What does body image have to do it? It has everything to do with it! …and nothing. When you don’t have control of your life (healh, finances, your body in general) and the outward sign that your insides aren’t working properly is clearly there yet no one listens (this is doctors). Because hey, fat is laziness not illness. Oh, right that’s not even close to the truth. SIGH!! AIP lifestyle has proven a few more facts…

My husband, lovingly, hates that I hate my body (the fat that I didnt get by eating bonbons all day but from messed up hormones, yeah, I’m aloud to hate that!) It’s all relative… Depending on the day. Depending on if I need clothes to wear and nothing fits my body type. By the way, old-school is a million times better… have clothes made to fit your body. Buy less. Check out etsy. 

OK back to my main point, I just completed my 4th week of AIP diet. Again, I was Paleo for eight years this was not a huge change. I could go for a piece of chocolate but that’s neither here nor there. 

What was I expecting? I don’t know. What was I hoping for? …Decreased inflammation which would allow my head/neck/shoulder/arm/hand and all the rest to stop hurting so freakin’ much. I’d like my right hand back. The pain and inflammation makes drawing, painting….cleaning a toilet too difficult.  ….and weight loss.

What I still have found is a clearer mind, most the time. Weather greatly affects me. By week 4 my shoulder has had less pain. This is a win. (Full disclosure the current weather has added some of that inflammation back). Always a work in progress.

However, as things seem to clear up one thing that has gotten worse is my stomach. (TMI from here on) I’ve had constipation problem since before I learned to fight off doctors and their prescription pads. But I had found a way to get my stomach to work… digestive enzymes, digestZen from DoTerra and a little boost from coffee. AIP has not only stopped all movement but caused weird pain, bloating, gurgling from the top of my stomach to the bottom of my intestines. I’m working on the research and the proper people to be involved. It is interesting to clear up one problem and reveal another. I don’t need anymore problems but I’m very happy to know that it’s there so I can address it.

Why would I stick with this… because in another really odd super annoying side effect…a period or some kind of spotting occurred. Why is this significant? This is so significant because I radiated my pituitary 4 1/2 years ago. A year later I had a uterine ablation. I’m not supposed to menstruate.  They told me that I was young for an ablation and it might come back. If I can’t get pregnant I don’t want a period. I won’t use birth control and I’m certainly Not using an IUD. Seriously sticking a foreign object in your body is never a good thing. But really AIP for a month and some tummy accupincture and there is was! UGH!!

But the pituitary, thyroid, ovarian axis doesn’t work well in me and all of a sudden a month of cutting out the little bit of dairy I ate (cream in coffee, feta on salad) nuts, seeds, eggs and nightshades. A rumbling tummy and things are changing. … The ovarian access trying to function…? OK,come on this is fascinating.

I’m super interested to see where this journey takes me and what professionals might be able to help diagnose what’s actually wrong but it’s worth every moment of it.