Thursday, June 7, 2012

Alternative methods

As I go on my journey, I have found that I have less and less trust for the medical world. I think that they are helpful when you need to figure out what is going on by running a lab or doing a test. These things can give us a window into our bodies. What I have learned is that many physicians tend to think inside their textbook box. Trying to discuss and "alternative" method with physicians can be quite a struggle. Of course, I have a story.....

My GI doc that I have seen for many years was very happy performing test after test and throwing a procedure in here or there to diagnose what what going on with me. Then when the tests and procedures were always normal, then he decided that my diagnosis falls into the IBS pot. In other words, he had no idea what to do. I mentioned to him that I had seen some alternative doctors and tried to discuss with him what their thoughts were and why it made sense to me. He blew it off. He told me I just had to live with IBS and treat the symptoms for life. I asked him why my body was doing this and shouldn't we treat the cause not just the symptoms? He looked like a deer in headlights and had no response.

I was concerned too because I take Protonix. Great drug for reflux. Bad, that it turns off the hydrochloric acid in your stomach which is needed to aid in the digestion of your food. It also depletes your calcium supply. No one told me those parts until I went to a functional medicine doctor and had been on the drug for years and years. I really want to get off this medication, but when you try to get off of it, you can have nausea, stomach pain, severe reflux, gi upset and more. I tried but I couldn't do it because of the side effects. I tried to talk to the GI doc about it and my concern about the calcium being depleted in my body. He told me to stay with Protonix, up the dose if I had more reflux, and to take a calcium supplement if I was really that worried about losing calcium. After all, the medical research doesn't support that thought. I asked him about constipation with calcium supplements. His answer truly showed me just how caring of a person he really is. He told me to eat a pea or some other food that gives me diarrhea to loosen it up. Ha Ha Ha. Seriously, he thought he was funny. My thought, he is a jerk stuck in a box.

Anyways, my belief and knowledge of natural or alternative methods for healing has grown over the years. I saw the functional medicine doctor for a year, waited a little while and then tried another one, and waited and then tried another one. The interesting thing is that they too like to run tests, but how they handle the results is so different. And they listen to what you say. Amazing! I was treated with herbs, that helped settle my tummy. I was put on probiotics and continue them today to help rebuild my flora since I am on protonix (I know - why am I still on it?). I was also taking digestive enzymes to help my body digest the food I could eat. I also had a serum allergy test done. This is where it gets interesting.

A little side story - My son had been having issues with severe stomach pain and vomiting every few weeks or so. I took him to see the same naturopathic doctor I was seeing. This doctor suggested running a serum allergy test on both of us. When we got the results back, I thought the doctor had mixed them up. My results showed no food allergies. Did you read that? NO FOOD ALLERGIES. This is after 4 years of me being told that I have food allergies and should not eat these foods. My son on the other hand, he has food allergies. He is allergic to dairy, eggs, gluten and beef (I know, weird, right?). We took those foods out of his diet and guess what. No more severe stomach pain and vomiting. If his tummy "burns" from eating something citrus or spicy, we give him slipper elm in applesauce and it does the trick. Natural and no side effects.  As for me, I am so happy that I have no food allergies, but then why is my body reacting like it is allergic?

This naturopathic doctor determined after listening to my story and my thoughts (1 of which I will save to tell you about another time) was that my body is inflamed due to stress. Yep - stress. When I started to get sick, my son was 2. In the 2-3 years prior to that, I had a very hard pregnancy. Lots of roller coaster emotions. I was diagnosed with partial placenta previa at 10 weeks. I was then was hospitalized at 22 weeks for a shortened cervix and was on strict bed rest for 63 days in the hospital.  Yep - 2 1/2 months of not being allowed to sit up, walk or get out of bed. While lying there in bed, I had the emotional roller coaster of my son not making it, my son having down syndrome, then being a preemie and then all should be ok. Thankfully I had my husband who is my rock while going through that. He too was suffering and together we made it through!

Besides that emotional roller coaster, I was hospitalized where I worked. My son was born at 38 1/2 weeks after having my water broken because I was literally sitting on his head. He was born healthy. I never really dealt with my emotions going through that or the depression I felt after he was born. I just kept moving forward in a daze. I then went back to work in that same hospital and saw daily reminders of the pain, emotions, and stress that I had gone through. I did leave that place and took a more stressful job and then another stressful job and then a really stressful job - again, see my pattern? This stress was making my body freak out!

This knowledge and revelation just happened in December 2011. I have started a new probiotic that has L-glutamine in it to help heal my digestive system. I drink tons of water. I no longer need digestive enzymes. And the final piece, I'll share later. My fear still holds me hostage. I try to eat other foods that I know I am not allergic to, but my fear stands in my way. Writing about it and making it known is one of my steps to healing. I have a long road to go, but I will get there. Today, I feel better than I have in 4 years. I am very active and am discovering my passion. My stress is so much less now, and I have learned such vital survival methods like breathing, exercising, supplements, healthy foods, living life, and what toxins need to stay away from me and my family. Finally, I have hope.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your story. I have been going through my own healing journey with candida, chronic fatigue, and hypothyroidism. I too found that conventional medicine didn't help - the doctors ran tests (which always came back "normal"), but they never truly listened to me. They scoffed at any ideas of alternative medicine. I am currently being treated by a doctor of Functional Medicine and I have a long way to go in terms of healing, but hearing your story has encouraged me and restored my hope that eventually I will start to feel better. Thank you.

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  2. I am sorry that you have this struggle in your life. I know how you are feeling. It has been a long road for me, and I have a long way to go too. I feel like the only way that I can start to heal is to turn my sadness and negativity into positive energy. Since I have changed my outlook, the world is brighter, and I can feel myself healing.

    I am glad that my story has encouraged you and brought back some hope. It is easy to lose hope but so energizing when you find it again. Hang in there and know that my thoughts are with you. Feel free to write anytime especially if you need some encouragement to continue healing.

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If you have a similar story or know someone who does or are just curious and have questions, please feel free to comment!