I’m ready to share what’s been going on in my life. If you’re going to read this post, I ask that you first send up a prayer for continued healing for me and all those afflicted.
I subscribe to the philosophy that energy flows where attention goes. So I don’t like to talk about my health issues. I don’t want to draw attention to it in any negative way. Hence my prayer request.
It’s gotten to the point though that people can see physical changes and know something is up. So I’m going to share for three reasons –
One, so everyone who knows me will know exactly what’s going on and not speculate that it’s worse than it is. I can’t stand the looks and whispers. I am a private person and don’t normally share to this level of detail.
Two – because it is becoming more and more common, I want to help others who may be suffering as well. I believe God uses all things for good.
Lastly, so people will send up positive prayers of healing for me and for others. I truly believe in the power of prayer so please honor my request. Right now – before you click more – offer up a word of thanks for all we’ve received and all that we will continue to receive, for all the healing that’s gone on and for all the healing to come. For knowledge and enlightenment. For peace and love. Thank you.
Namaste (“the light in me honors the light in you & I humbly bow to you”)
Please bear with me. I’m not a writer. I’m not a medical professional. I’m just going to share my journey and pray that those who need to read it, find it. I’m going to try to keep from getting too graphic so if you want more specific details on my symptoms contact me via email.
I’ve never really worried about my weight. I’ve always had a petite build. I’m 5 foot 2. I’ve always been called skinny. Now in my later years, friends and enemies alike have commented on how I never have to worry about gaining weight. Well as the saying goes, careful what you wish for.
And believe me I didn’t wish this and I certainly wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
I gained weight with each pregnancy but lost it all in the week following delivery. I have maintained a pretty steady weight of around 105-110 lbs for the past twenty years, excluding those pregnancies.
I started losing weight probably two years ago. I say probably because I don’t really remember when it started. Three years ago we went on a cruise with my husband’s family. I weighed myself when we got home because we all were saying how much you gain on a cruise. I had gained about two pounds on the cruise. So I have a benchmark from August 2007.
I’ve had digestive issues all my adult life. Nothing major or so I thought. Certain foods didn’t agree with me. I learned to live with it. But in the past two years, these symptoms got worse. I should say pretty constant. And I started losing weight. A lot of weight. I’ve lost a little over 15% of my body weight in the past two years. Pretty hard to miss when you’re on a petite frame. Sometimes I feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Last summer, I went to a nutritionist. We focused on gaining weight back. We tried going gluten-free and dairy free, both individually and together and it didn’t seem to alleviate symptoms or help me gain weight. Many people see results within days or weeks but since I didn’t see results in a few weeks time, I added some back. I cut back a lot on dairy but went back to eating gluten.
In the fall I went for a colonoscopy to rule out colon cancer. The GI Dr told me I had IBS, take some fiber and see you in five years. At first I was grateful for the cancer-free diagnosis. However it didn’t last long. I still couldn’t eat really and was still losing weight. For those of you with IBS, you know it’s not really a diagnosis. It’s a catchall for medical profession when they can’t find a specific cause. He also did blood work and tested for gluten sensitivity and dairy intolerance. Both came back negative. I don’t really understand why they were negative as you’ll soon see. Since I still had discomfort and not gaining any weight back, I knew I had to keep searching for answers. I knew I had to up my caloric intake but I felt horrible after eating so naturally I ate less and less.
During this time, my Raynaud’s became unbearable. I was diagnosed with Raynauds 10 years ago. Raynauds is an autoimmune disease that affects the blood circulation in the extremities. My fingers or toes would go numb and sometimes take as long as 20 minutes for full circulation to return. Usually the return was accompanied by pins and needles. About 18 months ago, I saw a marked improvement – probably because I started taking Shaklee vitamins. And then I plateaued. These attacks became very frequent this past winter. It’s usually triggered by cold temperature or stress. For me, water or dampness also triggered it. I was triggering so frequently during the day at home, it became very difficult to function.
A nutritionist friend recommended I still go dairy and gluten-free and look into food allergies. So I went gluten-free again with occasionally slip ups.
This Spring I started going to a Wellness Center. They did different blood work – a food sensitivity test. On that test, the results were Celiac disease with “low” food allergies to 7 out of the 88 foods they tested. The foods that came back were varied: green beans, tofu, cottage cheese, white mushroom, onion, raspberry and swiss cheese. Twenty-seven items came back on the scale but not in the range, so they are considered “Not significant” Okay so food allergies – where did this come from? I’ve eaten most of these foods all my life. Except tofu. I think I’ve had tofu 3 times in my life so I’m thinking it might be soy, since that wasn’t tested for specifically and I’ve had large amounts of soy in last 18 months. And they came back low. Nothing came back with severe antibodies. The answer: Leaky Gut. It also leads me to believe there could be other “low” food allergies if this many came back out of 88 specific foods tested.
The Gluten Sensitivity panel results were normal except for transglutaminase IgA. Probably because I was gluten-free or at least cut back for the past six months prior to the test, it wasn’t a high number. Nonetheless, it was positive and that means Celiac disease. Celiac disease is autoimmune as well. There are several genes for it. You could go all your life and not turn the gene on. However, who knows when this all started? My last pregnancy took a lot out of me.
They also did a body screening that tested the energy levels of cells and the flow of the nervous system off the spine. I showed blockage in the neck area and in the lower back area. My cell energy was virtually non-existent in those areas. I started chiropractic care again after quite a few years.
But even after going dairy free and gluten-free in earnest, I still did not feel good or see improvement. I was also diagnosed with Candida. Candida is a yeast infection that feeds on the bad bacteria in your gut. Even one dose of antibiotics in your lifetime can wipe out the good bacteria. I know I’ve had more than one! So I have to take lots of probiotics now.
So let’s review: Celiac disease, Leaky gut and Candida yeast infection on top of Raynauds. Not what I would have chosen for myself. But now that I’m here I have to deal with it!
I’ve now had to totally change the way I think about food and the whole process from shopping to eating! I have to read every label. You’d be surprised where onions are hiding! Shopping has become an all day affair. I can’t just pop anything the kids leave behind into my mouth! Going out to restaurants is not really an option right now. I bring my own food when I go to other people’s homes. I’ve had to share what’s going on. And I have to say, a lot of people have been so great and given me support. Many have said someone they know has it and will put me in touch with them.
So after almost two months of strict gluten-free, dairy free diet, I feel somewhat better. However, I also have to cut back on sugars and carbs to stop feeding the candida. That’s been hard. Heck who am I kidding – this whole thing has been hard to swallow! And yes – pun intended.
My Raynauds is better, thanks to chiropractic care and the warmer weather. Attacks are less frequent and usually occur now in the grocery store dairy and frozen sections. However, I notice they recover faster. The true test will come in the fall when the weather changes again.
My appetite is slowly returning. I feel like I can eat more at a sitting. I have less discomfort, however when I do slip and eat something I shouldn’t, it’s horrible and can last for days. I’m eating mostly organic fruits and veggies. And at the Wellness Center, I’m also doing detox foot baths. More on that another day.
I’m thankful to have something real and tangible now. It’s not all in my head. I know it will take a while to heal the gut before I will gain weight back. But I am hopeful that by the holidays, I will be able to say I feel great. I know I will never be able to eat gluten again, but I am confident that I will get the rest of the food allergies under control and add them back slowly. I am grately that God put the doctor from the wellness center in my path a few times. I always say that when God puts something in my path repeatly, he wants me to sit up and take notice. Thank God I am now on the path to healing. And who knows, maybe someone out there reading this will be helped by it. And there will be more reasons to praise God.
One Mom's Conversion to Green Living 