Imagine.. hope!
For years now my son has suffered with a digestive ailment. He has every test they could possibly give him and yet no answers. There was nothing they do or so they said. They said his anxiety caused his stomach troubles but the therapists said it was the stomach troubles were causing the anxiety. Imagine not being able to leave your house because you didn't know if you were going to have an attack. Some of you can imagine this, you live with Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns Disease. Imagine being 15 with these issues and 16. Going to school, having an attack and the school nurse wanting to call an ambulance because she had no idea what was going on and it's scary when it happens.
Now imagine going on and on like this, not being able to eat. Going days - weeks without being able to eat. Losing weight. Then have a good month or two and gaining weight and thinking okay, we're going to be okay and then BOOM it would hit again and the weight would fall off. Months upon months of bad days. One day you can eat dairy products and the next day you can't. But lactose intolerant tests are negative.The pain hits and you're doubled over, sweat pouring off of you, white as a ghost and there's nothing any one can do. You go to the doctors but can't get out of the car because you're having an attack. Pain so intense you just wish it would end. So you spend more and more time at home, because at least here if it hits, you can handle it. You're not stuck out somewhere doubled over. No one at home judges you or says suck it up and get over it. They offer what support they can feeling helpless they can't make it go away for you. They can't take away the pain.
Now imagine seeing a doctor and then specialists and them telling you, well we've done all the tests you just need to get over it and get on with your life. But how can you get on with your life when there is so much unknown. When they've offered no help, no explanation, no way to prevent it?
Now imagine you meet a new doctor, took a chance on a web search for a new family doctor hoping he can send you to someone that can help and said let's see what this doctor has to say. So many have said the same thing, maybe this one will say something different. You walk into the office, nervous but hopeful. Now imagine that doctor actually listens to you. Talks with you. Examines you and says ,"there is something I can do." That is what hope looks like. Imagine being told there is a medication I can give you, it's a generic too so it's been out for awhile. Any gastrointestinal specialist should have been able to prescribe for you.
Now imagine you go fill this medication, you go home and you take it and for the first time in years, you can eat. YOU CAN EAT!! There is no pain. There is no doubling over. There is no misery.
I'm the mother of the person who has experienced all this and I say thank you to the doctor who finally listened to him, who didn't dismiss him and his complaints. Who took him seriously and said yes, there are things we can do and try. There is no reason to give up hope. Hope is truly a blessed thing!
Now imagine going on and on like this, not being able to eat. Going days - weeks without being able to eat. Losing weight. Then have a good month or two and gaining weight and thinking okay, we're going to be okay and then BOOM it would hit again and the weight would fall off. Months upon months of bad days. One day you can eat dairy products and the next day you can't. But lactose intolerant tests are negative.The pain hits and you're doubled over, sweat pouring off of you, white as a ghost and there's nothing any one can do. You go to the doctors but can't get out of the car because you're having an attack. Pain so intense you just wish it would end. So you spend more and more time at home, because at least here if it hits, you can handle it. You're not stuck out somewhere doubled over. No one at home judges you or says suck it up and get over it. They offer what support they can feeling helpless they can't make it go away for you. They can't take away the pain.
Now imagine seeing a doctor and then specialists and them telling you, well we've done all the tests you just need to get over it and get on with your life. But how can you get on with your life when there is so much unknown. When they've offered no help, no explanation, no way to prevent it?
Now imagine you meet a new doctor, took a chance on a web search for a new family doctor hoping he can send you to someone that can help and said let's see what this doctor has to say. So many have said the same thing, maybe this one will say something different. You walk into the office, nervous but hopeful. Now imagine that doctor actually listens to you. Talks with you. Examines you and says ,"there is something I can do." That is what hope looks like. Imagine being told there is a medication I can give you, it's a generic too so it's been out for awhile. Any gastrointestinal specialist should have been able to prescribe for you.
Now imagine you go fill this medication, you go home and you take it and for the first time in years, you can eat. YOU CAN EAT!! There is no pain. There is no doubling over. There is no misery.
I'm the mother of the person who has experienced all this and I say thank you to the doctor who finally listened to him, who didn't dismiss him and his complaints. Who took him seriously and said yes, there are things we can do and try. There is no reason to give up hope. Hope is truly a blessed thing!
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