A few years back I was having some health issues that my doctor’s couldn’t figure out.
My Problems
My blood iron levels sucked. All the related blood values, like hemoglobin, and red blood cell count, similarly sucked. It always seemed to dip, especially when I was pregnant, and after my last girl was born my body struggled to get back to normal. I was constantly exhausted and that made life hard, especially with 6 kids to care for.
My digestive system was the pits. I felt sick if I ate too late, especially if it was meat, and it seemed to take forever for my body to digest food. My stomach hurt, and I felt bloated and uncomfortable most days.
My Concerns
Cancer runs in my family, particularly cancers that affect the digestive system. My raw vegan, non-smoking, non-drinking, super active dad died when he was 53 years old from stomach cancer, a disease that’s most prevalent in alcohol-drinking, meat-eating, tobacco-smoking individuals. It was a slap in the face of reason, but also a hint that maybe he was just genetically at risk for it. His brother and niece were also affected by digestive cancers at young ages, which reinforced my belief. With that in mind, my stomach issues were definitely a concern, one I avoided because I didn’t want to admit anything was wrong. I was still functional and felt ok for the most part, so I refused to go to the doctor. I preferred to ignore it than to find out from a doctor that disease was brewing in my body.
Jamie, my husband, was not having it, and he pleaded with me to see a doctor until I eventually agreed.
The Results
We’ve got a fantastic family doctor. He is thorough and does a great job of brainstorming the root cause of our ailments, instead of simply writing a script for the symptoms. He ordered a bunch of tests and blood work for me in an effort to figure out what was going on.
They found H. Pylori bacteria in my system. It is a nasty little bug that can cause ulcers as well as contribute to stomach cancer later in life. I was prescribed antibiotics to wipe it out. My doctor didn’t have an answer to what was causing my anemia so he put me on iron supplements to get my red blood cell levels up, hoping it was just due to insufficient iron from my diet.
At the follow-up visit a few weeks later the H.Pylori was gone but my iron was still low, even after being on the supplements. I was scheduled for an endoscopy to check for ulcers, possible stomach bleeds, and to confirm that the bacteria was definitively absent. The results: no ulcers, no bacteria, but an irritated stomach lining. Irritated stomach lining? My immediate thoughts were why was it irritated, and what was causing the irritation.
With no answers for my anemia the doctor opted to put me on iron supplements for 3 months, ordering tests at the end of each month to check for progress.
Month 1- Blood values low (haemoglobin, rbc count, iron levels, etc.)
Month 2 – Blood values low
Month 3- Blood values still low
Do you see the pattern 😫. Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” I was beginning to wonder about my doctor, until he ordered a colonoscopy to check whether bleeding in my lower digestive tract, or something worse, could be the culprit.
At this point, the idea of my diet being the problem was swirling around in my head. It just made sense! When they did the endoscopy I was bacteria-free; what else could be irritating my stomach other than something I ate? When the nurse called to give me my end-of-month test results, I asked her if my diet could be the problem. She reassured me that it wasn’t likely the case. My doctor never brought up the possibility either, but I wasn’t convinced. On the day of my colonoscopy, as they rolled me into the operating room, I asked the colonoscopist, (not sure if that’s a real word), if my diet could be the problem. “Of Course!” was his reply.
Of Course!!!!
If something is irritating your digestive system, whatever it might be, it will affect your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. I don’t know why my doctor didn’t suggest it, but it just made so much sense. Hearing those words from the colonoscopist put me on a path to try and fix my anemia through changing my diet. The results from the colonoscopy showed no signs of abnormalities, so it was time to break the insanity and do something different.
The Obvious Culprit
Gluten has gotten a bad rap over recent years, and for that reason I immediately pointed my finger at it. It had to be the gluten, so I tried to cut it out of my diet. It was HARD! Cakes, cookies, toast, and pancakes all forbidden. And no BEER!!. Yes, there is gluten free flour, but the bread I made with it just wasn’t the same, and gluten free store bought goodies were so expensive! Still, I had try for the sake of my health, so I sucked it up, and cut the gluten out. My digestion seemed to flow better, but I still felt exhausted, so something was still off. One day Jamie bought me some gluten free pasta, which I ate with great gusto, only to feel as sick as a dog later on. Then I remembered how sick I got the previous summer when I had corn on the cob. I checked the ingredients on the pasta and sure enough it was made of corn flour. Corn!!!!
As hard as it was to cut out gluten, it was 100 times worse to cut out corn. It is in EVERYTHING!!!! Check the ingredients of a few items in your cupboard, and there is likely to be some sort of corn ingredient in it, especially corn starch or corn syrup. It seemed inescapable, but I managed the best I could and soon I started to feel more energized. A few months later, at my next doctors visit, my bloodwork finally came back NORMAL!!!. It was on the lower edge of the normal range, but at least it was within the range. All I had done differently was cut out gluten and corn.
The Lesson
Think about your diet. When doctors can’t figure out what is causing you pain or discomfort, do a little research into dietary changes that might work; vitamin or mineral deficiencies that could be the culprit. There is no harm in giving it some thought. It can be hard to change your diet. I struggle every day, and cheat on most. I realize I can get a away with having a gluten treat now and then, but not so much with the corn. I pick my battles, but at least I know what I am battling now.
A parting tips. If you suspect you have a gluten sensitivity, don’t just cut it out. Ask to have gluten tests done (they have to be done while you are still eating gluten). If it comes back that you do have gluten problems, and you have the proof, you can claim for the extra cost of gluten-free shopping on your Canadian taxes (as of 2023 when I wrote this post). I wish there was such a provision for corn.
From Sandbabies to Snowbunnies. This is our Life. 