Posted 7/29/2014 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
about the loss of appetite, I had the same problem last fall, sort of right before my problems really started getting bad. But, I had totally different symptoms. The reason I am telling you that I had loss of appetite was that I know it can be alarming. Keep in mind that stress and anxiety can make that and other GI symptoms worse, and often when you begin eating less, your body may sort of crave food less. At least that's how it is for me. Try eating several small meals instead of doing bigger meals less often. Sometimes it's easier. And, when I was going thru that period of time, my nutritionist suggested a few things that helped....
-Try to pick foods that are nutrient dense, things that maybe have a few more calories and stuff like protein. I ate quite a few granola bar type things, but they had lots of protein. Kellogg's makes some pretty good tasting ones. They sometimes have more sugar than you might like, but at this point, it's just important that your body is being fed, don't be too picky about what you feed it.
-Another option is liquid nutrition. Not the tastiest stuff, but things like Ensure have a lot of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. They are fairly small, and not too bad when they are really cold.
-When all else fails, if there's something you really like or are craving in the slightest bit, even if it's not so healthy, go for it anyway. Of course, you don't want to do this all the time, but sometimes you have to just eat whatever your body will tolerate/has an interest in. I sort of took it as my time to eat the stuff I might not typically eat because it had too many calories, etc. (I'm not saying eat all junk, but give yourself permission to have some) Do what works.
Are you really just not eating much because you don't feel like it? Or is it making symptoms worse? Even if you don't feel like it, try to eat a few times a day anyway. You need to keep fueling your body, otherwise it's pretty easy to start feeling worse (more fatigued, not as sharp mentally, and just sort of run-down). Do whatever you have to in order to take care of you!!
I know it's really hard right now and pretty scary. Do your best to take it one moment at a time, focus on what you can do now to manage your stress and feel a little better. This moment is the only one that you really have any influence over. (Once again, much easier said than done. Believe me, I know.) And listen to Luvzminis, do the things you enjoy as much as possible. It will be hard to get those worry thoughts out of your head, but you have to try. And it will feel good when you can get away from those, even just for a little while.
Sorry I write so much. I am 36, and have had GI problems all my life, but managed to hide them and go without treatment until the beginning of this year. My first GI doc was a joke. He pretty much told me that I would have to take lots of meds and drink several glasses of the bowel prep stuff every single day for the rest of my life. He said just get used to it. He knew nothing about me or my problems, just slapped a label on me, gave me some meds, and said see me in 3 months. I never went back to him. Now I have a GI doc that cares about my quality of life, and although the testing and stuff is/will be pretty intense and scary, I'd rather know what's going on and figure out what to do about it than continue to suffer my whole life, wondering if there was something better. Now I am facing surgery to remove part/all of my colon and some other parts, but it's the best chance I have of getting my life back.
I really hope that the next week goes by quickly for you, and you can find out what's wrong and start treating it and getting better. Keep on posting--we're here for you if you need us.