A little back story on my issues.
I was diagnosed with Hyrpothyroidism in college {longer back than I care to admit, thank you}. With medication, I've been able to keep it steady & controlled ever since. My energy was good, I was working out and maintaining my wedding weightloss. Last April I started a new cardio class & was really enjoying myself when I began having pains under my left rib. It was constant and comparable to a pulled muscle feeling. Assuming it was just a muscle issue I sucked it up. After about a month of no relief, I decided to visit my doctor who assured me it was just a pulled muscle.
So... flash forward to August. I found out I was pregnant with baby C and I was ecstatic, and unfortunately, still having the pain. My doctor basically said not much we can do as far as x-rays or scans due to the little bun in the oven, so I had to ride it out. Which I did. I think at that time I was just so happy to be pregnant, I didn't care.
After we lost Squirt, the fatigue got worse, which I just associated with the Hypothyroidism. On top of that... the chronic joint pain, aches and depression started to set in and I was a mess. My emotions were already running wild with the miscarriage and now, this. There were days I literally would only be awake {if you could call it that} for 12 hours a day.
I went back to my doctor to try and figure it all out. once and for all. Over the next few months I had:
Chest x-ray, negative.
CT scan, negative.
Bloodtests, negative. see a pattern yet?
Bone scan, negative.
Even more bloodtests, still negative.
A much-dreaded colonoscopy, yep, you guessed it, negative.
This April, I started experiencing a new symptom... a swollen tongue and throat. It became scary enough that I considered a trip to the ER. I have had difficulty swallowing & at times, it's a pretty strong discomfort.
As of recent, my GI doctor suggested an Upper GI scope to verify if my stomach/rib pain was a result of a digestive issue. That was a shocker in itself... I have NEVER had digestive issues. I'm that girl that will so much as look at a plate of Enchiladas, or even brown rice for that matter & end up in the ladies room. Mr. C finds it pretty irritating when we eat a meal & within 2 minutes I'm searching for a restroom. But, I suppose that's the reason why Dr. K. has an MD behind his name & I don't. The scope was done.
The doc took a biopsy for both Celiac Sprue Disease & also Eosinophilic Esophagitis . A few days after the procedure, he called and confirmed both, as long as a bloodtest came back positive. Which is where I am now... I have given my blood and I am waiting for the word. {update: Blood test showed I am positive for Celiac Disease...bleh}
In a weird way, I want it to be positive. I want there to be an answer to all this shit that I have had to endure over the last year. I know that in the long run, it will be beneficial not only for my health but for my happiness. I have been so miserable that I forgot what it's like to be truly happy and to feel at my best. My God, I am 32... not dead! I have also read that miscarriage is a common side effect of CD so that raises the stakes even more for this change!
So onto the next step... the dietary overhaul. I have already started to eliminate Gluten from my meals. It's not as hard as you would imagine. I foresee that the hardest part will be eating somewhere other than my home. I can't expect people to cater to my needs so I will have to take control and bring my own GF meals or eat prior to going. That's tough. Nothing like being a social outcast!
Well with all that being said. I am excited to start my healthier lifestyle. Mr. C. has also agreed to change some of his habits. He has been running again and biking and we have been sharing healthier meals.
Cheers to a healthier us!
*Lu
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