Well. After two ginormous stomach aches and the advice of my good friend and medical advisor, AL, I started the Nexium again on Tuesday. Sweet relief! I have felt SO much better since. AL (no, her name is not Al, those are her initials) convinced me that I need the medicine AND the strict diet for my stomach to heal.
So I am still committed to coffee/soda/caffeine elimination. It’s day 5 and counting. Does anyone know when I get my energy back? I’ve been slodging through my days, grabbing a nap at every opportunity, and being an all-around sourpuss.
The good news is, I don’t miss my good friend, Coffee, that much anymore. Yesterday morning I even forgot my Dandy Blend. The bad news is, I think my system had grown to depend on coffee for, um, regularity. So that’s been fun. Ahem.
Any-who. I’m also trying to eat extra low-fat (let the record show that I spent an hour at Chick-Fil-A on Monday with my friend and fellow blogger, Mainline Mom (who is having her baby TODAY! so click on over and wish her well), and I did not indulge in even one greasy chicken nugget, but settled instead for a grilled chicken sandwich on a whole wheat bun — an inferior substitute to say the least) and to limit my consumption of alcoholic beverages and chocolate (yes, I said limit, not eliminate, a girl’s gotta have something to live for) because that’s what all the websites say I should do for everything that ails me. And that’s a run-on sentence if I’ve ever seen one. Yall still with me?
"They" also say to eliminate dairy, but there’s not going to be anything left to eat at this rate! I don’t think I eat that much dairy anyway, at least not as much as I used to, so for now I’m not worrying myself over that.
So things are going pretty well, all things considered. I don’t know how long I have to eat this way. My upcoming two-week vacation is sure to set me back some, but I’m going to do my best to stick with the program because I don’t want all the sacrifices I’ve made so far to be in vain. The hardest part will definitely be not falling off the coffee-free wagon. My family LIVES for their morning coffee fix. And their afternoon coffee pick-me-up. And their after-dinner coffee with dessert. Hey, at least I come by my addiction honestly.
So yeah, I’m surviving. It’s not fun, but I feel guilty complaining even a little bit when there are people in the world with real health problems to worry about.
And so these are the days of my life.
No headaches. Just draggin’.
Surprisingly the only day I had a headache was Sunday. Sunday was the WORST day. It was my 2nd day of cold-turkey, and now that I think about it, the first time I went 2 days in a row without any coffee at all. I had to take Excedrin to get through nursery duty Sunday morning.
wow — vacation is going to be rough! like an alcoholic going to a bar 😉 you can do it!!
you inspired us – we’re going to trader joes this morning!
I was going to suggest maybe a tea. But I just remembered you don’t like tea! Tastes like a stick! UGH. Me, too.
Keep it up, girl! You’re doing great it sounds like!
I think it takes awhile for your body to get used to operating without caffeine. Are you still having headaches – if not, that’s a great sign!
Don’t feel guilty, you definitely have reason to complain. If I thought I may not ever get to eat chocolate again, I might just have a nervous breakdown. Seriously.
I hope you get to feeling much better, and the sooner the better!
You’re doing much better than I could ever do with all of that… but I do know how you feel when it seems like you can’t have ANYTHING…..
I’ve heard that detoxing from most chemicals (blah, doesn’t that sound awful?) takes more time the more of it you “used.” I’m really really glad you’re feeling better though, no matter what. Hey, have you ever had any tests done on your gall bladder? I bet you have but I can’t ‘amember reading about.
I hope that very soon, all this pays off big for you!!
I know exactly what you mean about the coffee/regularity thing. My coffee maker broke several weeks ago, and I didn’t have any coffee during that time. I finally broke down the other day and bought a new one. Let’s just say the first two days back to drinking coffee, I had to remain at home, and close to the bathroom! I think my system went into shock, and well, I feel at least 5 pounds lighter!! LOL! That is now my excuse for drinking it daily!
But hey – metamucil works great too! (Just doesn’t taste nearly as good!) ;0)
When you’ve been sick for a few days, isn’t that first day of relief just the best thing ever, whether it’s medically induced or not?
I know we would all love to be drug-free and symptom-free, but sometimes it’s just not in the plan for now. I take 8+ pills a day for my Crohn’s, and am thrilled that I’m one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have much trouble as long as i stay on my meds.
I don’t know what I would do, though, if I had to give up my diet DP or chocolate. Ack!
I’m sorry to hear about the stomach aches. I was worried that would happen to you and I was praying it wouldn’t. I’m thankful the medicine works and you got some relief. I’m trying to cut out sodas and caffine as well. I should say I’m cutting back, remember that, “girls gotta have something to live for” comment. Well, my morning cup of coffee is my “something”. So, I’m trying to drink just that one cup. I have not had one diet coke in about a week. I’ve been drinking unsweetened ice tea, water and hot tea. It’s so HARD!!!
Hey, have you had the Southwest Chicken Salad at Chick-fil-a? I started loving them when i was on the South Beach Diet.
I really admire you for trying so hard to stick to this. The coffee restriction would do me in. It would. I literally cannot open my eyes all the way in the morning without a cup of coffee or six, so I really do admire you for giving it up.
I’m glad the Nexium is helping. (((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))
I hope this all doesn’t seem so stressful for you soon and that your system just gets it all figured out.
I have had to go on and off and on meds too. It can be frustrating but at least it gives some relief. I have not been able to cut the caffeine habit. I have limited my caffeine to 2 cups of coffee in the morning but I can’t bring myself to go without. Sometimes before my stomach has gotten better in the past, I felt a lot worse for a few days, it was like my body had to adjust to a new diet or “treatment”. Hopefully, things will be on an upswing for you!
check out jordan rubin.com
i don’t know exactly what you are dealing with but this guy had stomach problems and is completely healed. i don’t want to sound like a commercial but i used what he used for my 3 kids that had eczema (turns out eczema is the SYMPTOM of intestinal yeast – not a skin disease) and they are healed from oozing, flaky, horribly itchy eczema from using primal defense probiotic. i used other probiotics first and they helped a great deal but nothing wiped it out completely until the primal defense. i’m using it now to get rid of my 10 yr toenail fungus. anyway you can check out his b4 and after pics and his story at jordanrubin.com and makersdiet.com
please check it out because i think it could help you – i’m not selling anything. i’m just a grateful mom that my kids are no longer suffering and anxious to tell anyone who is having problems about possible helps. and have you checked in to enzymes or apple cider vinegar? i don’t know if reflux has anything to do with what you are dealing with but i read about the vinegar for reflux and told my dad who suffered from heartburn and reflux. he started swigging a couple of tablespoons a day of it and within about a month, he could eat what he wanted. don’t know how it works but it worked for him.
are you dealing with ibs or crohn’s? if you are, that is what jordan rubin had (crohn’s). he did not eliminate dairy though, he actually drank it raw and drank lots of raw cream and drank kefir. (good bacteria in those things helped repopulate his intestines – the principle behind probiotics).