That made you want to read this post, eh? Sigh.
I stole the phrase “rotten bowels” from the lovely Vegetable Valhalla, a lass I know from my brief time in Halifax. This phrase accurately captures my sentiments towards my digestive organs at present. Jerks. So sick, so often. Boo.
Years back, when I was living an excessive and ridiculous lifestyle in Toronto, I had heaps of stomach problems. So I went to the clinic and the (very handsome) doctor told me that he thought it was a) IBS, b) Ulcerative colitis or c) Crohn’s Disease. Pfft I thought at the time. More like Eat-Too-Frequently-At-McDonald’s Disease. Or Three-Pints-Per-Day Disease. Handsome Doctor wanted me to go in for a bunch of tests which sounded most horrible so I decided that his handsome medical opinion was stupid and inconvenient and I made the highly educated decision to ignore his handsome self. I stopped eating at McD’s, I cut back on the alcohol consumption a bit and I felt a teensy bit better.
When I lived in NS, I had terrible stomach problems. But I also had a terrible boyfriend and terrible anxiety issues (caused by the terrible boyfriend). So I figured these issues were all linked together in a trifecta of terribleness, and I continued to ignore things.
Then, when A. was in K-town, I got really really really sick. A lot. For weeks. This time I was a little more proactive but only so far as cutting back on my bottle per night wine habit, getting one blood test to eliminate Celiac’s as the potential culprit, and honing in on endometriosis because one doctor thought this might be the problem. Endometriosis, while not fun, is certainly much more fun than digestive woes and so I chose to settle on it as the culprit for my pain. By the time I was supposed to go in for a laproscopy to figure shit out, I was pregnant with Ewan so I just didn’t worry about it.
And the thing is, it could be endometriosis. But these days, I’m starting to wonder. And what that means is that I really, really, REALLY need to just swallow the bullet and go get a battery of tests down to figure out what the hell is up. Because I am too sick, way too often. It’s getting ridiculous and it’s starting to affect my quality of life. BOO! That’s the resolution for today, folks: Call the doctor and set up an appointment. Fix this problem up! Or at least learn to manage it.
Not exactly a fun resolution, I know. But Budsie and I are going for walking adventures today so maybe something cool and interesting and funny will happen that I can write about.
An update on previous resolutions: Wedding thank yous = SO CLOSE to being done. Woot! Also, diaper laundry = done! And pilates is still going well although I hate the DVD girl, her flat abs and perky smile. Punch. In. Face.
ezmy writes 
Speaking of digestive systems being mean, I really need to do the same thing when I get back to Canada….boo!
Ezmy, if you have any questions or concerns along the way, please gimme a shout. I’ve had a ton of bowel tests (radioactive milkshakes, enemas, a half dozen different intense bowel-prep laxatives, several ass-scopes), followed a million different dietary regimes, experimented with many different natural modalities and several medications, as well as a having undergone a few surgeries. They all make for good stories if you like sharing that kind of thing. I’m really glad you’re getting this done. Whether it’s endometriosis (in which case you won’t need all of that bowel stuff) or something digestive, it’s super important to know what you’re treating. It’s difficult to target no known target at all.
Good for you. I’m sure you’ll let us know how it all goes.
Have you looked at food intolerances?
That is a good resolution! Yes, I say that even though I hate the doctor. And the dentist.
I feel for you Ezmy. I was diagnosed with a strictured bowel (now an IBS thing) when I was three or four so I’ve had a lifetime of this crap to deal with. It’s definitely better to know what you’re dealing with so you can make the pain start to stop. I chose to go with limiting and eliminating foods that trigger the really bad pain and I just live with the minor pains.
Here’s hoping your doctor can get you fixed up super quick because stomach pain sucks.
I am terrible at taking care of my own health issues, but have been forcing myself lately. Great resolution, please do take care of yourself. This one sounds important.
Hi Angela,
I am afraid I’m a little behind on writing this comment. I saw this when you posted it, made a mental note to write up a response, and then was too busy to even get started until tonight.
But… the symptoms you describe, right down to the term you use to describe them, could be mine. The cramping, the bloated feeling, and yes, the anxiety. I even had laparoscopic surgery two years ago to determine if it was endometriosis; the answer was yes, the doctor prescribed both the Mirena IUD and birth control pills, and things seemed to be a bit better. But, I still had more abdominal pain than I should have. At this point, the obgyn basically said to take ibuprofen when it hurts and see if it gets better over the next six months.
Over the next year and a half, I have done a lot of research on nutrition, diet, and health, and based on what I found, I’ve made some major modifications to how I eat. The biggest thing: I cut out ALL gluten grains. That makes the single biggest difference in how much gut pain I have and how often. My suggestion is this: for 30 consecutive days, eat no gluten grains and minimize as much as possible consumption of other grains, including oatmeal, rice, and corn. This will be bloody difficult but it is possible. I guarantee your insides will feel better within a week.
If you want more information on gluten and its effect in the human body, I am more than happy to chat or send you links or point you toward reliable sources, online or in print. Shoot me a message on Facebook or at my email address . This problem can be fixed, and you do not have to give up the red wine (it’s not the problem). :)
–Angela