Slow and Steady Wins the Race

5 months ago, I couldn’t really see the end of the road, 5 months ago I was holding on as tight as I could to the hopes that one day this nightmare would end, 5 months ago I was a shell of my previous self, fragile, worried and sick. 5 months ago I decided I would start blogging my journey in the hopes that one day I would beat whatever was making me so sick so I could help others.

Fast forward to now and I’m the proudest I have ever been of myself, for never giving up, for doing all in my power to work out what was happening to me and for helping others by providing them with recipes for safe food and connecting with people in similar situations, helping each other a long the way.

It took me a total of 8 months to get a diagnosis and I’ve become aware that a lot of people have suffered for much longer than me before receiving one. It’s shocking how difficult it is to diagnose a stomach problem, it takes far too long to see a professional qualified in gastroenterology, first you have to go through blood tests, and ultra sounds and then you have to stay strong because when all those tests come back normal it’s likely you will be told it is IBS. It may well be IBS but I think you should go through every other test possible before you’re given that diagnoses, you need an endoscopy and a colonoscopy to rule out Gastritis, Crohns, Colitis, Diverticulitis and Parasites. If they come back clear you need a test for SIBO a test for Candida overgrowth, a test for Gastroparasis and I am sure many more tests for other medicinal conditions that even I, after researching almost every stomach problem possible am unaware of. And of course if it wasn’t for my research I’m not even sure I would have got the SEHcat scan that diagnosed me with bile acid malabsorption, although I would like to trust that my Gastro doctor would have worked this out but having taken so long to see him I had to put that option out there as soon as I knew about it.

Unfortunately it seems that it does take time to get to the bottom of a stomach issue, you need patience, strength and determination which I am thankful I found within myself, 10 months after all my symptoms started and I’m continuing with a phased return to work, currently working 5 days a week, part time at 30 hours a week. 5 months ago, work wasn’t even an option. Now 3 months after diagnoses and correct medication and I am slowly but surely working my way back up to where I fell from. Again this is going to take time and I need to remember to stay patient, my body will tell me when it’s doing to much, and I need to make sure I don’t rush back into everything only to end up in the state I was before.

One thing to remember :

Slow and Steady Wins the Race