It may sound ridiculous but when you think about the times you have been sick, your body has given off symptoms or red flags, so to speak, telling you that something IS wrong; something is not normal.
Now when we catch a cold or a virus or a bacterial infection, your body’s defenses are activated and symptoms like sinus congestion, headache, fever, sore throat….etc. reveal themselves. Generally you are prescribed antibiotics or take OTC medicine to treat the symptoms and then, within 3-5 days, you start to feel better and can smile knowing that you are on the mend and will be feeling your self again.
But what happens when more serious symptoms emerge? Do you tell your doctor all of your symptoms or perhaps you feel too embarrassed to address particular symptoms with your doctor? Does your doctor listen to you as you tell him/her how you are feeling? Do you ask questions and get direct answers? Do you hold them accountable?
Before I knew what was plaguing my body, I had a whole list of symptoms:
- facial flushing
- insomnia
- headache
- heart palpitations
- anxiety
- panic attacks
- digestive issues
- loss of appetite
- chills
- sweats
- muscle aches
- joint aches
- chest tightness
- throat tightness
My body was talking to me; it was giving off all of these symptoms telling me something was wrong. I felt horrible, the direct result of all these symptoms hitting me each day and all day. I went to doctors and told them my symptoms. I even kept a journal of my symptoms. But I never really felt they were taking me seriously. It was terrible to feel so sick and yet no one was putting in the effort to find out what was wrong with me. In the end, I was told to see a psychologist. Can you believe it? I know my body. I know when I am sick. My body was telling me I was sick. It was NOT all “in my head”.
It wasn’t until I visited a holistic doctor was I taken seriously. My documentation of my symptoms was helpful to him in setting the groundwork for my eventual recovery.
If you are currently struggling with an undiagnosed illness, my suggestion to you is to do the following:
- keep a daily list of all your symptoms including the time of day you experienced each one and, if applicable, how long that symptom lasted
- keep a daily list of all foods and drinks you consume; you never know if what you are ingesting could be a clue
- keep a sleep log; document how long you slept and how well you slept; report if you had any insomnia or other abnormal symptoms during the night; a lack of sleep or an interrupted sleep can also be a clue about your body’s circadian rhythms
The point of this post is to remind you that you, and only you, know how your body feels when it is healthy and when it is sick. You feel the symptoms. You live the days and nights fighting those symptoms. You know when your normal routines are interrupted or put on hold because of you feeling so poorly. It is not in your head. Your body and how God designed you, has the ability to talk to you. It is your job to listen.
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