Stomach on The Frontline. Again.

    Those who know me know how I am prone to excessive research on any given subject. I can't help myself, I like to get a wide view of a topic, then allow the information to ferment in my noggin for a bit before drawing conclusions or forming a working plan. Also, those who know me know that over the last year my digestive system has decided to launch an all out war against me. I have cut wheat, dairy, most sugars, almost all refined foods, fried foods, "bad" fats, non-organic fruits and veggies, and 99% of the artificial crap that the modern American diet seems to be rife with. I have followed this slightly restrictive diet for several reasons: it is healthier, it is safer, and most of all, because of my wonky, traitorous digestive system. Being a glass-half-full, silver-lining type of girl, I look at these forced restrictions as enforcement of healthy eating habits. Unfortunately, it does not really seem to be working. I still suffer from an assortment of problems that range from annoying to embarrassing to painful. I would like to be able to sit down to a meal without having to wonder, "What will this do to me today?" So I research. I study. I read. I make mental notes of my symptoms and try to pinpoint a possible cause, which foods are triggering my issues. I am beginning to think that food is only a portion of the problem.
    If foods are not the main cause, or single cause, then what the hell is going wrong with my body? Well, you may very ask, "WTF?" There are a number of things that could easily be at the root of this evil, some can be remedied and managed holistically, others would require drastic measures. The next arsenal that I am going to deploy are of course, holistic:
    Nsaids are notorious for causing stomach and intestinal problems. I have been a steady user of ibuprofin and naproxin sodium for years in an attempt to manage my osteoarthritis and chronic pain. I take a dose every night before bed so I can sleep relatively pain free for at least a few hours. I am thinking this practice may very well have to end. This makes me sad. But I will take an aggressive approach to adding more anti-inflammatory foods and supplements: Feverfew, Vitamins C and D, tart cherry, walnuts, kelp, turmeric, green tea, papaya, pineapple, olive oil, yams (my favorite), grapeseed extract, ginger, aloe vera gel, MSM, and glucosamine-chondroitin. I will stick with the occasional aspirin if I need to knock my pain down. This is not going to be easy, it may make me grumpy and irritable. But I will try.
    Another possible, and likely, cause can be the disruption of the flora and fauna needed for proper digestion. My problems really started up last spring/summer after my knee surgery when I was pumped full of a number of meds before, during and after surgery. I don't know if there is a connection, or if it is just coincidence. I did take probiotics for a while, and was eating yogurt religiously until my body suddenly rejected dairy. I will go on a more intense regimen of probiotics and acidophilous to see if I can't get things back in balance.
    Another possibility, a gross possibility, would be internal parasites. Yeah, I don't even like to think of this one, at all. It grosses me out in a very primal way. But our bodies can be kinda gross sometimes, it is Nature at her finest. Just to rule this out in a benign manner, I will take small doses of diatomaceous earth over the course of several days. As you can see, I am desperately grasping at straws here.
    This is my next plan of attack. A full frontal, homeopathic assault. If this does not produce any results I may have to be examined for the potential medical culprits: Crone's, peptic ulcers, GERD, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, to name a few of the more common ailments. I don't think it is any of these, seriously (at least I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is not). Maybe I am just getting old and "sensitive." Do I need to go down to a bland diet of white rice and boiled chicken breast? Dear gods I hope not. But this is beyond annoying, it is really beginning to piss me off.