Just this week I started taking digestive enzymes that are vegetable based but it's too early to know if they are helping or not. It may be a couple of weeks. I also eat very small meals and avoid sugary things as they seem to cause pancreatic "spasms". I don't drink any alcohol or smoke.
Because I have ovarian cyst issues, I drink ONLY organic milk. Yes, it too, has estrogen but not nearly in the same amount as regular, non-organic milk. The same goes for eggs and organic cheese. I have enough issues with my own hormones, I don't need to add the animal hormones to the mix. I also eat very little meat, 1) because it is harder to digest, and 2) because of the animal hormones.
I don't take any pain meds. Don't get me wrong, I NEED THEM! I just can't take them. I have liver problems and can't process them as well as other folks. I can't even take Tylenol. And Motrin is out because of gastric ulcers. I am researching Selenium because a doctor told me that it reduces liver inflammation.
I try to positive but there are days that it's very hard. A sense of humor is a MUST when you hurt all the time so I try to read funny things, watch funny shows/movies and surround myself with people of humor. The old saying, "negativity breeds negativity" is very true.
I no longer have a thyroid and am a slave to the synthetic replacement and I think that crap just adds to my problems so next week I am switching to something called Armour. (I know 2 people that swear their digestive issues improved once they switched so we'll see.)
Anyhow, that's what I do to try and help myself but I am still going to have surgery because I have to know just how messed up my insides are and surgery for adhesions is the one thing I have not done yet. I pray that it will bring me at least a couple of years of relief and maybe by then there will be an FDA approved barrier available to me if I need another surgery.
Hugs to all, Katie