Last Monday I brought all my test results and questions to the new GI and he was much more helpful to me. He listened to all of my symptoms and concerns and agreed with my opinion that gallbladder surgery seemed not to be the clear answer to my problems. Not only that, he actually commended me for being "proactive" about my own health and bringing all my documentation with me. This is how doctors should be! (Special thanks to my niece for recommending him to me.)
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I was also given a pamphlet called "Gas and Flatulence Prevention Diet" which discusses foods that can cause gas in some people, and the science of bloating, which can get ridiculously severe during my pain episodes. There is a breakdown of various foods by groups that can be problematic, but each person is different so finding out if any of them make my problems worse is going to take some trial and error. The doctor suggested I try to eliminate one food or food group at a time and see if there is any change either with elimination or returning it to my diet. He made sure I understood that he was NOT suggesting avoiding all the problem foods at once, or else I'd have pretty much nothing left to eat. Looking at the list, I see why. It seems the only food group that isn't listed as a potential troublemaker is lean meat. I'm documenting my diet and symptoms, so I can look for new patterns I may have missed.
Lastly, he suggested that I try to eat smaller, more frequent meals, avoiding large meals. The reasoning behind this suggestion is that some people, especially sensitive folks like us fibromites, don't tolerate the sensation of the stretching of the stomach well, and it can feel painful. To minimize on the stretching, I could try grazing little by little throughout the day. It's hard to have half a meal here and there, especially if you want something hot, but I understand the logic and am glad he gave me so many options and ideas with explanations.
He left me with one last bit of advice before my next appointment: find a way to cope with stress and my annoying symptoms so I don't slip into a constant state of worrying about the next flare up. I believe he was talking specifically about the abdominal pain, but I know this is also important to keep in mind for the rest of my Fibromyalgia symptoms and life in general. I do what I can with journaling, blogging, and reaching out to others in need, knowing I won't always have it all under control. There are days when the symptoms just pile on and I get downright cranky or fed up, especially when I have to miss work and get behind on my duties at the office, but the reality is that I'm stuck with much of this bad luck and need to buck up and do what I can to find my own happiness wherever possible. I'll definitely keep working at this.
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