Irritated

A couple of weeks ago I had a really bad stomach incident while eating dinner at Jason's (we try to have dinner together once a week).  As you likely know I'm used to having stomach pain or stomach discomfort or even nausea with food, I've been dealing with it for years now, but this wasn't a normal reaction, this was a lot of pain.

I legit don't know what caused it or what really was going on, but I was in a lot of pain, Jason was convinced I was having a gallbladder attack and was close to taking me to the ER - which I was refusing.  I explained to him the next day that with my stomach, unless I'm eating perfectly all the things I'm supposed to, it's not an ER situation... and I've been eating a LOT of gluten and dairy this Summer... a lot lot... just saying.  My best guess is that all the "don't eat that" gluten I've been eating and/or the dairy had/has irritated my stomach enough that some combo of what we had for dinner just pushed my body over some edge and the pain was the result of that.  I didn't have nausea, or bloating, the pain was on both sides, not concentrated anywhere, it improved with movement, I wasn't fevered, my heart rate wasn't elevated, I didn't know what it was, but none of my symptoms seemed to suggest anything emergent or dangerous.  It calmed down enough after about an hour, with some 7Up ( a major tummy settler for me ) and some Gaviscon and breathing and trying to distract myself, that I was able to drive myself home and I was fine, if timid about food for a few days... I still am to be honest.

But that's not the point I wanted to make here.  

As I've been dealing with whatever happened (food poisoning?  too acidic of a drink?  spicy food?  too much cheese?  gall bladder attack?  ulcer?) it's been clear to me that the lining of my stomach is irritated, and I can even imagine it all red and sore and irritated and I'm trying to treat it gently and kindly while it calms.

And as I was thinking through this (no cheese for a while, eliminate as much gluten as possible, don't drink that particular drink again, no spicy foods, etc.) I started to think about how irritable and angry I've been feeling and the thought came to me that like my stomach lining, my brain is also "irritated".

I don't know if I'm explaining this in the right way and I know it's probably not anatomically correct but as a metaphor.... my stomach lining got badly irritated and has a hard time with certain foods right now.... why can't I think of my "brain"/mind the same way?  My brain/mind is irritated and so has a hard time with things right now.

Do I know how to un-irritate my brain?  Kind of?  But also kind of not?  There isn't an "antacid" in the same way, I don't know of something you can take to "line" the lining of your mind, know what I mean?  But yeah, my brain/mind isn't handling much well right now, just like my stomach.

And the irony isn't lost on me here - there are massive links between gut biome and mental health.  So... you know... maybe it's not just a metaphor, eh?

This idea hasn't settled my brain any, just like if I could pinpoint the thing that set my stomach off wouldn't make my stomach magically better, but maybe I can be kinder to myself, or care less about others seeing me in a bad light if I remind myself that my "mind brain lining" is red and raw and irritated.  No dairy, no gluten, no... whatever my brain doesn't like.  No.... stress.  (If only.)