While many of Hippocrates’ medical models have since been disproven, his ancient insight “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food” is relevant to me because it could have spared me seven years of trouble.
The miserable stomach pain began in fourth grade. I initially attributed it to lactose intolerance, but when I went dairy-free, it continued into high school and wreaked havoc on my running. Freshman track ended as a smattering of poor performances. Undeterred, I set the goal to earn a varsity letter. Unfortunately, sophomore year proved worse as my symptoms escalated and my condition declined. I began searching for a solution.
Coincidentally, the gluten-free diet was gaining popularity and many of my symptoms aligned with gluten intolerance. After starting the gluten-free diet, I was astonished that my symptoms ceased. With newfound health, my goal of earning a varsity letter was finally within reach. Fate, however, …show more content…
But postseason itself brought a new problem: hematochezia, bleeding of the intestinal tract. This no long just affected my running, but also my overall health. Urgent to find treatment, I promptly scheduled an appointment with a gastroenterologist. Tense with apprehension, I entered the outpatient facility. The nurses prepped me for the procedure and wheeled me into the operating room. The dim fluorescents silhouetted the nurse as she stated, “This anesthetic creates a stinging sensation.” My entire body tingled as the faint light warped into complete darkness. My first memory afterwards: breakfast with my mother. I ordered waffles, unaware it was my last chance to eat them. Later that week, the results returned with the diagnosis of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. The treatment was to eliminate processed carbohydrates from my diet. This was a disaster; my training diet consisted primarily of carbohydrates. No carbohydrates, no waffles, and no varsity