What is wrong with Mary (part 1)

First off I will say...no one knows!

It all started when I tried to give up Diet Coke(DC).  I have heard from many sources how I was drinking poison...DC would give me brain cancer...you are drinking formaldehyde, etc.  My joints were a little achy, so I got on board the hype and tried to substitute Diet Coke for other low calories sweeteners like Truvia.  Yes, I should have switched to water, but it is boring and frankly, I don't like it. And yes, I know all the good things about water.  There are a million great things about brussel sprouts and collards, but I don't like them either.  I digress :) 

Several days into my DC withdrawal I began having stomach issues (ie:  gas ...yes, I typed gas) bloating and nausea.  I didn't think much of it until I ended up on the floor at Target with a headache, cold sweats, dry heaves and dizziness to the verge of fainting.  Hmmm.  Where did this come from?  Did I have food poisoning (it was how I felt)?

I began searching through my memory and my cabinets to determine the source of my illness.  Was I allergic to coffee?  Ice tea?  The symptoms would come and go, but I could not link it to anything specific, but gave up on my Diet Coke ban.  I feel great when I drink DC!

David and I were at Costco one afternoon several weeks after the Target incident and I began to feel dizzy again.  When I returned home I checked my blood pressure.  It was 81/45 (wow, that is low).  My blood pressure runs on the lower site 9/60, but this was a new low...pun intended.  After many days of uncertainty I went to the doctor to determine the source of my problems.  They checked my blood pressure 90/60, did some blood work and gave me a Rx for acid reflux.  I went back 2 weeks later for a followup.  Upon learning that my symptoms were about the same, they did even more blood work and gave me a blood sugar meter as mine was low.

Okay, now I have low blood pressure, low blood sugar, nausea, dizziness, achy joints and occasional headaches.  I became even more careful about what I ate and when I ate.  It seemed like granola bars in the morning made me feel worse by lunch, so I cut those out as well.  The dizziness and nausea continued off and on.

The doctor ordered an ultrasound of my abdomen and a MRI.  After hearing the out of pocket cost I cancelled both appointments.  The 2nd round of blood work revealed an autoimmune problem (not celiac disease).  I have had these issues in the past with my thyroid. I guess they needed a new organ to pick on.

Though I tested positive for the autoimmune disorder, my liver blood work was fine.  So the liver specialist thought it might be a fluke or a false positive.  I went ahead and had the ultrasound of my liver and it confirmed that currently everything was fine.  No problems with my pancreas, or gall bladder either. 

I did learn of a teacher where I work who had the same autoimmune disorder, but it did not affect her liver for 8 years or so.  I guess it will be a wait and see disease.

I had a MRI last week and everything in my head is normal...shocking isn't it.  I spoke with the doctor and she doesn't know what is wrong with me, has done every test she can think of and tells me to go see a GI doctor if my problems persist.    

My only other thought is food allergies.  I am scheduled to see an allergist on Friday.  I have tested positive for food allergies in the past, but the foods they said I was allergic to, were not giving me any problems.  Maybe that is now changed.  I will keep you posted. 

Oh yeah one thing I did learn....Truvia has sugar alcohol in it...which is like a laxative and so does my reformulated granola bars (why do they have to fix things that aren't broken).  It seems I am overly sensitive to sugar alcohols.  I have had 3 bad reactions to eating them...will explore this more with allergist on Friday.

M