Monday, April 16, 2012

{I'm a Medical Mystery}

A story I haven't shared on here before is about an ongoing battle with health that has been a part of me for longer than it hasn't. I don't know if you have ever been on the receiving end of a health issue that puzzles doctors and leaves you feeling helpless and mysterious, it can be infuriating!


 {My side profile after and before pictures of me in my 'condition' of ???? 
This bloating can happen several times a week. Looks preggas right?!?!?!}


My battle started officially on a Wednesday night 15 years ago. I was in grade 8 in high school and my Dad took me to the local GP's office with extreme abdominal pain. They rushed me to hospital
thinking it was appendicitis. It turns out that it wasn't, but they wanted to be safe in case I was about to have a random useless part of my insides burst internally causing a lot of  potential harm! I often present with extreme belly cramps and EXTREME boating to the point where I look about 4-6 months pregnant. This can be ok when I am at home in my Pj's. However, as a young girl in high school when I would bloat up it was quite embarrassing to say the least.
I can remember back to working in retail on one of my very first jobs and getting many lingering glares from people assuming that I was pregnant as it is a very convincing 'baby belly'.

It is not for lack of trying either. For those that know me personally, you may know some of the things I have tried. I have been poked and prodded, had funny diets (which cost my parents a fortune at the time) and I even sent my breath in a foil bag interstate to be analyzed (I know right?!?!?).

I am used to walking into doctors surgeries and giving my 'spiel' about my symptoms and major procedures etc... Imagine living with this constantly and being given a vague stare of clueless-ness and doctors eagerly palming me off to someone else, being told "it's in your head", or my favourite three letters (NOT!). "You have IBS, we can't tell you how you got it, why you have it or how to treat it". GREEEEEAAAT!!! You start to believe these doctors after a while and wonder is there ever hope of being 'normal'?!

Fast forward to me now. Post 2 babies. I have have experienced being pregnant (and loved it). But as a young woman still, I like to look and feel my best. Having nothing to fit me sometimes bar my maternity jeans dents the ego slightly! It is draining being sick and bloated. And worst of all being 15 years down the track and still trying to figure out my body is seriously frustrating!
  
With 15 years of trying, you would think I had have arrived at a diagnosis or at least some way of managing my problem. Sometimes I wish I had a diagnosis so I knew what I was dealing with, no matter what it is.
I try to eat and live as healthy as possible to help this as well as my 'normal' health and well-being.
One day I hope to know what is wrong with my body, until then I aim to keep my body as healthy and clean as possible.



My biggest health tip is to be organised. I find when I do things like have home-baked healthy snacks, chopped up veggie sticks and bottles of water in the fridge, I am less likely to make bad choices with my snacks.
I also try to avoid as much processed food as possible. Balance is important, but I try to keep as close to nature as possible!


Anyone have any health tips, routines or habits that they use to improve their health and well-being?
[Leave comments here, on facebook or twitter]

Lauren x








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