Dealing with Health Frustrations

(This is stuff I've been dealing with for the last year, as a heads up)

These last few days I lost track of time and didn't realize I haven't posted in a few days.  Sorry about that.

My mind has been preoccupied with healing.  Nothing life-threatening, for which I'm thankful, but a weird thing I can't figure out, no matter how many YouTube or articles I watch/read.

It started last Spring.  Woke up around 3 am with this crazy hunger pain, despite eating enough the previous day, and went down to eat.  The pain, in my upper abdomen accompanied with back pain, didn't go away, no matter how much I ate.  Later it was followed with burps and... farts.  Well this has happened off and on for the last year, mainly around 3 am, though a few times late at night, and a few times nausea with vomiting.  Usually when I have an attack another won't happen for a few weeks, sometimes there's a few months break.

I had two of these attacks on trips.  Once in St. George early in the morning.  The second was the night before flying home last March from Georgia.  Really scary when not at home in a familiar environment. 

Well, I had early morning attacks, all at that miraculous 3 am hour, on May 6th, May 8th, May 10th, and May 12th, every other day.  On that last day, which was last week, I finally asked for a priesthood healing blessing, and thankfully I haven't had an attack since.

You know what else I did four times that week?  Eat at Costa Vida.  It's so yummy!! But yes, four times.  Those last two times I had this keto friendly meal where they cut open an avocado, put meat on it, smother it in cheese, with lettuce and tomatoes on the side.  Both times it went right through me.  Now I'm simply trying to find patterns.

With all the research I've done I'm wondered if it might be excess stomach acid, which can mimic hunger.  There's this thing called Dyspepsia, which acid builds in the stomach because it's not emptying properly.  I've also wondered if it might be gallbladder or pancreas related.

There's an interesting YouTube video by Dr. Eric Berg called Most Pain is Referred Pain, where he goes into how pain in our body could be caused by other illnesses.  Apparently if you get right shoulder/neck pain it could be due to the gallbladder.  (This isn't muscle strain or overuse exercise or simply not stretching).  Now want to know what started last year?  Randomly getting left shoulder/neck strain that causes headaches.  And that could be tied to the pancreas... though I do fall asleep watching t.v. sometimes, so it could be that. 

I don't know what's going on, and it's a little scary.  Having four attacks in a week was a wake up call.  There's not a lot I know, but right now I'm focusing on the things I do know.  I have to eat a low fat diet.  I can't have less than three meals a day.  I need to stop eating sweets (such a struggle).  And I need to eat lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbs.  

Last night I looked up the side effects of Omeprazole, the PPI I'm weening off, and a rare side effect is pancreatitis.  I don't think I have it, but this is further proof of needing to stop the medication. 

One of these days this will all make sense.

But for the time being I'm not losing hope or faith, and I'm determined to believe this can all be worked out and lead to healing.  I need to take accountability and make better choices in my life.

Sarah