Let's talk about something other than teeth for a little while.
Among other things, I think 2009 will be remembered as the year I took my health into my own hands.
About 10 years ago I was officially diagnosed with IBS, which is an extremely unpleasant thing to discuss, but an even more unpleasant thing to deal with. I won't go into the specifics of my case, except to say I pretty much have stomach problems every single day. And this past year, they were worse than ever.
Part of the problem is that doctors don't really understand this condition. There is little-to-nothing you can actually do about it. Most doctors will tell you, "Don't eat foods that bother you," and "try not to stress out so much." But what do you do when even eating the barest of bare minimums (I'm talking nothing but water and cream of rice) makes you sick? I hit my low point somewhere in March. I had lost 10 pounds, I was depressed, there was nothing I could eat, and I felt really helpless. I was grasping at straws: was I gluten-intolerant? (I got tested, I wasn't.) Was it my thyroid, maybe? (Nope.) According to my GP, I was one of the healthiest people she had seen in ages. And yet, I was afraid to leave my house, for fear of having an attack with nowhere to go.
Fortunately, I finally found a couple of support communities that explained how and what to eat, why certain foods are problematic, and what alternatives are out there. I switched doctors, to one who was at least sensitive to IBS. He scheduled me for a colonoscopy, just to be sure there was nothing weird going on in there. (That's the thing about IBS--there is nothing technically 'wrong,' but your brain and guts tend to miscommunicate, which causes symptoms. If they can't find anything else wrong with you, the diagnosis is IBS.) I altered my diet pretty drastically--I'm no longer a full-fledged vegetarian, I stopped eating fried foods, I don't eat anything with too much fiber, I avoid butter and oil as much as possible, I don't drink ANY caffeine, my diet is completely based around white bread and other easily-digestible food--and started taking a couple of supplements, most notably, a probiotic that seems to do me good. I also have some prescription medication for emergencies. My diet seems extremely illogical to a "normal" person, and it's been a lot of fun explaining things to the older people in my life. ;)
It's working. I was having attacks every day earlier this year; now they're maybe once a month. I got through my entire trip to California in one piece, and was even able to eat some of my old favorite foods (in extreme moderation) with a minimum of consequence. That's not to say I can suddenly relax and go back to eating whatever I want at any time, but I feel a little more like my old self again.
I decided to talk about this because I see that a lot of my friends suffer from the same thing, but don't seem to know what to do about it. Tummy problems can make you insane, but it's possible to get a handle on them. The most important thing I did was to finally learn to understand what's going on with my body, because peace of mine can go a long way.
And no, I'm NOT planning to draw a graphic novel about this. Ha ha.
I'm looking forward to a healthy 2010!
About 10 years ago I was officially diagnosed with IBS, which is an extremely unpleasant thing to discuss, but an even more unpleasant thing to deal with. I won't go into the specifics of my case, except to say I pretty much have stomach problems every single day. And this past year, they were worse than ever.
Part of the problem is that doctors don't really understand this condition. There is little-to-nothing you can actually do about it. Most doctors will tell you, "Don't eat foods that bother you," and "try not to stress out so much." But what do you do when even eating the barest of bare minimums (I'm talking nothing but water and cream of rice) makes you sick? I hit my low point somewhere in March. I had lost 10 pounds, I was depressed, there was nothing I could eat, and I felt really helpless. I was grasping at straws: was I gluten-intolerant? (I got tested, I wasn't.) Was it my thyroid, maybe? (Nope.) According to my GP, I was one of the healthiest people she had seen in ages. And yet, I was afraid to leave my house, for fear of having an attack with nowhere to go.
Fortunately, I finally found a couple of support communities that explained how and what to eat, why certain foods are problematic, and what alternatives are out there. I switched doctors, to one who was at least sensitive to IBS. He scheduled me for a colonoscopy, just to be sure there was nothing weird going on in there. (That's the thing about IBS--there is nothing technically 'wrong,' but your brain and guts tend to miscommunicate, which causes symptoms. If they can't find anything else wrong with you, the diagnosis is IBS.) I altered my diet pretty drastically--I'm no longer a full-fledged vegetarian, I stopped eating fried foods, I don't eat anything with too much fiber, I avoid butter and oil as much as possible, I don't drink ANY caffeine, my diet is completely based around white bread and other easily-digestible food--and started taking a couple of supplements, most notably, a probiotic that seems to do me good. I also have some prescription medication for emergencies. My diet seems extremely illogical to a "normal" person, and it's been a lot of fun explaining things to the older people in my life. ;)
It's working. I was having attacks every day earlier this year; now they're maybe once a month. I got through my entire trip to California in one piece, and was even able to eat some of my old favorite foods (in extreme moderation) with a minimum of consequence. That's not to say I can suddenly relax and go back to eating whatever I want at any time, but I feel a little more like my old self again.
I decided to talk about this because I see that a lot of my friends suffer from the same thing, but don't seem to know what to do about it. Tummy problems can make you insane, but it's possible to get a handle on them. The most important thing I did was to finally learn to understand what's going on with my body, because peace of mine can go a long way.
And no, I'm NOT planning to draw a graphic novel about this. Ha ha.
I'm looking forward to a healthy 2010!