Fitness Check In Day 86: The Clouds Are Parting

Since I stopped taking the PPI Voquezna, my stomach has had a LOT of ups and downs. Soo much so that I called out sick which I rarely do. The exhaustion as I mentioned in my prior post was brutal to the point I had to sneak in naps where I could to get through the day. Now here we are, almost two weeks after I stopped the pill and I slowly seem to be turning a corner. I still have bloat, but I don’t have the extremely painful bloat where it feels like someone is inflating my intestines like a balloon. I DO feel the acid in my stomach and while it can get bad, it’s nowhere near as bad as last week. I still get nauseous, but it’s tolerable. What is getting worse is my throat. I am now feeling the acid reflux coming up more. The spices and foods I was incorporating in my diet symptom free thanks to Voquezna are now irritating me a bit. I am also unsure if I will be able to eat the OUI yogurt anymore since it gave me the runs when I ate it on Monday and today. I have lost a about 3 pounds in the past two weeks from not eating much but I am starting to eat a little bit more again so I will be gaining those back and hopefully add on some muscle soon as well.

Right now I have to be patient and give my stomach time to balance the acid. Only then will I see if I have truly healed from the Barrett’s Esophagus, Gastritis and Esophagitis. I honestly hope I can go back to just dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome which is something I never thought I’d say.

The good news? The good news is that my tests came back and I am not only negative for C-Diff, but my Calprotectin levels which were 162 (normal range is anything below 50) and mine came back at 5 which is well within the normal range!!!! This further proves I do not have Crohn’s disease and and Ulcerative Colitis. Not only that, but I think this means I don’t have intestinal inflammation anymore which doesn’t reflect how I feel. I always feels inflamed, but I will make an appointment to discuss this with my gastroenterologist. The test results made me very happy and I was able to relax a bit. I know that I can still get C-Diff months after stopping the medication, however, I am going to continue to be vigilant, take my probiotics, eat simple foods sticking to mostly herbs for flavor and very limited spices and make sure if I do cheat, it will only be a few times a month like maybe Friday evenings or Saturdays with a simple dessert or a treat like nachos and cheese etc…

With the good news of the negative tests last night, I was determined to get outside today even though it was cold and rainy. My legs felt a bit heavy, my quads and calves were tight, but I was alert and I had enough energy to continue on and walk 2.08 miles! To add to my walk, I decided not to bring the shopping cart and try and carry whatever I purchased to test my body. I purchased printer paper which I carried in my bookbag and carried two bags filled with 6 boxes of tissues, 1 hand soap, 3 bars of soap, a small bag of garbanzo/fava bean flour, a package of bacon and a can of beans. All of this while holding an umbrella to shield me from the rain. I was pleasantly surprised that my shoulder and back tolerated the weight of the printer paper for 6 blocks with no issues. The other items I purchased, however, were heavy for me and I although I did struggle, I was able to carry them home without stopping too much. Tomorrow, I will start my day with that IBS yoga DVD I have mentioned before and then later go to the sound healing for a 3rd time this month that has been soo soothing to my soul and gives me a little boost of energy.

All in all not a bad Saturday and definitely not a bad week considering. I am giving it my all to continue to keep going, digging super deep to lift myself up when the doom gloom mood hits me. Most importantly, I am trying my best to take advantage of the days I feel good to go for a walk. Although today was easy since the weather was cooler, I know that when the weather gets warmer, it’s going to take a lot more to keep going but I am NO QUITTER and I will take it easy, take it slow but keep going to get where I want to be physically so I can finally take my body out of the deconditioning state! Slow and steady wins the race sometimes my Phoenixes!!! Until next time, be kind to yourself and others, give yourself grace and KEEP GOING!!!!