Thanksgiving used to be my favorite holiday of the year. It’s one of those days where you have nothing to be upset about because it’s all about being thankful for what you have. Not to mention the FOOD. But recently, Thanksgiving has been more anxious for me than anything. Lactose intolerance comes and goes for me, diagnosed when I was a kid. However, I have not been diagnosed with a wheat allergy but eliminating it from my diet helped ease the symptoms of my gastrointestinal conditions. I was diagnosed with GERD, IBS and a hiatal hernia this past May. In other words, my digestive track is an absolute nightmare.
Gastro issues run in my family so it’s not a surprise that I have accumulated three of my own. They didn’t fully blossom until three months before my diagnosis. I would be bed ridden for days, missing class and work for stomach pains I didn’t understand. It was like everything I put in my body was rejected one way or another. It caused me to drop 40 lbs in only two months and now I’m up to a loss of 70 lbs which in all fairness was much needed but I felt like I was just disintegrating. Getting compliments on my weight loss confused me because of how ill I always felt. It was difficult for me to accept the compliment because it was a result of something that was picking away at my quality of life. To be blunt, I felt like shit and to be honest I still do. This continues to impact my life everyday. I continue to lose weight but luckily not as fast anymore. Here’s a before and after picture for reference.
Even now, ten months after the start of my symptoms, it still makes me uncomfortable to hear, “Wow you look great! You’ve lost weight!” It seemed to only echo this year at Thanksgiving because of the abundance of family members who haven’t seen me since last year.
Due to my body’s adverse reactions to most foods, I struggle to even complete the act of eating. I have to eat very slow, small portions and preferably standing to help digestion. It’s kind of embarrassing to only be able eat a fourth of what’s normal at the speed of a snail. It’s obvious that something is wrong and the anxiety from the concerning stares completely depletes any remaining form of appetite.
I’m not the only one in this world who struggles with food. Please think before you point out someone’s eating habits this holiday season. You never know what they are struggling with: an eating disorder, a physical illness or something else that’s no one’s business. And to those who struggle with eating these holidays: you don’t owe an explanation to anyone, take your time and enjoy yourself. Be patient with family members, they care about you, their comments are not always coming from bad intentions. Lean on those who you are thankful for and take care of one another. Happy Holidays!