Here's the story

I always feel like the "About Me" section doesn't really tell much about the blogger and since you are taking the time to read my posts you should know who I am and why I'm blogging in the first place.


First of all, I've taken up blogging from a personal viewpoint because I am beyond frustrated with my life at the moment.  I blog as a teacher in my classroom but that is much different.


Here's the story...
About 8 months ago (June 2011) I started to feel unwell.  I had stomach pains, chest pains, numbness in my leg and arm...I just felt awful.  Several trips to the ER and doctor, an EKG, ultrasound, blood tests and nothing turned up.  There is no reason for me to feel this way.  My doctor pegged me as "anxious".  Now to people who know me, yes I am an intense, determined, can get stressed out but can handle it type of person who gives 100% all the time, but not anxious.  I wanted a second opinion. But in my town you can't see a different doctor if you already have a doctor.


I drove 4 hours to see a new doctor.  She listened to my symptoms, sent me for more bloodwork, and prescribed antidepressants right off the bat.  SERIOUSLY?  I am not depressed either. 


I was so frustrated.  How did I go from being a healthy person who ate "clean", worked out an average of 6 days a week, had just usual work stress in my life, was newly married (as of July 31, 2010), and happy to someone in so much pain?  I'm not a doctor (in fact I am a teacher) but I just didn't think it was anxiety or depression, but yes, after seeing 2 doctors and going to the ER and seeing 2 other doctors and no one knowing what was wrong was making me anxious!  No one knew what was wrong but they liked to guess.  Anxiety, depression, an ulcer, GERD.  I tested negative to H. pylory (a bacteria that causes an ulcer) and they never tested me for GERD or any other digestive problems either, but decided to put me on medication for it. 


So I started food journaling.  I wrote down everything I ate and drank as well as how I felt everyday.  And I felt miserable.  It got to the point where I didn't want to eat anything because it caused me pain.  Eventually I saw which foods caused me the most pain and stopped eating them.  Beef, tomatoes, pork, and anything acidic.


I went back to the doctor again and told him that my symptoms were related to food.  No, he wanted me to see a therapist to deal with my anxiety.  I wanted to yell at him, "YOU are causing me anxiety!  But my issues are not from anxiety!" 


So here we are, 8 months later. Still food journaling and still feeling unwell.  This blog is a way for me to vent my medical frustrations, share some of my research, share recipes, and try to convince myself that everything will be OK.