My H. Pylori Journey

So, you’re probably wondering why I posted a picture of a small pharmacy on my Instagram. You know this pic?

Now, this is a story all about how

My life got flipped-turned upside down

And I'd like to take a minute

Just sit right there

I'll tell you how I got an bacterial infection called H. Pylori

To be honest I don't remember how? In fact, most typical cases come from drinking contaminated water. Which, I can honestly say I don’t remember doing. What I do know is that what I originally thought was stressed induced stomach issues actually turned out to be something different. So first, let's talk about my symptoms. A typical week had nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and later a consistent burning feeling in my stomach.

After a few excruciating months, yes months, my mom finally convinced me to seek help from a GI Specialist. We had the typical “How is your diet, do you get enough sleep?” talk and then a series of blood test were taken. After my first appointment, I was given some Prilosec and a diet to follow. This diet is the low FODMAP diet. FODMAP is an acronym for a bunch of proteins that doctors attribute to upsetting stomachs. This diet meant giving up bread, garlic, and most importantly bread. After six weeks, there was some decent improvement, but still a burning stomach. So I went back to my specialist, and this time, the conversation did not go as I wanted. I was told to take some more Prilosec and wait a few weeks, then I would have potentially have an endoscopy. However, he also decided to run one more test. The test for H Pylori.

Let me tell you, this is the weirdest medical I have taken. It started with me blowing in a bag. Yup, they wanted some Briana Breath. That came off grosser than I thought, but I am sticking to it. Anyways, I was then given a cup filled with some kind of mixture. I quickly chugged it as instructed and waited 15 min. Then again, blew into another bag. From my basic understanding, this bacteria can be detected with increased levels of CO2 in the breath. Weird right? So I left my appointment and headed straight to my boyfriends house for the weekend. The following Tuesday, I got a call that I had been hoping and praying for. I had an answer.

Now, like I said earlier, H Pylori is usually contaminated water which means it is a nasty bug to get rid of. In fact, it means that I have to take multiple antibiotics and medication to heal ulcers…. for fourteen days. But you know what, I am taking this in stride. In fact I am super excited! No more stomach burning, no more quick dashes to the restroom, and more importantly bread. I am also taking this as an opportunity to get my physical health together. I want to start working out, continuing to eat better, and probiotics. Because never again.