Well I know some in in my head this has been hell and it has messed me up. But when this started out of no wear my lungs just got so tight I could not not do much of anything but sit in my chair to keep breathing I spent two weeks before I could drag myself on the bus to the doctor as I had no insurance and no doctor. They tried treating me for asthma but it did not help they gave me prednisone and that Tok care fit. I hd that happen 20 or more times till I learned what bothered me. I freaked out my family big time with my breathing problems. My wife aft years of this started having problems with complex carbs. She would stop eating them and feel better than after a year she would start eating them and be Fien for awhile than start having problems again. All of our dogs had issues with all grains. We finally stated them all with grain free foods. This ha changed over the years it used to be I could eat a lot of things like veggies and most nuts as long as did not eat carbs veggies. But every time I would try to eat carbs on a regular basis I would start getting worse and the food problems would get worse. When my esophagus went nuclear (imagine your worst heart burn 24/7 for 6 months) I had to only protein only and no strong flavors of anything just meat and plain cheese and nuts and unsweetened almond milk. My body said no to veggies after that for a year but I have been slowly able to add them back if I am careful. But I have went through many spells where I tried changing my diet and t seemed fine till I found myself so physically weak I could not squeeze a clamp at work whiteout shaking with the effort I could not carry anything more then a pound without instant fatigue.
I feel better now with my strict control of food the nI have felt in 25 years. I have more energy and I seldom get sick.
When I finally got insurance and went through the hell of going to doctors and all the tests. They found kidney disease extra heart beat pre diabetic and I had my lifelong heartburn.
All those are gone now with my strict diet control. Hell I had cholesterol tests a couple hours after bacon and eggs and nuts and they are fine. The first time in my life I don't have heartburn all the time. I have more energy than I have had in at least 25 years (its a little lower now).
Has this damaged me mentally? Hell yes its been torture and has made my life hell. And I bet some is mental. But I know I would add a new food like liquid smoke to my jersey and it would be Fien for several months till I notice I am really tired all the time. I eliminate it and I get better.
Docs hardly even take gut bacteria seriously and I could not take any of the meds that would help my heartburn so the GI docs just gave up on any help (one actually said that) I had a really good GP that saw how the foods effected me. She could not help much but she knew and gave me some ideas that helped my esophagus.I had to work out how to heal my esophagus myself and it hurt so bad it destroyed my life for awhile. I spent 10k or more on tests and such and never got one once of relief . Hell it took them 6 months before I got a MRI to find my torn rotator cuff and turn muscles in my arm after I fell over on my e scooter. The docs made my esophagus worse with all the anti inflammatories and the Tylenol They told me to take for the pain. All I wanted was something to put on my arm to help the pain. But I was in so much pain I had to take it every 6 hours and it tore up my esophagus.
Now I cant take any pain meds or pretty much any meds as the y'all hurt my esophagus. I have no clue what will happen if I need to take something and I cant. It is a big worry I will end up in the hospital and how would I even eat there?