My Journey

I have created this blog as a journal into my new diet. Here, I will document everything I have eaten daily and keep track of it to find out what is making me sick.  I will share recipes that work for me, mostly from my favorite blogs and authors who eat paleo and gluten-free.

My journey began in July 2014 when I became extremely sick - nausea, chills, shakes, fever, fatigue, joint pain, and migrane headaches.  These symptoms could mean anything.  After multiple trips to the ER, having an ambulance called to my house, various visits with doctors, and finally, a GI doctor who scheduled a colonoscopy and endoscopy - it was concluded that I am suffering from IBS and acid reflux.

The IBS is what causes me to put my life on hold on any given day.  I still haven't been able to predict the triggers, and what I have learned to call "episodes".  However, after a month of enduring endless headaches, nausea, fatigue, I decided to take my health into my own hands and change my diet completely.  I first went gluten free -- and within two days I felt better.  Then, after reading and researching online, I made the decision to try the paleo diet.  Again, within days, I continued to feel better.

It is now Oct. 3rd 2014 -- and while I remain mostly on a paleo diet, I still add gluten-free grains from time to time, at the advice of my doctor, who says I really need fiber to get my stomach back into gear.  I have had a few set-backs with my "episodes", and I realized I need to begin documenting my food journey to find out what triggers could be causing it.

I am prescribed two different medications at this time -- one for acid reflux which I take every morning, and one for IBS which I take at night.  My goal is to get myself completely off all medications, and be able to live the healthy, full of energy life I once lived before I became sick.

I know I am not alone in this journey.  There are millions of people who suffer from IBS and other digestive issues on a daily basis.  My hope is that by sharing my story, that anyone suffering from a digestive disorder or the like will find the courage to take the steps to feel better.  If I have learned anything in these past few months it is that I am in charge of what I consume, and I know that the food I eat is directly related to my health and well-being!