May 28 2013

Final diagnosis

Anna

So it has been eons since I have really posted anything…there is a good reason…many actually but I come to you now explaining just a bit about what has been going on.

I have been sick. Not throwing up in the toilet or running a fever…I mean chronically like someone threw the REAL Anna into this weird body that doesn’t want to function properly. I have had troubles pretty much since I got pregnant with Abilene and have been suffering ever since. Let me take you through what I have been dealing with:

September 2011 – pregnant with Abilene – had progesterone issues

Pretty much felt terrible through the whole pregnancy.

March 2012 – changed to a vegetarian diet (we were already on the track for that but finally went full tilt).

June 2012 – gave birth to sweet baby girl

10 days postpartum land in ER with worst hives EVER (the docs were even scared) – they chalked it up to “hormones”

July 2012 – spent a week in Riley with Abilene

Aug 2012 – moved to OKC (more on that at a later time)

OKC did not work out – we moved back.

November 2012 – saw my OB for massive menstrual pain, reduction in milk supply (with a baby who REFUSED bottles or formula) and weight gain – diagnosis was to take fenugreek to help with milk, deal with the pain “it will get better” and weight gain was probably due to move and stress (otherwise I was to stop eating so much)

January 2013 – feeling sluggish, depressed, gained significantly more weight, losing my mind. Saw my OB again – this time he suggested antidepressants and birth control.

March 2013 – I had gained 40 pounds since Sept/Oct 2012. My joints were KILLING me. I had swelling in my fingers every morning. I couldn’t wear my wedding ring. My clothes didn’t fit. During ovulation I looked 5 to 6 months pregnant. I was grumpy, miserable and had absolutely NO ENERGY. I was losing my mind. I finally went to see my family practitioner because I had read a book about my symptoms. It described me to a “T” and it was all about estrogen-dominant syndrome. I begged for her to do blood tests and find out what was wrong with me. Thankfully, she did order the blood tests.

And just for the record, the antidepressants were terrible. I took them for about 4 days total (2 different kinds) and they made me worse than before! Also, I held off on the birth control recommendation because I never needed it before – why should I take it now???

April 2013 – blood tests reveal low vit D and a positive ANA (which means auto-immune disorder). Ok now I felt like we were getting somewhere. I asked for a copy of my results and she gave them to me. I knew enough from reading info on my estrogen-dominant syndrome that my progesterone level was in fact low!  I went about trying to fix this on my own but felt uncomfortable doing so but didn’t know where to turn. My family doc didn’t feel like it was an issue. I decided to see what my first OB might say about this. I also went to find a rheumatologist to see but couldn’t get in until May 16. Yippee.

I go see my first OB (who delivered Abraham and has been around for nearly forever – ok not really, but he is “experienced”). He said birth control is the answer to fix my hormone levels (which mind you was warned against in my book) and also that my prolactin levels were probably still high since I just weaned Abilene and my body had been “confused” during nursing and having cycles. Since it was confused, my body decided to store fat “just in case it needed to support a pregnancy and a nursing child.” That seemed feasible but I just felt like it was wrong since we are talking 40+ pounds. I took his advice and started using birth control but when I put on another 6 pounds in about 3 days – my search was back on.

At this point, let me just explain to you that I was broken. I hurt so much. I barely had enough energy to get out of bed and feed my sweet lovable babies. I was an emotional wreck as well. My kids have never seen mommy cry so much as during this ordeal. I felt trapped. I have watched my calories – scrutinized really. I made sure to eat as healthily as possible – fruits, veggies, pasta, breakfast foods, no meat, no trans fats, no desserts really, no potato chips, no “junk food”, only diet soda occasionally, drink lots of water – you get it. I would exercise when my energy level allowed which was a couple times a week. But the migraines were becoming extremely harsh, more frequent and my Imitrex wasn’t helping. My cycles were EXTREMELY painful during ovulation most of the time requiring the use of narcotics just to walk upright. My joints would swell and the pain was seriously unbearable. Plus I had been fretting about what possible auto-immune disease did I have!

I went to MOPS for our final day and I begged for prayers. I didn’t go into details but just wanted prayers to ensure that I would be around for my kids. At the rate things were progressing I was honestly fearing death.

One of the mentor moms approached me and asked if I had consulted a holistic doctor. It hadn’t crossed my mind. I didn’t even know where to start. She gave me the number to a great holistic doctor and she is even a Christian! Double bonus!! I went home and called right away. She wasn’t taking new patients until SEPTEMBER. I most certainly couldn’t wait. I was crushed. In all honesty, I had fallen away from God because I felt abandoned by Him. I questioned my suffering. I was begging for it to go away for the sake of my children and nothing but silence. I was angry. I felt forsaken. I was losing hope. But thankfully I didn’t give up. I did some internet searching and found a couple holistic clinics. I also learned that holistic does include modern western medicine but they also believe in the body’s healing power. There are natural ways to heal the body instead of shoving harmful pharmaceuticals down our throats. A couple of the places seemed really nice but didn’t accept insurance and were REALLY expensive. Very discouraging. Then I came across Holistic Medical and Wellness Center on W 86th street. They seemed pretty good and I called to get an appointment. Had to leave a message. I hung up figuring I would probably never hear back. But God did answer my prayer and they called back within an hour! I had an appointment on May 9th! I was overwhelmed with HOPE! Maybe just maybe they will figure this out!

May 9th – I spend nearly 70 minutes with the NP, Jen, who is wonderful. She is caring, understanding, likeable, real, genuine, and truly wanted to help me. I gave her my test results from March and completely agreed that I was definitely suffering from estrogen dominant syndrome that I needed to IMMEDIATELY cease birth control and go on a regimen of progesterone to start getting back to normal. She also wanted me to take an additional vitamin D and have my fasting insulin checked. Since my thyroid and glucose were fine she was just covering the bases. She reassured me that I would in fact be okay. That we would get to the bottom of my symptoms and get “me” back. It may take some time but it would happen. She squelched my fears about my “positive ANA” as well. She recommended that I don’t go see the rheumatologist because they are just going to put me through a bunch of tests that will most likely NOT produce any results. Any inflammation in my body could produce that positive marker on my blood test…well, I have had NOTHING BUT inflammation! She did say that if I chose to go down that road she could recommend a rheumatologist that believed in natural medicine. I left her office feeling hopeful for the first time in a really long time. I had a followup with her in 2 weeks! I was actually going to be monitored and watched for changes in my symptoms.

Mother’s Day 2013 – We had breakfast with my in-law’s at Blueberry Hill Pancake House. I had waffles and a couple bites of pancakes. I ended up with a terrible migraine by the end of breakfast. This same thing happened to me in March at the same restaurant when I ate the same food – waffles. My Imitrex didn’t help at all. I was a slug the rest of the day and that was no fun.

Monday after Mother’s Day – I felt better. I ate some waffles for breakfast and went out for a bike ride. I had another terrible migraine by the time I got home from my ride. I finally got smart and did some internet research and found out that gluten (which is a wheat protein) can in fact give you migraines. It can cause LOTS of problems – swelling, weight gain, insulin spikes, estrogen spikes, and the list goes on. Gluten has been attributed to over 200 different symptoms and no 2 people have the same reaction to it. I immediately ceased all gluten in my diet and from that point forward I have been migraine free!

May 23rd – I went back to see Jen to find out my test results. My fasting insulin was high! She showed me the results and gave me a copy. This is preventive medicine at its best. “Normal” western medicine gives an allowance of 0-17 for your score on the fasting insulin test. Jen and her office says no higher than 5. I scored a 14. I was immediately placed on a new diet. No CARBOHYDRATES. Really I am to avoid them like the plague because they are killing me. I need to eat a high protein diet with very few to no carbs. Now I am welcome to eat most vegetables and fruits as long as the fruit retains the skin when I eat it – apples, berries, apricots, etc…if it gets peeled (oranges and bananas) I am not supposed to eat it because the fiber is typically in the peel. Well, this came as a huge shock. I have honored my husband by adhering to a vegetarian diet. How could go home and  tell him I had to start adding meat back into my diet? There was no other super easy way to get a high protein diet than to basically be a paleo diet follower – which is the antithesis of Aaron. I was fearful to share the news. I didn’t know what this was going to do to our family. Had I given up all processed carbohydrates (cereal, waffles, pancakes, pastas) things would have different. But I was so new to the vegetarian diet, I had no clue what to make! I just did what I could. That nearly cost me to become a diabetic.

So now I am currently eating no grains. I am eating as much protein-rich foods as possible which limiting my carbohydrates. I have also added a soy protein powder to a peanut butter and unsweetened almond milk milkshake at night (which my boys LOVE) and I have already noticed a HUGE difference! I am not swelling nearly like I used to. I have dropped 3 pounds. I have energy! I don’t feel like crashing for a nap right after breakfast! I actually WANT to go exercise or work outside. I feel like doing anything! It has truly been amazing! I would never had said any of these things were possible with a simple switch in my diet. I am beyond ecstatic and relieved. And Aaron has been nothing but supportive. He doesn’t like the meat aspect but we have chosen to purchase meat from ethically treated animals that are fed organic food and are hormone free. Even my eggs are organic, free-range, vegetarian-fed. The change has been so dramatic that even Aaron has noticed. We just hope this change (betterment in my health) is here to stay!

I will be following up with Jen in 3 months – September – to have my hormone levels checked and my insulin re-checked. If I have made significant progress I get to expand my diet a bit and just be on maintenance. Woohoo!

I know this was a lengthy, windy post but I wanted to get it all out there. I was in such a dark place for such a long time and I felt helpless. I even TRIED to get help but was given all the wrong answers. Our world is so fallen. It is full of drug pushers and poisoned food supply. We can’t hardly eat ANYTHING unless we grow it ourselves or kill it ourselves. And just a side note: I went to Red Robin to celebrate Abel’s 3rd birthday and I enjoyed a veggie burger with a gluten-free bun and gluten-free fries (unseasoned, since their seasoning has MSG). I still had a minor headache later that day. Turns out the veggie burger has wheat gluten added!!! I have to be SUPER careful! YIKES. Good news – we won’t be eating out hardly at all anymore which means more money for other things…bad news…I will be making 5 separate meals 3 times a day:( Well, truth be told Aaron makes most of his own food. He usually only eats what the rest of us eat at lunch (our big meal). But you know what that is okay! And you know something else – vegans and paleo-ish people can live together in harmony! We are living proof!

Goodnight ya’ll and I hope to return soon with new posts that capture the last year or so…until then, I bid you ado.