As some of you know, I have been suffering from an often debilitating illness that has been a mystery to me. My illness came on rather suddenly about two and a half years ago after catching a 24 hour flu like virus. The reason I am sharing my story with you readers today, is because the path that I have taken to get to where I am today (finally on the road to recovery) has been a very difficult one.
It began with a trip to my mother's home for Thanksgiving almost three years ago. My husband was deployed and I had just given birth to my second child a few months earlier. Only a few days after our arrival, my two small children (who were 2 years old and 3 months old respectively) and I, contracted a 24 hour flu like virus. After a horrible night of cleaning up after toddler, infant, and myself, I asked my mom to take us to the emergency room as she was on the way to work at the hospital anyway. The doctors proclaimed that I had contracted a gastro-intestinal flu and that it would pass very soon. Their major concern was hydration since I happened to be nursing at the time. At this point, I had no knowledge of the nightmare my life would become.
While most of my symptoms went away over time, one of the major ones did not. I continued to have issues with my lower GI tract (the small and large colons) and was often times consumed with debilitating pain. It began to slowly rule my life. I became very self-conscious of my body and what was going on with it which led to depression. My family would joke about my issues never realizing how deeply it cut into my heart. Often times, I would be so consumed with the pain and just breathing through it that I could not be the best mom that I wanted to be. I had also begun to notice itchy bumps that would pop up on my knees and elbows for weeks at a time with no rhyme or reason to them.
About ten months after contracting that first virus, my problems had become so bad that I finally sought help. I saw doctor after doctor until my Primary Care Manager at the Naval Hospital sent me to a Gastro-Interologist directly in my area. He did a few tests and performed an endoctopy (when they send a scope down your throat to look at your stomach and gallbladder) and proclaimed that I only had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). No treatment was given and I just suffered in silence for several more months. The bumps continued to come back to my knees and elbows so I asked to see an allergy specialist thinking maybe I had developed an allergy and that was causing my GI problems.
After both skin and blood allergy tests, the specialist that I saw proclaimed that I definitely did not have any allergies to foods and that my blood tests had shown inflammation. His diagnosis was to go back to the GI doctor. So... as you may have guessed, I went back to my PCM to request another referral since my last one was no good. It was at that time that I asked to be sent to a specialist out of our area. This was the best thing I could have requested for it finally led me down a path to answers.
The new GI doctor was thorough and ran all of the tests needed on the first visit with the intent to do a colonoscopy right away. What we weren't expecting to find was the salmonella I had contracted some time between my visit at the Allergist office and my visit to this GI doctor. My symptoms had become so severe by this time that I had a visit to the ER for fear of lost blood. I was treated and asked to recuperate from the anti-biotics before proceeding with the colonoscopy.
A week ago, I had my procedure, and already the answers are falling into place. I have been diagnosed with an IBD (inflamatory Bowel Disease) which is definitely not IBS. One thing about having an IBD is that it is not curable; only treatable. I will live with this disease and its flare ups for the rest of my life. I am still coming to terms with this and some days are better than others. With this disease, comes the importance of nutrition and well-being as well as being pro-active in taking care of myself. The medication I am required to take is an immuno-suppressant which in layman's terms makes the immune system take a breather. The down side to this is that I will be more open to catch colds and other illnesses so must take care. My small and large colons also impede proper nutrition because of the inflammation of the cellular tissues.
Because of these issues, I find it is even more important for me to remember to take my vitamins and other supplements in order to be proactive with my disease. Finding the best vitamins for this may have been difficult, but I am a firm believer that I was brought to the 5000moms team for a reason. Not only do I have a wealth of cellular level nutritionals at my fingertips, but I also have a team to fall back on for support as I learn to cope and live with my disease. Although I often feel like an island out in the middle of a lake, the water that surrounds me is not nothingness; it's the other women and mothers on the 5000mom team that flow around me. I am never alone; and for that I am grateful.
I share my story with you all today because I know that there are others out there like me who have dealt or are dealing with health issues. I believe that traditional medicine is important, but I also believe that good nutrition is just as important, especially for those who are ill. I also want to give hope to those of you out there who have a problem that has been undiagnosed. Don't be afraid to question. Listen to your body. Most importantly, love your body both physically and nutritionally, for the more love you give it, the longer it will hold up for you.
thank you for your honesty and research.
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