You’ve probably noticed I haven’t been around for a couple of days, and I once again apologize. I have a doctor’s note (again) though…I wound up in the ER again on Tuesday night. Woke up in the middle of the night with numb hands, face, and feet, chest pains, pounding heart and short of breath…and terrified out of my mind. I had made some backwards progress over the weekend, by accidentally running out of one of the supplements my alternative practitioner recommended, and paid for it dearly. My stomach troubles came back full force, and apparently caused me to forcibly eject all of my nutrients before they could be absorbed. I spent Sunday and Monday trying to recuperate, because this doctor is only open Tuesday through Thursday (he has a chiropractic practice in the next town over on Mon. & Fri., but it doesn’t sell the supplements). So first thing Tuesday I made a quick trip to get the depleted supplement, but by then my gastric troubles had taken their toll, and by midnight I was in the ER.
That’s the short version. Read on if you want my rantings about what I *think* is going on. Bear in mind, I’m no doctor. I am, however, learning the hard way that if you want to be healthy, you are the only one you can trust to put your health first. Doctors don’t have time to scrutinize every little test they run on every patient, so I’m slowly educating myself as to what all the tests mean, and reading extensively online about the experiences of others. From there I’m putting as much together into a cohesive picture as I can, but it’s slow, frustrating going. The great news is, after a few days back on ALL my supplements, I’m beginning to feel like my old self again. AND I HAVE A GIVEAWAY READY FOR YOU! I may not post it until tomorrow (I don’t have the post completely written yet), but it’s a comin’ and it’s a great one!
So anyhoo, I had no Troponin in my blood (which would indicate a heart attack), so the ER folks pronounced it yet another panic attack, and sent me home. This time I got a copy of my lab results before leaving though. In fact, I now have copies of all of my lab results over the last few months (ever since this downward spiral started), and reviewing them is pretty telling. I’m consistently at the low end of normal (or just below it) on my electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride; magnesium is not measured regularly, though my GP has agreed to order it the next time I have a blood draw). This may be due to poor intake, the fact that I drink a LOT of water, or maybe that’s just where my body likes them, but the way my body acts…I doubt that last one! Given that electrolytes can be quickly depleted by diarrhea, and given that I have suffered that particular malady 4 weeks out of the past six, I’m betting that electrolyte imbalance is a HUGE contributing factor to the cramps, random muscle twitches, tingling, and other symptoms I’ve been experiencing. Such an imbalance can also cause muscle weakness, muscle pain, anxiety and other mood/nervous disruptions, and even bone pain. Luckily I don’t think I’ve encountered that last one yet, and I’m crossing my fingers that I don’t!
So I’m slowly rebuilding my strength by eating my low-carb, yet still nutritious diet (my alternative practitioner calls it “adequate protein and lots of vegetables”) and trying not to overdo my exertion. The pounds are falling off (I’m down over ten pounds since my Victoza incident!), and I’m slowly recovering back to where I was this time last week. Frustrating, but good to know that even though I have no idea what is causing the diarrhea, I can at least counter it without resorting to living on immodium. I attribute a good 80% of that to the supplement I ran out of, which is a multiple-digestive-enzyme formula that apparently helps my body digest my food even when it’s reluctant.
Another thing my lab tests revealed was a pretty glaring Vitamin D deficiency. Now, according to this site, you can mega-load with D without any ill effects. My GP, on the other hand, wants me to take 2000 IU per day for a couple of months, or until my D comes back up. I think I’m going to go a little higher than that (maybe 3-5,000 IU per day), and see what happens the next time we do a blood draw. If it’s not showing improvement, then I’ll consider going higher. Vitamin D affects the absorption of Calcium, so that may help with at least one of my electrolyte issues.
The great news: my white blood cell (specifically neutrophils) level dropped back down into the normal range. So now I’m just trying to control my stress as well as possible (which, of course, would include avoiding future panic attacks!) to keep it down. The other wonderful thing this diet/supplement plan has done for me, is bring my insulin down so that I am no longer anywhere near hyperinsulinemic! I’m so proud of this one, I have to tell you the actual numbers…back in April, I had insulin of 58.76 u/IU/mL. Insulin is normally supposed to run between 1.90 and 23.00, so this was WAY high. As of a week ago, my insulin was a very reasonable 9.2!!! I’m almost giddy about that.
So my advice is this: get your lab results, educate yourself about what they mean, and find yourself a doctor who will listen to you when you talk about it. It’s a lot to learn, and there are rarely any definitive answers to be gleaned from a single test, but over time, you can spot patterns that no one else will have the time or interest to see. For example, my WBC count started creeping up MONTHS ago, and nobody breathed a word to me about it until my favorite GP (I sometimes see others in her practice when she’s not available) noticed it was way high. If I’d had my lab results all along (and paid attention to them) I could have been the one bringing this to her attention, and asking what to do about it.
I also highly recommend a HEALTHY low-carb diet for anyone who is either hyperinsulinemic, pre-diabetic, diabetic, or just overweight. By healthy I mean NOT ATKINS! Basically, eat 3-6 ounces of protein at every meal, eat lots and LOTS of veggies of as many different types as you can stomach (avoiding potatoes and peas, though…yet for some reason sweet potatoes are alright), a little bit of fat (butter, olive oil and sesame oil are recommended by the folks who designed this eating plan), and seasoned with a little salt if needed. Add in plenty of water, cut out pastas, breads, sweets, sodas and fruit juices, and you’ve pretty much got my diet. Perhaps at some point (if anyone shows any interest) I’ll post a few of my recipes. I’m a big fan of cooking ahead and eating for up to a week on the leftovers, so most of the recipes are big enough to feed a family.
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