Healthy Me...

I few weeks ago I wrote a post about my struggles with chronic heartburn and the terrible impact it has on my life. I really hate calling it heartburn as that implies it's a bit of a niggle after having a spicy meal  whereas in fact, this is a terrible debilitating condition that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (and believe me I hold a grudge).  Recently I discovered that there is a word for this that makes it sound a bit more like I want it to - gastro-intestinal disease. It's really hard to describe to someone who has never had it, but the feeling is something like nausea and hunger and a terrible burning sensation all the way from my stomach to my throat.  I find that if I have a stressful few days for whatever reason, it brings it back with a vengeance and although it does eventually settle down, for a week or so, I feel and look like death. One of the more pleasant side effects of gastro-intestinal disease is that when I have an episide, I cannot eat anything as I have been conditioned to associate food with pain. I usually end up losing about 2lbs per day during these periods, which is great in a way, but not really a healthy sign.

I know I need to go back to the doctor to sort this out, but aside from writing this blog which I sometimes think makes me out to be a bit of an attention seeker, I really hate attention! I know the doctor will refer me for an endoscopy which I really really don't want to have. Therefore I've been resorting to the tactic of old, searching the internet for answers and ideas for how I can treat it myself. One of the first things that came up on a search was some of the alternative remedies there are rather than taking Rinitidine which no longer works for me now. I had a look at the Holland and Barrett website which has a load of herbs etc that I was willing to try. I asked my husband to get me some stuff on his way home from work yesterday and he managed to pick me up some peppermint capsules and some aloe vera juice. I haven't tried the aloe vera yet but I took the peppermint before bed and I can honestly say it was the best I have slept in ages (I seem to suffer more at night). I am going to try the aloe vera today and am really really hoping it has an impact as I'm pretty desperate.

When I was still feeding my son I also tried Holland and Barrett's fenugreek capsules as a way to increase my milk supply. I found it worked really well and my son can attest to that as I fed him myself until he was nearly one.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how things go, I know I need to book a doctors appointment, I'm just scared of what they will say.

This content is the absolute truth but the link to Holland and Barrett is sponsored.