Although I love to put my thoughts on paper, I have to admit… it was extremely difficult for me to talk about how I felt in the last 6 months. However, when I reread the article, I realized that it helped me a lot to download and I realized that it can make a difference for other people in similar situations, so I decided to continue the article. This time I promise to tell you leisurely all the emotional stages I went through.
In February, as I already told you, the symptoms appeared. Initially I said, oh, I’m getting fat, I need to do something about it. All my life I struggled with periods of extra pounds, but I was always careful when I felt that I had exceeded any limits of common sense, to get back on the right path 😊 So, I decided, ok, let’s start a diet. I tried a 3-day detox diet, which, besides the fact that I didn’t like it at all, didn’t work. Then I started the Rina diet, which I had followed in the past and which gave very good results, and I even stayed after finishing it. And this time, no results. In the meantime, I noticed that I was starting to feel really bad, my legs were very swollen, I was tired all day, I didn’t have any resistance to exertion and no strength. It was extremely difficult for me to do even the 30 minutes of sports in the morning.
I did the first set of thyroid tests, plus the usual ones, they all turned out very well. I thought ok, it’s not a medical problem, what more could I do? I took blood circulation supplements without any improvement. My husband gave me a lot of emotional support, helped me with all the housework and massaged my feet every night… but the situation still didn’t improve. I made the decision to try to go to the salon, do some body procedures and a few massage sessions. Still nothing… It had already become quite a problem and it affects all my daily activities. I decided to try fasting with water, thinking that it is the best detoxification of the body, so I didn’t eat anything for 3 days. They did lose a few pounds, but the pain and edema didn’t. In fact, it had become even more pronounced. The days went by, the pain became more and more oppressive, I felt like a balloon exploding … I was looking at all the mirrors in the house and I had closed myself more than ever. I had the impression that no one was listening to me or understanding me. I didn’t like it anymore, and all I felt was sadness and helplessness. I didn’t really know what to do or what direction to take. I was close to depression and could not gather and concentrate.
Ultrasounds followed from head to toe, allergy tests and all sorts of other tests that exhausted me both financially, but especially emotionally. 3 months in which I could not buy a blouse, or anything else I would have liked knowing that I had to give a fairly large amount on analysis, and in which there was a new day when I had to wake up to go get me blood. At one point I felt that if he took another vial of blood I would faint (not being very brave in this regard. 3 months in the morning it was very difficult for me to get out of bed because my feet and ankles hurt terribly. In April, when my birthday was approaching, I realized that it was the first time I would like to delete it from my calendar, and my luck was that even though I felt alone in it, I had family, parents, and friends with me. and I went to the mountains, and they helped me to forget all that was going on for a few days and to have fun, laugh, and enjoy that day.
After 4 months
After countless tests, diets, tests and plans, I thought I would ask for the opinion of a nutritionist. I called my girlfriend, told her how I was feeling, since when, what symptoms I had and what I was trying to do. He called me to the office, he did a body analysis from which it turned out that I had 4 kg of water retention and 3 kg of fat in the conditions in which I had kept diet after diet in the last months. Initially he told me to eliminate sugar and fats from the diet, but it didn’t work out that way, so he told me that the only way to find out exactly the source of the problem is the diet I told you about in the last article.
I started studying more about this protocol and about autoimmune diseases, and I discovered a community on Faceboook, where there were a lot of people who had similar problems. I read a lot of stories, I panicked and he locked me back inside me. But the next day, I woke up and said to myself, no, this is not me… I am an optimistic and ambitious person and I refuse to let myself be knocked down by an obstacle. Eventually I will not die, I will learn to eat to live, not to live to eat. My luck is that I’m not a gourmet of any kind and when I propose to go on a diet, nothing gets in my way. I nicely picked up my list of allowed foods and went shopping with my husband. In addition to vegetables, fruits, meat, and other basic ingredients that I set out to plan my meals for the next week and go home to cook, I also looked for some quick snacks that I could take with me. me when I’m on the road, being difficult to eat in the city. Only then did I realize how difficult this lifestyle is, after spending more than half an hour reading labels and not being able to find any packets of cookies, pretzels or bread without sugar, gluten and all the ingredients. harmful to me.
I went home confused and confused and decided that until I get used to changing I will go on simple menus. Fruits in the morning and lean meat with vegetables for lunch and dinner. The first 2 weeks I went through the diet brilliantly, although I was very hungry and I ate a lot more than before. I lost 8 kg in 2 weeks, the edema was visibly reduced, and the pain started to go away. After the first month of dieting, I started looking on the internet for permitted products that I couldn’t find in stores and ordering them so I could make bread at home… .YES! I made bread at home, which 4 months ago I made nothing more than an omelet, a sandwich and a salad. I regained my zest for life and self-confidence, I started socializing again with friends, going out and ordering only plain water or lemonade.
I realized that the emotional support provided by my loved ones helped me a lot, and I was a fool to think that I could go through this alone. No, I don’t need to go through this alone and it helps me more to talk to my loved ones and know that they support me. I don’t have to torment myself and shut myself in. When I finally thought that the disease was in remission and that I would be able to return to my normal activities again, on a Tuesday when it was raining and it was quite cold outside I had some terrible pain. The pain was located in my left ankle, which swells if I sit too long at the office, too much standing, if I walk more than 500 m. I was terribly tired and had to stop, at noon I had to sleep for at least an hour I slept in front of my boy many times. I then realized that these autoimmune diseases have set in, and before you feel better, you feel worse. I started taking pain pills, without which we wouldn’t leave home.
In a few days I felt better, then a few good weeks followed. I had adjusted to my new lifestyle and then it hit me again, I found that I was allergic to honey and sugar and the edema started to spread again and my ankle pain worsened to the level where I was actually out of breath. . Summer has arrived, and I was looking forward to my heeled heels and taking my sneakers out of the closet… I even had to wear my ankle for about 2 months to reduce the pain.
I used to go to parties, to holidays with my friends and I was actually tired of explaining to them and telling everyone why I don’t eat pizza and cake, why I wear an ankle brace and why I lost so much weight. I remember my mother was so worried and when someone asked her what I was doing she told them I was blonde. Until one day when I asked her not to say that about me. NO, I’m NOT sick, my body just picked up a lot of negative emotions and he couldn’t bear to hold on to them anymore and started to resist and signal to me that it’s not ok.
The inner emotions that created the outer problems
Looking a little retrospectively, I realized that in February we started talking about moving, the project of our new house, which did not go exactly according to plan. Stefan had started going to school physically, and extracurricular activities. Although I thought I could cope with school and the child’s activities, housework, work and focus on home, it seems that I have accumulated a lot of stress and my body has given up. He showed me that I needed a break, more rest and time for myself, and he forced me to tune in.
I started reading again because I wanted to resume this activity, but I always found other more important things to do and I didn’t have time to read. And I came back to a word I always said, I don’t have time. We have 24 hours a day and we can have time for everything if we focus a little, but especially if we take time for what really matters to us. It’s all about perspective! Just as I could have given up nervously when I realized that I would never be able to eat carbonated pasta, drink cider or enjoy an almond, but I didn’t. I chose to look at the full side of the glass and think about having a healthy lifestyle, as I have often wished, but out of convenience or laziness I chose not to do so for too long. and to think that this way I will never have weight problems again.
We are what we eat. But most of all, we are what we think and feel! So, I CHOOSE to feel good, energetic, cheerful and optimistic. Need teaches us all and there really is NO I CAN’T! I learned to cook, I even enjoyed this activity, especially since my husband helps me and we do it together. I no longer have a craving for unhealthy foods because I feel good! And even if I follow the AIP diet for the rest of my life, I will be fine because I choose to be fine.
I had a lot of hops along the way, but I overcame them brilliantly and again with a smile on my face, making fun of trouble. For example, when the high heat came, the edema and the disease hit me again, my wrists started to hurt, and for 3 days I had to eat only boiled meat, no salt, no other spices. It was very difficult, but I succeeded, because I knew it was for my own good. After 2 months I managed to get rid of the ankle, the fatigue disappeared completely, I can’t sleep at noon anymore, I can walk again without having to take breaks and I finally said, my life will be normal from new.
Surprise, I caught a cold, and because I was afraid of catching a cold, Stefan, who had just recovered, took medication… medication containing paracetamol, not knowing that it would hurt me. After 2 days of taking paracetamol fluff edema again, terrible leg pain and 3 kg per scale from one day to the next, we spend again 3 days on boiled meat, plums and oranges. It wasn’t so difficult anymore, I didn’t even care about food anymore, all I wanted was to feel good again. It’s been 5 months since my lifestyle changed, and I’ve been living a rollercoaster of emotions.
Today, I can tell you that nothing, nothing is more important than you. As selfish as it sounds, you have to learn to put yourself first. When you feel good, you exude positive energy, you bring good things into your life, the right people, you inspire those around you, and you truly enjoy life. Don’t let anything knock you down, don’t forget that you are not alone, and laugh whenever you have the opportunity, even in vain 😊) Laughter is a real therapy, but we will talk about it in another article.
