Well, I guess I'm at the 3 month mark, more or less. Since my last update, I'm not sure how much positive change I have had. If I have, then it's been feeling a little better here and there, but it's still very rare to have consistent streaks of days where I don't have any problems, and/or I don't even have to think about it. I'm starting to learn more about the dietary aspect of this, and how to alter it to avoid feeling so bad. For example, I can have scrambled eggs with diced ham, but I have to avoid or just really limit breads, potatoes, etc. I guess some of the starchy carbs give me issues sometimes. I also learned about proper timing of taking your acid reducers (i.e. Zantac, for me). Even though they say to take the pills before you eat, no one pays attention to that, and they just take them after they're in pain. Sometimes you can get exponential results just by when you take your H2's, and just taking it before you eat. With that said, I wish I were making better progress.
Also, I'm not sure If I should put this here, but I guess it's related, because all of our lives are affected by this disease/condition. Without going into too much detail about my life, I'm in my mid-20's right now, and I used to have several jobs, and my last one before this disease started to kick in was probably the best one (looking back). It was definitely stressful at times, but when I was healthy back then, it was really not bad, and I was working full time, without any issues. Long story short, I had a few health issues start up (this one included), and I couldn't perform the job [without having pain, or other issues], so I had to quit. I quit without giving enough notice, as well.
After not working at all, my parents were generous enough to let me work at our family business. After a lot of time passed, and after some goods and some bads, I'm at the point where my entire family wants me to get another job. I know health is never an excuse when you are a grown individual, but to say it has no effect on you is just plain wrong...I'm not only going to have to get a new job, but I'm going to have to learn to manage this condition at the same time.
Sorry about ranting...just wanted to get that off my chest. Sometimes you don't realize how much your health, or health problems, change your life.
Just a little update, some on my health, some on my life. I don't think I have improvement - Obviously, there are sometimes good days, but I just have chronic pain. Don't get me wrong, it's still better than when I was on the PPI's, and when I was under severe rebound, but pain is pain, and it affects me at least every other day. I'm not trying to make excuses, but it just flat out inhibits your life and what you can do.
As far as my life, I made a big sale, and my parents have softened up a bit. They also want me to go back to school, and I do to. I want to go back for a second major in Computer Science, or Information Technology at one of the better schools, the University of California's (i.e. UCLA, UC Berkely, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC SD, etc.) My first major was psychology at a state college, and I had graduated about 5 years ago (stopped working in the field a while ago because of not the most ideal pay & stressful jobs).
To get to there, though, I need to finish the lower divisional course-work at a community college. The problem is that it's hard enough when you're completely healthy to get great grades and then into one of these schools - The competition is just flat out fierce. If I still have chronic pain, to be completely honest, it's going to make this goal much, much harder to achieve.
