oliviatamccue

Since summer, an intermittent stomach pain has been with me.   It does not need invitation and comes at times it chose and often at inconvenient times when I am in the middle of something.

It is almost always that people’s reaction to stomach problem as “are you stressed?’  Some gives an assertive remark of “stressed”.  Even the doctor would ask “are you stressed?”   No matter how, the response would come back as “you get it, you may not know.”  After hearing this the nth time, the group opinion wins over, what else can I say?

First, the internal doctor (internal doctor is really not internal more like family doctor) advises me of over-the-counter pain treatment, with a limited diet.  A limited diet is not fun, and brings to laser focus the enjoyment of food in our everyday life.  There goes the daily coffee or milk tea; then goes the spicy food, then goes the fruit, then goes the vegetable, sashimi…  And as the pain does not subside, there remains banana, rice, saline crackers and just a bit more.  I want this uninvited guest to go away, but it chooses to stay.

After another round of doctor visit, I land on the Gastroenterology section – GI.  Having a GI to see you is a challenge to the body whether it can cure itself in time before the GI appointment.   Some GI specialist has a wait time in months, and some has a shorter one in weeks.  By demand and supply, what does a shorter wait mean?  I don’t want to know.  This case is not so very special; a shorter wait seems a better choice.   First visit results in various types of tests, and fortunately, nothing disastrous comes back.  Neither do they tell the root cause.  Next up is to see what is inside (endoscopy test).  The diagnosis is out with an ulcer – ulcer is like a cut in the stomach lining, the root cause is out.   Two weeks of medication have not covered it, another 6 weeks ahead.  The good thing about medication is that it creates a barrier for the pain to visit.

Am I stressed?  I am certain that the stomach problem and its impact on my food consumption have caused me stress.

Posted in Dear Diary