My Personal Health Journey – Part 3

My Journey from Trauma to Wellness

My Personal Health Journey – Part 3

In January of 2023, I became extremely nauseous to the point where I was unable to eat for a few days. Once I regained a small appetite, I began eating simple foods like chicken and white rice. January through March of 2023 was a time of trial and error. I did not understand what was happening to me with the chest pressure, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, hot flashes, chills, neurological sensations, and now nausea.

I went to the hospital where I underwent a lot of testing, including a metabolic panel, chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, and urinalysis. All tests were normal. How could this make sense? Of course, this was great news—I was not in imminent danger. However, this did not get me any closer to answers.

My next stop was the cardiologist yet again. He wanted to follow up with me within a few years of my previous appointment, so I figured this would be a good time to make that visit. All testing, including autoimmune testing, was normal.

During this time, I also began seeing my primary care provider. I was told that anxiety was the cause of my symptoms and was prescribed several different anti-anxiety medications to try. I knew that anxiety was not the answer to my symptoms. I had struggled with anxiety previously, and this was not it. I asked for a referral to a gastroenterologist.

I soon had my second upper endoscopy. This time, the results indicated mild active chronic gastritis. The test for H. pylori came back negative, and all other results related to the endoscopy were normal. I began researching gastritis and started a gastritis-friendly diet, which meant cutting dairy, caffeine, gluten, and alcohol, and only eating low-fat, high-fiber, and low-acid foods.

The gastroenterologist also performed a gastric emptying study, which was normal. They decided to evaluate me for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, in March of 2023. The test results indicated a positive result for Hydrogen SIBO. I would soon find out that SIBO could be the cause of my symptoms and is indicative of something greater occurring in the body. Stay tuned for part 4, where I will look to functional medicine to better understand my body and begin my journey towards healing.

Amanda Taylor has been a resident of the Lake Norman area since 2001. She graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro with a B.S. in Biology and Health Sciences. After college, Amanda worked for a local nutraceutical/pharmaceutical company as a Chemist, Validation Specialist, and Engineer. After ten years of climbing the corporate ladder, Amanda and her husband, Justin, decided to leave corporate life behind and become local business owners. Amanda is currently the owner of Serenity Now Massage Therapy and a co-owner of Waves Entertainment. Amanda has had an interest in holistic health for many years, but this passion increased after dealing with her own health issues which came to a head at the beginning of 2023. Amanda is a current student in the Health Coaching program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is excited to discuss the importance of focusing on health and wellness in an effort to help others lead a long, joy-filled, high-quality life.