Two years ago, I had constant itching everywhere, all the time, help! My family physician mentioned I should go see an allergist. After the traditional allergy test, I was informed I was allergic to ragweed – a fact I’ve known since I was 12, and a slight allergy to some grasses. He did find it curious I had more of a reaction to the plastic block used to apply the test, rather than the allergens themselves. The next recommendation was to visit with my dermatologist. She told me I had “dermagraphism” – an exaggerated welting tendency when the skin is stroked (i.e. you can draw on my skin). Working with engineers everyday, my natural tendency was to ask what was causing the problem. Crickets….. I was told since I had bouts of eczema that dermagraphism was an extension of that condition. Notice this wasn’t an answer to the cause. I was told to be happy that it could be controlled with Zyrtec.
Next I, then, starting having more severe reactions to beer. I’ve always had a slight reaction to heavy wheat beer, but this changed to any traditional beer, including hives and severed stomach pain. Time to get serious and take my health into my own hands. I had always trusted and respected the medical industry but with all the non-answers over the last few years, I knew I was going to look elsewhere for answers.
And so the journey began. I read so many books on nutrition and diet and how everything you consume impacts your body. I sought out an acupuncturist to help heal my digestion, a masseuse to reduce my stress level, and kept on reading books. After reading “Eat Fat, Get Thin” by Dr. Mark Hyman, I decided I needed to enlist in the office of a functional medicine practitioner. My first meeting exceeded my expectations – we talked about my entire life history – did I have measles, have I had chicken pox, have I ever taken an antibiotic, what my typical diet was, how was my digestion, how much stress was I under, how much sun do I get, etc.
I can tell you I walked out of that office with more answers that I’ve ever gotten at one doctor visit in most of my life. Over the coming posts, I will share my experience over my journey, blogs about the interesting things I’ve learned and continue to provide my perspective how anyone change from where they are today to where they want to me.