figure out what is wrong with me

I dont know i have my up days and down days, these days are mostly down. I know most people feel this way but it seems like everyone has it together but me and times tickin. Now these days i have these stomach aches near my ribs and i get dizzy once it starts acting up and i dont have an appetite because of it. I think its an ulcer but the doctors havent figured it out yet. So thats new, making me have alot more down days then b4.

It seems like the bacteria and the mushrooms and the magic elderberry tonic are helping. The elderberries definitely have stopped two colds now. And it seems that colds are having a bit harder time getting me – maybe one or two days of utter prostration rather than 5 or 6.

I am still getting every illness that wanders by though – 3 weeks of some level of symptoms now. So that sucks but I can’t do more than I am.

However, with two non-diagnoses, I don’t really know what to do about the runny nose and the ache. All I’ve figured out is that after a eek of a cold, the sinus stuff isn’t cold related anymore and that’s when it’s time to start using the nose spray to stop it. And that the ache has some connection to sleep and it really comes on in the afternoons along with some fatigue.

Fascinating and useful information all. But that’s all it seems I’m going to get. So I’m closing this goal but still wondering.

Well, he reassured my skeptical self by referring several times to current research on things that I actually had already encountered.

So, without too much detail as to why and wherefore, I am not taking many happy bacteria, eating yogurt and berries for breakfast most days (my idea), and taking a combination of 17 mushrooms.

I also got the magical elderberry elixir mentioned by our therapist. The pharmacist even discussed the tests done on the elderberry brew of the wise German grandmas and how it does the exact same thing to viruses as Tamiflu. So…... I’m so taking it the minute the next thing starts coming.

It all seemed OK. There were some products in there that sent my quack detector on high, but a lot of reputable things too. I’m giving it a try and trying not to be too analytical or judgmental because, at this point, I’d be really happy with placebo effects.

Well, I talked to Mary about her doctor who turns out to be Ayurvedic. And Ayurveda is officially too non-scientific for me. I read the article on Quackwatch (science girl! To the rescue!) and I can’t buy anything that sounds an awful lot like the humors theories. I know I have an excess of spleen. Move along!

But, I have scheduled an 85 dollar (gulp) appointment with the pharmacist at the compounding pharmacy our therapist talked about to discuss my immune system and my many non-diagnoses.

I will drink the bitter herb. I will get my supplements in a row. And I will probably get some weird and expensive tinctures and tonics. But, if it works at all, it will be worth it.

Guess what? I’m not allergic to anything.

The lovely allergist sent an enormous amount of time talking to me about all my symptoms but ultimately, I don’t appear to be allergic to anything.

He calls the allergy-like cold symptoms Vasomotor Rhinitis which seems to be another non-diagnosis diagnosis. Nose stuff. Why? Who knows! Stuff can set it off. What? Oh, you know…. the weather, flowers, newspaper, perfume, being a woman…. If you cna identify something, cool, but otherwise…

Anyway. That seems to be related to the chronic endless sinus infections too. I am to become a life-long nose rinser and sprayer but can stop taking the Zyrtec for now. Will meet again in December and see what’s up.

But the aches? The fatigue? The allergist says that without absolutely ruling it out, that sounds like something else and not allergy related. “Pain is not an allergy symptom,” quoth he.

So two non-diagnosis diagnoses. If it is fibromyalgia – sleep and no caffeine are the keys and, really, I can’t give up caffeine yet.

I’m thinking I may talk to Mary and find out how completely nuts her alternative healer is. I’ll drink tonics but I’m not going to give up all fruit because someone squeezes my arm, I just can’t go there.

9:45 Monday morning.

So, as I understand it, you breathe into this tube and a machine measures something.

If you score 10 or higher, you are lactose intolerant.
If you score 5 or lower, you are lactose tolerant.

I scored a 0.

We did the test twice since the result seemed, well, negligible?

I think I am one of the lucky few who have an actual obligation to eat ice cream.

If I take the two medicines consistently, I’m still sniffly a lot but I’m pretty ache free.

I’m thinking of trying a different OTC allergy med to see if it gets better.

But doesn’t it seem that I should figure out what I’m allergic too? Or doesn’t that matter?

Just had a pb&j since I figure I need to pack some food in now. Hopefully that’ll help tomorrow.

Last week I spent all of the fasting day thinking, “Gosh, I’m hungry. I should go get something to eat- oh, wait, dammit!”

they scheduled me for a ‘hydrogen breath test’ rather than a ‘hydrogen lactose breath test’. So I didn’t do the right prep and we have to start over again on Monday. Complete with the fasting.

I was in an amused mood, so I took it in stride. The poor nurse was way apologetic.