Re: can anyone help me figure out whats going on in my body?
From: Michelle (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed May 25 08:24:04 2005
Hi there -
Sorry it has taken so long to respond to your request Shannon. Name of
the book is The g.i. diet by Rick Gallop. Its a Canadian book and he
is the past president of the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation. Hope
it helps.
--
Michelle
At Tue, 17 May 2005, Shannon wrote:
>
>Dear Michelle and Kristen:
>
>Your message below was very enlightening and not written with what might
>be construed as a "negative" or menacing" pretense as the prior response
>to Kristen.
>
>We must all realize that we deal with the unfortunate symptoms,
>inevitable diagnosis, and the debilitating and sometimes downright
>"ugly" nature of this incurable disease. We will handle our bodies’
>limitations and respond differently to surgery, medical treatments, and
>even support and advice provided. Some of us also have other medical
>concerns or problems added to Endo (as if that wasn't already enough -
>LOL) like Kristen i.e. depression and anxiety, blood clots, etc. that
>have to be taken into consideration.
>
>I think that it is key to remain positive when giving advice support to
>others like you managed to in your reply. It is difficult enough
>felling isolated and alone plenty of the time as our loved ones and
>friends cannot understand what is going on in our bodies; which is
>actually the reason many of us have turned to this forum and to find
>kind, supportive words, information, and assistance from other's going
>through similar circumstances.
>
>I never discount what others say and pay credence to their advice ...
>some are big proponents of naturopathic remedies, some are strictly into
>medical surgical remedies, some into diet and exercise - all are correct
>in their approaches if that is what works for them and thank them all
>immensely for info and resource material provided.
>
>I know I would appreciate it and possible other's including Kristen
>might benefit from receiving links on the internet or resources
>available on this GI diet which you have indicated. I have not yet
>tried this approach and would definitely like to find out more. (and
>maybe lose a few pounds while I'm at it - although I will never be
>bikini material due to the numerous surgical scars all over my abs ...
>LOL)
>
>Kristen: If you are out there, I definitely "feel your pain" and "hope
>you can try to see a ray of sunshine on even the cloudiest of days". I
>have endured many a dark moment while wagered a battle against this
>disease and it is far from over ... I would kindly suggest trying
>different pain meds (with your doctor's consent) as dealing with pain
>unassisted is just plain hell (based on my personal experience). I hope
>you are receiving additional treatment (medical or therapeutic) for your
>depression and anxiety as these can be VERY serious and should be
>attended to ensure your personal well-being. Please continue to
>communicate and let us all know how you are feeling...
>
>Thanks to all who have been supportive and informative and warm wishes
>and hopeful prayers to all who are suffering from Endo amongst us.
>Again, kudos to Michelle for her insight.
>
>Cheers:)
>
>At Tue, 17 May 2005, Michelle wrote:
>>
>>Hi Kristen,
>>
>>I'm new to the site and couldn't help but read your email. I'm going
>>for the anonymous thing too since I always think its better to be more
>>cautious on the internet. I can say, that up until last year, I was
>>completely in your shoes - 100%. Through my teen years and early
>>twenties (I think you are still in your twenties if I read correctly), I
>>was quite thin. I started putting on weight slowly and by 34, I topped
>>out at 204 at 5'3. It was too much to deal with - the pain and the
>>reality of the endo life. I went to see a specialist and the only thing
>>I got out of it was that I needed to lose weight - that just pissed me
>>right off! He talked about how diet (especially sugars) triggered endo
>>pain and how I needed to lose weight to make the pain less. (FYI, at
>>this point, I had pain EVERY day.). I left the appt angry, hostile and
>>upset. In the last year, I have lost 70 pounds and I'm a respectibable
>>134 which I have maintained for the last 6 months (and counting). I cut
>>out all the fun stuff (for a good 8 months) and it was brutal and I
>>hated it. But you know what? After I got over the initial missing of
>>it, I realized that I wasn't in pain anymore. It was, to say the least,
>>an eye-opener. I'm no angel and I do still enjoy treats but I do really
>>watch how much I eat. If I eat too much sugar (any form - fruit, carbs,
>>or icecream, cookies etc.) on any given day, my body DOES tell me. I
>>know how to eat to keep the disease in check and myself in check. I run
>>5 -6 times a week - I can now because I'm not in constant pain. Think
>>about it - small steps. You were smaller once, you can get back there -
>>to control the pain if nothing else. I'm proof its true - although if
>>you had asked me a few years ago, I swear I wouldn't have believed it.
>>My recommendation, is the GI Diet. It talks about the glycemic index in
>>food and how it affects you. It works and is perfect for our problem.
>>Take it or leave it, thought I would just pass this along for you.
>>
>>--
>>Michelle
>>
>>At Sat, 14 May 2005, kristen wrote:
>>>
>>>you know what someone who i will keep to myself warned me about this
>>>reply and it still managed to piss me off beyond beliefe. you dont know
>>>me and you are not like me. and i dont care what you or anyone else
>>>thinks about my life. i had to stop playing sports when i was 16
>>>because of the pain. i still worked out and did what i could but the
>>>weight came on within months. it wasnt what i was doing wrong or right.
>>>it just came on like nothing. so dont tell me it was because of not
>>>doing anything to take care of myself. obviously if i was out joining a
>>>gym and trying diets i was trying to do something about it. and your
>>>precticly perfect south beach bullshit did NOTHING. nothing at all. and
>>>i know a lot of other people that it did nothing for too. so you can
>>>take your south beach diet and shove it up your ass for all i care. like
>>>i said i have seen a dietrition and she said im doing everything right.
>>>ive had to stop everything i enjoy doing in life because of this. my
>>>hormones are so screwed up that i have horrible depression and anxiety.
>>>i had to quit college because of it. i cant just go and hang out with
>>>my friends most the time because im in pain. and for your info i havent
>>>taken pain killers in a long time because i got sick of taking pills all
>>>the time and plus all the pain meds is what put me in the ICU with a
>>>blood clot in the artery going to my right lung about a year ago. i
>>>almost died from it. my lung is still weak from not getting blood for a
>>>week. so you try doing anything that has to do with excersising when
>>>you cant breath with half of one of your lungs. and you can take all
>>>your dietary info and shove it up your ass to because i dont give a shit
>>>about it. unless your some registered dietrition it means nothing to
>>>me. your just some person who cant even give a name. you claim i didnt
>>>listen to you but you dont listen to me either. you think your so damn
>>>special but your not. ENDO IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE! or have you
>>>forgotten? oh and if you were to take a finger and rub down my stomach
>>>you will still feel the washboard i had when i was 16. my thighs are
>>>solid muscle. i dont even know where most of this extra weight is.
>>>unless my 42DDs are most of it.
>>>
>>>have a nice day.
>>>kristen helmer
>>>
>>>At Mon, 9 May 2005, anonymous wrote:
>>>>
>>>>The sports you played in school have little meaning now. You said
>>>>yourself you weigh from 100 to 120 pounds more now at age 22 than you
>>>>did 6 years ago at age 16 so whatever benefits you had then you really
>>>>don't have anymore. You do not still have the muscle you had then
>>>>hiding under your extra 100 pounds of weight. If muscle tissue is not
>>>>fed and exercised continuously and properly then it atrophies. You
>>>>should have learned that when you joined the gym. I didn't say you were
>>>>fat because you don't care about yourself - you said that. I said that
>>>>the extra weight is a result of not paying attention to your body's
>>>>changing needs and is also a caused by and affecting your pain. You set
>>>>yourself up for failure by forcing yourself to undergo things you can't
>>>>possibly do which adds to your distress.
>>>>
>>>>Your distress leads to stress which releases cortisol which triggers
>>>>your body to store fats which increases your weight and the only way you
>>>>can lose that is to control the cortisol which means reducing the stress
>>>>and the stress is from your emotional state, your physical state and
>>>>your mental state and until you get all three back around to a more
>>>>healthy course you will continue to go around and around this horrible
>>>>circle of Why me? Poor me? I/You/Everybody hates me!, etc. It's not
>>>>good for you so you really need to stop it. I'm really sorry that you
>>>>feel ganged up on you but you did ask for help and when it was given and
>>>>you didn't like what it was, you went right back to your pity cycle.
>>>>Perhaps if you actually listened to the people you ask for help from you
>>>>would make some progress. Right now you are acting like a spoiled brat
>>>>who refuses to listen when told you can't get your way. I'm sorry but
>>>>you cannot have your way in this instance. You have endo and it makes
>>>>certain demands of you that cannot and will not be ignored. Continuing
>>>>to try to ignore them will keep you exactly where you are right now.
>>>>
>>>>Atkins is a fad diet and will help you lose weight but is not healthy
>>>>and will not have long-lasting weight decrease affects. As soon as you
>>>>go off it and eat normally the weight will return. It is impossible to
>>>>have "done South Beach with no result". The South Beach diet is
>>>>scientifically and medically documented to work when followed properly
>>>>because it is a diet that consists of eating normally. It has all the
>>>>food groups included but in more measured and regulated portions and
>>>>that is the key - all the food groups in proper proportion to each other
>>>>modified according to your needs. It is a diet that you can live with
>>>>forever and be quite satisfied, no going to bed hungry, no shakes or
>>>>headaches from low blood sugar. It helps borderline diabetics get their
>>>>blood sugar down and lowers cholesterol without medication, even lowers
>>>>blood pressure... it's practically perfect!
>>>>
>>>>Whether you choose to believe it or not there is a correlation between
>>>>your current health status, the amount of pain you're having and what
>>>>you are eating. It may be true that you are eating a nutritionally
>>>>balanced diet and that a dietician said so but that is not the same as
>>>>eating a diet that your current medical condition requires. You are not
>>>>the same person you were PRE-endo symptoms. Your body is different and
>>>>has different requirements and until you acknowledge this fact and start
>>>>listening to what your body tells you then you will continue to suffer
>>>>as you have been.
>>>>
>>>>Whole grain carbs is good - Because whole grain carbs take longer for
>>>>your body to break down, triggers your metabolism to work harder, does
>>>>not turn to methane in your gut.
>>>>White flour and refined carbs are bad because they turn to methane very
>>>>quickly and cause bloating, gas, pain and pressure in your bowel.
>>>>Limited low-fat or skim dairy is ok but Whole fat dairy is bad - because
>>>>the lactose in dairy products produces gas and increases mucous
>>>>production causing congestion in your nose, throat and your gut. Skim
>>>>and low-fat dairy seem to be less aggravating for most people.
>>>>Sugary foods are bad but occasional no sugar added foods are good -
>>>>because the sugars turn to methane quickly causing gas, bloating, pain
>>>>and pressure in your bowel. HOWEVER - foods containing sorbitol can
>>>>cause as much discomfort as sugar so - try to cut down the amount of
>>>>sugar substances to the bare minimum. Save the treats for special
>>>>occasions and enjoy them guilt free - they'll taste better too!
>>>>Meats should be lean.
>>>>Veggies should be purchased raw whenever possible. 2nd best is frozen
>>>>and canned as a last resort. The least amount of cooking the better so
>>>>don't overcook your veggies. Salt should be avoided or used very
>>>>sparingly.
>>>>Fruits and fruit juices should be treated like sugar. They are
>>>>important to nutrition but will raise your blood glucose levels and can
>>>>trigger symptoms.
>>>>
>>>>You are curled up in bed crying because you are continuing to aggravate
>>>>the symptoms you're having. Don't try to 'tough it out' and not take
>>>>pain meds. Start with the lowest dose and work up as needed to keep it
>>>>under control - don't wait for it to get so bad you can't move. Movement
>>>>releases stress which controls the release of cortisol. Physical
>>>>movement releases endorphins which help control pain. Yes, there are
>>>>some days when blinking hurts but you can help yourself avoid those days
>>>>if you pay attention to what your body tells you.
>>>>
>>>>Time to take control of your life Kristen. Time to grow up and realize
>>>>that you are responsible for your health well-being.
>>
>--
>Shannon C.
>
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