My Gatro Issues, an Overview

I started this new blog, just to help myself and anyone else who wants to read it and know what Ive been through, gastro wise.
First, let me say, Im Sarah, 28, female, and in general good health. Im bipolar,and take my meds,{I could do a whole other blog about all that!}.I've had a "nervous stomach" my entire life. Yep, Im a puker! When Im nervous I puke,when I drink too much I puke, when I over eat greasy foods, I puke. I come from a history of pukers too,and have passed it on to my sons, age 8 and 2. My stomach issues are genetic, from an obvious point of my paternal grandmother. I know this b/c the Holden clan have most all had gastro issues in one way or the other. Also, my maternal grandfather died at 60 from colon cancer, so I was jipped from day one.

Anyway, when I was 16 and he passed away, thats when I really began having my rumbly tummy. I think it was the stress of him dying that really set me off. I think it also was the trigger for my bipolar. That stress is a killer,let me tell you! Well, in the summer of 1998 after a trip to the ER for constipation, I was set up to see a pediatric gastro doctor in Memphis,Tn. {thats where we lived close to}. I had my first endoscopy done. I was then clincally diagnosed with GERD, at the time I also had a deuodonal hemmorage. Think big bruise on your stomach,close to the intestines,that was bleeding. I was then put on a strict diet of no chocolate,no caffine and no smokes. Yes, at 16 I was a smoker. and yes my parents knew,but hardly approved! Telling a 16 year old girl she cant have chocolate, or caffine was bad enough, but telling me I couldnt rebel, was horrible! I've always been a big girl. at 16 I was 5'6, and weighed like 155ish. {its been a long time,and since my weight has only increased over the years and my height 1 1/2 inches, it slips my mind}. That summer before my senior year of high school I dropped 15lbs. to me I was super skinny! I distinctly rememeber a friend {whom I still hold near and dear} saying, "Wow! You've lost so much weight!". Talk about an ego boost I never forgot! I think thats why I still love her! :)
So my senior year began and I was still taking Prevacid. That summer I was also put on Zoloft. I began feeling better! But once I quit taking the prevacid after the designated time frame {it was still a realtivly new drug at the time}. I began to feel bad again. But by then my folks were ending their 19 year marriage,so even more stress. I totally rebelled then! I was drinking,smoking, and smoking dope! I was then 17 and pissed off at the world! you can imagine .
So a year or so went by and me taking tons of rolaides and tums and then I got pregnant and married at age 18. I was OH so very sick when I was pregnant with my oldest son! Puking all the time for 9 months! Its a wonder he weighed his 8lbs! I gave up smoking when I was pregnant {BOTH times,but sadly always picked it back up,even after being smoke free for right at a year!}

So after surviving my first pregnancy and post pardum depression, my tummy issues kinda eased off. I still took tums, and OTC remedies, but it was never that bad. At least not for a couple of years. Maybe I was too busy raising my son and keeping a roof over his head to notice some off and on again heartburn.

But in my early -mid twenties, the reflux came back like a Grizzly hongrey after his long winters nap. More to come on that later....