Candida: The Beast That Lives Inside Me

Introduction

"My throat closes when I run and I have had a cough for six months. I want to know what's wrong with me."

"Honey, you just have exercise induced asthma and a cough caused by said asthma. Just take this inhaler and you'll be fine," the doctor said with confidence.

In a couple months another conversation similar came up, "Mom, Dad, I have bad anxiety at school. I get nervous, my heart palpitates, and my stomach aches when I eat. Why am I so sick?" I always used to say in fear.

"Try to get more sleep, don't work so hard at school, and don't go out with your boyfriend on the weekends. If you would stop putting so much stress on yourself then you would feel better. It's all in your head," my parents would always say.

My parents were right, I was very stressed. Yet, I wasn't stressed about school or my boyfriend. My grades were exceptional and my relationship was solid. My tension came from the amount of pain and anxiety my body went through on a daily basis.

About a year later I found out I had Candida Overgrowth in my gut I thought, "Perfect! I know what I have and now I can cure it!" but that wasn't exactly the truth. At this point, I didn't realize I would go through a year and counting of extreme die-off. I didn't realize that the worst of my pain was not over just yet.

I am writing this to share my pains, my revelations, my trials, my fails, my successes, my story. I hope that this writing will show some of you, who may be struggling with the same things, how to help yourself.

This story is dedicated to my boyfriend, Jackson, in thanks for always being there for me and inspiring me to keep moving forward.