Listen to Your Body

Knowing your body, understanding how it feels, looks, and functions are critical to your health. Especially when you’re visiting the hospital to visit a doctor every week for medication reviews, examinations, or other various health conditions. In a previous blog post we went over knowing the difference from what’s normal for your body, side effects from medications, and pains or signs that should be looked at right away. These physical and mental signs all play a crucial part in knowing your body, but there’s one other piece we didn’t go over; your gut.

Everyone has had “gut feelings”. Either that something didn’t feel right in a situation, or that someone felt off. Sometimes our gut is right, and sometimes our gut is wrong. But very often our gut allows us to take a step back from the situation at hand and question it. Questions are important, especially when it comes to our health.

I recently had a gut feeling about a new medication, something that had I listened to and questioned could have allowed me to escape a lot of pain and ER visits these past few weeks. You see, I started to see a rheumatologist for back pain that I’ve had all my life. I don’t want it to seem like I’m complaining about my back pain here though, as I know there are many people who experience much worse. However this pain does cause problems, including limiting my physical abilities. The pain has been spreading in my joints and I decided that seeing a doctor would be best. Almost immediately he diagnosed the pain as AS, a form of immune rheumatoid arthritis. Essentially it means that the immune system thinks joints (mainly the spine) don’t belong in the body and attacks them, causing pain and stiffness. With this diagnosis he prescribed a shot to be given biweekly, one I would give myself. I was nervous, my gut was screaming no.

I didn’t listen to my gut because I was so sure that it was just because of my anxiety. I agreed to take the shot. The first time I went in to pick up my Humira (the shot) my body tensed up and I wanted to run out of the office. The first time I held the actual pen itself my arm was lurching backwards and shaking. Everything in me was saying no, but I clicked the button anyway.

3 Days later I ended up in the ER with a liver cyst, extreme pain, difficulty breathing, extreme depression (which I haven’t experienced since 2007) and no explainable source of pain. The wonderful nurses and doctors at the ER did at much as they could in terms of testing to find a source of pain, however nothing could be found. Understanding that the bed was needed for others I went home. Three weeks later the pain is still present, although not as intense. It was recommended I go off the Humira, and I began to think. Should I have gotten a second opinion before I took my shot? Should I have listened to my gut?

This isn’t to say that you should completely ditch your doctors, or medications all at once just because you have a “gut feeling”. But if you are uneasy, or restless, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. If your body is fighting you especially hard on something, or you are deeply afraid of something (even if you have anxiety), ask questions. I learned more about Humira after I took it then before I took it, it would have helped if I had asked 101 questions.

I’m thankful for this experience though, I’ve learned a lot about my own gut through this, and myself. Besides, I was able to get extra massages from my ever loving and understanding boyfriend, nothing better than that. (:

Don’t be afraid, it’s your health. Ask away, save yourself the pain and give your fears some ease with answers.

Please be aware that I am NOT a medical professional, if you have any doubts about your health please seek professional medical advise. If this is an emergency call 911 or your local emergency hotline.