A SECOND OPINION

So earlier this week (or was it last?) I mentioned that I was going back to the doctor to see what’s up with my angry gut. Remember back in February, I went to the doctor, got frustrated, and self-diagnosed myself with gluten sensitivity. It sounded like a good idea and for the first few weeks, it really worked.

And then the symptoms returned. But then some gluten would slip into my diet, and it seemed much worse. Finally, I knew I had to get a second opinion.

(The reason it took me so long is I hate doctors. Absolutely hate. As was the case in February, I feel like many doctors don’t do due diligence are have adapted to today’s society where they are so ready to prescribe the latest med to get rid of your symptoms, without treating the problem.)

I found a doctor that had good ratings online. Worth a shot.

And I must say, he is quite amazing! He actually LISTENED to what I said. He asked me questions and tried to get to the bottom of the problem. Of course, he was very disappointed in me for a) waiting a year to take care of this and b) using the internet to diagnose myself (which he blamed on my generation, sooo technically I can’t help it — haha)… so I got a stern talking to about that.

He came up with a treatment plan, which is exactly what I thought should happen when you visit a GI doctor. Not someone telling you you need every GI test under the sun and then you can talk. So, my diet has been exact opposite of what my body needs.

You know all the fruit and veggies that I eat, the lack of carbs? Well, that has to change. My diet needs to be focused on protein and starches, with a small amount of fruit, veggies and dairy thrown in. Cheese on a hamburger? OK. Big bowl of ice cream? Not OK. There are some other things I need to do, but he is confident that if I follow his plan for the next two weeks, I will be in pretty good shape.

Considering we’ll be in Jamaica in three weeks, I like his optimism.

So, lessons learned:

  • Do not use the internet to diagnose your symptoms.
  • Go to a doctor if things don’t seem right… there are some really good doctors out there.
  • What’s healthy for you might be healthy for someone else.

I think that last one is really hard in today’s society because we are constantly seeing that Mary lost 20 pounds with Weight Watchers! And Bill lost 15 pounds with Atkins! And Susan went on South Beach and lost 25 pounds! But when we try these magic cures ourselves, the results are never quite right. It’s because everyone’s body is different and reacts to everything in a different way. So while eating a plate full of salad might be good for you, it’s not necessarily good for someone else. Just something to keep in mind as we all try to live a little healthier. (However, nobody ever said that eating fast food, chips and cupcakes full-time was healthy for anyone. I think that remains true.)

So here we go… to a healthy end of 2012 and an end to this annoying problem!

Categories: food, gluten free, health issues

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