15 May 2021 – In the past few months, I have started to have some issues that have been bothering me. Nothing scary or anything but things that got me thinking. I’ve been losing weight, not sleeping, peeing more often and having abdominal issues. I have a tendency to consistently feel meh.

I am not sleeping. I can’t fall asleep or stay asleep despite trying everything. I take magnesium every night, and sometimes I even supplement it with hot tea and some Calm, a sleep supplement. I have tried Melatonin, alcohol and over-the-counter medication. I have even used prescription medication plus a combination of all of these. Instead of sleeping, I am getting by on about three to four hours of rest each day. Not sleep, but rest. I don’t get much more than just some rest. There might be some actual sleep, but I don’t ever feel it. I’m not usually tired during the day, but I really want to sleep and feel revived. I feel like life would be more fun with a bit more energy.

I have lost twenty pounds in the last two months despite not changing anything about my life. Believe me; I love the weight loss, but it’s not right. I have been basically the same weight for the last twenty years despite what I eat or how much I exercise. Sometimes I am more fit, but my weight doesn’t really fluctuate, so this weight loss is definitely out of the ordinary.

I have been using the bathroom so much. I pee more during the day and definitely at night. I’m not drinking more during the day, and again, nothing has changed. I have been visiting the restroom more during the day because of abdominal discomfort as well. It has been miserable. Nothing is normal despite what I eat or don’t eat. I’m starting to understand how miserable life is for people with Crohn’s and colitis. You never feel you can go anywhere or do anything because you don’t know how your stomach will treat you.

Despite trying to control each of these issues with various changes to my life and diet, nothing was changing. Eventually, I decided that a trip to the doctor was necessary just to put my mind at ease. The doctor asked lots of questions and thought maybe it was my thyroid or my blood sugar. She ordered a fasting blood test and a urine test. The results came back, and there were no real surprises. My sugar was a little high for my liking, but it was actually better than it has been for years. My cholesterol was elevated, and so were my triglycerides. These both fluctuate constantly depending on how much processed food I eat. My liver enzymes were also slightly elevated, but they have been for the last twenty years—no real answers.

After the results came back, I met with the doctor, and she said that I should try a low-fat, gluten-free diet, and we would retest in six months. She said my thyroid tests were fine, and everything else was pretty normal for me compared to past blood tests. What? So, she solved none of my problems and told me to stop eating hamburgers. Unless our tests point to a specific condition, doctors just don’t know. I will cut out processed food and see what my test results look like in six months.

I still can’t sleep, and I still feel meh. The doctor did nothing except confirming what I already know. There is nothing wrong with me except that I am almost fifty. Meh!