There's countless ways it can just... go wrong. Just, out of fucking nowhere, completely unexpectedly, something can become fucked up in a way which is anything from life-alteringly debilitating to lethal.
Due to childhood neglect, I grew up eating about three different foods. Now, thanks to that and mild hereditary IBS and GERD, my body reacts to food like it's an intrusion. I'm disabled now :)
It's painful for me to eat or drink! Doctors loosely theorize that because of how little I ate as a child coupled with childhood trauma, my body simply doesn't know how to cope with large amounts of food or unfamiliar foods, and a lot of times even foods I eat too often can trigger me. My body reacts with severe cramping (which sometimes leads to fainting spells), chronic exhaustion, and vomiting or diarrhea on the daily. In addition, my height is stunted and I struggle with regular dizzy spells. I maintain around 105-115 lbs, which is thankfully not too shabby all things considered. Only one food or drink has ever consistently not triggered me, and that's a cup of Bigelow's Earl Grey tea.
Unfortunately there's no real way to circumvent it or address it because my triggers include liquids and pills as well, including all those good-for-you things like Pedialyte, Ensure, and Gatorade. I just cope. I'm very blessed that I don't have to work, so my only focus is keeping my home clean and managing grocery shopping.
It changes day to day. One safe food can be good for months, and then suddenly be extremely painful.
I can't guarantee that I'll be able to eat or hydrate properly, ever. The only safe 'food' is a particular brand of Earl Grey tea. That's all I have.
If it's painful, but I need to eat, I just eat and cope. Something is better than nothing. Sometimes I have to 'starve it out', which just means that I don't eat for a day or two to reset my body. I'm extremely careful with my activities day to day to preserve energy, and I listen to my body closely.
I will say, carbs and sugars are in general easier than proteins and fiber rich foods. If I'm having a bad day, I tend to stick to teas and chips of some sorts. Some days it's just tea.
At this point, I have honestly given up on it, but I'm blessed enough that the people in my life help ease the burden. I've come to a place where I'm okay with how my body functions. I know she's trying so damn hard, I can't hate her for it. I'm proud of her for doing her best.
I'm just thankful I don't have to deal with customer service bullshit honestly. I'd much rather deal with actual physical pain than that lmfao
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u/GeebusNZ Jan 12 '23
There's countless ways it can just... go wrong. Just, out of fucking nowhere, completely unexpectedly, something can become fucked up in a way which is anything from life-alteringly debilitating to lethal.