a health update

This post is not really about quilting, so no need to read any further if that’s what you’re in the mood for.  This post is a little update about some health issues I’m currently experiencing.  I just saw my doctor yesterday and am a little saddened by my diagnoses, and I thought I’d post whats up because I feel the need to share (why, I do not know).

It’s really not a big deal… more of a kick-in-the-butt type visit as to getting back on track with my diet.  I’m being tested for insulin resistance again… my last three tests came back as hyperinsulinic, but she wants to be sure before starting me on a medication, so a fourth test is in the works.  A bunch of other little things like negligible levels of vit. D, Iron, and Zinc proved to be helpful bits of information too.

According to the doc… what this all means to me is that my body is making insulin just fine, but for some reason my cells are not accepting it.  If I don’t stop eating simple carbohydrates, my pancreas will give out soon, and there’s a higher chance of diabetes and heart disease.  She told me, as if she was giving me a death sentence, that some people really can’t have simple carbs. 

So if you wonder why I try to avoid sugar and grains (simple carbohydrates)… this is why.  I already have fatty liver disease, and my blood pressure has been steadily rising, and I’m overweight.  I’m also gluten intolerant, so anything I eat with gluten makes me quite physically ill for a couple days anyway. Which means it’s high time to get the diet in gear!

Beyond all that, the tests also showed my immune levels (SiGA) continue to stay low.  This is what is frustrating, this is what keeps me so tired and achy all the time… but I need to be more active.  I’ve been working on this for a few years now, and I was hoping for better numbers.  The doctor is putting me on low-dose naltrexone to help with pain so I can exercise without needing days to recover (hopefully), and more exercise should help in the carb department.

I work hard at not complaining about all this ~ but it is something I deal with on a day to day basis, it makes me feel like a true sugar junkie, and sometimes I just get tired of the whole thing and need to vent!  So thanks for listening… now let’s all get back to what makes us feel good… like sewing!