Fitness Check In Day 59: Keep Climbing that Mountain

This week has had a lot of ups and downs health-wise. Since Comic Con, I have been unable to go out for a walk as I had initially intended after seeing that my body was able to handle it like a champ during NYCC. However, work had me plenty busy and my body honestly the first week after Con was wiped out. This rest of this week, however, my esophagitis sidelined me. It got soo bad, that my mouth felt like it was burning, my throat felt like I was swallowing rocks, I could feel the food going down my chest which was super painful and by Friday, I was barely able to speak due to the pain.

The first gastro that diagnosed me with gastritis and esophagitis, told me it was mild and I didn’t need to take anything for it when I pressed. Another gastro I went to, told me to try the low-FODMAP diet, which I had already tried but wasn’t successful. I went to another gastroenterologist and I was willing to try PPI’s but the Omeprazole I took, messed with my mood and gave me a horrible pain in my throat that didn’t go away for a week after I stopped taking them. I called the gastro who prescribed them, and got no response from her. Just crickets. Another doctor I went to, prescribed Pantoprazole but this med was flagged by my pharmacy for being in the same family as Aciphex which I had a bad reaction to, so I didn’t take it.

Recently I went to yet another gastro who told me that gastritis and esophagitis don’t really damage the lining, it’s just the nervous system that needs to reset or something like that. Well honey, you are WRONG! I have blisters in the back of my throat now that won’t go away, I cannot have anything other than eggs (thankfully), plain rice, bland, boiled chicken with salt, plain crackers, bread and carrots or veggies with no seasoning. This for a person who loved to cook and create new dishes and who loved to eat chocolate, pumpkin pie, etc… all this has been brutal especially during the holidays. So Friday, with my inability to talk much, I dove headfirst into the dark hole of sadness. I cried, I curse, I cried some more and then focused on work. I was pretty busy for most of the day, which allowed me to focus on one thing and allowed my emotions to calm down.

After work was over it was back to square one again as they say. Hitting the books that I have on my shelf that have been collecting dust. I have always been big on natural solutions and have plenty of books I have referred to whenever I or anyone in my family has had a health issue. Smoothies, juices, herbs, food recommendations for certain illness or health issues like diabetes, gastritis, high blood pressure, fatigue, etc…and many more are in these books. I started compiling a list of foods that may help heal my gastritis and control the acid reflux. My mom and brother bless their hearts, went out and purchased a few items on that list so I could start eating something. This is a good start but I have much more research to do to help myself while I look for yet another gastroenterologist and hope he isn’t another lazy quack.

Today at least things were better as far as the rest of my body. Today, I was able to do a bit more feng shui and cleaning in another part of my room. My room is very small, but moving even a small shelf or lifting a laptop has been too taxing. Today I was able to move the nightstand, my desk, the metal shelf (after taking some books off first) and my closet (after taking a good chunk of my clothes out!!) I was beyond giddy, grateful and for the first time in a long time, I felt my dad’s presence with me while I was doing all of this. Today I was able to squat a few times moving and cleaning things and I was able to climb the ladder to change the curtains!!!!!

These were all MAJOR wins for me today!! These are things that I normally didn’t appreciate or didn’t think twice about, but now I am appreciating every little thing that my body is able to do. This small section of my room took me 4 hours, but it was a nice change from just laying in bed feeling like crap. After a shower and dinner, my body is tired, but it’s a good tired. I feel a different flow of energy in my room again and it feels good. Tomorrow we will see how my body feels after doing some movements and much needed stretches, but even if all I can do is rest tomorrow or take a short walk around the block, at least I was able to do a LOT today.

I still have a long way to go, but I am finally able to say that the dizziness and jelly legs I had for weeks are rare to make an appearance now!!!!!