Sick + Travel = :(

Hello all,

I greatly apologize for my absence this past month.  I have unfortunately been battling a wide variety of illness and at the present moment I am still not at my 100%.  It's sometimes difficult for me to talk about my health in general, thus I usually hide away in my thoughts writing down everything in my journal. It feels burdening if I unload all of the emotional distress involving my health upon people.  The details following are extremely personal, yet it feels good to express my thoughts in words not redistricted only to my eyes.

This past August I faced a variety of health problems involving my stomach. Doctors are still not entirely sure what is exactly wrong with me. I first encountered sharp pains in my stomach along with intense burning pains from acid reflux. The pain was debilitating as it was almost impossible for me to eat or drink.  My body would immediately reject whatever I put into my system.  It got to the point where I was so dehydrated I was sent to the ER on several occasions. Trips would include attempting to treat my pain, IV fluids, as well as endless tests to figure out what was causing this situation.  I endured X-rays, CT scans, and Ultrasounds looking at my organs. It eventually got to the point where an endoscopy was required where they stuck a tube with a camera down my esophagus to get a good look at my stomach.

In the end they never found anything problematic. My stomach lining was irritated due to the coloring, yet the cause is currently unknown. At the moment I have been diagnosed with Gastritis and Acid Reflux, which relate to gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD).  Ever since this time I have experienced what my doctor calls as 'flare ups,' where I experience short bouts of severe pain. They believe this pain is caused by certain food or drink put into my body. At the moment my diet restricts acidic, spicy, greasy foods as well as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.  This diet is difficult but worth it to avoid pain. Though sometimes it is hard to pinpoint exactly what the cause of the pain is. This past month apart from trying to go to class and travel, I would lay in my bed curled up wishing the pain away.

The plan when I get home is to see an internist, a doctor who specializes in internal disease diagnosis. I want to get to the bottom of this. It was my Dad's idea to start there rather than rush to a Gastroenterologist.  I hate altering my life around my illness, yet it is sometimes inevitable.  I'm so thankful for my family and friends who have supported me extensively through my journey. I could not have kept my sanity without you.  In the meantime I will update more frequently with some of my experiences that occurred this past month and try my best to stick with the weekly post in the future!