figuring out this interesting body of mine

so now that i have two cocktails of medications per day.. i'm figuring out what is helping what. so it makes sense to me why i'm taking each one.

in the morning i take-

protonix for GERD

vitamin D3 5000 UI for vitamin D deficiency (part of my tiredness and lack of energy)

fish oil for history of heart issues in the family, and my own abnormal heart beat, POTS problem

multivitamin because i'm vitamin deficient, can never get enough (chewable because the pill form is too big to swallow- dysphagia)

allegra for allergies (horses, penicillium mold) and flonase (excess drainage and abnormal amounts of mucous)

Zoloft 100 mg for anxiety- this only treats some of my anxiety, since my body also makes too much adrenaline. But it does help.

miralax in my water to help with my IBS once a day

dinner i take magnesium citrate to help with constipation, muscle spasms and twitching (nerve helper)

after dinner i have a night time cocktail- 

corgard to help prevent headaches, including chronic migraines

requip for my restless leg syndrome, help calm my nerves

pamelor as a mild antidepressant which also makes me drowsy

I have 800 mg Ibuprofen for pain, excedrin migraine when i need it, maxalt as a back up for bad migraines

My inhaler in case i get out of breath or tightening/pain in my chest. It works about half the time, because of my POTS, it doesn't always have to do with my lungs. Sometimes it's really just my autonomic system going haywire. 

DHEA spray to level out my testosterone and estrogen, also helps with libido, also helps clear up my acne and helps it heal better. 

Zofran for days when the nausea is just too much.

.........

That's just the meds that help make my body feel mostly "normal", whatever that means. 

I also have a much stricter diet, because of all the foods that i'm sensitive to. 

Gluten free- ads to IBS (constipation), keratosis polaris and inflammation

Dairy free- ads to IBS (diarrhea, bloating, gas) and breakouts

Soy free- messes with my hormones, mood fluctuations

as Acid free as possible- inflames my bladder and GERD problems. (no acid fruits or veggies, dark coffee only)

lower fat foods- cutting back on beef, basically no pork/bacon, have to eat lean meats (turkey, chicken) and eggs since i don't get the benefit of some fruits and veggies and can't eat beans/legumes. too much fat messes with my sphincter, creating more GERD problems. 

as Sugar free as possible- ads to inflammation and brain fog.

........

finding out I have EDS has actually really helped me, so now i know that things i thought were normal were really things that were abnormal, and i've been able to adapt to a new way of thinking, a new way of eating, a new way of living. 

not working outside the home anymore, being able to keep the house clean for my family and being here more for them. 

so much more enriching and mindful.

I now have an awesome PCP, rheumatologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, urologist, cardiologist, and dentist. ;) For the most part, I love my medical team!

fad diets vs people who have to eat that way

I was attending a catered meal for ladies at church and we somehow got on the topic of food. I think maybe my sister mentioned my plate, which only had a couple things on it, no bread, no dessert, no punch, no croutons, no breaded chicken.. and the topic of gluten free came up.
(unfortunately, ranch dressing has dairy AND gluten in it, but not enough to bother me too much. it did give me gas, which i swallowed a gas pill and i don't think it helped)

The girls she brought with her said "oh you're gluten free right now? I tried that once, that was too hard, I couldn't do it?"

It made me wonder about the difference between people who use things like "gluten free" and "detox" and "no sugar" diets as fads.

Then there are the people like me who have to eat that way every day, who don't get a choice because if we eat the wrong thing, our bodies pay for it with pain.. bloating, inflammation, diarrhea or conspitation, sometimes migraines or chest pain.

...................
It's definitely been a journey to change so much about how I grocery shop and how I cook, figuring out what hurts me and what doesn't.

Now when I go out to eat with someone, I just have to be a lucky picky in what I order.

Went to 5 Guys Burgers and Fries with my husband earlier this week, and I ordered a small bacon burger with no cheese and no bun. They asked if it was preference or allergy, i said "allergy" the first time ever. That felt strange but cool. I was in control and they respected that. So i got lettuce wrap. And it was delicious.