Don't you know that when you live life then you become what you are?

I was talking to my friend, Rachel, a bus driver a little older than me with two young children. We were discussing some of our health ailments, most spacifically possible issues from our painful wisdom teeth. Somehow the conversation took an interesting turn- pregnancy.

She said that she had major complications with both children, and found out during her last pregnancy that she was allergic to the hormone produced during it. From what I've been reading, there's an influx of estrogen that occurs mostly during the first trimester. She had, in fact, explained to me that some time after the four month hurdle, she'd been physically cleared of her issues.

Her symptoms had a scary resemblence to the ones that I experienced. Rachel had unrelieved and constant naseau that made her actually lose weight, she would attempt to eat anything; a sandwich, a chicken nugget, a doughnut, and it would find it's way back up almost immediately. The world was a completely different place to both of us during that time, to the point where we were uncontrollably angry and depressed (even more so than the run-of-the-mill pregnancies), the migranes were constant and terrible and we couldn't function as human beings.

I never saw a doctor for any of these symptoms because instead of waiting it out and fighting it, I chose the route that the people in my life had thrust upon me over and over. I was sixteen, and almost all adults thought it was best for me to end the pregnancy. They didn't want to be a part of the consequences of having the child, because I wouldn't have been able to raise it alone under any circumstance. In retrospect, I had the abortion simply because I didn't want to feel the way I felt anymore. The symptoms were so horrible that I knew if I terminated it, there was a possibility for a return to normalcy.

Of course, there are consequences to all actions, and abortion for some is a means of escaping such consequences but for me it became the ultimate one. This paragraph is serving as mostly a side note, but I'm wondering if the after effects of the termination could be related. Immediately afterwards, and for the next two or so years, I sunk into terrible depression and my regret was so bad that it felt like I had personally murdered the child with my own two hands. It hadn't been about 'making a choice' more than it had been about a hugely regrettable action.

I'm past it now in a way that I can reflect on the situation without it bringing up intolerable pain like a sort of emotional acid reflux. I've been reading about other possible repricussions for this apparent allergy.

There have been some studies published about women found allergic to estrogen. The predominantly aggressive symptoms of PMS in some more than others can be linked to this study. It explains that when a woman reaches the menstrual cycle her body is sending out antibodies to fight against the extra estrogen produced. This can cause symptoms commonly found, again, in PMS, but also other symptoms in daily life that I've encountered.

Such symptoms can be found in many woman across the board, but caught my attention none the less. These were the ones that were listed that directly correlates to my own problems.

Difficulty losing weight, low carb diets were suggested as helpful, which my body took to with amazing vigor and nearly instant success. Not only was my low carb diet about the ability to lose weight, it made me feel better in ways that I hadn't anticipated.

Loss of short-term memory, a problem I have secretly and not-so-secretly fought since puberty. It's prevalent mostly in the mundane things like easily forgetting an item I had reminded myself to bring from home, to the simple inability to remember a caller's name seconds after I'd heard it.

Fatigue, this is a symptom I've found most plagued with. I'm unusually tired from the moment I wake up to the moment I find my way, oh so thankfully, to the bed late at night.

Other listed symptoms were mood swings, anxiety and panic attacks, premenstrual asthma, menstrual migrane, diminished sex drive, fibromyalgia, cystitis, and skin problems. I note that all the items can be linked to many other disorders, and seems like a horoscope that can be applied to almost any human being on the planet.

What I have to question is this; if all of these problems can be grouped together in a person, is it reasonable to consider that they might have one spacific issue or hundreds of other disorders all at once?

I am more than hesitant to set up a diagnosis for myself. There are certain tests that are done in order to give someone the diagnosis of this allergy, as expected. Since I don't have the ability to receive such tests, I cannot say with complete certainty that Katie Katsikas has this ailment, but it's given me another route to consider. I've listened with a silent but acknowledging ear to every commercial that lists all of the issues I encounter.

"Do you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?", maybe?
"Do you have problems losing weight?", yes, but I don't know if what you're saying will solve it.
"Do you have problems with memory?" definitely, but I don't think I have early onset Alsheimers, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Basically, I'd like to find a way to group all of my issues with a sound general answer, because these problems can't be helped without knowing what they are and how they relate to eachother. If I am able, in the hopefully near future, to talk to a doctor and get help, I'd like to present him or her with rational approaches to them. What I've researched thus far will be one of the suggestions that I'll be making.

Thank you for tuning in, and definitely tell me if you have anything to add... ♥