Colonoscopy fun!

So Bri and I each got our first colonoscopy!  Bri was the first victim, and because he survived, I decided to do it too.  ;)  Briant also got an endoscopy as well to address a swallowing issue he's had for years.  Food sometimes gets stuck in his esophagus and won't go down.  So I took him with me to meet a gastroenterologist here in Pinki, and we both really liked him.  Dr. Sabri is actually Lebonese, married to a Latvian, so he speaks like 5 languages.  Nice guy.  We decided to sign ourselves up for these procedures and were glad we did.  Dr. Sabri found and removed 2 polyps in Bri's colon and one in his esophagus that we think was blocking the food.  And for a few weeks now since the procedures, Bri hasn't had any swallowing issues!  YAY!

Nothing was found in my colon, but I walked out with a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  I'm not excited about the diagnosis, but at the same time, I'm grateful to finally know what has been causing my 17 year old stomach aches and bloating (usually caused from reclining or laying down at any point after I put food in my stomach).  I'm now following the FODMAP diet to eliminate foods that bacteria in the colon are feeding on.  These foods feed the bacteria and then the bacteria create gas that cause pain and bloating.  It's very painful and uncomfortable, and something I'm tired of dealing with.  We'll see if eliminating these foods for 4-6 weeks helps.  I'll then reintroduce each food one at a time to see how I feel.  The hardest ones to eliminate are garlic and onions that we seem to use to season everything, apples, pears, broccoli, cauliflower, dairy (which I've pretty much eliminated already with the AIP diet), and honey.  There are a bunch more foods, but these are the main ones I eat every day.  I'm praying for improvement and answers to continue to come so we can understand the causes of my stomach issues!