I finally got in to see the GI doctor yesterday, it was kind of what I expected. A lot of questions and a few theories - then a succession of tests will begin. My first test will be a gastric emptying test next Monday to confirm Gastroparesis, and it sounds super fun! First, you eat a plate of radioactive eggs. Then they x-ray your belly every hour for 4 hours to see how long it takes those eggs to get out of your stomach. The slower it takes, the more fucked you are. I am hoping it doesn't take long. In the meantime, I'm on the Gastroparesis level 2 diet which equates to eating absolutely NOTHING delicious. It's all bland crap you would feed a toddler. (Fruit cups, white bread, pudding, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...) This diet goes against EVERYTHING I feel I need to eat to maintain my fitness level. No lean meats, no raw fruits or vegetables; no whole grains. I am really hoping my test results come back with mild GP and I can go back to eating the way I want to eat. I feel VERY unhealthy living off of pudding, bagels, and eggs.
The doctor also believes that the shortness of breath is being caused by inflammation. Essentially my small intestine is incredibly pissed off, so it's inflamed and pressing on my diaphragm. Since it hurts to breathe deep, I take shallow breaths without even realizing it. This in turn triggers anxiety. Shortness of breath causes anxiety, not the other way around. No amount of head shrinking will fix this - for those of you who suggested I see a counselor. my BOWELS need a shrink. Not me! For the time being, I'm on a probiotic. Another test will check to see if we need to re-set the bacteria in my intestines and start all over. The hope is that the bland diet and probiotic will calm things back down so I can breathe normally and kick the Xanax. If not then it's a round of antibiotics to re-set everything.
So then I asked the question I've been dreading. Since it seems like all of this really started to get bad once I started running the longer distances; will I still be able to run? He then regaled me with a story about how when we're running, our brains don't realize that we're running for fun or fitness; they think that we're being chased by a saber tooth tiger. So all blood is shuttled to the muscles to give them the oxygen needed to get away from the tiger, since if we get caught it doesn't really matter if there is food trying to digest in our stomachs. For most people, the digestive system gets back to normal within a few hours or days - but since my digestive tract is slow to begin with; mine doesn't. He didn't really answer my question. My hope is that if I do have Gastroparesis severe enough to require medication that it will also help my guts get back to normal when I'm done running from the tiger. I love running from the tiger... I cannot imagine a life where I'm not being chased by a damn tiger!
The weird thing is that my appetite is coming back, and I am able to eat foods that are not on the GP diet without any issues - like salads and chicken. That part of my body feels just about back to normal. The thing that doesn't is the pressure and pain against my diaphragm. So who knows. It's a stupid waiting game. My doctor adjusted my thyroid medication (dropped the dose) so until I adjust to that I feel groggy and fatigued. My guess is that the test next Monday will show a mild emptying issue - and then I'll be back to square one.
My spirits are good though. I have moments of despair and feeling hopeless but they do not last. I will get through this and I will get my life back. I've been through worse...
No comments:
Post a Comment