Bloody Belly Bugs

As I have been suffering from diarrhoea for over a month now, my GP referred me to a consultant gastroenterologist for a diagnosis.
The guy said that it is most probably Giardiasis (gee-ar-dye-a-sis) which is an infection of the digestive system caused by tiny parasites called Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia, or Giardia duodenalis).
The little buggers get into your body by the ingestion of poo. 
Now then, before you all go Eeuuww!! disgusting, let me put your minds at ease. I ain't some mad Scat fan or have a shit eating fetish or even a cunning linguist <wink>.
The NHS website says it can be caught from contaminated water or through eating food prepared by someone with less than healthy hygiene habits.
Apparently it can survive outside of the body for a number of days and can even live in the chlorinated water of public swimming pools.
I have been prescribed a ten day course of 400mg Metronidazole 3 x daily which is a very strong antibiotic. The side affects don't look too pleasant and I admit to feeling more than a little anxious about taking them:- If you are taking the antibiotics metronidazole or tinidazole, you should completely avoid alcohol as this can cause very unpleasant side effects such as:

• feeling and being sick
• stomach pain
• hot flushes
• headaches

Therefore no bevy for ten days whilst taking the meds and they recommend a further 48hrs after taking them. Not so bad. Chance to flush out the toxins from my liver and kiddley's.

tbc... I'll let you know how I get on.

Well I've finished taking the metronidazole and still have the bloating after eating. The frequency of the toilet visits has reduced but I don't know if that's because I'm not eating as much. 
The side effects of the drug have left me feeling constantly nauseous so I have only been eating enough to line my stomach so that I can take the pills. I made the mistake of not eating enough one day and experienced double vision, giddy ess, nausea and I felt feint. I had to sit down with my head between my knees until it had passed. Very worrying. 
So I went back to my GP on Monday and had some more test, blood and poo, both of which have come back negative. A good result that have the parasite but now the GP has exhausted all options and reckons I've got IBS?
He's prescribed Meneverine 135mg 3x daily, 20 mins before food. They are an antispasmodic and should slow down the digestive process. I hope that they work and that I can start absorbing nutrients again. 

TBC again. I'll let you know how I get on. 

Simon v1.2 download complete

Well, well, well, three and a half years absence since my last post on Phat Dad Thin?
Ladies and gentlemen I have seen the light, had an epiphany and changed my life for the better.
My saviours name? Joe Cross, author, director and star of 'Fat, Sick and nearly dead'.
Since August 2013 I have changed from this overstuffed, sad-sack...

to this...

The story started with a run-in with bailiffs last August, that left me skint for a couple of months and six more months to catchup with my finances and regain control. But you can read more about that in Wot Makes Dad Mad.
I had to be mindful of how I spent my money, every penny spent wisely on health preserving foods, limiting the use of car and bike to travel to work and back to save on fuel. I had to cut out alcohol and take-aways completely (couldn't afford them) and take juice to work with me. If I felt hungry when I came home I would eat whatever was available at home. Sometimes that was only dried fruit and nuts. Instead of feeling down and depressed about the situation, I was surprised to find that I was somewhat excited by the coming battle for survival. A kind of Bear Grylls primal instinct took over. I stopped exercising completely because I knew that in the next few months there would be a fine balance between energy input and energy output. I slept when I could, drank juice every day and continued business as usual. To anyone on the outside it appeared that I had found the secret to successful dieting. The pounds fell off, I began to feel healthier and happier. I didn't have to rely on exercise to loose weight.Little did they know.

Around Feb this year I had a IBS flair-up. I had constipation closely followed by diarrhoea, stomach cramps, bloating, vomiting etc so went to see my Dr. I had to give blood and stool samples and waited for the results. The stool sample came back negative of any infection but I was astounded by the blood results.

My HBA1C (Blood sugar count) had stabilised and I no longer had to take the Metformin for my type 2 diabetes. My blood pressure was normal so I no longer had to take the Lisinopril and I no longer felt depressed so could stop taking the Sertraline anti-depressants.
I am still amazed at the effectiveness of this lifestyle change and the positive effect that it has had on my body.

My weight is down to 13st 10lb at the last check, I have re-joined the gym and have been going swimming recently. I've dusted off my old weight training bench and Dumb-bells and do upper-body exercises in the comfort of my own room.

The only downside has been having to chuck out all of my old 'Fat' clothes and buy new stuff. I've lost eight inches off of my waist (44" to 36"). It is great to be able to go into a shop and buy clothes off the rack and have it fit. Bliss!

I have also been practicing mindfulness to stay in the Now, and have followed some Positive Thinking sites on Facebook, so have daily positive posts to read. 

I am confident that I can create the body and the future that I want and wake-up each new day and count my blessings, because I do feel grateful and blessed, and I now want to pass on the Good News so that others may benefit too.

You can make a start by taking a look at Joe's film. Watch it with an open mind and trust me, it works, I am the living proof. If I can change the habits of a lifetime then so can you. 

Good luck on your adventure to a new you.

Peace & Love. X