How it all started . . .
I've had pretty good health for most of my life. I got sick more often during my last few years of college-- usually strep, bronchitis or just a cold. But things didn't really get bad until about a year ago. I was gradually getting stomach aches and heartburn more often, but things really got bad over spring break of my last semester of college. Bad stomach aches, a fever, and other symptoms you may not want to know! ;) I was scared that I had cancer. I went to my family doctor and a gastroenterologist, and they both thought I had Ulcerative Colitis, or possibly Chron's Disease. Long story short, after some tests, we found out I actually had a bacterial infection called C diff. (Chron's and Colitis were ruled out, fortunately, but not until a few months later.) The infection was really hard to get rid of; it took a few rounds of antibiotics. The antibiotic that finally killed it after 3 or 4 months (Vancomycin) is one that I've heard is used to kill MRSA!How did you get it?
That is what everyone wants to know. The short answer: I don't know! But here's what I suspect. Last fall (2014) I was on antibiotics for both strep throat and bronchitis. The antibiotics probably killed off a lot my good intestinal bacteria, making me more susceptible to infections. I could have gotten the Cdiff from anywhere-- a public restroom, a doctor's office, a shopping cart . . . I wasn't taking a lot of probiotics when I was on antibiotics, and probiotics are needed to repopulate the good bacteria. I tried to have a cup of yogurt most days, but that was not nearly as much probiotics as I needed.Some people don't believe I'm sick
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| Senior pictures while I was sick! I prayed so much that I would be healthy enough for pictures. This was a better day. |
I used to think that mental illness was the only kind of illness that people didn't take seriously. Evidently that's not true.
"But you look healthy!" "Maybe it's in your head." These are just a couple of the comments I've gotten. I think people are normally well-meaning; they just really don't get it!
And just a piece of advice: If someone tells you they can't eat a certain food, don't pressure them to eat it! Most likely, they are not just being a picky eater. People don't just get mild stomach aches from eating certain foods. Some people get ulcers, severe acid reflux or allergic reactions.
Don't take your health for granted
I used to be in pretty good shape and get a lot of exercise. In middle school and high school I did martial arts. Over the past several years, one of my favorite things to do has been going on 15-mile bike rides. It's been a long time since I've ridden my bike that far, but I'm thankful that I can go on short bike rides sometimes. I have also gradually been able to eat more foods.
Learning to do what's best for me
Sometimes my health problems have really limited and complicated my social life. I am someone who likes to keep my commitments; if I say I will be somewhere or do something, I want to do what I said, if at all possible. Sometimes I have to cancel my plans at the last minute, which is something I hate to do. I know that if I push myself too much, I will get overtired and be more likely to get sick. To people who don't understand, it might look like I don't keep my commitments. I have had to learn not to be controlled by other people's expectations. I know my body better than anyone else does, so I know how far I can push it and when I need to rest.There is no quick fix or one-size-fits-all solution
Gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. doesn't help everyone. It may be worth a try, but it's not a guaranteed cure for every problem. Medications or supplements that help one person may not help someone else, because everyone is different.One of my dad's friends said I should go to a group home that helped one of his relatives who was anorexic. I'm glad that it helped her, but I'm not anorexic. I'm skinny because most foods make me sick. I have been trying for a while to gain weight, but it doesn't work very well because my body won't digest a lot of what I eat or absorb the food's nutrients.
Hopefully in my next blog post I can look at some ways to avoid getting Cdiff.
