Sunday 9 November 2014

Life with IBS, Esophagitis & Reflux

IT returned. The forever-ill-feeling, the feverish feeling, the cold sweat, the nausea, never-ending-diarrhoea, bloated-ness, the excruciating-bone-crushing-pain and severe insomnia/cannot-sleep-through-the-night. I was completely off gluten. This cannot be happening. IT was so bad that one day after I had arrived at Joel's school, I couldn't get down from the car or even move. I stayed in the car for one hour fighting IT so that I could drive us home without crashing into something or someone.

Could it be parasites?

Crohn's?

A leaky gut?

The pain and pressure in the rectum/anus was too much to bear. I thought I had a fissure, fistula or even an abscess. But I wasn't bleeding!

Dear god! What is wrong with me?

IBS. The gastroenterologist said it was IBS. Not parasites. Not gluten. Not even cancer (I didn't think it was).

He gave me a new and stronger reflux medication (as reflux has been misbehaving too). Also medication for the IBS to calm my very 'stormy' intestines. And he said that I have severe anxiety and stress that is triggering the IBS. Thus, he gave me an 'anti-anxiety' medication which will knock me out at night to help me to sleep and to calm my frazzled nerves.

WHAT??!!

Wait a minute. I have never in my life taken these anti-anxiety medications and I don't ever intend to. If I have any anxiety or stress, I will deal with it WITHOUT medications. I was so very depressed for a year after the anaphylaxis and I didn't even take anything to get out of it.

I reacted to the new reflux medication. I developed a migraine, itchy palms and itchy-everywhere. My right eye swelled up a bit.

The gastroenterologist said IBS is for life. There is no cure. And when stress and anxiety attacks, it exaberates IBS. And it is a vicious cycle. And majority of the people who suffer from IBS have anti-anxiety meds to help them get through.

I was feeling very down but I did not need meds to calm my 'stressed' nerves.

Life is amazing. You will meet the right people at the right time.

And so yesterday we went to an education fair and we met a man (whom I will call E) who was healed completely of his high blood pressure and was cured of an ailment which required an emergency surgery. How? He shared that he changed his life with the help of a man named Mark Skipper known as 'Skip'. Skip was a gymnast who broke his spine, was paralysed and doctors said he was never to walk ever again in his life. He defied all odds. His spine healed and he went on to win a second gold medal.

You must read Skip's testimony. Click HERE to read about it.

E shared with me a few of the tips he had learned and applied in his life. He was overweight too at one point. He lost the weight, changed his lifestyle, mindset and diet. He applied some principles which turned his life around. And he is a healthy man today, free of his high blood medication. The doctors told him that there was nothing wrong with him anymore.

It gave me hope. If a man with a broken spine, who was paralysed, healed his spine, could walk again and do crazy gymnast moves, what is a screwed up immune system like mine? If a man who had high blood pressure at the age of 25 and was on medication for many years and had to have a surgery to remove a part of his organ could be healed, what is a screwed up health like mine?

It can be done.

I have come very far since 5 1/2 years ago. I am not going to lose the life which I had built these few years to some 'cannot-be-cure-sickness' diagnosis.

Screw the 'anti-anxiety' medication. Screw the 'It cannot happen!'

It will happen. It has happened. And greater things will happen.


8 comments:

  1. Good lord, that doctor loves his poisons, doesn't he? Good for you for just saying NO to drugs!

    Isn't Crohn's just the autoimmune disease for IBS? You might want to look into that and check the diet. Also check cross-reactors to gluten: rice, barley, etc. You could be having blood sugar issues too, which would cause the insomnia, stay away from carbohydrates including sugar. Welcome to my diet...sorry. Do the GAPS diet to heal a leaky gut. Difficult to say since we are all so different, but it sounds like it's all about gastrointestinal for you and that means food issues.

    Don't give up, my sweetie! I read on Skip not too long ago. I can't remember what he's selling, but I think determination will get us through all kinds of shit regardless of what he wants you to buy. Stories like that give us inspiration and keep us from feeling hopeless and I think no one understands the brain and all it can do to heal us. So what were "E's" secrets? Did he share anything concrete?

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    1. GAPS? I'll read on that. I also saw this FODMAPS diet. So many versions of diet and suggestions on how to strengthen the gut. My brain is overworked by the overwhelming information that is out there.

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  2. Keep in mind, it takes time to get the gluten out of your system. I read if you eat gluten, it can take anywhere from three weeks to six months to stop reacting to it. That was my experience, too. People tend to give up on a gluten-free diet because they don't understand this. And those cross-reactors will act just like gluten. You are a big rice eater...rice is not good for people who have gastrointestinal issues. High in carbohydrates and not well tolerated by many. Since you eat so much of it, this would be an issue of concern. I don't know...just brainstorming.

    I hate it you feel so horrible!

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    1. Am still on the gluten-free diet. Not going to start again on gluten.

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  3. I just read a bit on Crohn's - it sounds just like you. Look into that.

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    1. The gastroenterologist after 2 weeks will most likely get me scoped. AAAAARRRGGHHH!!!

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  4. I also have IBS and reflux along with my IA. I will email you.

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