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As I flick through the True Stories on this Website, I can heave a hugh sigh of relief that there is someone else out there in this world going through the same crazy symptoms, that I have to cope with on a day to day basis. I am now 34 (and a lot wiser), but in looking back over the years before I turned 17, I remember displaying the Classic Symptoms of a bloated stomach, Intestinal pains, vomiting, hives and lots of rashes. After turning 17 and in my final year of high school the world changed for me health wise. I spent the holidays before my final exams with Glandular Fever, and then throughout Teachers College I would display the symptoms of Depression and Fatigue (I would crash into bed on Friday night and not get out until Saturday afternoon.) I was put on a course of antibiotics for 6 months to kill the virus and then on an anti Candida diet as I developed thrush. This diet eliminated foods, high in food colouring, amines and some salicylates for 6 weeks. I would bounce back from being on it and kept this diet up when I thought I needed it. For the next five years I would get hives in summer with dry skin. Fatigue, soar throats, swollen glands and another dose of glandular fever. I had test after test of allergies but no results would be positive. I turned to a Naturopath for help of my lack of energy. I was told I was allergic to Milk, Gluten and weeds. Just after this I went through a period of extreme personal stress. It was around summer time. I lived at the time in the North West area of NSW Australia, where the morning temperature starts above 25oC and finishes in the low or mid 40oC on a good day. Because it was so hot to cook and I was so tired I prepared Salad after Salad. I started to develop ringing in the ears, giant hives, constant rashes, my hearing reduced, I had no energy, I couldn't think clearly or quickly and developed panic attacks. The worst symptom I had was the feeling of the blood boiling in my veins (pins and needles plus). After 6 months of these extremes my body burnt out (physically, mentally and socially.) During most of my life we have kept shifting, so I changed doctors regularly. Here again I packed up my life and suffered quietly. I was sent to a Psychiatrist as the new Doctor thought I was making it all up. "It was all in my mind." I changed Doctors shortly after this as one day I woke up and couldn't function at all. I was on another planet or reality plain. I didn't know what I was doing, which way was up or how to move my body. I slept the whole day away and my sister took me to see a Doctor after she finished work. I was sent to Sydney to see an Immunologist and Allergy Consultant. After deciding I didn't have Lupus, I again went through the allergy tests with no results. So the elimination diet and diet challenge came next. For 4 glorious weeks I found all this new energy I'd been missing. I reacted with bad headaches to Salicylates, Food Colourings and Amines. I was sent home with a set of instructions and list of food to avoid and to figure out my own diet. Two years later I returned to teaching. I still haven't got it all together. It's a case of trial and error, as to make life really interesting I happen to be a Food Technology and Hospitality teacher. Along the way I have learnt some really good lessons I'd like to share: 1. In cooking foods for others to eat I feel headaches coming on from the smell in the air or clothes. 2. Food (onions and food colourings) and other chemicals are absorbed through your skin (e.g. never use a callous remover pad.) 3. Your energy level will always run out or low, before the end of the week / a demanding job is completed. 4. Always make a time to rest and recoup your energy every day. It something I don't always have time to do in my week with my work and study load. 5. Always be prepared or organized for jobs coming up in case tomorrow is a low energy day. My close friends and work colleagues all have a list of foods I can eat and I try to take along my own food when I visit them. But eating out is always a gamble. I will say that throughout the last few years I would not have made it this far without the support of my family, and very, very supportive friends. But most of all I have found that my strength some times has come through my faith in a loving God, especially as a lot of social events in my church are always based around food. (Which tends to be highly flavoured with spices and herbs.) |