What is Your Health Worth to You?

I know that it has been a while since I've blogged.  I've been contemplating blogging on what I've been dealing with for a while now.  I know that by putting this out there that I feel as if I am "exposing" myself to people that don't even know me, yet, I feel that I need to do this.  My hope is that if there is just one person out there going through what I've been going through that they will know they are not alone.

I've been dealing with alot of health issues since September 2012.  And unfortunately, as health issues go (as most health issues are not fun to begin with), it has put alot of stress, many outbursts of frustrated tears, unnecessary arguments with my husband and utmost hatred of my body for feeling like it was failing me.  All due to unanswered questions and WHY is this happening when I eat clean, workout 6 days a week, and think of myself as a fairly healthy person (well, at least that is what I thought).  Seems that there was a battle going on inside of me that I had no idea was going on. 



Well, after getting what I thought was the stomach bug in September 2012, and never really feeling well, I sought help from my natropathic nurse practitioner who, was also treating my hypothyroid issues (which I've had since my first daughter was born in 1997).  After many tests, many trial and errors in diet and finally coming to the determination that we had to go the next step and have an official test done - a colonoscopy.  Yep, at age 39 I had to have a colonoscopy done to see why the inflammation markers in my intestinal area were so high and to rule out anything major.  So of course, the first thing that came to me was the big "C".  Yea, I was a nervous wreck pretty much the entire 3 weeks in July. 

I finally received my results 2 days ago.

And the verdict is? 

Well, it isn't the big "C" - thank God! But what exactly is causing the inflammation - they have no idea. 

So now what?

Well, it looks like my official diagnosis is Irrital Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and leaky gut.  Yeah me, right.

At this same time, I also had my thyroid panels tested.  And lucky me, my thyroid levels are not in balance and my TPO antibodies have not come down, in fact, they have gone up so that means that my Hashimoto's Disease is not under control.

So how did this happen? 

After doing alot of questioning everything I've done, ate, and even took to make me healthy seems to have caused an autoimmune attack (basically a combo of stress and trying to be everything to everyone caused my immune system to take a hit).  Training for a 5K mud run, not eating the right foods, and even all the antibiotics I took at a kid was too much for me to handle, especially since my thyroid was being attacked already by itself (that is what Hashimoto's Disease is - your antibodies attacks your thyroid hormones).

I also found out that my gut may have been compromised for many years - which people can have leaky gut and not even know it.  (I'll do another blog post on this issue).

So now what?

A MAJOR diet uhaul is going to be done (and yes, my family will be going through a different way of eating too).  Many supplements to heal my gut.  Stress management - I'll be taking my first Yoga class soon.  (This will be another blog post too.)

Now that you know a little bit about me (and yes, I realize this post is huge), if I can give you just one piece of advice throughout everything that I've had to go through for almost a year, it is this:

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.  Listen to your body when you know something isn't right.  Even if you have to go to 10 different doctors to get an answer - do it.  I had to go to 4 different ones (even ones that don't take insurance so it was me paying the bill every time) before I finally found one that listened to me and did something.  You have to FIGHT for your health.  No matter how bad things may be KEEP FIGHTING. 

I have to have FAITH, HOPE and TRUST that I will be back to my "old" self.  I just have to have PATIENCE.

My thought as I am about to post this that if anyone reading this is going through this or knows someone going through this, please let them know that they are not alone and don't give up.

 

Until next time......