I have started this blog to share my health story and also to find other fighters who struggle with their health. Also of course, if you are a practitioner who think you can help me, please let me know of your existence.
My chronic illnesses are low cortisol, anemia, hypothyroidism, malabsorption issues, Pyroluria, gut issues, several food intolerances, migraine, IBS, gastritis and other issues due to cholecystectomy (gallblader removal).
I work in IT as a UX/UI Designer and on my free-time I enjoy reading, gaming, dancing LindyHop (have to pause that due to extreme fatigue), watching documentaries and hanging out with my boyfriend, friends and family. As much as there is energy for, of course. It's a full time job to try to get better with health. I read a lot about medicine/health in general and I have been using myself as a lab rat to all pills and treatments.
When I had my biggest and strongest crash in June, 2017, it was very tough but at that point I learned the real meaning of friends and family. I was bed bound from time to time from summer until winter. My friends had to put up with all my new food intolerances as well as my tired brain and I am really glad that some people were very validating and understanding. The same goes with my manager who has been very understanding. In spring 2017 when I started getting stomach pain I had one manager who has really like a father. Then I got a new manager and was so scared he would not understand my pain and fatigue, but he really did and has been supporting me all way through summer, winter and spring. I also found out that some of my friends and colleagues also have more or less the same issues with fatigue and being burnout. It brought me closer to some people. My parents have been very supportive as well as my boyfriend, during spring 2018. I am deeply thankful for that ❤.
I'd love to get in touch with other fighters. I love to share experiences, treatments and moods. Please feel free to send me a message by filling out the contact form to the right, or leave a comment and I will get back at you.
Now, a more heavy section. How it all started.
~ My health background ~
Earlier years
I remember in 2002 already I was so puffy in my face. My eyelids were swollen and I was so confused why I could not see my eyelids I just put make up on. I thought it could be like that.
I was pretty skinny at this time. But after 2002 I slowly started gaining weight. I also started getting more and more irritated and low in general.
I can barely remember the time between 2002 and 2007. I was on contraceptive pills and antidepressants and I barely recall myself when I see old films from that time.
2007: when it all started, for real
We run some tests and filled out questionnaires. Yep. Adrenal fatigue, hypothyroid and looots of imbalances. My cooper levels were haywire.
We started supplementing with magnesium, zinc, adrenal and thyroid supports and more. My tests later on came back better and my blood tests turned out fine. But I was still tired and brain foggy.
My friend told me that I might need to stop with contraceptive pills and antidepressants. I could not see how things would work out without those. I kept on taking them.
I noticed that I started getting colds every week. I gained weight and got a personal trainer. It did not help me to loose weight. My PT was confused that I didn't loose weight. And that I got a cold once a month. I contacted the health care central and got no help what so ever. I was overweight but everything I heard was "you still look healthy", so I got no response.
2010: tinnitus started & introduced to lchf
I remember it so clearly. I was out in the park with some friends. I started getting headache. I came home and then I had this annoying sound in my ears. This drove me to seek help. I found a doctor in chinese medicine I got help from. He treated my digestion system that was out of balance. He also told me to stop eating gluten, diary and the pills I was on. Still, I refused. However, he started treating me with herbs and managed to restore my menstrual cycle, removing all my PMS. I remember the pill, it was called Freeing the Moon, and was a life saver.
At this time I started with LCHF diet and went through it for one year. My gall bladder got haywire, I started getting attacks often and I went more tired and felt sluggish. LCHF resulted in surgery for removal of gall bladder, which was filled with pea sized stones.
During 2010 I also got proper migraine diagnose, though without proper examination.
2012: life changes
I had it with feeling tired all the time. I found a woman, Eva Renner (swedish) who healed her hypothyroid through food. I started with her diet and modified it a bit. It turned out I ate the exact same way as the Paleo diet. After 6 months of Paleo diet, I finally managed to loose weight for the first time in my life.
I thought this was it, this was when I was going to get healed. So many people got healed from Paleo diet. I did not get healed. My blood levels went normal, but I still had that same lovely fatigue, brain fog and concentration problems.
This continued and got slowly, gradually worse throughout the years, despite strict Paleo diet and proper nutrition intake. Though, I was experimenting a lot myself. I read that it is never a good idea to experiment yourself with supplements, but what can I do?
I kept on contacting health care every now and then but I never got any proper help, since all my blood levels were within reference frames. The levels were usually always on the border, lower border, but still within range. So then doctors apparently don't do anything.
Some of the doctors tried ADD medicines on me. So suddenly I was prescribed amphetamine pills! I tried a few of them, never liked the feeling. They made me jittery and anxious which resulted in insomnia. I stopped taking the pills. I was also doctor's lab rat for several other types of psychopharmacological drugs. But noone ever wanted to give me anything for my adrenals or thyroid. None wanted to try some Levaxin or Liothyronin. Just a bunch of psychopharmacological drugs which made me gradually worse.
2017: shit broke loose
I have had lots of symptoms for ten years already. But now I crashed big time. During spring I started getting stomach pain and issues after travelling to a Yoga retreat on Canary Islands. I aborted my retreat and went home to doctors. They found nothing and told me it's probably just IBS. My issues continued and some months later I had it. I found a nutrition specialist and performed a stool test. I found out I had Blastocystis parasites and bought GI Microb X - 60 vCapsules. It was supposed to remove all parasites, it said. Instead I got some funky feeling for several days. I got more tired and exhausted. Brain fog all over the place and some anxiety. I took some Ashwagandha as I usually took, and BAM. Panic attack from hell and I did not knew where I was, sort of.I got some inner stress and just went nuts. I felt like I was going to die. I stopped the treatment and hoped it would go away. It did not. I still had that inner stress, anxiety, dizzyness and similar. My stomach pain was still there, together with the parasites.
I found another nutrition specialist who told me I have nutrition deficiencies. She gave me some nutrition powder and vitamin B complex with methylated vitamins. She also told me I have histamine intolerance. I had no idea what that was. But when I read about it, I remembered that I have read about migraine and f.eg., wine.
The supplements just gave me flushings. I took the vitamin B capsules and I got all sweaty, shaky, anxious and stressed. I stopped them. The same happened with the nutrition powder I bought for $75. I had no use for it. The nutritionist told me it's impossible I could get this reaction; "It's only nutrients", she said. I did some research myself and found out that yes indeed you can, especially to vitamin B. Some people cannot handle B12 and some cannot handle B3 or B6. The nutritionist told me she cannot help me further until I have started with her supplements. I stopped going to her.
During autumn I have tried several other nutrition specialists, but none of them have helped me. They have all had their own theories about my issues. One practitioner claimed I am "mould damaged" by black mould and gave me medicines for that. Which I also got reaction to. Some practitioner told me I need magnesium. I bought magnesium spray and got same flushing experience from that. It's like my body refuses supplements.
During summer I was so bad. I never understood why I got this strange health issues and reacted so bad to food all the sudden. I got insomnia and sometimes I could not sleep for 2-3 days. I was constantly afraid since I did not understand what was going on. I went to see my doctor who sent me to psychiatric emergency clinic. But they could not help me; they told me it's something somatic which is funky. So, back to the health care central. Sent back and forth like a package. My health care central doctor told me it's anxiety only and the psychiatric clinic told me the anxiety comes from me not feeling well physically. Well, according to myself, they are connected. But they physical indeed started first. Then came the fear and worry.
My stomach problems continued however and I performed gastrocopy. They found out I have gastritis due to bile acid leaking from my liver, since I do not have a gall bladder. Sigh. By now I have started to get all kinds of food intolerances too. So I both had to cut out acidic food as well as high histamine food.
During autumn this year I started with GAPS diet drinking only broth. My body did not want to participate. From june 2017 until january 2018 I lost in total 39.6 pounds (18 kilograms).
I am still in contact with several different clinics to try to get help, but none of them can help me. The doctors only look at my blood test results and since I am somewhat within range, they don't understand why I feel like s**t. They all refuse to listen to my symptoms.
In autumn 2017 I also found a woman who works as a craniosacral therapist, masseur, nutrition specialist and healer. She started helping me a lot, bringing back my broken pieces.
2018: struggling continued..
More struggles and fatigue. Found out I have Pyroluria.
2019: .. aaaand continuing...
Here I am now, struggling.
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