“Are you pregnant?”
She was trying to be helpful. And I guess it’s an appropriate question when a 30-something woman says that she’s been having unexplained nausea for the past week. Still, it was a reminder of how incredibly unlikely that is. There’s a good chance I can’t get pregnant without medical help, but more than that, there the lack of sex recently. That part really sucks.
Of course, more frustrating than the lack of sex at the moment was the nausea. I’m no stranger to GI discomforts. I’ve been having various symptoms since my teen years. After around 18 years, it’s still difficult, inconvenient, painful, and upsetting, but it’s certainly not surprising. The only surprising part is that it’s been different lately. Over the last few months, since I started the gluten-free diet, it’s been different. Maybe that’s because of the diet, or maybe it’s a coincidence. I have no idea. But this past week has been the worst of all.
It used to be that the more severe nausea and it’s other accompanying symptoms (cramps, bloating, diarrhea) would last for hours. Over the last few months, there have been times when it’s lasted for a day or two. This has been especially lousy. But now, it’s been coming in waves since Thursday. That’s 5 full days of this bull. I’ve taken more Pepto than I’d like, but aside from that I just don’t know what else to do.
So I’m fighting this in the only way I know how. I’m trying to stay calm and relaxed. I’m watching a lot of tv when I feel lousy. I’m not pushing myself. I’m being careful of what I eat. I’m drinking plenty of water so I don’t dehydrate. I’m taking Pepto. And I’m hoping, really hoping, that it goes away soon. I’d hate to have to fight this at the next level: seeing my PCP so I can get a referral for a gastroenterologist, then waiting for that appointment, then having tests run, then waiting for those test results, then maybe trying a treatment…. That could take months. Instead, I’ll stick with my old method and try to wait it out. It may not be the smartest move, but it’s certainly the fastest.
Chronic Rants 