Wednesday, June 13, 2012

So many changes, so little time...

Back to blogging.

It has been over a year since my last post (sorry) and so much has happened. I moved out of the home I shared with my twin sister and into a home with Boyfie (now Hubby), got another dog, lost weight, gained weight, lost weight, gained weight, and got married...

And got sick. Really sick.

Starting in August of last year, I started getting hives all over my body. Sometimes all over my hands or my feet, but sometimes all over my legs, back and midsection. Hives are a puzzling thing - because they are not always due to allergies. These are the kinds of hives that didn't disappear with a couple benedryl . I sucked it up, itched, and kept on keepin' on. Who has time for hives? Not me.

Then the swelling started. Ankles, feet, hands. Pockets of adema under my arms and groin. It was not every day, but pretty consistent and I had no clue what was causing it. My asthma symptoms became uncontrollable. I had acid reflux almost every single day and was so fatigued. But, I kept on keepin' on. I wasn't gonna let a little swelling stop me. I popped some gaviscon and ordered another coffee. Milk and stevia, please?

You have to hit some lows before you know its bad. I didn't want to be social anymore. I was too exhausted and too covered in hives to want to leave the house for very long. I didn't wear skirts to work anymore and I sure as hell avoided pictures. My joints became painful. Soon the bad days outnumbered the good days.  On the day of my wedding, I had to use makeup on my legs to cover my hives. Low point for sure. One night I couldn't breath after eating in a restaurant and an ambulance was called. Another low. I had thoroughly scared Hubby by that point and frankly, I was starting to scare myself.

Most just think I complain a lot about being sick on Facebook (and I do, I know I do).  I had no idea what was going on or what to do about it and for a while, the doctors didn't either. Some guessed it was stress, another said Valley Fever. My primary physician ran an allergy panel which detected an obnoxious amount of food and environmental allergies. I was referred to an wonderful immunologist who finally helped me move towards some answers.

First, we discovered that acid reflux was causing major issues with my asthma. I was inhaling stomach acid as I slept, which was impairing my ability to breath. It also made swallowing food difficult and caused me to have "vocal cord dysfunction"- otherwise known as chronic throat clearing. My acid reflux was a secondary complication of stress and food allergies. My doctor decided to run a panel that tested my IgE levels (measures the body's allergic response), thyroid antibodies and a celiac disease panel. My IgE results were off the charts, suggesting that my body was exhibiting a hyper-immunological response to allergens - some environmental and some food. I also blood tested positive for celiac's disease.

The celiac's diagnosis was confirmed by an intestinal biopsy. I was told that in order to get better, I had to completely avoid gluten. For the rest of my life. WHAT?! Anyone who knows me knows that I have three major food groups - cereal, mac and cheese and more cereal. I also had to cut out all products with soy, peanut and potato - my other primary food allergies. I needed new makeup, hair products and even had to change my pots and pans. I thought this would be impossible.

Celiac's disease is no joke. It is not a fad diet, nor is it an "allergy." When I ingest gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley, my body produces antibodies that attack my intestinal lining. This is a disease I was born with - that I inherited- but took a very long time to manifest in "obvious" symptoms. I say "obvious" NOW because there are a lot of health issues in my past that are now easily explained by Celiac's - we just didn't know it then.

But going gluten free has changed my life so far. I have been gluten free for almost 3 months now.  I feel like this fog has lifted off my brain. I can sleep better and slowly, the hives and swelling are disappearing. But every once in a while, I accidentally ingest some gluten and I pay a serious price. Think of a bad hangover, add diarrhea, gas and hives, and  then maybe you can relate. I take quite a few daily supplements to repair the damage I did eating like an asshole for the last 30 years, but there is nothing that can stop a relapse if I ingest gluten.

I also have Hashimoto's thyroiditis- another autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. This disease is often a companion disease for progressed celiacs, but thank goodness, the Hashimoto's is not as progressed. Regular monitoring of my thyroid function and a daily medication help control the disease. I also inherited this disease.

I am getting better. Every day is better and every day I get more careful about what I eat.  But, alas, few things haven't changed. My Hubby and doggies are the center of my world and life revolves around them. I still have a job that I love, besties who rock and a BossLady that I cherish. The people around me are supportive of the change, understanding of my slow progress and don't give me too much shit when I take a long time to order at restaurants.

I really just summed up a several month mission to discover that I had this disease. It wasn't easy but it has given me a lot I want to talk about. A lot will happen over the next 6 months - this new lifestyle, a trip to the Trial Lawyer's College, a kitchen remodel, to name a few. I have a lot to say and share. So I re-embark on blogging...enjoy the ride with me folks.