With this blog, I will share my journey to improve my stomach health. After many years of feeling pretty awful and no real help from my doctors, I was feeling very frustrated and hopeless. I hope that through these blog posts others may find they are not alone in their frustration of feeling lousy and undergoing test after test and not finding any relief. I will share my journey to heal my body through changing the food I ate. I want to give others hope that relief is possible. Everyone’s journey is different. I hope this blog will give someone struggling with digestive issues ideas on how to heal themselves.
My stomach problems started in college. My stomach would burn when I got stressed out during finals week. I would take antacids for relief. Eventually, they weren’t enough. The health service doctor prescribed an acid reducer. I took the acid reducer for 2 years. My symptoms got worse and I went to a gastroenterologist. I had an endoscopy which verified I had gastritis. The doctor prescribed a muscle relaxer to clear up the gastritis and then I went on a maintenance protocol of a once daily fiber drink. I also ate a fairly bland diet.
Seven years later, I had another gastritis flare up. My gastroenterologist did another endoscopy with the same results. Gastritis! The doctor prescribed the fiber drink with the prescription acid reducer to clear up the gastritis. I managed my symptoms for another 7 years.
I couldn’t take pain medication, because that caused flare-ups. I would get a flare-up from cold or the flu. I would use over the counter acid reducers, and drink only chicken broth for a week to clear up the gastritis.
I experienced a really bad flare-up a year after I lost my sister to suicide. My gastroenterologist did another endoscopy. Same diagnosis, gastritis. The usual protocol of fiber and acid reducer didn’t work. I had an mri twice on my liver. Nothing was wrong with my liver. I went on a proton pump inhibitor. I managed with the bland diet but my symptoms didn’t go away.
My husband encouraged me to try changes in my diet. I tried cutting out gluten. It helped but it wasn’t enough. I read a grain free, dairy free food blog. I bought the author’s cookbooks. I learned more about reading labels, hidden gluten, and being dairy free. The food was great and easy to prepare. It opened my mind up to other possibilities on this journey to heal my stomach.
I went to a chiropractor who told me about stimulation of my vagus nerve to help with digestion. I thought, why not, right now I’ll try anything. I was amazed at how much it helped my symptoms. I started with once a week appointments, then went to two weeks, once a month, and now I go when I have symptoms. Definitely, part of my maintenance protocol.
I read about a supplement protocol that reduced inflammation. I followed the protocol. Within a couple weeks of starting the supplements my symptoms improved. No pain. I was really encouraged. Next, I tried to go off my proton pump inhibitor, and within 1 week, my gastritis flared up again. My symptoms continued for 6 months. I lost 20 pounds. I was miserable.
I went to a naturopath for some help. She recommended a stool test. The test results indicated, I had a fungus in my gut. She gave me a strong probiotic for 7 days followed by a buteraid supplement. My symptoms improved greatly. I was able to gain the weight I lost.
I researched gut fungus and how to treat it. I read a specific carb diet can help treat a gut fungus. I tried a specific carb diet for hard cases. I followed the plan. My symptoms slowly went away. After three months, I was symptom free. After another month, I went off my proton pump inhibitor. I still take the buteraid supplement and the daily fiber.
I feel so much better but I still have work to do. I am very thankful for the autoimmune issues, and food blogs, I researched. Each story I read gave me hope that I could be healthy.