That's what I will probably be doing today! I will be my own little flashlight, lol. I have to get a C-spine MRI and lumbar X-rays this afternoon to see if there is anything going on in my back that is causing the numbness and tingling in my legs along with the pain and weakness. Mostly likely there are lesions on my spinal cord that are causing this. It's just part of the deal with MS.
My hubby is going with me so we get to spend a little time out after I get done with everything. I am looking forward to getting to spend a little time with him and not be home. This weekend will be a busy one with SNA on Saturday night and then a family reunion and funeral on Sunday. Then Monday I will be off work to go to Iowa City for an appointment with my reproductive endocrinologist to get my PCOS back under control. Then another appt. with the neuro on July 2nd for a follow-up from the new meds. Hopefully we can get me working a little bit better!
Then my 30th Birthday is coming up!! Two weeks from last Wednesday! While I am still unsure about how it will feel to be out of my twenties, I love birthdays, especially mine. Looking forward to fireworks and presents!
Showing posts with label PCOS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PCOS. Show all posts
Friday, June 22, 2012
Monday, November 1, 2010
What it's like to be the world's most efficient eater..../ Week 28
When I went to the reproductive endocrinologist in April of this year about my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - there is a link to the left where you can see info about it), he talked about how women with PCOS are the world's most efficient eaters. I will admit that I didn't really understand what he was talking about and forgot about it. Steve and I were talking about it yesterday morning and I asked him to explain what it meant. Apparently, given the way my body processes food, it absorbs or stores most of it and creates little waste. This makes it efficient. So, where someone with a normally functioning system could eat something and his/her body would just burn off the calories, my body's natural tendency is to hold onto the calories in the event I may need them in the future (i.e. FAT).
Now if you consider this from an evolutionary standpoint, it basically means my body functioning is superior. Why you say? Because you and I can eat the same things but I will retain the calories and create little waste. So, after your body has already burned the calories and expelled the waste, mine has hung on to them. Who do you think is going to starve to death faster? Won't be me!
Okay, so if you consider this from a 'trying to lose weight' standpoint, you can begin to understand my problem. I have to be cognizant that anything I put in my mouth that my body does not actually need to function on a daily basis will not be expelled, but will be turned into fat in the event that I will turn into a cave woman and be starving or something. So, I have to find the perfect balance between what my body needs nutrient-wise and what it doesn't need so it will start burning calories. I haven't been doing a very good job of considering this. I have a theory that my body craves sugar and carbs so it can convert them into stored energy (i.e. my butt and thighs). I don't know if this is actually true or not, but it makes sense to me.
So take that into account and then add in insulin resistance that occurs with/causes PCOS and then you really have a problem. "Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it properly. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose for energy. When people are insulin resistant, their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin. As a result, their bodies need more insulin to help glucose enter cells. The pancreas tries to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas fails to keep up with the body’s need for insulin. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time." (http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/)
Not only do I store what my body doesn't need to live and function but my body sucks at using the glucose for energy. These functions are obviously interrelated and it's a real 'chicken and egg' problem in understanding what happens first and then second. After a certain point it doesn't really matter because the problem remains that my body desires to gain weight and hold onto calories and I desire to not be overweight and to burn the extra fat my body doesn't need.
I am trying to reorient my way of thinking to include these ideas when I am planning meals and exercising. Weight watchers helps me stay within a certain caloric range based on the amount of points that are available for a given day. The responsibility falls on me to stay within this range and also get exercise so my body is encouraged to burn the excess that I don't need. I did really well with that at first, but have fallen off the wagon a bit recently. I have noticed positive results from the weight that I have lost so far. My overall blood sugar has decreased which has resulted in lowering my chances for developing Type II diabetes (yay!). I still have some further work to do in that area, but it's good to see the results. I also feel a lot better and have an easier time walking up and down stairs and walking for longer periods of time.
I have also been able to stop taking all of my PCOS meds (admittedly without doctor supervision). I was able to use birth control without gaining weight (not sure what helped this but it was nice.) So, if any of you take Metformin, you can relate to how nice it was to be able to stop taking it. Additionally, I think the spironolactone I was taking to reduce androgen levels caused some fatigue and tiredness. That has gotten better as well. And certainly not the least, I look better! People are really starting to notice how much weight I have lost and are responding kindly with encouragement and praise. It's very reinforcing for me to hear that.
My next goal is to lose another ten pounds. From where I am this week (2lb gain), I will have ten pounds to lose to meet that goal. I honestly think I can do it before the end of the year, which is about eight weeks away. That would be the perfect way to start my New Year. But that also means that I have to be very careful around the holidays. This could potentially be the hardest stretch of the entire year for weight loss. I want to conquer it and show people that weight gain around the holidays is not mandatory and they can control themselves. Mostly, I need to be able to show myself that I can be in control of what I put in my mouth on a daily basis and how much I exercise. Even though it doesn't feel like it, I do have the time to walk for a half hour each day.
So this is Week 28. I have been working on this for 28 weeks, have lost around 40lbs so far and I have about 80 more pounds to lose in order to a healthy weight. I have given myself til my 30th birthday (July 2012) to meet this goal which I think is reasonable. Now I just need to get my head in the game!
Stats this week are:
Weight gain: +2.0lbs
Total weight lost: -39.8lbs
Now if you consider this from an evolutionary standpoint, it basically means my body functioning is superior. Why you say? Because you and I can eat the same things but I will retain the calories and create little waste. So, after your body has already burned the calories and expelled the waste, mine has hung on to them. Who do you think is going to starve to death faster? Won't be me!
Okay, so if you consider this from a 'trying to lose weight' standpoint, you can begin to understand my problem. I have to be cognizant that anything I put in my mouth that my body does not actually need to function on a daily basis will not be expelled, but will be turned into fat in the event that I will turn into a cave woman and be starving or something. So, I have to find the perfect balance between what my body needs nutrient-wise and what it doesn't need so it will start burning calories. I haven't been doing a very good job of considering this. I have a theory that my body craves sugar and carbs so it can convert them into stored energy (i.e. my butt and thighs). I don't know if this is actually true or not, but it makes sense to me.
So take that into account and then add in insulin resistance that occurs with/causes PCOS and then you really have a problem. "Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it properly. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose for energy. When people are insulin resistant, their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin. As a result, their bodies need more insulin to help glucose enter cells. The pancreas tries to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas fails to keep up with the body’s need for insulin. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time." (http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/)
Not only do I store what my body doesn't need to live and function but my body sucks at using the glucose for energy. These functions are obviously interrelated and it's a real 'chicken and egg' problem in understanding what happens first and then second. After a certain point it doesn't really matter because the problem remains that my body desires to gain weight and hold onto calories and I desire to not be overweight and to burn the extra fat my body doesn't need.
I am trying to reorient my way of thinking to include these ideas when I am planning meals and exercising. Weight watchers helps me stay within a certain caloric range based on the amount of points that are available for a given day. The responsibility falls on me to stay within this range and also get exercise so my body is encouraged to burn the excess that I don't need. I did really well with that at first, but have fallen off the wagon a bit recently. I have noticed positive results from the weight that I have lost so far. My overall blood sugar has decreased which has resulted in lowering my chances for developing Type II diabetes (yay!). I still have some further work to do in that area, but it's good to see the results. I also feel a lot better and have an easier time walking up and down stairs and walking for longer periods of time.
I have also been able to stop taking all of my PCOS meds (admittedly without doctor supervision). I was able to use birth control without gaining weight (not sure what helped this but it was nice.) So, if any of you take Metformin, you can relate to how nice it was to be able to stop taking it. Additionally, I think the spironolactone I was taking to reduce androgen levels caused some fatigue and tiredness. That has gotten better as well. And certainly not the least, I look better! People are really starting to notice how much weight I have lost and are responding kindly with encouragement and praise. It's very reinforcing for me to hear that.
My next goal is to lose another ten pounds. From where I am this week (2lb gain), I will have ten pounds to lose to meet that goal. I honestly think I can do it before the end of the year, which is about eight weeks away. That would be the perfect way to start my New Year. But that also means that I have to be very careful around the holidays. This could potentially be the hardest stretch of the entire year for weight loss. I want to conquer it and show people that weight gain around the holidays is not mandatory and they can control themselves. Mostly, I need to be able to show myself that I can be in control of what I put in my mouth on a daily basis and how much I exercise. Even though it doesn't feel like it, I do have the time to walk for a half hour each day.
So this is Week 28. I have been working on this for 28 weeks, have lost around 40lbs so far and I have about 80 more pounds to lose in order to a healthy weight. I have given myself til my 30th birthday (July 2012) to meet this goal which I think is reasonable. Now I just need to get my head in the game!
Stats this week are:
Weight gain: +2.0lbs
Total weight lost: -39.8lbs
Monday, April 12, 2010
Waging A War
Waging a war against a known foe is supposed to be easier. You know its strengths, weaknesses, and plans of attack. But sometimes, even if it is easier, it still seems way too hard. I feel that way about my battle, yes battle, with polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is a life robber - a robber of health, a robber of babies not born, a robber of self-esteem, and a robber of faith, of sorts. Not a robber of my faith in God, that remains strong and as I lean into the arms of the God who loves me, He gives me hope and strength. It's a robber of faith in medicine, in man's ability to cure what they don't even really understand. And I think - if they don't understand it, how the heck am I supposed to understand it?
I saw a doctor today in Iowa City who should, if anyone should, understand PCOS. And I suppose the fact that he did not tell me anything that I didn't already know mostly means that I have educated myself well about the disorder. I'll admit that I was holding out a little hope for a 'magic pill' that would help me lose weight and make me able to have babies if I wanted to someday. Alas, no magic pill was to be found. Guess I am not that surprised. Sure, there are pills out there that could help me lose weight, and even pills that could help me have babies. But at what cost? I think it is a higher cost than I am willing to pay.
I did have a course of treatment provided to me that I am going to try. But most of the changes that will have to happen depend soley on me and my willingness to change. Am I willing? Certainly. Do I feel confident that I can? Certainly not. I have the support, wonderful support. I have the knowledge. I have the capacity. I have the resources. What am I missing? I don't know. Guess I better start figuring that one out.
I saw a doctor today in Iowa City who should, if anyone should, understand PCOS. And I suppose the fact that he did not tell me anything that I didn't already know mostly means that I have educated myself well about the disorder. I'll admit that I was holding out a little hope for a 'magic pill' that would help me lose weight and make me able to have babies if I wanted to someday. Alas, no magic pill was to be found. Guess I am not that surprised. Sure, there are pills out there that could help me lose weight, and even pills that could help me have babies. But at what cost? I think it is a higher cost than I am willing to pay.
I did have a course of treatment provided to me that I am going to try. But most of the changes that will have to happen depend soley on me and my willingness to change. Am I willing? Certainly. Do I feel confident that I can? Certainly not. I have the support, wonderful support. I have the knowledge. I have the capacity. I have the resources. What am I missing? I don't know. Guess I better start figuring that one out.
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