What it is like to Suffer with Autoimmune Flu

Here is the scenario…

Your friends call to say let’s meet up for dinner and drinks. It has been a while, school has been busy, you are working 2 jobs to pay the bills, and a night with friends hanging out sounds like just what you need.

You find some cute shorts and shirt and admire your tiny waistline. You made sure you didn’t eat much today so you could feel good and enjoy your time out. Of course you are running late as normal, you are usually “fashionably late.” You sache into the restaurant feeling AMAZING. Your friends have already ordered an appetizer and a water with lemon. They know soda irritates your stomach issues so they refrain. You begin to scan the menu. Analyzing each item, and asking…”can I have this or will I feel the effects of this later?’ Wondering how the cooks prepare each item, what oils they are using, realizing any dish with breading, beans or cheese is out.

You begin to feel the heat rise up your body, the stress suffocating you and the dialogue in your head. “Stop being so complicated, just order and enjoy and PRETEND when you start feeling #bloated” “Maybe this meal wouldn’t be too bad” “Ugh can I just go home…maybe I should drink water and say i am not hungry.”

Fear.

Insecurity.

Stress.

Consequences.

Shame.

Guilt.

Analysis.

Bloating.

Pain.

The #Chronicfatigue.

The constant explanation over why you can’t or why you feel so….

Can I just go home?

At home things can be controlled. The salad dressings, the oils used, the desserts or appetizers are not beckoning you to try it.

You decide to go with the standard Salad, dressing on the side so you can control the amount, sure add the chicken. You friends eye rolls over another perfect “Sally” meal become the joke of the table for a few minutes. But that is ok, I mean same story. Fingers crossed this won’t make you sick.

You cautiously notice you feel good after eating. You decide to partake in a few bites of dessert and maybe even have a cocktail, vodka soda lemon and lime, “The Skinny Girl Drink.”

As the evening progresses, so does your belly. Frustrated, you are not sure if it was the dinner, dessert or the drink. You have been here before there is no rhyme or reason, you try to enjoy the remainder of the evening knowing the doom that lies ahead of you….

Have you been here?

The next few days may contain belly bloat like you are 6 months preggers, pain, hardness around the abdomen, chronic fatigue even after sleeping for 8 hours, skin breakouts, irritation, depression, anxiety and overall sense of yuck! I named this the #Autoimmune Flu after experiencing this for years in my twenties even after cleaning up my diet, going organic, ridding my diet of soda, fried foods, alcohol and soda.

Inflammation came and went throughout all my years of eating clean, plant based, limiting sugars, meats and processed foods.

I was ill…A LOT! I would have moments of relief but nothing substantial. I discontinued coffee, started whole food cleanses, added probiotics, had food sensitivity testing done and did 2-3 elimination diets, ate 75% raw for 4 weeks….

Appendicitis

#ColorectalCancer

Hopeless was where I found myself after Cancer. Years of inflammation and going to G.I. doctors, multiple diet changes didn’t exempt the inflammation “IBS” they called it. 25 years after my first bout with this insidious illness I was diagnosed with SIBO (Small Intestine bacterial overgrowth) and after much research now have a plan (which I will share in my next blog).

If this resonates with you keep following my #SIBO healing journey. I will be blogging, vlogging and doing lives on FB to share what I am doing to rid myself of the Autoimmune Flu. The Gut has so much to do with how so many of us feel, so if you can relate start here!

Some QUICK TIPS:

  1. If you are eating the SAD (Standard American Diet)- which is a modern dietary pattern that is generally characterized by high intakes of red meat, processed meat, pre-packaged foods, butter, fried foods, high-fat dairy products, eggs, refined grains, potatoes, corn (and high-fructose corn syrup) and high-sugar foods…STOP now.

  2. Hire a #NutritionCoach to support you to change your lifestyle.

  3. Go Check Out #DrDanielPompa on FB, he is an Autoimmune expert!

  4. Stay tuned for my Tracy”s Got Guts-my SIBO healing journey

    Remember that feeling sick is NOT how we should be living our lives, keep researching & taking a step toward health & healing!