Back again...

Well, its been a while since I have spent much time here, but I am back now.

I had a pretty could year from November '06 to November '07, but after that things have gotten much worse.

I got to the point that I was scared to eat because of the results. My wife was stressed out because I didn't want to go out with her places, and thought it was her. I had an endoscopy done in Feb, it was clean, all blood work was clean, so it was another slap in the face.

However, I come bearing descent news for the time being. I have have found a Dr. and his PA that are really helpful. They were able to explain the situation a little better to my wife, and now she is much easier on me, which in the end results in me feeling less stressed, and healthier.

The Dr. has started me on Syman (sp?), Align, Protonics, and Fiber supplements. 6 Pills of a morning, and 1 or 2 at night. I started this regimen last Wednesday. And other than some excruciating abdominal pain off and on, I seem to be doing better. Stool is near 'normal', gas is way down, stomach pain down, noises in my gut down, attitude slowly working its way back to normal. The only issue is the pain. I have a really high pain threshold, so high it scares my wife most of the time, and when I say I am in pain, she knows something is wrong. The pains lately have about killed me. I have found that laying with a heating pad on my gut helps. And they only last for a few hours, so I can nearly deal with it...as long as it isn't like this for forever.

Not wanting to count my chickens before they hatch, but things are definitely different the past week than they have been the past year. So for the next two months I will continue this path, and pray it is what I have to do to live a somewhat normal life. I have a 9 month old little boy that I want to watch grow up in person, not in pictures or home movies.

Wow, magoo, sounds like there's some progress being made! Congratulations!!! Remember, healing takes time...sometimes it's hard to remember that we're forced to take this one day at a time because we want it all in one big gulp. But trust your body is working its way there. Keep us updated - and have fun with your fun-tastic son!

ok, well its been nearly four weeks since I started this regimen.

I have been taking 2 Symax of a morning, tried to take just 1 once, but that didn't go so well.

So for now I take 1 Protonic, 2 Symax, 1 Align every morning, and two Symax before going to bed.

So far its been pretty good, hoping it stays that way. The symax drys me out pretty good, and has resulted in a huge change in my near sight vision, going to have to address that with the doc soon. I have had zero D to speak of, 90% less cramping, bloating, and nausea. I do have some harsh cramps about once a week, which is due to how much it is drying me out. The pain is harsh, but I have a high tolerance so I can push through it usually.

This weekend will be a test to it though, as we are going to a friends graduation, and its a rough haul, so we shall see. I also have cut my eating. I had grown so accustomed to eating what was on my plate instead of what I wanted, I had noticed that every time I felt over full I had IBS issues soon after. I have cut my meals way down, I just somewhat pick at my food. If I dont finish I dont finish, not so much worried about it anymore. And I cannot, and will not eat Pizza anymore. My favorite food out there, but it kills me, in more ways than one I guess. I believe its the amount of grease combined with the tomato sauce that does me in. oh well, wont miss it too much.

I live in Ohio and there's a regional pizza chain called Dewey's. I remember the day I had one or two slices of my kids' plain, cheese pizza from this restaurant. Wow - it cleaned me out better than a Fleet's Phospho Soda does! Of course, I felt just sick and all plans we had literally went out the window.

Later I learned that mild spicy taste in Dewey's special sauce is a red pepper of sorts. Funny thing is, I can eat fresh red peppers (sweet ones, not hot) but ground up in a pizza sauce is murder on my gut.

I'm careful with any pizza now too. Like you both, I love pizza - who doesn't it? LOL

There are many foods I avoid now: fresh berries, chocolate cake with chocolate icing (no matter how tempting it is and how relentless the peer pressure is, I politely decline a slice), fresh pineapple, whole wheat products, etc. Mainly I eat the foods that I know agree with me the most now - yogurt, bananas, white rice, plain bread, bagels, english muffins, etc.

We are what we eat. Those words are so true...
Mary/marsky