“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”–Jim Rohn
Listen to your Gut-Instincts🙇♀️
It’s been a little over a decade since I received the medical diagnosis that dramatically changed my life. I spent years battling upset stomach, gas, bloating, heartburn, and lower belly pain that only got worse with age. Pills had always been the answers. In fact, at one point in my life, I had multiple timers set on my phone to remind me to take prescribed medications before and after eating.
During a vacation near Boone, North Carolina, with my husband and daughter in which we had to plan our days around the timing of my medication, I finally decided I had had enough. Call it “gut-instinct”, but I knew that whatever was going on inside my body, the prescriptions were not the answer.
Finding a Doctor to listen 👂
Fortunately, I had a doctor at the time who took me seriously and listened. Together, we discussed a plan of action. Still, it took several months of waiting for tests and lab work to be completed, and more time waiting for results–the “hurry-up-and-wait” shuffle–as I fondly call it.
I am not sure what I expected the results to be. However, when the letter arrived at my house stating I needed to schedule a follow-up appointment with my doctor (which was already on the books) due to indications of celiac disease and hiatal hernia, I was initially upset due to the dramatic lifestyle changes to manage both.
Change is Not Easy 😬
To state the obvious, change is not easy, so I faced a fair amount of challenges as I adjusted my diet. Ultimately, though, as my symptoms subsided, and, one-by-one, the medications fell by the wayside, my motivation to continue increased. I also came to see that compared to other potential prognosis, changing my diet was a minor task compared to invasive treatments, therapies, and surgeries.
I’ve learned much, and continue to learn, along my health journey. Therefore, I share my experience as a point of encouragement when dealing with medical issues.
Advocate for Yourself 🗣️
First, I encourage you to trust your instincts, and advocate for yourself, especially if you are a person of color, a woman, a person with a higher BMI, or a LGBTQ+ person. Unfortunately, as with any field, there are those medical professionals with internalized biases. While I am confident not all doctors are bad actors, my own personal experience–and that of several others I know–have certainly informed me that if you belong to one of those categories, your complaints may not be given serious and thoughtful consideration. Therefore, you MUST advocate for yourself, even if it means changing doctors or traveling out of the area in which you live.
Not every Health Issue requires a Pill
Secondly, sometimes medication is absolutely necessary; however, prescriptions are not end-all-be-all for every situation. While I did have a doctor who truly listened to me, it still took me advocating for myself and not settling for what he prescribed based upon the medical system in which he worked. I am fortunate that when I questioned the medicine, that this doctor did not take it personally or as an assault on his professional judgment. Nor did he try to use shame, or blame-the-patient tactics, as I had previously experienced. He heard me out, asked numerous questions, and based upon those answers, set up a series of diagnostic tests.
Be Gentle with yourself as you navigate lifestyle changes 😊
Thirdly, be gentle with yourself if you have to make lifestyle changes. Once I received my results, overhauling my diet was scary–do you know how many things have gluten in them and/or cause reflux? I felt a huge amount of internal resistance to those changes in the beginning because it seemed like such an overwhelming task.
Lifestyle changes are not easy, and it takes time to make the adjustments. There are going to be setbacks, slipups, and mistakes along the way. I know; I experienced them. Completely changing the way I ate was a steep learning curve, and it was an eye-opening experience. Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I wanted to feel better and not live my life on a series of timers and pills.
Find your support 👯♀️
Enlist support for your changes. Join Facebook communities or other support groups to help you transition and navigate through the changes. Thankfully, I had support in the form of my family and friends. Of course, they did not have to necessarily change the way they ate, but they absolutely made, and still continue to make, accommodations for my dietary needs. This is especially true for when we dine out. I have a limited number of restaurants in which I can safely eat. Therefore, if I can’t eat at a certain location, friends and family will nearly always choose another option, so I can also enjoy the meal with them.
health is a constant series of adjustments along the way 🛣️
Finally, know that your health journey is a continuous process. Because I spent over four decades without a proper diagnosis, I am still encountering health difficulties. One of the biggest obstacles I now face is a result of undiagnosed celiac disease. Celiac causes the villi that make up the lining of the small intestines where nutrients are absorbed to become damaged. Over time, the villi atrophy and flatten due to inflammation from eating products that contain gluten.
Despite overall healthy eating and consistent exercise, until I cleared the gluten in order to reduce the inflammation in my body, I was not able to absorb enough nutrients, specifically calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K. Additionally, due to acid-reflux, I took proton-pump inhibitors for several years, which are also known to deplete magnesium, calcium, and other important minerals.
Thus, I now have osteopenia. As a result I have already had one surgery and may later need another one. However, I am doing all I can to keep that from happening, including completing the prescribed exercises, lifestyle changes, and appropriate supplementation of key nutrients. Additionally, of course, I continue to maintain lifestyle changes with regards to a gluten-free diet, low-acid diet, and I am now more motivated to continue consistent weight-bearing exercise to keep my bones as healthy and strong as I can.
Our health is truly a source of personal wealth. Therefore, learning to advocate our own health needs is critical. To be sure, doctors are highly educated, but that doesn’t mean they are fully educated when it comes to YOUR BODY and YOUR unique HEALTH needs.
IT’s your body. Treat it Well.
Speak up for yourself. Trust your instincts. If you need medication, take it, but don’t overlook lifestyle habits as well. Educate yourself on lifestyle habits that can positively (and negatively) impact your health and make adjustments as needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for support, and forgive yourself if you slip-up along your health journey.
At the end of the day. It is your body. It is the only one you have. Treat it like the sacred, precious gift that it is.
Steph Simply 