Sunday, October 31, 2010

Life should be lived and loved!

I have had such a blessed life with a supportive and wonderful family, equally great friends and a husband who is incredibly patient, kind and supportive. What I haven't been blessed with is a simple internal system!
I have spent so many years gazing internally that I am, on some occasions, quite literally, over my body! I become so frustrated with the fact that I work so hard at doing everything right...exercising, eating well, not eating the things that make me ill, taking supplements etc that I cannot believe I am still unwell as often as I am. I do occasionally go into denial and brag about how well I have been; immediately my body retaliates with a bout of pain and my husband reminds me that it wasn't actually that long ago since I was sick ( he has to put up with me complaining and my irrational mood swings!).

What have I learnt that my body reacts to?
Wheat
Milk (not cheese for some reason)
Onion
Garlic
Watermelon
Coffee (decaf okay)
Sugar
HUNGER! I get the worst symptoms when I go too long (ie 3 hours) without food!

What are my symptoms?
It varies from challenge to challenge but generally either one or a combination of many of the following:
Bloating
Reflux
Nausea
Stomach cramps (sometimes so bad that I just have to grab a hottie and head for bed)
General discomfort
Flatulance
Constipation
Grumpiness and Misery
Headache

Generally I am fun to be around!
I think the longest I have gone so far wihtout some kind of an episode of the above symptoms is about 3 weeks (YAY!).

So, what do I do?
I avoid; wheat, red meat, milk (can eat cheese), watermelon, garlic, onion (these are just new discoveries) and sugar
I have acupuncture, generally weekly when I am in town long enough
I take a high nutrition food supplement (Nuferm)
I drink lots of water
I eat 3-5 times a day
I exercise 3-5 times a week

What are my plans?
I plan to have the gene test for coeliac, to rule it out (or not and then get tested properly, which involves going back on wheat products for 6 weeks...which I want to avoid if I can)
I will get tested for fructose malabsorbition
I will keep doing what I am doing and hope that somewhere along the line we can realign whatever is wrong!

The thing is that there could be plenty of things worse, so I am not complaining, I just make adjustments in my life to suit and move on!

Life is too short and should be lived and loved!

6 comments:

  1. Can't wait to get in an explore as the site grows!

    http://littlelioness.net

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  2. you poor thing - I am just going through all these tests too. With the list of foods you react to I would highly recommend being tested for Fructose Malabsorbtion; onion, wheat, watermelon and garlic are key problem foods - it is such a simple, unobtrusive test and you will know the results by the end! You simple drink a special drink, then a nurse measures your breath every half an hour for 3 hours, easy! It cost $90, same for lactose.

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  3. Thanks for your comments! I met up with some great people in Adelaide who I am going to do the testing for fructose malabsorbtion with - it is the 'drip feed' of non information (ie you have to find it out yourself!) through the mainstream channels that frustrates me! It is one of the things I want to support people with - having all the info, and stories of people who have lived it - in once place...an online portal for wellness journies! Good luck with your testing and please, let me know the outcome (perhaps you would be interested in sharing your story on imnotfussy.com.au?

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  4. At risk of sounding like the big hippy that I am, have you looked into the vedic lifestyle at all? I don't practise it at any hardcore level, but I do meditate twice a day (transcendental meditation); since I've been doing this, all of my food intolerances have disappeared! I used to bloat from anything wheat based (now am very capable of scoffing two bowls of pasta in one sitting with no visible result), and used to lose weight if I ate too much red meat or not enough fats.

    Am now fatter/heavier than I've ever been, and much happier for it.

    I'm not saying vedism will cure everything, but it apparently gives great direction in terms of what foods are good/bad for individual people (I haven't looked into this area) as well as getting your brain in peak condition which - as was the case for me - can help reset lots of physical problems! Not to mention the wonders it has done for my mental health and pain problems from scoliosis.

    Genius stuff!

    Jen x

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  5. I am a ceoliac myself and I've found out a lot about my body through working in the health and fitness industry as well as finding some great resources to help my cause.
    There are a few more things you should consider with your allergies, for example milk, you might have trouble with lactose but not with casein (the main protein) or vice verse. I have issues with garlic and onion but only when raw.
    But they can also be related to hormones and their overuse or fatigue.

    I've recently met a fantastic natropath in Adelaide (after years of searching!) and she identified so many underlying issues causing my constant fatigue and sickness that not even the gp could find! And after doing what she has suggested I feel as well if not better than I was before I was diagnosed with Ceoliacs.

    The hardest thing is maintaining an progressively organic diet, without the temptation of processed and unnecessary foods.

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  6. Hi Jen and Sharai, would either of you be interested in sharing your stories for I'm Not Fussy?

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