Medical History

I've been thinking about the timeline and how I've felt. Maybe this did not start five weeks ago. Maybe this got bad five weeks ago, but it might have been around longer.

I have gone through several periods where I was weak and sickly... fatigued, dizzy, difficulty with thinking and memory. Then it would get better. I think it's been happening off and on for almost three years.

To complicate things, I've also had GI issues. I assumed those problems were related to the "feeling poorly" time periods, but maybe they weren't.

The GI issues began around the same time as my gallbladder started acting up and GERD reared its ugly head. Two and a half years ago, I had my gallbladder out, which ceased the painful attacks. Relief! But wait... things got worse before they got better. I had a rough recovery and wasn't able to work for a month. After laparoscopic surgery! I finally did recover, but I felt sickly again six months later. Maybe that was the problem that I'm seeking help for now.

Before three years ago, I was a pretty healthy person. I didn't even have a doctor. I feel like I need to defend myself and state that I'm not a drug or attention seeker. I would be much happier never to go to the doctor.

Oh, I have had one other health problem. I passed a kidney stone two months ago. That was not enjoyable.

After my gallbladder came out, although I didn't have another attack, my GI problems didn't improve. It affected my life quite a bit. When I had a colonoscopy earlier this year to try to get closer to a diagnosis on that front (which I didn't), the doctor doing the procedure asked if I was lactose intolerant. I said no, but that question stuck in my mind.

Later, I decided to try a elimination and challenge diet. Long story short, I found that I am lactose intolerant! It's ironic that I was the biggest dairy fan on the planet, only to become lactose intolerant. Sniff. Good thing for lactase pills. So I thought alright, problem solved!

Nope. Darn. Well, those blessed little pills dramatically improved my GI symptoms, but that's it. Guess the GI stuff was all about lactose. I wish I had known that adults could develop lactose intolerance. So I needlessly suffered for two years, but I was glad to have one problem solved. Little did I know that in a month, my other symptoms would be recognized as the molehills that they truly were in comparison with the mountain I would find myself climbing.

A couple of months ago, I went to an allergist, who was awesome. I don't have food allergies (lactose intolerance is different than casein allergy), but he did give me some thoughts on my medical issues. He was the one who put the final nail in lactose's coffin for me. He also thought that I might have an autoimmune problem and that I have dysphagia (disordered swallowing). He said more things that aren't accessible in my brain right now.

Dysphagia took me back a bit. And unfortunately he was right. Thin liquids, mixed textures like soups, and dry textures like crackers are all problems for me. I wanted to see an SLP about it, but I convinced myself that it was probably in my head. I know it's not, but I'm afraid I'll go to the appointment and the SLP will think it is. Also, now that I know I have this problem, I am using compensatory strategies. After all, I'm an SLP. And as an SLP, I know that 1. it is not normal for a person my age to have dysphagia, and 2. there are two causes: structural and neurological. Structural didn't really jive with my symptoms. Good thing, since acquired structural problems are usually tumors. But neurological issues don't seem terribly desirable.

I decided to wait and see what comes of the neurology appointment before making a dysphagia evaluation appointment with an SLP.

I guess that's enough history.