Here’s How I Currently Feel: HUNGRY!
Here’s The Background Story: Right before I moved to Switzy, I started clenching my right jaw and I attributed that with sooo many other ailments that came right alongside it (sinus issues, back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc). I’ve done a million different things to try to fix it (I wear a mouthpiece at night, I went to physiotherapy, I got a neck-support pillow, I tried acupuncture and exercise, etc). Basically, every doctor I went to told me that it was from stress and to stop being stressed out. Helpful. Anyway, I waited around for about a year before I decided I am officially stress free and still have all my symptoms. Then I started digging.
What Did I Find? Turns out, I can’t breathe. As I started googling the more unusual causes of jaw clenching, I saw that sleep apnea can cause this issue. My doctor immediately dismissed the idea and said I’m not old, fat, or a man, so I couldn’t possibly have it and refused to send me to a sleep clinic. However, by investigating it and checking my breathing, I realized that I can barely breathe out of my right nostril most of the day. Sidenote: I realized this was why I was not making a lot of progress with my triathlon times – I wasn’t getting enough oxygen into my system!
So Then: I went to an ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat specialist) and he was immediately like Get a CT scan. I made the appointment but kept thinking, Um, excuse me, why do I need to subject myself to all this radiation unnecessarily (that has been shown to cause cancer)? What exactly did he plan to find on the test? So I went back to see him and ask more questions. Turns out, he wasn’t even going to bother diagnosing me with the CT scan, he was using it as prep for surgery. SURGERY? I haven’t even been tested or diagnosed really. And surgery for a “deviated septum,” which like 99% of people have and most don’t need surgery for?? I guess he took a look at my rather-large nose and figured I’d upgrade to the cosmetic fix as well. And I thought American doctors were only in it for the money…
So Now: Instead of jumping into surgery, here I am, trying out an elimination diet to see if the nasal blockage is caused by any food allergies. On this diet, you basically can’t eat anything with anything anyone may have once been allergic to. Gluten, dairy, those are the norms. But what about tomatoes? Nope, that’s a nightshade vegetable. Beef? No way. Maple syrup?? nu-uh. No sweeteners. Not even my grapefruits!! But I think now is the best time to try my diet because:
- I also seem to have some weird allergy that makes my lips all swollen and dry, which definitely needs to be resolved ASAP unless I want to continue looking like a walking herpe.
- The holidays are always a gorge time, so this may be the first year I won’t gain those “Holiday 10” pounds (since basically all I can eat are rice cakes, quinoa, and fruits and veggies).
- The sooner I can breathe, the better!
Have any of you ever tried an elimination diet? What was the hardest part to give up? For me, it’s dairy! I miss my cereal in the morning with milk. I miss eggs. Oh, and chocolate. And coffee. Ok, now I’m just listing everything I miss. Nutella. I love you, delicious Nutella.