Vitamins, Exercise, and Updates

Jul 08, 2012

So the last time I posted I wrote about everything that was going wrong with my body.  It sincerely felt like I was falling apart, especially since I wasn't feeling well.  Turns out my liver was extra cranky for some unknown reason.  Could have been from WLS, but again typically levels aren't that high.  However, they're now 2x's the normal level. That might seem high for some of you, but this is a miracle for me!  This is where it should be if it's reacting from surgery, and I may have to continually monitor my liver for elevated enzymes, or for damage... or I may not! We'll see what the future holds as I progress, but either way I'm super happy about the progress.

I did find out that I have reflux.  This was causing me to have issues with swallowing food, it was getting stuck to the point I would have to drink something to get it down.  They have me taking Nexium 40mg, and it seemed to be doing better until I got stressed anyway.  Now I need to up it to 2x's a day, but I'm having trouble figuring out when to take it since I have vitamins that I'm taking and some of them I have to take with food or my stomach gets really upset.

Vitamins... oh man.  So apparently your body stores vitamins and utilizes them as needed.  After having the surgery, clearly I wasn't getting enough vitamins from food anymore since I malabsorb, however I was taking a vitamin regimen that was higher than what was initially recommended for me but apparently not high enough for my body's needs.  So I kept increasing the dosage, unfortunately due to the type of vitamins, amounts or some combination thereof I was barely getting enough to keep me below normal.  I decided to switch my vitamins up and was taking a completely different group, but I knew that the vitamin levels they started me on wasn't high enough.  I figured I had a little time to switch things up myself and retest, however my body had other ideas.  They started me on iron infusions because my iron level was 5%, typically the lowest before they do infusions is 10%, I have had issues with anemia on and off my whole life, but this was the first time for infusions.  Still not too bad, I thought.  However, I had to go to the ER because my neurological function started shutting down on me. My muscles didn't want to move, it was hard to think, my nerves were "deadened" for lack of a better description.  To give an idea of what happened, the doc thought I was drunk or on drugs, and even when I slurred out that I wasn't, he tested me because he didn't believe me.  It was hard to try to get the muscles to function, it was frustrating to be unable to explain that my body wasn't feeling right, but not be able to tell them everything that was going on.  Needless to say he didn't run much in the way of tests, determined it was probably a micro-nutrient issue, and sent me home.  I honestly was thinking I might die, and was just praying that I wouldn't have to die alone.  For the next few days I did everything I could think of, read up on it that night and then doubled up on b vitamins, and tripled my multivitamin, and ate b rich foods even though it made me feel like garbage.  I also did what I should have done before instead of thinking that maybe I could get by on a different plan... I ordered vitamins from Vitalady.

I honestly thought "well maybe my body is way different than all of you people that have had this surgery years ago... I seem to be doing just fine on the vitamins I'm taking.  Maybe just a little low, but not serious!"  I figured my PCM knows what they're doing.  What I failed to take into consideration is their lack of knowledge about this surgery as a whole, but more so the lack of statistics about how my body absorbs nutrients.  I also was looking at the cost of vitamins, how many I would have to take, etc.  I was clearly wrong about what was happening there.  I have to take 32 pills a day and started about a month ago, but the most amazing thing has happened... I've started feeling better!  Not like, oh maybe I'll go do something today and then take a nap better, but more like... "Hey kids, let's go walk 4-6 miles, and then come back and do some stuff together" better.  I have also noticed that my body doesn't seem to be rejecting all food the way it was, where I would get what I consider dumping syndrome, and feel like trash for even eating certain veggies and fruits.  I don't know for sure if it is the vitamins, but I can only tell you it changed after starting it.  Does this mean I'm all fixed?! No.  But it's definitely a much better place to be, and I have time to evaluate now.

Exercise wasn't happening much because of how tired and cruddy I was feeling.  It's still kind of hit and miss right now with moving, but even though I'm not doing traditional exercise.. I find myself going outdoors and playing soccer, running around with the kids, and taking walks with the family.  I'm getting there again.  I've been very fortunate and have been maintaining my weight right around 122lbs.  Staying in the same size pants, although my body seems to be reshaping again. Body issues, yep still have those, from my extra skin to getting extra thin in areas I'd really rather not.  However, I have found the only ones that really see any of it as an issue is me!

I know I'm long winded, so I'll wrap this up.  Overall I still am glad I did the surgery.  I admit I have struggled quite a bit, some of it was because I stubbornly refused to conform, but some of it is just life!  I could dwell on all the bad aspects of everything that happened, but to be quite honest... it gets me nowhere.  I would not go back, it's not an option anyway.  I look to the future and all the good my life can bring, to me, to my family, and to those around me.  

Best wishes to you out there and whatever challenges you're facing, just remember take things one day at a time, and don't what if yourself or let others set you on that path.  Learn what you can about your situations, it may be scary, but sincerely you're going to be your biggest advocate.  Who wants you to live more than you?  Isn't that why we look for ways to become healthier in the first place?!

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