Strange Sense Of ...calm.
Posted by BloatusMaximus, Nov 6 2009, 01:51 PM
So, today I am exactly 4 weeks gluten free. Had some accidental glutten poisoning last weekend which resulted in another breakout of hives and no sleep that lasted almost one week. I have only been half-heartedly toying with the dairy free experiment up until 3 days ago. I would occasionally add a dollop or two of yogurt to a smoothie or put a little cream in my coffee which resulted in minor gas and scant bloating. But I decided to completely forgoe the dairy products for a few days just to see if there were any improvements to be had. And guess what? I have had this wonderful strange sense of calm. I slept good for the last 2 nights and my muscles are relaxed and not tense. This nasty shoulder, neck, and back tension has lifted considerably. I am almost giddy with anticipation over what the future might be like if this healing continues.
The physical part of this disease sucks, to be sure. But the most significant effect on me is neurological. The nerve problems and insomnia have been unbearable.
I found myself actually thanking God for this gluten problem (along with the other intolerances). This is something that I can control. Up until now, I felt like my health was completely out of control and my downward spiraling health problems seemed unstoppable. This can make anyone depressed. But the mytery has finally been exposed. I am thankful that this lifelong problem has a name and I am not dying of some mysterious, unspeakable disease. I can finally move forward in life and be confident that I can engage in anything I want. I have been held back too long.
All this being said, I hope I haven't spoken prematurely about being "healed". I still have a long ways to go and can only pray for my sleep to improve. It's a long way up from the very bottom.
Thomas
Finally Putting Pieces Of The Puzzle Together
Posted by BloatusMaximus, Oct 28 2009, 06:21 AM
When I was a teenager I began to realize that the food I ate directly affected how I felt physcially. Years later, I determined that food had a profound affect on how I felt mentally as well. I always wondered why others could easily consume "junk" food without the same ill effects I suffered.
I became famous as the resident insomniac and even more famous for the after-affects of eating pizza and drinking beer (or ANYthing else for that matter). The gas and bloating was more than a mere discomfort and I became more and more miserable over the years trying to hide and tame the symptoms of what I now know is a gluten intolerance . Looking back on it all, I am amazed that I didn't figure out the connection to wheat much earlier. Some foods had an almost instant impact on my system and hit me like a sledgehammer. Other things were more sinister and didn't hit me until a day later or so, making the gluten connection more elusive.
I went through weeks and months at a time of severe intestinal distress. MRIs and various barium associated tests revealed nothing. Nor did neurological evaluations to explain unending muscle twitches, vertigo, confusion, and many other strange and frightening symptoms. Periodic skin eruptions with unimaginable itching was passed of as hives due to stress, and my continuous joint and muscle aches and pains were met with indifference by doctors. I actually bought into the assertion that I was depressed and needed an anti-depressant medication to help me function normally. It wasn't until I began anti-depressants that I truly understood what it meant to be morbidly depressed. This was clearly not the answer for me.
I became desperate to seek balance in my life and spent hundreds of hours doing research to get to the bottom of my health crisis. I tried heavy vitamin and mineral supplementation. I became a vegetarian and lost 30 pounds that I didn't have to lose (and scared the sh!t out of my family and doctor in the process), all-the-while consuming gluten containing grains. Nothing had ANY meaningful impact on my horrendous sleeping pattern and physical ailments. Interestingly, the only thing that gave me a ray of hope was delving into meditation and pursuing spiritual endeavors (though admittedly, the results were inconclusive if not short lived).
Part of the reason this whole gluten connection was so hard to determine was because my symptoms were not typical for celiac disease. I never had the chronic D that I hear most people describe. My problem is that I have numerous food sensitivities and it never was "just one thing", such as gluten. I am still in the process of elimination, but I have sensitivies (allergies?) to dairy and certain fruits and vegetables.
I am still in the process of figuring this all out. I am just relieved to know that there is a real reason why I have been feeling like I do and it's not all "in my head"
Thomas
on Strange Sense Of ...calm.