftovers from dinner or a salad with grilled chicken.
Dinner: grilled burgers without a bun (could do a whole grain bun), steamed zucchini and squash, fresh cucumber, avocado, and strawberries.
While going through this, I had a great support system. My aunt started out doing this new eating plan with me until I had developed a strong sense of knowing what I could eat and what I could not. The first week on the eating plan I lost four pounds. By week 2 I had lost eight pounds. After that my weight decrease started to slow down but I continue to lose.
My symptoms have not disappeared 100%. However, they have greatly decreased in severity and frequency. I miss cheese and ice cream, but I know I will be down for two days if I eat it.
Take a look at Dr. Ash's book for a more detailed eating plan. Regards!
While reading a book called What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About IBS by Dr. Richard Ash, I came across a food plan I thought I could stick to. All of the other plans seem over the top with foods or ingredients that no one would use or eat. Dr. Ash recommends mostly vegetables, some fruits, whole grains, lean protein. The no-nos on the list include caffeine, lots of sugar, dairy, peanuts, and alcohol. Other nuts are okay and believe me I eat a lot of them!! You can buy Deluxe Nuts at grocery stores by Planters or store brands that have all kinds of nuts without the peanuts. They are delicious too!
Once I found this eating plan, I decided to give it a try. I did not want to take any medications for my IBS after reading all of the side effects and thought that since IBS is triggered primarily by food allergies, that this may be the way to go. I did a one day liquid detox to give my gi tract a rest and then started on the new eating plan. The advantages of the plan are that you can eat like a human being and if careful can eat out on it as well. Fast food is impossible to follow the plan unless you eat salads, plain burgers, or grilled chicken. Be careful of the bread! A typical day on the plan would look like this for me:
Breakfast: two eggs scrambled and whole wheat toast (we used 12 grain).
Lunch: leftovers from dinner or a salad with grilled chicken.
Dinner: grilled burgers without a bun (could do a whole grain bun), steamed zucchini and squash, fresh cucumber, avocado, and strawberries.
While going through this, I had a great support system. My aunt started out doing this new eating plan with me until I had developed a strong sense of knowing what I could eat and what I could not. The first week on the eating plan I lost four pounds. By week 2 I had lost eight pounds. After that my weight decrease started to slow down but I continue to lose.
My symptoms have not disappeared 100%. However, they have greatly decreased in severity and frequency. I miss cheese and ice cream, but I know I will be down for two days if I eat it.
Take a look at Dr. Ash's book for a more detailed eating plan. Regards!
Wish to Work From Home
Today I woke up with vomiting, diarrhea, a migraine, and joint pain. For anyone else you would think it was a viral bug. I go through this over and over again. While I was a public health student, I thought I had viruses and thought I would make everyone around me ill. I would quarantine myself and then run to the doctor. She told me that I was having multiple viruses one right after the other. This did not make sense to me. Our bodies build antibodies to foreign invaders. Why was I experiencing multiple viral infections?
Today, I just know that the vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, migraines, and joint pain are part of the IBS for me. I've read that everyone's symptoms vary. I am a spasmodic IBS sufferer. This means that I alternate between diarrhea and constipation, often within the same day.
I still worry about my attendance. I just started a new job in March and exited the probationary period over the weekend. I want to keep my job, but my symptoms make it hard to go to work sometimes and at other times unbearable. I have open communication with my team leader which helps, but rules are rules when it comes to attendance. I am currently working on keeping this job and next year hopefully transition into a work from home situation. Until next year happens, I just have to learn how to fight through the symptoms and the pain.
Today, I just know that the vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, migraines, and joint pain are part of the IBS for me. I've read that everyone's symptoms vary. I am a spasmodic IBS sufferer. This means that I alternate between diarrhea and constipation, often within the same day.
I still worry about my attendance. I just started a new job in March and exited the probationary period over the weekend. I want to keep my job, but my symptoms make it hard to go to work sometimes and at other times unbearable. I have open communication with my team leader which helps, but rules are rules when it comes to attendance. I am currently working on keeping this job and next year hopefully transition into a work from home situation. Until next year happens, I just have to learn how to fight through the symptoms and the pain.
Cause and React
My journey with IBS has been a wild ride, like most people with this condition. I have been told I was a hypochondriac, that it was all in my head, everyone has these symptoms at some point, and so on. So far I have gone through over two years of torment running to the bathroom, attendance issues, and feeling like my body was at war every time I ate. My daily routine was just to deal with the consequences and make sure there was a bathroom nearby wherever I went. I was used to feeling awful all the time.
In my research I have found that there are many people with IBS. Every source I have come across states that more than 20 percent of Americans experience IBS, but I never realized once I opened up how many of my friends, colleagues, and peers were also going through the same thing as me. I find it interesting that while more people experience this condition, I have never seen a testimony on the book shelves at book stores. No one wants to openly talk about IBS and their trials and triumphs. I have used the knowledge that I have learned through my personal research to share my eating plans with those also affected by IBS. I have been so sick I wanted to die and am now managing my IBS through meal planning, sleep, exercise, and knowledge.
This blog is my attempt to share with you how I deal with IBS on a daily basis and how it affects me. I hope you find it helpful in understanding you or someone that you love. Comments are welcome!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)