Results of Lab Work and Doctor Appointment

So we figured out what's wrong with me.  After dealing with feeling "not like me", I couldn't wait for this doctor appointment on Thursday May 9th.

I am not a person who likes to go to the doctor.  In fact, my last serious doctor appointment was late October 2012 when I went because I was having palpations.  I wore a heart monitor for a few days and did some tests and the results came back normal.  I have a healthy normal heart.  HAPPY DANCE!  But the doctor felt it would be good to do extensive lab work.  That was suppose to happen November 2012.  But then life happened.  Cornelius got a new job, then injured his back, then issues with our childcare and then Christmas.  So my health issues went on the back burner.

I noticed over the winter months that I was feeling more and more fatigued and "not me".  In fact, I would say, I was depressed. I contributed it to not exercising and eating high calorie rich foods that didn't really feed my body and in turn can make you feel sluggish.  On March 8th, Cornelius and I joined a health challenge at church with a group of friends in an attempt for me to be more intentional with my health and weight. I started counting my calories, watching my food intake and also joined Insanity workout group at church.  Cornelius was doing this with me and it was so great to do something with my husband and even had the girls joining us.  There was no cost, kids could come and play and you were surrounded by a group of people who really cared about you.  It was a win win situation.

A month into the program I was showing little weight loss.  It was SUPER defeating and discouraging. I was working so hard at this and not seeing results.  But I would get comments from friends telling me that I "looked" thinner and looked more in shape.  But it doesn't matter- if you don't feel good about yourself and your results, it doesn't matter what other people say.  Cornelius tried to encourage me by telling me he was proud of all the work and effort I was putting into my health.  He told me to not focus on the numbers......I was surrounded by people giving me good support but it didn't matter.  I still was DEPRESSED and DISCOURAGED.  I was moody and it wasn't until I got really sick around mid April with a sinus infection did I realize that I was in a bad way.  My mom was the one who told me "Cherri, you really need to talk to the doctor about your depression and fatigue."  It was a hard slap in the face of my reality because my family was noticing that I was depressed.

I have never been more excited to have a doctor appointment then I was for this one May 9th.  I was praying that they would find something wrong. Something to explain how I was feeling.  I did my lab work on May 2nd and a week later on May 9th at my appointment when the doctor walked in, read my notes and then looked at me and gently said "How are you really doing Cherri?"  I started crying....and told her "Not good.  I just don't feel like something is right.  I'm forgetful. I have signifcant hairloss, I'm tired and so discouraged about my weight issues and life in general. I'm hoping that the lab work shows that something is wrong with my thyroid."  She looked firmly at me and said "No, actually.  You thyroid looks good. Your fasting sugar levels show that over the past 3 months they have been around 120 which is excellent.  Your cholesterol levels are excellent.  Blood pressure is good. BUT, we did find that you are extremely deficient in Vitamin D which was alarming enough that we called you and left a message with a family member to have you call me but you must not have gotten that phone call.  You are here now and we are going to fix this.  Vitamin D deficiency has caused people issues with their heart, hairloss, depression and fatigue.  So it does help to explain what is going on with you."

I WAS RELIEVED.....there was an explanation to what was wrong and it was something we could work at with a Vitamin suppliment.  She called it a super pill.  I take it once a week for 12 weeks. I also am taking a Vitamin B pill daily because that was low too, but not anything compared to my Vitamin D defiency.

I believe that I am on my way to being on the mend and I feel like I have answers to my health issues.  And I am believing that in a month I will have a good report to share that my overall health is much better.

Below is an excerpt I found that was simple reading regarding Vitamin D Deficiency:

Do you feel tired and achy during the winter months? Your symptoms may be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. If you suspect you're vitamin D deficient, you can have your doctor perform a simple blood test to check your levels, says Dr. James Dowd, associate professor of medicine at Michigan State University. Bob talks with Dr. Dowd, author of The Vitamin D Cure, about the causes, symptoms and cures of vitamin D deficiency.

Causes:

• Lack of sun exposure: People who work indoors or live in northern climates where the sun shines very little in the winter often don't get important doses of vitamin D from the sun, Dr. Dowd says.
• Race: Latinos and African-Americans are at a much higher risk of becoming vitamin D deficient because they have more melanin in their skin, Dr. Dowd says. "That's because melanin is a natural sunscreen and it blocks the type of sunlight that helps you make vitamin D, so your risk goes up the darker your skin is," he says.

Symptoms:

• Fatigue: "It can be a quite severe fatigue," Dr. Dowd says. In fact, those diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome may also suffer from lack of vitamin D, he says.
• Body aches: "Bone pain, muscle pain, joint pain [are all signs]," he says. "[The pain] typically moves around—one day it's your back that bothers you, a week later it's your shoulders and the next day it is your feet and hands."
• Difficulty controlling weight: Vitamin D plays a role in regulating weight, and Dr. Dowd says a deficiency may make it difficult to keep your weight in check.

Cures:

• Supplements: A daily multivitamin has about 400 units of vitamin D, but Dr. Dowd says you still need to take a straight vitamin D supplement on top of the multivitamin to reach normal levels. "Your average [100- to 200-] pound person is going to require probably between 2,000 and 4,000 units of vitamin D a day," he says.
• Sun exposure: Eating lunch outdoors when possible or going for walk during a break to get sun exposure will help you achieve normal vitamin D levels, Dr. Dowd says. "Increase your sun exposure at midday between spring blossoms and fall colors," he says.
• Eat vitamin D-rich foods: Dr. Dowd says green, leafy vegetables, fish from the ocean and sun-dried produce such as mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes are excellent sources of vitamin D.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Vitamin-D-Deficiency#ixzz2TI2Pw4y0