Hi BR:
I'm so sorry about your mother. Nothing you can do about that.
Where can you buy kefir?
1. Health food store 2. Trader Joe's 3. Whole Foods 4. Some supermarkets carry LIFEWAY kefir, I will get a link.
http://www.lifeway.net/Store/StoreLocator.aspx
The hard thing does sound like constipation,
Do you have health insurance? If not then you can still get ACA aka Obamacare and see a physician who should be able to refer you to a Gastroenterologist.
The other thing might be to try some slippery elm tea as well.
I told my mom.
This was basically our dialogue:
Me: Hey mom, there's something going on with my belly.
Mom: What?
Me: Well, it's still swollen and it's often uneven. There's also a little lump that is more noticeable at times.
Mom: It's normal for one side to be higher than the other. ( she touches my belly) It feels okay. It's only poop. Take Metamucil.
Me: (I show her pictures of my swelling that starts at the ribcage) She doesn't seem to care.
I then leave, frustrated.
I was on two courses of Antibiotics( Zithromax x 5 days) and 2 weeks later on Augmentin X 15 days! That antibiotic caused a nasty yeast infection a week after stopping it!
I do have vitamin D at home, don't know about the magnesium, though.
Thank you for the insight!
Hey, Ruth! Thank you for replying. That's what I've been thinking- about see a GI doc.
I drink plenty of water. I drink at least 4 bottles of water a day ( that's 8 oz x2 per bottle). Im a thirsty girl.
I don't think i'll be able to get my hands on kefir though!
I did drink powder Metamucil before this happened- it emptied me out..2 days later, I have the bulge. Could it be linked?
If you were on antibiotics you need to take probiotics to help your body recover normal digestion.
You can take magnesium tablet in the morning and vitamin D and calcium at night.
If these don't set you right, you should be tested for Celiac disease, vitamin D deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia (Celiac causes deficiencies).
I'm not a physician, but it definitely sounds like you need to see a GI specialist.
In the meantime, I've had really bad constipation too. 1 - you're not drinking enough water, drink literally at least 8 glasses a day. 2 - kefir, try it to reset your stomach. 3 - I really really hope your mother will allow you see a physician since it sounds like you may need one, in the meantime, try kefir, and yogurt, but kefir is way better for you especially in this instance.