Off on a quick holiday

Off to Cape Town for a week tomorrow morning and except for the packing which I need to do now (I am the world's worst packer!), I cannot wait. A good break and chance to relax although do have two work meetings but guess that was my choice and they are both over meals, so should be fun.
I am fine, totally delighted that my thyroid doc declared I was "extemely well". That was about two-three weeks ago and made me feel rather bouyant as he checks me, both physically and via blood tests, for almost everything under the sun and doubt many doctors give that kind of diagnosis to any patient and he is a particularly top doctor, a world renowened diabetes expert (although I see him for thyroid).
He offered to raise my thyroid meds to push me to the top end of normal as I was moaning about having gained 4kg this year. I declined, thinking it was manipulative and unneccessary but then had second thoughts and last week got the new script which I have still to take.
My stomach, well really my digestive system ie colon and small intestine, are probably worse than I have been for a while. Saw a second gastroenterologist for a second opinion which turned out to be a waste of time - and cost a bloody fortune which means I have now spent well over R2000 on two such doctor visits this month - and then saw my usual one again on Friday who has now prescribed some herbal drops - 20 into a little bit of water before/with meals. They taste ghastly and my stomach is still helleva bloated but let's see. At least the pain has gone (got very saw which he believes was the spinach I was eating to try to lose weight). "But it as cooked spinach!" I exclaimed. "And it's allowed on Fodmaps..." but he has now declared it verboten. He also declared that I do not have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), just functional bloating.....Grrrr!
Anyway, let's see how these herbs go. Oh and he also suggested a dietician - until now I had been to the one who had helped me lose weight on tamoxifen but whose programme hadn't helped with the bloating mainly cos I don't think it is 100% linked to food plus difficult to work out which food and I think quantities play a role.....
This one he suggested has not returned my call yet. I hope to see her when I return to Joburg after my holiday.
Hope those of you reading this are ok.
Gillian

Distended tummy

Have had a particularly bad week regarding bloating. Saw the original gastroenterologist on Monday - the locum I saw the week before was clueless and then didn't contact me when he was supposed to - and he gave me new pills, natural ones, called Canulase.
They haven't helped at all. So I phoned him back on Friday, was told he would phone me in the afternoon but he didn't. Fabulous...
Last night I went out for dinner. For the first hour just drank water. The gastro had told me what I eat must be making a difference so I was being so careful, keeping to the fodmaps. Well, while on water my stomach just blew up. Fabulous...
The ate two teeny pieces of chicken and some rice. That's it. Was a dinner party and left all the salad, the veggies, the puddings, the sweets - which I love  - served after dinner.....no alcohol....
By the time I left I felt nauseous 'cos my tummy was so distended.
I felt irritable and in despair. Have spent today in bed but have enjoyed i
Butt. Just taken the day off but will probably go out tonight.
Now (post more internet reading on  fodmaps - the Wikipedia guide) it appears that the culprits could be the guavas I have been eating - they are just my favourite fruit - and the cough mixture I have had for my cold.
Fabulous...
From tomorrow, well, from now, won't eat any fruit beyond bananas, kiwi, grapes, granadillas (passion fruit) and whatever else fodmaps says I can eat. Oh citrus is ok. Else I might only eat bananas and see if that improves. This is hard. Makes me sneer and grimace 'cos I love fruit.   
But the gastro said I must eliminate stuff and then re-introduce things one at a time.
So far I have not found food to be making a difference.
Meanwhile, am getting thinner although just ate such a huge chunk of camembert - allowed on fodmaps - that I wonder. Want to go out for curry tonight but will eat chicken vindaloo and allowed chilli and vinegar which the dish contains and rice is also fine.
Gave up bread yesterday - was eating one slice of 100% rye for breakfast but it is part of my elimination - and need to buy spelt bread. The local Spar used to stock it but didn't have it when I went the other day and hopefully the health store in Emmerentia (can never remember its name) is open tomorrow (Sunday) as I sure they will have it.
Last night I decided I was cursed. This huge bloated tummy that just grows and grows. But I have to deal with it. Have to resolve it and if doctors cannot do it, I will have to experiment until I do.