Wednesday 14 March 2012

6th Grade Intestinal Problems

Back when I was in Elementary School there was one field trip that all the students looked forward to. Every year the 6th graders would go and spend several nights at a Science Center. Think of it sort of like a sleepover with your classmates where you spent each day doing hands-on science stuff.

Or maybe I just liked it because I'm an Asian nerd.

They also fed us which was great. Due to the structured menu I think this was my first time having various "Caucasian" foods other than hamburgers. Back at home, Mom cooked everything and that meant Chinese food pretty much all the time. Thus, I rather enjoyed my first time eating something like roast beef.

That is, until something didn't agree with my stomach.

Uh oh.

On the last day I wake up in the middle of the night with a burning feeling in my gut. I hobble to the bathroom and then my intestines explode.

And then my stomach explodes.

And they both take turns exploding for the rest of the night.

Use your imagination I'm not using a picture here.

I was kind of bitter that I got sent home on the last day due to being sick. They ended up playing games and having fun which I missed out on. But that wasn't all that I would lose out on.

See, there's a psychological phenomenon called taste aversion. Basically how it works is that if you feel exceptionally nauseated or sick, your brain might attribute it to something you ate earlier, generally something unique or new. From that point onward, anything to do with that particular piece of food will make you feel sick. Sight, smell even thinking about it can make you feel sick and you'll want nothing to do with it.

It's a good idea in concept, brain is preventing you from eating something that might get you sick again. However, your brain doesn't understand that correlation does not equal causation and will blame whatever it thinks made you sick. And for me, it blamed the roast beef.

Not so delicious now are you?

And the thing is, I would end up avoiding beef for about half a decade. No hamburgers, steaks, and even meatballs depending on what was in them. Eventually I would get over it but I know people who have avoided certain foods for decades thanks to taste aversion.

But there's a reason why I'm sharing this little story with you. Not just because it's a funny thing that happened to me in the past, but because it also makes a nice segway into the next arc of the "Me Not Healthy" series that I've been doing. As if allergies, lung cysts, and sleep apnea wasn't bad enough I might have intestinal problems as well.

The lack of appetite, bloatedness, general discomfort and lactose intolerance development has finally pushed me to get some tests done. And when those results get back, well, I intend on sharing them.

62 comments:

  1. Usually happens when something is undercooked :).

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  2. That's an amazing story man though I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with it though, I hate being sick. I wouldn't worry too much, here's just guessing you really weren't prepared for that kind of food.

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  3. I don't think your body can hate you any more than it already does.

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  4. The first and only time I had sushi I ended up being sick all night. I know in reality that not all sushi will make me throw up like a hosepipe, but I still can't bring myself to eat it again. The very thought makes me feel nauseous.

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  5. Oooooof, I avoided vegetable fried rice for like a couple of years after I got sick (now I'm better). Hope you get answers to your GI problems!

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  6. Well being a picky eater I can relate to the taste aversion. I just think of some foods and they make me cringe. Guess that is what happens when you eat the same thing over and over again for 16 years or so huh?..lol....been there with the intestinal crap too, not fun.

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  7. I had some aversions to certain foods and tastes and then I decided to become a chef!

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  8. well you should avoid beef generally not just for this reason, I don't know how can anyone eat poor cows and other sweet animals.

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  9. You think that's bad, my uncle is allergic to foods that are sweet, bitter, salty and sour. That means he can't eat anything that has any taste in it otherwise he has trouble breathing, hives and/or anaphylactic shock (depends on what food he ate). I forgot what it's called though.

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  10. I hope that everything works out for you. I would hate to see you add another thing on your list! And a life w/o beef may have made you healthier in the long run :P

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  11. I have lactose intolerance, along with raw egg intolerances. So I have to be careful with what I eat otherwise I suffer, fortunately, I have learned that avoiding certain foods has helped a lot! So no more stomach aches :)

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  12. Fingers crossed you won't have more to add to your list!

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  13. I can't eat cream of mushroom soup for the same reason as you--grade 5 field trip. Good luck with the testing! I have cut out bread/gluten for the past 3 weeks and have found that my stomach is feeling so much better! When all the tests came back negative, I thought I'd see if it's just a sensitivity to foods.

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  14. Ack! Sorry about your intestinal issues. I have no gall bladder so my digestion is always iffy at best.

    I have taste aversion to many, many things from childhood. Number one being the lima bean. Blech!

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  15. lmfao man you are the best. at first i was like oh its just a one time thing. but the more you post. lol i know i shouldnt be laughing but maybe thats what keeps me healthy.

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  16. Sounds pretty shitty. Sucks to have to miss out of that. But can't you push your mom to cook something different sometimes?

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  17. We had a science center visit once, except we got back on the bus at the end of the day

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  18. Haha, wow. Not to make light of a rough situation but damn...you are unhealthy.

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  19. I didn't do the sleepover part of 6th grade. I hated my classmates, and knew 24 hour contact with them would not end well.

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  20. In spite of your health problems, you strike me as an optimistic guy (as opposed to someone I know who is always blue). If I'm right, what's your secret?

    I don't eat any meat - haven't done so since 1990 - not even a steak (shame on me!). It's a psychological thing, too. It does save me a buck or two...

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  21. :( Man that sucks. I love beef. Steaks are just so damn yummy. But that might just be because I'm from Texas.

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  22. I hope it's just in your head, dude.. but knowing what you write... D=

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  23. I've never heard it called Caucasian food before!

    Its good to know theres a psychological reason for people not eating certian foods! I'll have to tell this to some people I know! Thanks for informing me about it!

    More health issues? I am so glad you live in Canada with its health system!

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  24. I had a similar story to yours, but with cup of noodles. The next day, I barfed and wouldn't eat cup of noodles for almost a year. Interesting story!

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  25. I've experienced the food aversion thing 3 times in my life. I get car sick, not good if you move across the country every few years as a navy brat does. Meatloaf, blueberry pancakes, and grape kool-aid were all off limits for a long time.

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  26. That must have been totally miserable.

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  27. Kind of sounds like a reverse placebo effect that your body does to your mind. I think I have the same thing with macaroni, every time I eat macaroni I feel like puking, so I never do.

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  28. Good thing, I never had experienced like that during our field trip way back.

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  29. Grade Intestinal Problems is very danger. Thanks for sharing this information.

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  30. beef is overrated... you're not missing out... but bacon is another story... ;)

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  31. why do you have so many health issues? :<

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  32. shit. And I thought I was bad with my crappy immune system & allergies. Hope you don't some wicked ass results. Also, not burgers or steaks?!?! Dear Lorrrrd. Sorry again.

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  33. I can confirm taste-aversion. I threw up eight times in a single night due to ill-advised consumption of vodka. Can't even smell it on someone's breath now. I think an aversion to lovely meaty products would be more crippling though.

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  34. Gosh, I can't imagine being sent home early from activities at a science centre. That must have bummed you out.

    Well, I do hope that the situation regarding your intestines are not too bad.

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  35. Stress is a big factor when it comes to digestion. but I have now an aversion to a fruit in Peru after a horrible night too.

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  36. I was like that or the longest time with Italian salad dressing. One time when I was about 10, I got sick after eating a pasta salad that was dressed with wishbone Italian dressing. Took me a good 6 years before I even wanted to try it again.

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  37. That's rough. Yeah I got violently ill of McDonald's once, but there was no way my mind would let me give up Chicken McNuggets. However, I did get sick off a queso burger one of my coworkers made for me when I worked at Applebee's. I was bedridden for 2 days. That is one thing I'll never try again.

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  38. WTF! Is that why I can't stand certain food? I'm pretty sure I vomited every food I hate. Fuck you brain!

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  39. Oy, I've never developed taste aversion, but my husband had viral pneumonia once and was on a liquid diet. He threw up all the coffee and couldn't drink it for years afterwards.
    My sympathies! By any chance are you getting tested for Celiacs or wheat sensitivities? That can cause a HOST of symptoms including yours. Worth looking into, especially if nothing else turns up. Good luck!

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  40. I couldn't eat chinese food for a long time because I threw up many times! I think it had more to do with me being sick that the actual food.

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  41. SEVERAL nights? Where was this? The Doctor Mengele Science Center?
    Our 6th graders go to Philadelphia and see where George Washington kept his slaves and Thomas Jefferson kept his concubines (which, apparently, were the same thing).

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  42. Sorry to hear that sucks man. I eat pretty much everything never really had a problem with it either.

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  43. I like to look at the bright side of things. Diarrhea usually means that my large intestines are flushed clean of shit and i have a minimal amount of feces in me. I take pride in that. lol :D

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  44. I think I have kind of the same thing, with pea soup. I ate that as a kid when I was ill, later I threw up, and blamed it all on the pea soup. I haven't had it since.

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  45. digestion and stress both are related.
    nice post

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  46. my friend had the same experience when she had her tour way back and she was really pissed with the restaurant where they ate their lunch. they did not enjoy the place because of that because the whole they're inside the restroom.

    funny but really sad :(

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  47. Funny thing, that happened with me and brownies just recently... Kinda terrible. Also we had something like that, except ours was Sixth Grade Camp. Anyway, looking forward to the next post. Well, not the you-not-being-healthy-part, but just hearing about it... yeah, lol.

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  48. Oh I know this all too well! Growing up mom cooked only Chinese food, and to be honest I don't think my mom can cook caucausian food unless you have to bake it and it is pre-made. I have taste aversion to orange flavored gatorade...

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  49. That sucks. I love eating beef.

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  50. Yea stress can effect al of that a ton!

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  51. Ah no, I hope this isn't another in an already growing list of irritations. Getting stomach aches is always horrible, especially on school trips. I think we've all been there. I hope you get better soon! xxx

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  52. I've only had taste aversion in response to alcohol, but I had food poisoning once. That was really bad. Until my stomach exploded, it felt like it was trying to digest knives and razor blades.

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  53. Wow, amazing story, your life seems interesting. Nowadays you can eat beef?

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  54. Thanks for your kind words on my blog :) The same thing happened to me with apple pie, I haven't been able to eat it since, even though it's highly unlikely that it's what caused my sickness! :)

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  55. As the matter of fact, I was a record holder for not vomiting for 4 years. Last year's spaghetti at a shady restaurant broke the combo, unfortunately :(.

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  56. Clean food should be impost to prevent this intestinal problem from occurring.

    check this out

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