Surprisingly, when you are suffering from a chronic health problem, having a specific diagnosis may not always be as much help as you would think. And I fully realize how crazy this may sound. But, it's true.
Take me for instance. Over the course of many years, I was told I had different things at different times, including chronic fatigue syndrome ("CFS"), fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and a few autoimmune conditions. It seemed my official diagnosis was always evolving and changing, or just not being determined at all. Eventually, I learned to care less and less about the diagnosis given to my condition. I simply viewed myself as sick.
I urge anyone suffering from chronic disease to resist the urge to attach too tightly to a specific diagnosis. Yes, it is nice to have a name to a set of symptoms. It gives you something to direct your efforts towards. It also makes it easier for friends and family to understand why you are in bed all day. It’s much easier to tell people you have Lyme disease than it is to explain the long list of symptoms from which you suffer. But, if you are like me, pinning down a precise diagnosis may feel a bit more like chasing the wind. Current testing for many of chronic conditions is terribly unreliable. Symptoms can overlap and test results can be murky, at best. Chasing down a diagnosis, in and of itself, is exhausting and often futile. I remember all too well the physical drain that never-ending doctor visits and invasive testing took on me. And this was at a time when l desperately needed that energy to heal--which leads me to my next point.
You can heal without a diagnosis. If you are sick with any disease, you likely have three issues: (1) inflammation; (2) some degree of autoimmunity; and (3) a leaky gut. Start with these three assumptions and launch your recovery from this starting point. If you address these three areas with laser precision, I predict you will make significant improvements in your health, if not a complete recovery, no matter what you "have."
If you are one of the many, like me, who isn’t too confident in your official diagnosis - or lack thereof - don't waste energy being upset. The bottom line is this: many disease states have similar causes and treatments, no matter what you or a doctor is calling them. And to be honest, even if you can achieve a diagnosis, there are limited treatment options from a medical standpoint for many chronic illnesses. I'm not suggesting anyone refuse medical treatment or be derelict in the search for answers. But at some point, once cancer and terminal disease has been ruled out, it may be time to rethink how you spend your time and resources. I suggest pumping the breaks on never-ending doctor appointments. Opt instead to stay home and focus intensely on measures that will reduce inflammation and heal your gut.
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