Its been a long while since I've attempted to write something. I got busy. Life happened. My mom finished her surgeries. I got pregnant and had my second son. That doesn't sound like a whole lot, but if you've got kids, you'll understand.
Mom had her lung surgery, removing her upper left lobe. That was a difficult thing to go through. I was really stressed before and after that one. Her breast cancer surgeries were not as difficult. We still don't know what really caused Mom's lung cancer as no one in the family is a smoker. But today, over a year after her lung surgery, she is doing very well. Next month, will be a year that she's been breast cancer free, too.
Me? I had my second child in late September. I fought gestational diabetes and also found out all my food allergies. I had a blood test done and I was so glad, too. I had been having problems, feeling lethargic and knew there was something else bothering me. I suspected gluten but my test showed I was reacting to yeast, not gluten. That includes baker's and brewer's yeast. Milk was a major item on the list so I avoid it like poison. I've found out so many things that we consume when eating out include milk ingredients like whey. Yeast in bread is easier to avoid. Basically, the only thing I can safely eat at McDonald's is the french fries. I can live with that.
The symptoms I had are almost non-existent. Almost because there are some cases where I accidentally consume milk. Too, I have a new suspicion of another environmental allergy, mold. Ugh. Will it ever stop? Most of my symptoms are not the kind that are visible, like hives. I can get extremely sleepy, feeling like passing out, within minutes of consuming milk. About 5 hours later, I can get extremely irritable. A day later, digestive problems and/or depression. And lastly, 5 days later, I break out on my upper arms. Yes, I know this is all weird. And I'm not entirely sure the break out on my arms is from milk, but it only shows up after I consume milk. During that day after, I can feel so numb, not able to organize my thoughts or prioritize a list of things to do. I would be sapped of all motivation, like I'm depressed, but with no reason.
I've been wondering how much of my bipolar symptoms were caused by milk. If I had known then what I know now, and had stopped consuming milk then, would I have gone through years of medication and mood swings? I wonder, too, what is the relationship with mood stabilizers and weight gain and food allergies. I was gaining weight with my food allergy to milk. I gained 15 pounds in 15 months and lost almost all of it in that amount of time, too. I had gained 30 pounds with mood stabilizers in probably less than 6 months. With all the sleeping I was doing on Depakote, I wasn't eating enough calories to gain so much weight in a short amount of time.
I still have an unquiet mind, in my opinion, but my moods are not what a bipolar person goes through. No mania here. No depression unless i consume milk. I'm constantly "thinking", but I don't think that's a bad thing. Hopefully, it'll benefit me when I grow older by preventing Alzheimer's.
Presently, I'm analyzing my second son's recent eczema episode and pondering the reason's for my first son's itchy bottom. My first son has similar reactions to milk so he doesn't consume any either. But I do fear for my second son if he's already having eczema (at 2 months), possibly from oranges I was eating that month.
I don't think our society set out to cause all of our present problems with obesity, diabetes, and food allergies. I think its just our imperfection to be short-sighted. Henry Ford didn't set out to cause the current energy crisis. McDonald's didn't set out to cause obesity or whatever gets blamed on them. We all have to make the appropriate changes, both large companies and the individuals. But knowledge is very helpful. Knowing the causes of our problems puts the power in our hands to change. I've changed my diet to benefit me and my family. I can't blame any farmer or restaurant or even doctors for my food allergy.
Mom had her lung surgery, removing her upper left lobe. That was a difficult thing to go through. I was really stressed before and after that one. Her breast cancer surgeries were not as difficult. We still don't know what really caused Mom's lung cancer as no one in the family is a smoker. But today, over a year after her lung surgery, she is doing very well. Next month, will be a year that she's been breast cancer free, too.
Me? I had my second child in late September. I fought gestational diabetes and also found out all my food allergies. I had a blood test done and I was so glad, too. I had been having problems, feeling lethargic and knew there was something else bothering me. I suspected gluten but my test showed I was reacting to yeast, not gluten. That includes baker's and brewer's yeast. Milk was a major item on the list so I avoid it like poison. I've found out so many things that we consume when eating out include milk ingredients like whey. Yeast in bread is easier to avoid. Basically, the only thing I can safely eat at McDonald's is the french fries. I can live with that.
The symptoms I had are almost non-existent. Almost because there are some cases where I accidentally consume milk. Too, I have a new suspicion of another environmental allergy, mold. Ugh. Will it ever stop? Most of my symptoms are not the kind that are visible, like hives. I can get extremely sleepy, feeling like passing out, within minutes of consuming milk. About 5 hours later, I can get extremely irritable. A day later, digestive problems and/or depression. And lastly, 5 days later, I break out on my upper arms. Yes, I know this is all weird. And I'm not entirely sure the break out on my arms is from milk, but it only shows up after I consume milk. During that day after, I can feel so numb, not able to organize my thoughts or prioritize a list of things to do. I would be sapped of all motivation, like I'm depressed, but with no reason.
I've been wondering how much of my bipolar symptoms were caused by milk. If I had known then what I know now, and had stopped consuming milk then, would I have gone through years of medication and mood swings? I wonder, too, what is the relationship with mood stabilizers and weight gain and food allergies. I was gaining weight with my food allergy to milk. I gained 15 pounds in 15 months and lost almost all of it in that amount of time, too. I had gained 30 pounds with mood stabilizers in probably less than 6 months. With all the sleeping I was doing on Depakote, I wasn't eating enough calories to gain so much weight in a short amount of time.
I still have an unquiet mind, in my opinion, but my moods are not what a bipolar person goes through. No mania here. No depression unless i consume milk. I'm constantly "thinking", but I don't think that's a bad thing. Hopefully, it'll benefit me when I grow older by preventing Alzheimer's.
Presently, I'm analyzing my second son's recent eczema episode and pondering the reason's for my first son's itchy bottom. My first son has similar reactions to milk so he doesn't consume any either. But I do fear for my second son if he's already having eczema (at 2 months), possibly from oranges I was eating that month.
I don't think our society set out to cause all of our present problems with obesity, diabetes, and food allergies. I think its just our imperfection to be short-sighted. Henry Ford didn't set out to cause the current energy crisis. McDonald's didn't set out to cause obesity or whatever gets blamed on them. We all have to make the appropriate changes, both large companies and the individuals. But knowledge is very helpful. Knowing the causes of our problems puts the power in our hands to change. I've changed my diet to benefit me and my family. I can't blame any farmer or restaurant or even doctors for my food allergy.