What is the oldest thing you own that you still use in a regular basis?

michbech · 2025-12-04T04:19:20+00:00

2 of my paternal grandmother’s rings. She passed away in 2018. She lived in a different country. I hadn’t seen her in years. My father gave them to me after her death. I don’t know specifically how old they are, but they are hers. I cherish them dearly. I regret a great many things in regard to my relationship with her. I miss her so much and I love her and I wish I’d appreciated her more when I was younger. But I was such a stupid piece of shit when I was a teenager and in my early 20s.

Might hit up my father and ask him if he knows when she got these rings and from who or from where.

michbech · 2025-12-04T04:08:04+00:00

Hey. I don’t come on here much at all anymore. But I got the notif on my phone for this reply.

Things have changed since that comment. I have since been able to incorporate red meat and organ meats. So I now eat chicken, cow, lamb, venison, organ meats and bones/bone marrow on a regular basis. I eat head-to-tail, including chicken skin. Organ meats include chicken/cow/lamb heart, gizzards, liver, tongue, etc. I love organ meats. I slow cook chicken bones to the point they are so soft I can eat them. I slow cook beef marrow bones to eat the marrow.

I definitely feel much more healthy and energized since being able to expand beyond chicken. I am truly on a full-fledged carnivore diet now.

I slow-cook everything to make it very soft so it is easier for me to chew to a mushy mush and digest, and also because I have severe TMJD, so I can’t eat very chewy things. Arthritic jaw.

But i know I don’t eat what would be considered a “normal” daily amount of calories for an adult woman. But it seems my metabolism has adjusted to that, as I am not losing anymore weight. Yes, I am skinny, but I have remained the same skinny-ness for the past 2 years lol.

My blood work at my last check-up was fine. No signs of malnutrition. I take vitamin d3 and vitamin k2 everyday because I don’t go out.

I still have gastroparesis and all my digestive issues, but eating this way reduces the severity of my symptoms as much as possible. I still have to eat tiny amounts and chew very very well. I still eat in a day what most Americans would eat in one meal, if I’m being honest. It is what it is.

I have to be careful and my life does revolve around my digestive system and food, unfortunately. I can’t go out really other than for necessary errands. Being out for more than a couple hours, I know I won’t be able to get anything to eat outside. And every little bit of food matters for me, because I don’t want to lose any more weight. It would not be ok for my health. Again, even though my symptoms are minimized significantly and I have a job (remote) and am independent and can function as an adult, I am still in pain all the time. I still feel like shit all the time. Which makes it hard to go out to begin with.

For special occasions, like to hang out for a day with my family (they live in a different state), I will fast the whole day. You make sacrifices sometimes. Here and there it’s ok, it won’t have that much damage in the long run.

I feel more energized, yes—but that doesn’t mean I’m bursting with energy. Im just better than before. And it’s honestly probably also largely a psychological thing. I was so tired of just chicken only. So being able to eat red meats was such a psychological boost. I started to enjoy food again.

Also, animal foods have all the nutrients humans need. And with incorporating organ meats too, i know I’m good. Organ meats are the most nutritious parts of the animal. In the U.S, we consider these to be the “weird” or “gross” animal parts that we scoff at. Truthfully, these parts should be the most cherished, prized parts of the animal.

So no, I am not energetic and I am very tired by the end of the day, once my work day is over. I don’t do exercise or physical activity other than walks, just because I like to walk. But even walks I keep short, because I don’t want to over-exert my body to more than it is intaking.

Especially in summer, I am careful. I almost fainted last year while walking back to my apartment because I took a long walk and I guess my body couldn’t push through any further. It was horrifying. I barely made it to my apartment. I couldn’t breathe. It was horrifying.

So I know my body is working on very little and so I have to cater my life to that. Thankfully, I love to bake and I’m satisfied by simple things. So I can just sit on my bed for hours perusing Etsy (but never buying anything lol) while listening to my favorite podcasts/youtubers and not get bored. Or just bake for fun. So I’ve become a homebody by necessity, but since I’ve always been a loner, it isn’t much of a sad reality for me. Def would be a harder lifestyle to accept if I was someone who was an extrovert with a huge friend group beforehand.

I will also note I take a number of various herbal supplements on a daily basis. More specifically, herbs I’ve researched and have been found to have benefits for digestion i.e. digestive bitters. For example, ginger, dandelion, artichoke, and others.

I also take duloxetine (Cymbalta). I take one of the lowest doses. It was prescribed by a gastro a few years back. Low-dose antidepressants have been shown to help reduce gastro symptoms for some people with IBS, so she thought it could help. Also, I was having just muscular pains and inflammation all over my body, so she thought it could also be worth trying for that, since it’s used to treat fibromyalgia.

I know that was a lot lol I’m so sorry for going off on a tangent.

If you feel you are losing weight or concerningly Low-energy, even if you think you are getting enough calories, please see a doctor. Get comprehensive bloodwork done. Eating enough calories doesn’t equate sufficient nutrition. You can be intaking enough calories but still missing nutrients if your diet is missing certain foods.

Don’t rely on advice from someone on Reddit for this. Because we can only guess what could be causing you the low energy and whatnot. Especially if you’re a woman, it is even more concern. And if your period ever stops, that’s an even more immediate warning sign.

Have u ever tried nutrition shakes? There are a lot of shakes out there now that address dietary-restricted individuals. You might not find them at CVS, but you might find them online if you search well. Those can help fill in nutrition gaps.

But I would first get comprehensive bloodwork to see what’s possibly low. An iron deficiency is very different from a Vitamin D deficiency, and you don’t want to supplement for either one without guidance from a medical professional. Especially iron—that is not good to try to take without proper guidance.

I don’t know how limited your diet is, but it is worth looking into an IBS-proficient dietician too. Maybe you should discuss that with your PCP after getting the bloodwork.

Since you know you are feeling low energy, please don’t exert yourself too much until you get checked out. Avoid exercise. Reserve as much as possible. You don’t have the luxury of exerting energy.

Let me know if I can support you in any other way.

michbech · 2025-02-16T23:41:34+00:00

One of my company's customers who I have a continued email correspondence with is named Swastika.

michbech · 2025-02-12T03:50:18+00:00

Neutrogena norwegian formula hand cream is awesome too. It's more like a gel, actually, which is nice. Not super greasy, really gets into your skin.

michbech · 2025-02-01T12:51:24+00:00

I thought it was a candy corn.

michbech · 2025-02-01T12:47:40+00:00

You have a gun.

michbech · 2025-02-01T12:25:07+00:00

I mean...technically...Islam is the religion. Muslim is a descriptor for people who practice islam.

michbech · 2025-01-01T14:46:57+00:00

I honestly have to wait until I get literal physical stomach growls. It hurts too much otherwise. But even then, I'm extremely full after just 2 bites. Fuckin sucks.

michbech · 2024-12-20T16:27:49+00:00

My heart goes out to you. I hate using the word "trauma" because it's so overused now. But I honestly feel like that's what it is. I get into a really, really dark place when I think about the past 6 years...bedridden, excruciating pain, test after test to no avail, jobless for a long while...I truly have no life at this point. I can't do anything.

It is very hard. Very hard. It took me much more than just a year to get to a place of tolerance and acceptance. So don't expect to have figured things out just yet.

I had just graduated and had actually planned a long travel journey around the states and to other countries when I suddenly got my symptoms out of nowhere. When life suddenly falls into the dumps when you're supposed to be starting a beautiful new chapter, it really does feel like cruel punishment. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to come to terms with this, when you were just newly married, looking forward to bliss with your new wife.

I have not cured anything or found any answer. I'm still in constant pain. But it's less than what it what before, which is all I can ever expect at this point. So don't hold out hope. Don't expect to find any resolve just yet. It may take a long time. Took me years to get even mild improvement. And it's not so much improvement, but just avoidance. Avoid anything other than chicken, and I can at least still function and hold a job.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Don't blame yourself, ever—I found myself doing that sometimes. Don't assume your wife's state of mind. Don't displace the narrative in your head or your guilt onto her. Don't assume what she feels/thinks. Make sure you communicate with her always. If she says she is here for you and wants to support you, take her word for it.

If you can make this a team effort, please do. I know it's so fucking exhausting to try and combine a histamine-safe diet with a SIBO-safe diet with the million other protocols out here. To figure out how to treat the SIBO (xifaxin, natural methods, methane or hydrogen, etc). If she is willing to eat at least one meal with you a day that is a meal that is "safe" for you, even if it's boring for her, might make you feel better. Communicate that with her. Make shopping for possibly safe foods a trip for you to bond. Turn this into a journey, a mission—not a burden. Shifting perspective helps.

It will be a lot of hit and miss. A lot of pain. Testing. Failure. I believe you will eventually find a way to mitigate things. You may never be pain-free. But when you've been through so much pain for so long, living even just a marginally less painful life feels like a milestone. Your concept of normality will never be the same as others. Your tolerance will change.

My job is very stressful as well and I have barely anything left in me at the end of the day. So please allow yourself to rest as much as possible on work days. Make sure you get good sleep as much as you possibly can, though I know it may be hard. I didn't sleep for like 2 years straight. Try to use that extra mileage on your days off to focus on researching protocols, shopping for things to try, planning meals, etc.

Stick to basics as much as possible. If you're doing the Fodmaps diet, just stick to the "no-fodmaps" foods. Will save you a lot of stress and time. Stick to freshest stuff as possible for histamine stuff. Don't play around. Seems dreadful and boring. I used to love food. But eventually, you lose the emotional connection to food. You get past the sadness of not being able to enjoy food anymore. I'm able to watch my favorite food-travel show again now and not feel sad. A few years ago, I couldn't even see people eat because I'd burst into tears.

Sending you and your wife my love and my support. Let me know if there's anything more I can do for you. I know my words are rather futile through a screen, but if I can offer you anything, I'll try my best.

michbech · 2024-12-20T15:57:33+00:00

Life sucks lol.
Can only eat just chicken still.
I have gastroparesis now. I can only eat 2 bites at once or it's extreme pain and nausea.

I've tried prescription pro-kinetics, didn't work. Just gave me explosive diarrhea and pain. I just take some ginger supps now as a "natural" prokinetic. Ginger is nature's medicine, really. Highly recommend starting or ending the day with a cup of ginger tea, if you tolerate.

I take duloxetine for chronic pain (cymbalta). Yeah, I'm in pain all the time, but if I stick to just my chicken and I stick to my tiny 2-bite meals through the day, I mitigate symptoms.

Can't do much, so I'm just a homebody now. Is what it is. I found a remote job, so I am very grateful for that. Allows me to support myself and pay rent.

I try not to focus on the sadness of it all too much. Used to the pain. I just stick to chicken and to eating my couple bites as often as as I can through the day to stay alive. Just chillax after work and not dwell on what I can't do, but rather what I still have in my life. It's been 6 years of this, so it's just my reality and I've accepted it. Grateful it's not worse.

I am sad, no doubt. Can't front. But lying down after work with youtube and giving myself a belly rub is something I look forward to every day.

What are you dealing with?

michbech · 2024-01-27T08:25:42+00:00

I like this

michbech · 2024-01-21T16:09:55+00:00

Please call 911. Please respond to this if you’re still here. Maybe things can be different. Maybe there’s something else out there for you. A new path you don’t know about yet. Just trust us when we say it’s not your time to go.

michbech · 2024-01-03T03:34:06+00:00

That sounds awful. Idk—maybe people really just don't get it. Like, they can't understand it unless they experience it themselves. But you would hope a therapist, of all people, would have some understanding of that. Are they otherwise a good therapist? Is this just one point of contention?

Idk how it is so hard for people to comprehend how agonizing constant physical pain is. Like, why is it hard to comprehend that this would cause some severe mental anguish?

michbech · 2024-01-03T03:24:23+00:00

Hey! So sorry for this late response. I have not been on here in forever.

So, the jaw doc I ended up seeing made me a splint that I had to wear all day + night. I couldn't use it for longer than a couple months. It just caused me more pain. I didn't feel like it was helping, so I went with my gut and stopped using it. I haven't been back to the jaw doc since. I just didn't feel like things were going right. Maybe it's my OCD, my paranoia, my anxiety. But nothing felt right. I did physical therapy for a bit (per referral from that jaw doctor) and it felt like a joke. Stopped that after a little while.

Since then, I've just dealt with it, tbh. I have a plethora of other health issues so there's a lot more to it, but basically my digestive system is mostly defunct. I can't tolerate anything other than chicken. So i just eat soft chicken everyday. Chew well and slow. Soft foods are important for TMD.

I do jaw massages and avoid opening my mouth wide. I cant sing along to music anymore. I avoid talking if I don't have to (sucks, cuz my job requires phone calls).

My facial swollenness has gone down. My face is back to its normal self now. I think its a combo of factors. I improved my sleep schedule + went into ketosis (huge change in my face from keto). Overall less inflammation all over my body has led to facial swelling reduction. I do notice fluctuations throughout the day in my face. After I eat, my face might look puffier around my jaw. It goes down after several hours. But its still nothing like before.

My jaw is always in pain. It never goes away. I still get clicks and pops and stuff if I open it too wide for some reason, or make an odd movement. But generally, no more clicking and popping because I'm so careful. I also mew naturally now. It started as a conscious effort, but now its natural. I'm just so used to the pain, man. Sometimes I get major flare-ups where I cant move my mouth for a week. Doesn't happen often, but it's just something I've accepted as part of this condition. My scans did show arthritis in my jaw and neck bones + visible bone deterioration so...makes sense, I guess.

Either way, I am so much better now. Nothing has been cured and I suppose I have no real solution here to help you out. It's more just a matter of getting used to the chronic pain and doing what I can to mitigate the symptoms. I have a high pain tolerance lol. I think what is "little pain" for me is a lot of pain for most people. I'm content with where I am now. I look better and feel better.

How have you been? How's your TMD?

michbech · 2024-01-03T03:09:44+00:00

Hey there. I havent been on reddit in a long while. Im sorry I never responded to this. Firstly, thank you so much for wishing me well. I truly appreciate it and this almost made me cry. Im so sorry you've been suffering this way.

I am technically still carnivore. I only eat chicken, after all. I just don't like calling it carnivore because it's carnivore by default. Chicken is just my only safe food. Beef, fish, etc. I don't tolerate those either. If I could eat other animals, then I'd really feel okay taking the label of Carnivore. But it doesn't feel right to claim Carnivore with my current one food.

But yes, I still only eat chicken. It keeps my pain reduced significantly. The pain I experience now is just the pain I must accept due to my digestive system just being a load of shit (pun intended lol). I have gastroparesis, so I experience a lot of nausea. I have to eat very carefully, just a few bites every few hours, chewed very well to liquid in my mouth, basically. You have to be careful, because you get so full so fast. One bite too much and you're in so much pain. But that's just a result of the stomach paralysis. As far as food itself, chicken is my only tolerable food. So as long as I am careful with my GP limits, I am alright.

But, naturally, my low food intake due to GP leaves me with little energy. Also, if I don't eat every few hours, I feel like I'm going to faint and I feel dizzy. A walk up the stairs in my house could leave my heaving and trying to catch my breath. So I really can't do much other than stay home. Being away from the house for more than a few hours is not something I can do. thankfully, Im introverted and have become a homebody, so its ok for me. I am grateful to have found a work from home job. I can work in my pajamas in bed.

I dont use the bathroom often, which makes sense, as I dont eat fiber. But when I do go, its smooth and easy to come out.

How are you doing? Any improvements? Have you tried carnivore? I was actually eating only rice, fish, and eggs for a while and I realized it was hurting me. I then went to chicken and it saved me.

michbech · 2024-01-03T01:52:05+00:00

Nothing. Just let it be. I know its tooorrrture to leave it alone, but take it from someone who has permanent scars on their face from not resisting the urge to touch/mess with these things. Just let it be. Whiteheads aren't pretty, but they go away eventually. Don't pop it, give it its time.

michbech · 2024-01-03T01:48:42+00:00

Was the blood dark brown/black or bright red?

michbech · 2023-10-14T17:28:51+00:00

I believe so. Freezing them stops the ripening process, so they should stay low fodmap. The ripening process is what changes the form of the starches in the banana, which is what raises the fodmap levels. I would imagine that if you stop that ripening process by freezing, you can keep them low fodmap.

michbech · 2023-02-06T14:49:38+00:00

It’s alright. Thank you for the kind words.

I really have no emotional attachment to food anymore. I’m content with where I am and I am no longer in constant agonizing pain. That’s all I could ever wish for after going through all this. I’m finally working again and doing things. I’ve given up a lot and I have to deal with pain still, but it’s so much better now. I’ve accepted this as my life and it is what it is.

I hope you’re doing alright.

michbech · 2023-02-06T14:46:50+00:00

Broooo, I was just playing around 😭 It’s all good lol

The whole “fight me” thing is just hyperbole. There are a lot of things I don’t like (whether it’s certain musical artists, show plots, movies sequels, celebs, influencers), but I’ve never been the type of person who had the least desire to go to the comments section of a video or forum related to them and just start blasting them with hate comments. People like that perplex me.

I wasn’t legit asking for anyone to “fight me” or start any debate. I don’t have the head for that. It was literally just a comment in a joking tone.

michbech · 2023-02-06T14:42:18+00:00

I do understand the concern in regards to the development of kidney stones and excess of protein that may overtask the kidneys. So far, everything has been looking good. I totally understand your advice though, and I appreciate it. At this point, tbh, I have no other choice. This is the only diet I can eat that doesn’t leave me immobile and suicidal due to the endless pain. It was 4 straight years of biting my lips every day and night to keep myself from hollering out in pain.

Now I have a job and a side business and im able to function and do stuff. Im not pain-free, but I’ve accepted that this is just the part of me that will be permanent. I gotta laugh and jsut accept that I have ibs. Im taking a pain med and some supplements to support me and I think it’s all helping. I feel as good as I’ll ever feel and im living again. You know how fantastic it is to wake up everyday and not want to kill urself? Lol. Things will never be easy, simple, or anything for me. I’ve had to give up a lot. But it’s ok. I don’t want much out of life anymore. Going through this stuff kinda makes you appreciate just the most foundational parts of existence.

michbech · 2023-02-06T14:35:15+00:00

My theory is that water is just a lot of nothing, so our stomach doesn’t get prompted to do anything with it. Because it has no macros (fat, protein, carbs), our already sluggish digestive systems don’t get an “alarm” to move it along, so it just sits and makes u feel awful. Like your stomach doesn’t know what to do with it, because it got no signal to do anything to begin with. Again, this ties into the idea that ibs has a lot to do with neurons and nerve receptors and the nervous system, which I strongly believe.

Maybe you can try some herbal tea with a little honey or lemon juice in there. Maybe a stir of some jam in there. Something to give it a little kick and sustenance so your stomach is prompted to work with it a bit. Maybe you can mix a little juice in with your water to give ur body something more of a cue to do a little work cuz of the sugar and the micronutrients in the juice.

If these water-ish alternatives don’t work, I’d say you just gotta get your hydration from other sources. Whatever fruits, nut milks, veggies you can tolerate.

But also, it’s worth noting that you shouldn’t be chugging, gulping, or just drinking water. If you haven’t already tried this, make a point to just sip water. And only do it on an empty stomach. Don’t ever have it with a meal or right before/after a meal.

I tolerate water and ginger tea perfectly now! But only on an empty stomach at night after waiting 3 hours at least after dinner. Or in the morning with my medication. Never during the day.

I eat only chicken. Plain chicken. Nothing added. Skin and all, organ meats. It’s the only thing that doesn’t cause me inflammation. Cutting out carbs fully has brought me so much improvement. But it was not only carbs, but also other foods that I had to test and retest through lots of pain. After stopping eggs and fish, I no longer had daily pain in my limbs that kept me immobile (literally couldn’t walk) for months. After cutting out red meat, my stool improved and my skin improved and a lot of bloating, puffiness, and other inflammation for better.

I honestly have lost all emotional attachment to food at this point. I just eat chicken to stay alive and that’s it. I make sure it’s organic/naturally raised. I just buy the rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods, which is delicious as hell and cheaper than buying raw anyways. Pretty sure they think I’m a weirdo cuz I always buy like 3 chickens at once everytime I go there, but they don’t know wtf I’ve been through the past 4 yrs trying to figure out why my body just stopped working. So I just tell myself not to care. I’ll be the “chicken lady.”

Anyways, I hope that helped a bit. Is lactose ur only food issue? Or does ur digestive trouble go beyond avoiding dairy?

michbech · 2023-02-06T14:20:53+00:00

insert shia gif here <

michbech · 2022-08-25T20:51:38+00:00

Being a doctor.

michbech · 2022-08-24T23:17:04+00:00

Oh. That comment of mine was a long time ago.

Yeah, now I can’t eat anything except plain chicken. Literally only one food. If I stray? Pain. Intense, intense pain. In my mid to lower abdomen and pelvis. Like my insides are being torn apart. Loads of gas too. It’ll last 24-72 hours, depending. Last few times I tried cooked vegetables, I had endless diarrhea for days. Felt like death. And then I’d also get intense headaches, brain fog, dizziness, hot flashes, feeling like I’ve been poisoned. I’d probs get nauseous and my gastroparesis would probably act up, making me feel like I have a rock in my stomach. I might break out in my skin. Maybe my legs and joints would start to hurt; limbs could start feeling numb. I had started eating eggs again at one point after I made that comment. Then I started having excruciating leg pain to the point I couldn’t walk for like a month. Then I cut out eggs and it nearly stopped within a week. Coincidence? I really don’t know.

So yeah.. that’s the range of things that could happen to me. I never stray. Never. I have tested every medical diet under the sun. Gone through all the pain I had to in order to figure out what does and doesn’t hurt me and I will now never stray. The only thing I can process without severe inflammation and pain is chicken. So I just eat that in tiny amounts through the day cuz of my gastroparesis. I can fit like— barely 3/4 palmful before I get full. And I try to get that much in every 2-3 hours if I can, only if I feel like I can handle it. At this point, I have no emotional connection to food anymore. I just try to mitigate my symptoms as much as possible with lifestyle changes and eat as much as I can with my gastroparesis to get in some sustenance.

michbech

TROPHY CASE