labyrinthitis many years later

I have had many recurrent bouts of labyrinthitis over the years. I got used to so I put it at the back of my mind and pretended like it didn't bother me. This worked... well not very well, but for some reason I thought I had to just put up with it. I didn't want to go to doctors or go on any more medication (which had made things worse!). So I lived with it for years, even during my pregnancy. But it was when I was holding my little baby in my arms and I felt my body teetering about that reality set in. It was no longer just me I had to worry about, I had a little one to take care of now.

I saw my kinesiologist who gave me some Gaze stabilisation exercises... they were ok.. but they weren't enough.

SO I went to google and I found the following exercises

http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/vestibular-rehabilitation-exercises

I tried them all, they didn't all work but I got there in the end.

I found that by building on the gaze stabilisation exercises by quickly bending over then standing, at first a little alarming, really got me there. I don't know why, but it helped.

But if I am honest they worked well with the combination of not cleaning my ear so much! I have always been a bit nuts about it, but I left it a little to see if it would help.. and I really think it did.

I have been fine for months now.. just exhaustion sets my eyes to fussy these days but that's to be expected.

I hope this helps someone out there looking for a little hope. Its a truly awful experience and a little maddening. Your not alone!

Chips!

I love chips. I love them anyway they are made and in any form... however, that does not mean they always love me.

Those tasty morsels with just a hint of fish batter always send my stomach into melt down. I feel so dreadful and it can set off my IBS symptoms. But these days its not burger and chips that are sending me to bed early... its chips in any delicious form!

Particularly Pringles... I mean what has happened there. They taste different and my goodness they feel different. And it's not just me, even my husband is running what used to be a fan favourite in our house. It isn't the only brand to. It seems the cheaper the chips, the more we end up with stomach cramps.

I don't know if it is my age or something that manufacturers are putting into their products now, but I am finding it harder and harder to find anything that wont give me a stomach ache!!

Surviving Christmas

Christmas is one of those amazing times of year when dried fruit appears in everything. Its tasty aromas fill bakeries far and wide and no department store is free from the sweet smelling goodness of fruity treats.

As I have a rather annoying case of Fructose intolerance I spend the season desperate to taste the yummy Christmas puddings and fruit cakes of my childhood.. but alas.... I must refrain.

But that doesn't mean that there aren't tasty morsels for us fruit deprived!

Nigella has of course provided with an amazing chocolate spice cake that tends to fill my much needed Christmas tradition of cake with brandy custard!!

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/christmas-spiced-chocolate-cake

also lovely with maple brittle icecream : )

https://www.woolworths.com.au/Shop/Recipes/christmas/christmas-dessert-recipes?name=pecan-brittle-ice-cream-sandwiches&recipeId=3342

You could also make Pavlova...so many to choose from... I would recommend looking at Nigella's website!!

I also recommend .. if you can.. some boozy Belle De Jour Truffles (sorry I have the book.. but there are a few different versions out there if you like)

Shortbread and ginger/spice biscuits can also fill that Christmas tooth! As a lucky Australian lady I have access to many very good Women's Weekly recipe books.. but if you are going to make them.. make sure they are from a good source.. internet recipes can go SO wrong.. and Christmas is frustrating enough as it is!!

I hope this helps... well anyone.

FODMAPing whilst pregnant

Pregnancy is that glorious time when more and more delicious foods become unavailable. My goodness how I miss coffee!!!

The really fun thing about pregnancy is the wind... cause its not like I haven't had to deal with that before.. and the worry that peppermint oil (my favourite remedy) is not really the greatest option when pregnant. So what to do... stick to your diet like everything naughty will send you into a fructose overload (I can only have 1 piece of fruit a day.. so for me its the very worst of the worst).. or whatever your most brutal FODMAP food is.

Its hard though... because I crave the very things that I know will hurt me....like smoothies!!!

But trust me.. its not worth it. Pregnancy is hard enough. People, well some of them go just weird... lunch conversation is now just them talking at you and lecturing you about their baby and pregnancy for four hours... and if your like me and you just want to have a nice conversation and not talk about babies...and are full of pregnancy hormones ; ) well... lets not put a FODMAP reaction on top of that. It's honestly hard enough.

I know for some people their food issues get better, and if you wanna take that chance or you cannot help yourselves I completely get it... but just tread lightly and take care of yourself.

FODMAPing through Europe

I am one of those lucky ones that have started to tolerate some of those nasty GOS ect... so I could eat baguettes, croissants and drink cappuccinos to my hearts content (well with lacteeze).

I got through Europe with only one incident (see Turkey below), I did this by bringing my own cereal and making our own dinners. In order for this to work I organised for us to stay in a self contained apartment. In Paris we were able to go to a locate market.. and the produce was fantastic. They have a website which can help you locate local markets which I cannot for the life of me find right now : )

However, this does mean that you will have to factor in making it home in time to make dinner. To make things easier for you make sure you have kitchen utensils that will assist in making a quick meal.. keeping in mind that those kitchens are going to be tiny and rarely have a microwave (also many places that have microwaves rarely had microwave safe dishes so be careful and perhaps pop something in your bag if your really worried.)

Through Turkey, my most feared destination, I got around allot of my issues by being very careful of what I ingested, never mind whats on your plate! I just pushed aside what I couldn't eat and hoped for the best. It makes for plain eating but, it will get you through. I ate allot of plain meals, but it was better than the alternative. I did get stung with honey once though. And whilst trying not to 'pop' on the tour bus I was really regretting that choice. Its really not worth it... unless your there for the food... then go for it.. just be prepared for the consequences!

I also took some crackers from home that I knew I could eat if there was no suitable lunch option. For me these are the large sandwich size vitabrits. They will fill you up, but of course if you have issues with wheat.. not a great idea. I found they travelled very well in a glad bag and they came in handy . ..more than I would have thought. My husband also kept a stash of tiny teddies with him.. just in case he got peckish. Its weird to take something foreign into another country... but its well worth it if you have issues.

I found Spain and Italy had Lactose free milk in their supermarkets.. however, in Barcelona I found two supermarkets right next to each other.. one with lactose free milk, the other without... imagine which one I found first : (

Health food stores are around, but don't expect the variety you have at home unless you have some feedback first. I long trek to a health food store with the promise of lactose free milk had me hauling oat milk all the way home.. tasty yes. But not with coffee!!

An incredible trip, amazing food... you just have to be careful, and never tell yourself I will be alright, its not a good time to test these things ; )

Goodluck ox

When is it too much of a good thing?

I would say its too much when your stomach loses its mind and you have to go home in agonizing pain. This happened to me recently... It appears that Bananas' and I, lifelong friends, have gone the way of Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC! With a vengeance.

I had a banana almost every day, it filled me up and was full of goodness.. but it appears that my body just couldn't do it anymore. It also can not do spelt every day, neither can it do anything else daily for lunch. This was a real shock, I have always been one for consistency and with my FODMAP issues it helped.. now I am back at square 1 trying to figure our my body again for the umpteenth time.

On the up side I am tolerating salad again :) Carbohydrates and I still have a shaky relationship, but it turns out the way to move forward is inconsistency.... which has me baffled. I shake up my daily meals.. through breakfast and dinner seem to be ok if I stick with the same, but lunch.. well lunch is a different kettle of fish. One that I have long struggled with. Its rare that I eat without feeling unwell after lunch. but lately.. I have been feeling a little better, light meals. Salad and some crackers/slice of bread.

This is what is getting me through.. salad... I am grateful... but I just wish it would settle... in the hope that my body would settle. It just keeps changing... if yours does to.. just know.. your not alone.

Its not your fault.. your body is just that sensitive!

Reality

The reality is even when you start to eat normally and be adventurous, for some of us the reality is we will never be able to eat certain foods or type of foods. The damage that got us to our life of FODMAP hell will inevitably lead us to a system that is easily stressed or lets be honest just plain irritable. This reality is frustrating, but its reality. We may never be able to eat fatty foods or lots of fruit.. that's just part and parcel of life.

Throughout this whole journey the focus is on getting better, and getting your body to a place where it can eat as many different varieties of food that you can. So if you get to that end goal and you are still struggling... don't let it get to you.. this is just your body and for better or for worse we have to accept these changes.

And its not easy. I have come out with a very different digestive system then when I started. Its very sensitive and since my ulcer last year (and the ensuing gastritis) somehow I have become lactose intolerant. All just part of the game. Many of us are just sensitive or there has been so much damage that it will never be like it was.. other will have other outsides issues that will continue to influence our digestive balance.

This is life.. in the end its an opportunity to eat better, have a healthier body and in this day and age.. that isn't that bad.