{This post is part two in a series of my own experience with no energy, HUGE desire to get fit and how I dug my way out.}
How would you respond if your blood was giving its own state of the union address, describing trouble in the land?
I don’t know about you, but for me, it was VERY sobering.
Part of me was half expecting my doctor to tell me that I just needed to change my eating habits, eliminate processed foods, that I needed to move my body more and drink more water, quit being so lazy and lose some weight…that my body was FINE.
But, when he described low levels of this and high levels of that and unbelievably messed up this and that, I somehow felt a sense of relief that all my sputtering up and down my street was REAL. It wasn’t just me being lazy, it was a result of something gone very wrong. Does it sound weird to say that I felt RELIEF?
Here are the facts:
Blood Pressure - 140/90 on 3 meds
Cholesterol - 349
Iron - low
Calcium - high
Thyroid hormone - ALL messed up
No wonder I was tired.
When Dr. Paq finished, I asked him what I could do about these issues. And, this is where the REALLY good news came in…”this is ALL reversible,” he said.
WOW!!! Not a terminal condition, but something I could do something about myself!! In my doc's words “We have to get you feeling better so you can succeed with the lifestyle changes you have been trying to make.”
Tomorrow I’ll share the tangible solution that got this train gone wild back on track, turned around and no longer heading for a cliff. Hint: it all started with a good, quality multi-vitamin called Vemma.
Until then, be well.
Cheryl
Hola! Found you on Twitter and just started following you today! Congratulations on your weight loss so far and taking control of what you can reverse! I went through something similar. Look forward to keeping each other posted. You can do it! Smiles!
ReplyDelete@weightwatcherschica - Nice to meet you! And, thanks for the congrats...I feel like I'm getting my life back! Look forward to hearing more about you too!
ReplyDeleteCheryl - I'm a newbie to your blog - thanks for the honest post! We can take tough news from our doctors two ways - I know I sulked and groaned when I was put on BP medicine, but now I am going to do everything I can to kick those bad numbers to the curb. Let's keep on keepin' on!
ReplyDeletewell i am glad to hear the doc is gonna get you feel better
ReplyDeletei wish ya the best of luck
no wonder you were tired
thyroid being messed up can do that
It's ALWAYS best to hear that something's reversible, isn't it? It lifts a weight off.
ReplyDeleteSee, this is the thing I think's funny about my own situation - apparently, other than being 200+lbs overweight, I am as healthy as a horse. My cholesterol, my blood pressure, my thyroid, all fine. I'm just...
Well, I don't think he wants to say, "You're fat and lazy," but I have had the "eat less, move more!" speech more often than I can count on all my fingers and toes put together, and they don't listen when I say that it, mostly, doesn't work. What works is Weight Watchers: cutting out specific foods when I was doing the "Core Plan"; South Beach Diet (managed phase one; phase two kicked my ass): again, cutting out specific foods - sugars, fruits, pastas and breads and rice and living on salads and protein and eggs for two weeks.
But he's not offering my any alternatives, you know? Your doctor seems willing to help, to offer you solutions - or at least steps.
Good doctor. :) Hope it helps.
Thanks for sharing your story Cheryl! I remember last March was the first time that my body started rebelling at the weight I've been carrying for so long. Before then I had pretty good health and no numbers outside of the normal range. But my doc appt. last March showed that was no longer the case. Though I lost 7 pounds between March and January before I started this journey, it still took me that long to get serious about it! And I'm still learning more and more every day how to help fuel my body to achieve maximum health and potential. Your posts and guidance definitely help me in that learning process. Thanks!!
ReplyDelete@Drew - I know what you mean...the day I am off blood pressure meds is gonna be one big celebration! That keeps me goin'!
ReplyDelete@Bee - This is a re-telling of my story from about 9 months ago...so I'm much much better now -- the thyroid thing, yes, it can really mess with energy and even ability to lose weight.
@Tracy - What I learned is that high blood pressure and high cholesterol are not diseases in themselves but rather symptoms of problems that have been going on a pretty long time inside. Please don't wait until you get these diagnosis ... keep working it until you find a program you can stick with, that fits you and your lifestyle. It is just soooo worth it, I think. I wish you the best of luck, Tracy!
@Minnesota Mami - I'm really glad that what I'm sharing is helping other people....that makes it even more worth it. You are so welcome, and the feeling is totally mutual!
Thanks for sharing Cheryl...it's a very personal story and inspirational...and you have the best attitude about it. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Wish I had seen this post earlier. I had the similar conversation with my Doc within the last couple of weeks. Mine is a severe deficiency of Vitamin D. So I am on megadoses and have a 12 week challenge to focus on this. One other thing showed up, too thick of blood, not too much iron, just too much volume for it to flow like it should but the rest is in check. Thyroid, cholestorol, BP is amazing. But the energy level is still low. I will continue to read and maybe take a shot at the Vemma or other multi-vitamin. I will be back more frequently.
ReplyDelete@Jules - My D was low too...not severely, but enough for the doc to bring it up. I got outside more to soak in the sun (love that) and Vemma helped too...I really encourage you to try Vemma...it does so much more than what I've talked about here.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if I can help in any way. Glad you will be back, too, always love getting to know new people!