Final Diagnosis

If anyone knows me, they know that I have stomach problems. It all started when I was 21 and I had a bowel obstruction and had 6 inches of my intestines removed because of scar tissue build up. I was in the hospital for a month overall while my boyfriend slept on the hospital floor every night and carried me to the bathroom. I was so sick. When I was taking a barium swallow (intestinal test) my dad said I was turning grey and was on my way out. Thank heavens for modern medicine that saved my life! 

So since then I have random DIRE PAIN in my intestines. It feels like knifes are jabbing into my stomach. This has lasted 7 years. Good one.  I'm sure most of you close friends have experienced and intestine attach or two while spending time with me. However, here is a recent example.

Exhibit A: MAMA'S FISH HOUSE! MAUI, HAWAII

This is me right before the meal, enjoying a miami vice. Smart. Before the attach. Ignorance is bliss!

The food was a dream!  
So here we are in front of the bathroom that I ran to when I started having jabbing knife attacks in my stomach.  However, there was a HUGE LINE and there was no way i was getting in there.  I was sweating and crying and about to pass out so when I ran to the manager and asked for another bathroom, she jetted me through the kitchen into an employee bathroom.  Good one. Needless to say I'm ready for the stomach problems to Stop Please!!

We all decided to get in and paddle the heck out of there!!  :)

So for years I have been seeing doctors to figure out what is wrong, and HURRAY! 

As of Tuesday of this last week I was officially diagnosed with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth).  I had to eat only white chicken, fish, rice or potatoes for a day (all white) and took a breath test that measured my hydrogen levels.  Well the test came out positive (12 is a positive and mine was 33).  Here is a Wikipedia explanation of what it is.

Small bowel bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SBBOS), or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), also termed bacterial overgrowth; is a disorder of excessive bacterial growth in the small intestine. Unlike the colon (or large bowel), which is rich with bacteria, the small bowel usually has less than 10⁴ organisms per millilitre.^[1] Patients with bacterial overgrowth typically develop symptoms includingnausea, bloating, vomiting ,diarrhea, and abdominal pain which is caused by a number of mechanisms. The diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth is made by a number of techniques, with the gold standard diagnosis being an aspirate from the jejunum that grows in excess of 10⁵ bacteria per millilitre.Risk factors for the development of bacterial overgrowth include the use of medications including proton pump inhibitors, anatomicaldisturbances in the bowel, including fistulae, diverticula and blind loops created after surgery, and resection of the ileo-cecal valve. Small bowel bacterial overgrowth syndrome is treated with antibiotics, which may be given in a cyclic fashion to prevent tolerance to the antibiotics.

So anyways the good thing is I don't have to have surgery or anything.  I started my first run of antibiotics last week.  It cost $330.00.  Good one.  Well, I have felt so much better...pain wise..but the substitute with the meds is that it has made me so nauseated!  I feel like I am on a Lagoon ride all day...or the back seat of a car.  The doctor gave me some Zofran (anti-nausea) which works usually, but sometimes doesn't!

I'm trying to figure out what to do to feel better.  I have been reading testimonials online of people who have it and alot of them are similar to this one...

I have had gastrointestinal problems for many years. It has been really bad in the last two years. I underwent many tests that concluded I had small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). My physician advised a no-lactose, no-grain, and no-sugar diet. It is called “The Simple Carbohydrate Diet.” I have been following it for two months, and I have seen much improvement. It is recommended to follow it for at least a year to get your body healed.

I have been doing this for the most part (veggies, fruit, rice, meat, potatoes,e etc) and I actually think that helps me not be nauseated.  Kinda sucks to cut out things you love but totally worth it if I can  FEEL BETTER FINALLY!