Latest NSV

Sometimes we just need an NSV (non scale victory for the non initiated) ....


Today's NSV is

When I stand in a normal stance, I can see through between my thighs!!!


WOOOT!!!

ack, this sucks

It turns out that the once monthly injection isn't available anymore. Now I get to have an injection EVERY DAY for 5 days, then weekly for 2 months... then re-assess how I'm doing. I have to go for blood work every 2 weeks during all this....

And the prescription is nearly $400. Thankfully my drug plan will cover 80% but its still a lot of money and hassle. This sucks. My cousin said that my aunt told her that I've always been anemic since I was a child (I didn't know that).... since losing all this weight its become a problem because of my BP tanking.

What a pain in the azzzz!

Results

I'm severely anemic is the verdict.  She wanted me to get more tests for anemia in 2 weeks and she is now put me on Iron injections monthly to bring my levels up.

She feels that while my low BP is always going to be low, that it can be managed with electrolyte drinks, extra water, salt and moving slowly from laying or sitting to standing positions.  The fainting she feels was the anemia in conjunction with the low BP just was too much for my body.  She asked about my periods as well if I was losing alot of blood.  I wouldn't say I do necessarily... it seems to go in phases month to month.  Sometimes its alot, next month it will be light.  So I learned something interesting about how a woman's body works that I never knew before....

During your period, you are sloughing off the uterine lining... but attached to the lining are arteries/blood vessels that basically break free and bleed.  This is why you have so much blood.  All the blood from your period isn't ONLY your uterine wall, its a combination of the attachment points bleeding and the uterine wall together.  Interesting hey?

So... she's given me a weird sounding script (Cyklokapron) to take that I only take on med/heavy flow days. 2pills 3x/day and only while on my period.  It closes/clamps off the bleeding from those areas that are causing too much blood loss.  She said between this pill, the iron injections, and me adding as much iron as I can into my diet that hopefully in a few months we can re-assess.  And for me, I have to SIT DOWN with my head between my knees or better LAY DOWN if I feel dizzy.  Every time.  She said me standing there last week waiting for it to pass could have gone badly if I had actually fainted as I would have been injured in the fall.  She said instead of just grabbing onto a wall or desk and waiting to not be dizzy, to put my head down to allow the blood back to my brain faster.

Im still really freaked out.

I have an appt tomorrow afternoon at 2pm. Not with my PCP because she's booked up but another doc in the same office.

I'm still really shaken up about it especially when hubby told me last night that my eyes were open the whole time, just rolling around, out of focus. I thought that my eyes had closed as suddenly he was in focus so I assumed it was because I opened my eyes. He told me that I'd never closed them at all. I had I couldn't find anything about fainting where the person's eyes stayed open for the episode. That's a seizure from what I can find which scares the crap out of me. I get healthy and THIS happens!?

I told my boss this morning that I was going to have to take tomorrow afternoon off and what happened and I almost started crying right then and there.

I passed out today

Thats the first time in my life that it's ever happened.
It was very strange feeling. It literally happened 5 minutes ago. Hubby thought I was having a seizure.

My back has been really tight btwn my shoulder blades for a few days and he does great bear hugs to crack my back but they haven't been helping much. Also, I have low blood pressure since losing weight. When I stand too quickly, I have to grab onto something because the room spins and my vision goes blurry and sometimes dark. It passes quickly though and I've learned to adjust to it by trying to go to a standing position slower. It helps.

I asked hubby to squeeze me because my back was really bothering me. I stood quickly and didn't take the time to adjust before he had me in his arms. The cracking in my back is pleasurable as the tension releases. He put me down and I thought I said to him "give me a second, dizzy.."

That's all I remember until I hit the chair he had placed me in and I awoke to him in my face saying it was ok. I was confused and couldn't understand how I'd gotten into the chair and why he was saying that. He told me that I had passed out and my eyes were rolling around and I made a bunch of gasping sounds. He put me in the chair as I was coming out of it.

Kind of scared me a little. Last week I got out of a tanning bed too fast and lost my vision almost completely for a couple of seconds. This week I faint.

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Travel

1. Where did your most recent trip take you?  Christmas/New Years I was on Vancouver Island and Vancouver.  
2. Is there a place that you’d like to visit that you haven’t yet?  If so, where?  Cuba, Italy, Spain.... 
3. Do you travel lightly, or do you cram as much into your luggage as possible? I usually overpack.  I like to have options!!
4. Do your eating and exercise habits change when you travel? If so, how?  I tend to eat less protein when I'm travelling which isn't a good thing.  I need to work on that!
5. Tell us about a place you’ve been that you’d like to go back to. Greece.  Definitely.  I'm trying to convince hubby to go.  The history there just blew me away.  I was so humbled to be standing in places that were once thriving cities 1000's of years ago.
6. Do you prefer to travel at a certain time of year?  Feb-April usually... when its cold here!
7. If you had to choose, would you go to the beach or the mountains? Beach.  We get enough cold whether when I live.  I love the sun.  Especially since WLS, I just soak in the heat!
8. Have you ever needed a passport to travel?  Yep most of the time.  I like leaving Canada alot :)
9. Do you collect anything in your travels? Not really... just mementos
10. Where do you plan to go next?  Next up is Vancouver again in May to find a place to live there.... other than that?  Maybe Mazatlan?

Now it’s your turn! Don’t forget to come back to share a link in the comments!  Happy Monday friends!

A teensy scare, a new low, a great day and a fun site

For the first time in YEARS, I took a pregnancy test.  I was scared and completely in denial that I could be pregnant.  Hubby had the snip a year ago but hasn't been tested so there's always a little niggle at the back of my brain that says "oh please, don't let it be this time".  This month I was 8 days late.  I haven't been this late in a long time and so I began to worry.  Bestie tried to talk some sense into me but I alternated between panic and outright denial.  I didn't want to test because I was afraid... what if it was positive?  I've never ever wanted to be a mother.  As a step-mom I'm happy but I never wanted to bear children myself.  I couldn't imagine going through that at 35.

I bought my first First Response test in a very long time and thankfully I tested negative on Friday. I was still worried since Aunt Flo hadn't made an appearance and I wasn't feeling any of the usual signs she was on her way.... well other than extreme annoyance at hubby for minor things but I don't need Aunt Flo to help me with that ;)  She showed up this morning with a vengence and as usual I went through the hating her but silently (or not so silently) cheering that she'd made an appearance at all.  After a day of cramps, I loathe her again and lament loudly at being female.

Also yesterday, I reached a new low on the scale.  138lbs!  Even with menstrual bloat I'm at this weight!  I feel amazing and can't believe that I'm 85 lbs down and will see my goal before my 1 year surgiversary at the end of April.  Heck, I will likely surpass it although I'm really determined now to put some muscle back on and get strong so maybe I'll be able to stave off any further losses on the scale.

Today, Aunt Flo and all, I met with a great lady that helped me become this healthier version of Cheryl that I get to see every day since April 2011.  I met up with Colleen from Weight Loss and Beyond Consulting and spent the afternoon with her and a friend that I referred for her sleeve surgery coming up March 15!  I'm super excited for her to start her sleeve journey and feel this excitement that I enjoy every day!  She has a cautious and reserved attitude to this process and I know that once the pounds start to come off and she starts feeling as great as we do, she will be just as thrilled to share this journey with others. This process is about sharing your journey with others, I think its an important part of the whole thing to be able to pass on your experiences, share in the highs and lows with those that have been there and those that are considering this path.  I don't regret my sleeve for a moment and I wish that I'd had the courage to share it with more people sooner than I have.

Lastly, I HIGHLY recommend you all check out this site.  These gals are HILARIOUS and give so much great information for post op patient of bariatric procedures.  I wish I had the time to spend watching ALL of their great videos!     http://bariatrictv.com/