A Long Road Leading to Nowhere

I did not have the typical “college” experience that most 20-somethings go through. Friends, frat parties and lots of boyfriends were things that I did not get to be a part of, because I was the most sick I had ever been in my life.

It started in 1998 when I had horrible, recurring sore throats that would keep me bedridden for weeks. They felt much worse than strep throat but every time I got tested for strep it was always negative. The doctors were at a loss and just sent me home saying it was virus and it would go away on its own. Along with the sore throats that kept me in bed for weeks at a time, I would get something along the lines of an ear infection, but none of the doctors could diagnose exactly what it was. It felt like my entire ear canal was swollen shut and I was hearing everything through a closed door. Of course, this made it very difficult to pay attention in classes or even carry on a conversation with someone, so I stayed mostly at home. Not too mention the extreme fatigue and sinusitis made it difficult to live life outside of my apartment. I felt like I had the flu non-stop, I knew something wasn’t right but I could find no one to help me.

I saw an Otolaryngolist (ear, nose and throat doctor) but he only came to the conclusion that I have had numerous infections in my throat which had left scarring called crips. Gee thanks, but I already knew that! I was sleeping about 15 hours a day and it totally exhausted me just to get out of bed and into the shower every morning. I also started gaining weight at an alarmingly fast rate. I gained 40 pounds in 6 months, topping out at 150 pounds. This may not sound like a lot to most people, but when you are a skinny 110 pound beanpole your whole life, it is a lot. Suddenly I noticed my thighs rubbing together when I would walk, my belly would jiggle up and down when I went up the stairs and my face looked terribly puffy. All things I never experienced before in my life, and I had no idea what was happening to me! I was doing 2 hours of exercise a day and eating very little, yet nothing was working to get my body back under control.

After dealing with these symptoms for a couple years with absolutely no help from doctors or specialists, I felt like I was at my wit’s end. Horrible depression was chewing me up inside and I often thought about suicide, I figured it was the only way to escape my pain. I experienced no joy in living at all and cried myself to sleep at night more often than not.

Fatigue Caused by Low Thyroid Hormones

After noticing a tight feeling in my throat, together with the tiredness, depression and low body temperature, I had begun to do some research to see if I could make light of any of my mysterious symptoms. I had a hunch I had some form of thyroid disease and went to yet another doctor asking to get tested. I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (a common form of thyroid disease) in late 2000 and was put on Armour Thyroid. I felt better immediately! Finally some relief! Or so I thought. I had recouped some the energy that I had lost, but the weight was slow to come off. It took about a year to return to a normal weight for me. I still had some sore throats off and on, and bouts of tiredness but overall I felt like I was on the road to recovery. At least I knew my symptoms were not all in my head! I could finally look at my test results and tell myself I wasn’t crazy after all.

Headaches and Irritability

A few years had passed, I had resumed my exercise regimen of weightlifting and cardio, along with a healthy eating plan trying to get into my previous shape and put this whole mess behind me. That’s when the headaches started. It seems I had a headache all the time! They just never went away, some days were better than others, but they were a constant nuisance. Irritability also set-in, I don’t mean getting slightly frustrated with something, but I would be on the verge of tears for even the slightest thing. Everything irritated me, my co-workers, my job, my car, my friends, I felt like shutting myself in the closet and never coming out. My digestion and metabolism had also gone downhill, I was eating very little, and what little I did eat it seemed to trigger a headache. I was receiving no energy from my food and often it would sit in my stomach for hours on end, going through my digestion system like thick sludge. I felt full all the time and very bloated. I also had serious energy problems. I absolutely dreaded mornings when I would have to wake-up and go to work. It took all my energy to drag myself out of bed in the morning, and even then I didn’t feel fully awake until noontime. I often would take cat naps at my desk during the afternoon, and then retire to bed as soon as I got home, only to wake-up the next day and do it all over again.

My concentration suffered and I often had bouts of “brain fog.” I just couldn’t think straight, and was very slow to answer people when they asked me a question. Also when someone would tell me a phone number or address I had to write down, I took a very long time to formulate the numbers in my head so I could write them. Often I had to ask them to repeat it several times, and I felt quite embarrassed.

Food Sensitivities and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I knew there was something else going on besides my thyroid condition, so I went to see another doctor, one who specialized in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He gave me some tests, including a blood test to test for food antibodies and a stool test to test for bacteria in the digestion system. Both tested positive and I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut Syndrome along with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I had tested positive to food sensitivities to dairy and wheat products and was told to eliminate them immediately from my diet. I was also put on an antibiotic to kill the “bad” bacteria in my gut, along with probiotics to help flourish the “good” bacteria. A B-complex vitamin, biotin and CoQ10 were also added to my daily regimen to boost energy levels. Although it was hard to eliminate those foods from my diet, I was willing to do anything at this point! Oh wow, I felt a difference immediately! My doctor had me stay away from all wheat and dairy products for 30 days to order for my gut to heal itself, then I could slowly reintroduce them back into my diet. Well, the 30 days came and went and I felt sick again as soon as I started eating wheat and dairy, so I eliminated them again. This time the doctor said I would have to stay away from them for 90 days in order for my gut to heal. Ninety days came and went and I felt sick again when I started eating wheat and dairy. So I just said screw it, I’m never eating them again. And I’ve kept to my word to this day. A few times here and there I have slipped and ate too much of them, I felt sick again and quickly went back to my wheat-free, dairy-free diet. Today, I can eat them occasionally, about once a week and feel no adverse effects. Anything more than that and I get sick, bloated and headaches.

Slow Digestion Making it Hard to Gain Muscle

Now I was starting to hone in on what was making me sick all this time, but I still noticed my digestion system was extremely slow and food would sit in my stomach all day. I was also having a very hard time building any muscle mass even with a hardcore weightlifting workout and eating lots of protein. I began researching more about probiotics and came across digestive enzymes and discovered that unless your food is being digested properly, you will not get all the nutrients that it has to offer and you will begin to become malnourished and fatigued. Simply put, my body was not utilizing the food that I was giving it. This is when I discovered raw foods and all of their wonderful benefits and healing properties. Packed full of digestive enzymes, vitamins, and minerals it seemed the perfect answer to my many health problems, not to mention it’s wheat and dairy free!

Raw Food For Life!

Since having started on a raw food diet, I can honestly say I feel the best I have ever felt, and I look the best too! I finally lost all that bloating and puffiness, and I can begin to see definition in my muscles, something I have been trying to achieve for the past 10 years! I no longer dread waking up in the morning, and I have plenty of energy to get me though the day, in addition to my weightlifting and cardio workouts. Headaches are a thing of the past and so is my “brain fog.” I finally feel like a normal person again and have begun to live my life to it’s fullest. Better late than never!

By this point I’m sure you asking if I ever discovered what triggered all my health problems in the first place. Well, it all started when I was 18 and I developed an eating disorder. I was anorexic for 2 years and off-and-on bulimic for 1 year. I feel the severe starvation that I put my body through messed up my digestion system, caused my intestines to become more permeable which lead to my Leaky Gut. That in turn, lead to my food sensitivities and thyroid issues. It was all a chain reaction, and the human body is so complex that when you mess with one system, it affects many other systems as well. Although I no longer have eating issues, I still live daily with the consequences that my past behavior has caused. It’s my daily reminder to never take anything for granted.

I hope you enjoyed reading my story, perhaps you can find a little bit of you somewhere in there. I only write this to be an inspiration to others, to let people know that there is an answer out there! Don’t give up! It took me 10 years to wade through everything but I am so glad I did. Be persistent and don’t let anyone tell you it’s “all in your head.” Your body will heal itself, but only if you feed it good, wholesome, raw foods, the way nature intended.

Please don’t hesitate to write me if you have questions or just want to say “hi.” I’m always here for you!