Sometimes Life just gets in the way!
(or TMI -Too Much Information)
Part One

It's been a couple of years since I've been here and I really missed the people I got to know here. It's my fault, but I had reasons! So, I thought I should share/explain.

The Peri-Menopausal stage of a woman’s life caught up with me and just about ruined my life. Or at least I felt like my life was ruined/over.

It started about 2.5 years ago. I knew I wasn't feeling like myself and was really worried that I might have something terribly wrong but was afraid to go find out. I say that after ending up in the emergency room of the local hospital because the "Doc-in-a-box" I went to from work thought I might have appendicitis but after six hours in the Emergency Room, an MRI, and lots of morphine, it was diagnosed as an ovarian cyst.

Sheez, I'd never had "female problems" before. What a shock.

So the next week I went to an appointment with my HMO OB-GYN and "he" said, "I don't think it was a cyst, I don't know what your problem was but I can't find anything wrong with you now." JERK! He'd never seen me before because I don't go to doctors unless I'm sick and I hadn't been sick! So I was less than impressed and didn't go back until 3 months later when I was having such a heavy period that I was wearing two tampons and a pad and STILL flooding my clothes within an hour. Back to the OB-GYN clinic at the HMO and this time I refused to see the previous doctor and was assigned to a Nurse Practitioner (sp?) who said I was in "pre-menopausal" stage and there wasn't anything that could be done at that time, that I needed to keep a record of my periods and if I bled more in an hour than one large pad could handle for six hours or more then I needed to go to the emergency room. In the meantime, when my period was heavy I should "rest." I wasn't real happy with her either. So I spent the remainder of 2007 just being pissed off with doctors and secretly worrying that I might have something really wrong with me!

Then in March 2008 I got another Ob-GYN who wasn't at the HMO and he was really nice, sat down and explained the stages a woman goes through later in life, and suggested I start on hormone therapy and see if we could get some control over my symptoms. Okay, so I started on Estrodial patch in .25 mg strength. After 3 months I was still bleeding heavily, had an erratic menstrual schedule, and escalated to heavy night sweats and frequent "hot flashes."

AND the mood swings!!

My poor husband!! Not to mention the people I worked with, and unsuspecting waitresses, cashiers, or just people walking down the street doing stupid things! I was a HORROR!

Back to my new doctor, who prescribed a stronger dose of the Estrodial patch and told me not to wait so long this time if there wasn't any improvement. So then I was up to the .5 mg strength hormone patch. After two more months, no change, so then I advanced to the .75 mg strength.

Then I got laid off from my job.
That was August 2008. Totally sucked. I pouted for three weeks. Or was depressed. I couldn't tell which.

Then I decided I'd better get this hormone thing under control while I still had insurance. Back to the doctor, who increased the Estrodial up to 1 mg patch. At the end of September I noticed that my legs and feet were swelling really badly, and I seemed to being carrying a lot of fluid everywhere in my body. I was short of breath and really miserable. It took me until mid-October to read about hormones and that it could cause water retention and swelling and other problems. So I quit using the hormone patches.

Didn't stop the swelling. Didn't stop the mood swings. Didn't stop the depression. Didn't stop the weight gain. Didn't stop the night sweats (and I'm talking more than my chest, inside my elbows and behind my knees here - I'd have to get up in the middle of the night and change the sheets because DH's side of the king-sized bed was soaked also!). Didn't change a thing.

***Continued in next post***

__________________
Start Date: March 2005

Goal Date: June 25, 2006 EDIT: 2007
Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Restart Date June 10, 2009

STILL Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Sometimes Life just gets in the way!
(or TMI -Too Much Information)
Part Two

But life was going on around me and my Dear FIL became much more ill (82-years-old, and losing the use of his legs). He went from being able to use a walker with difficulty to not being able to use one at all and switching to a scooter. Since I'd been laid off work, I was designated driver to take him to all of his doctor appointments because my MIL couldn't drive their SUV. Also, I think having me along helped them keep the various doctor reports in perspective. He was finally diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) at the beginning of November.

In mid-November, the night of November 14, 2008 to be exact, my neighborhood burned down during the Southern California wildfires. We had less than 30 minutes to evacuate our house and didn't know if it would be there ever again. It turned out our home was spared but it was three days before we knew that. DH and I went to my in-laws for five days while working out what to do.

My neighborhood was declared a "disaster area and a hazardous site." So then we couldn't live in our house (it was damaged anyway) but didn't know when we'd be allowed to have contractors come and fix it. So we moved into a fully furnished 1 bedroom apartment (640 sq ft.) near my in-laws. It was miserable for us but a blessing for them as my FIL was getting worse and worse. My DH was having to go over there 3 or 4 times a week in the middle of the night to pick his father up off the floor (when my FIL would get up to go to the bathroom and used his walker even though he had no use of his legs). I continued driving my in-laws to doctor appointments, grocery store, etc., etc.

And, I continued to feel like crap. The day this past spring when I had to buy sandals two sizes larger then my normal size AND a double D width was the day I said I had to do something about the swelling and feeling bad and then having periods for six to seven WEEKS!

My MIL insisted I go to a doctor who specialized in "bio-identical hormone therapy." I grumbled and growled and finally made an appointment with the doctor she wanted me to see - all the time telling DH his mother had swallowed the WHoo-Hoo doctor theory hook line and sinker!

Guess what? MIL was onto something. Or at least the doctor MIL sent me to actually helped me.

Honestly, I think MIL and the doctor saved my life. All I can say is God was watching over me when I went to this doctor. The very first thing this new doctor did after taking my medical history and doing a physical exam was send me the next day for an EXTENSIVE blood test (over $2,000 worth of blood test in Los Angeles California dollars).

The blood tests were shocking. There were good results along with the bad news. The good results were that despite being very overweight I did not have diabetes, I did not have any heart problems, my cholesterol levels – both types were just fine. (I don’t have the lab work in front of me at the moment or I’d remember the two types of cholesterol being measured (LDL and HDL??) My triglycerides are good too. My blood pressure was slightly, slightly elevated but the doctor said that was because of the fluid retention I had. I didn’t have the genetic marker for heart problems and no thyroid problems. Everything was well within normal markers except…….my sex hormones! (Surprise – HA!)

My estrogen was abnormally high, my progesterone barely measured and I didn’t have any testosterone to speak of (guess what? Women need testosterone too!)

And, I was severely anemic. The anemia part surprised me because I’d never thought of that even though I did feel weak all the time and had been bleeding for months. And, I had a Vitamin D deficiency.

The doctor explained to me that I was exhibiting classic symptoms of hormone imbalance, with too much estrogen in my system, as shown not only through the blood tests but the fluid retention, the little blue spots under my skin which weren’t varicose veins, the depression, the wild mood swings, and the extreme night sweats. And the bleeding, which caused the anemia.

So, the doctor prescribed progesterone cream – 100 mg, Testosterone cream – 1 mg per gram, iron, B vitamin complex, prescription folic acid AND lots of green leafy vegetables, and Vitamin D. In addition she talked me into doing a doctor monitored (I had to go visit her twice a week) diet which was basically protein and vegetables – no sugar (not even splenda – it was Stevia/Truvia instead), salt, dairy, wheat, oils/fats. I did this for 30 days starting June 7th.

Within 10 days I felt MUCH better and have continued to feel better ever since. After the 30 days I gradually reintroduced the salt, dairy, wheat, oils/fats back into my diet.

Remember my fire-damaged home? Well, DH and I were finally able to get contractors in to begin repairs in mid-May. That was when the City, County and State governments completed removing the “hazardous materials” and removed the restrictions to allow people back in the neighborhood. What was supposed to be a 30 day construction job turned into 60 days. During the time we were out of the house, the pipes burst because of the fluctuating water pressure from the fire damaged utilities (water and sewer pipes five feet underground cracked from the heat of the wild fire). This caused more damage than originally discovered and my house had to be almost completely rebuilt. (One thing I’d like to share with everyone – get GOOD HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE!! Thank goodness we had.)

So, we moved back into the house, at the end of June – having given notice on the apartment we were renting based on the original repair time – and lived in the midst of construction for several more weeks.

All of this while I’m doing the hormone treatment, anemia treatment, and following a restricted diet. Was I crazy? No, I was desperate!

Remember my dear FIL who was diagnosed with ALS? He was admitted to the hospital in mid-June with an infection in the bursa of his elbow which progressed to an infection in the bone. Emergency surgery was performed on the Thursday before Father’s Day because the doctors were afraid he’d get blood poisoning. He didn’t do well in the surgery and then at the end of June his kidneys shut down and he refused dialysis. On July 5th my dear FIL passed away without ever coming home from the hospital.

And, another good news/bad timing situation, I was hired at a great job on July 1st in a temp-to-hire position. I love what I’m doing there, my new workplace is 5 miles from home, and they work 9 hours days with every other Friday off. Having a 3-day weekend on a regular basis while being fully employed is a good thing!

Finally, here at the end of August 2009, things are settling down a little and my daily life is a little more “regular.” My MIL is adjusting to living on her own, she has slowed down the daily phone calls and we don’t have to go over to her house every day, all day, on my days off. And, now that the construction is finished I’ve almost unpacked all the boxes.

So I’m able to focus back on my low-carb way of life with which I was so successful before (having lost 100 pounds doing that previously). AND my doctor supports the low-carb high protein plan I’m following!!!

Oh yeah, I lost 47 pounds during that 30 day doctor supervised restricted diet. But a lot of it was “water weight.” Although, I went from a size 22 to a size 16, or a very baggy 18, during that time so maybe it was a little more than “water weight.” This Friday I go back to have another very extensive blood test. My doctor’s appointment isn’t until the middle of September but we wanted to get the blood work up three months after starting the hormone treatments.

Today, Tuesday, August 25, 2009, was Day Two of Induction. I’ll weigh on Sunday, or maybe I’ll peek when they weigh me at the lab on Friday.

Oh, did I mention that I’m actually excited about coming back to Low Carb? The reason I’m excited is that I KNOW this works and I KNOW I’ll feel even better following it. Feeling well and healthy has become very very important to me.

And now you know the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey used to say.

~K

__________________
Start Date: March 2005

Goal Date: June 25, 2006 EDIT: 2007
Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Restart Date June 10, 2009

STILL Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

I'm bummed. I'm tired. I have menstrual cramps. Cramps only mind you.

That's me....my own personal little thundercloud.

I have to go have a blood test tomorrow. I hate that, I have a needle phobia like you wouldn't believe. AND, my veins are hard to find, AND they roll AND the nurse needs to be real good or I'm going to be a pin cushion tomorrow.

I'm up typing on the computer when I should be going to bed. Tomorrow is my day off and I have TONS of stuff to do because I have to go help my MIL on Saturday and probably Sunday too. I love my MIL, and I know she's going through a very difficult time right now but I soooooo do not want to spend my entire weekend at her house.

I want to stay home and watch old movies on TV or something. And cry a lot, 'cause that's what you do when you watch old romantic movies and it is TOM.

The good things going on in my life at the moment are the fact this WOE is easy for me at the moment. I'm logging my food over on FitDay and not lying. I'm doing really well with the induction phase. My calories are a little high but that is because I've been pigging out on cheese and butter and cream. I'm still eating about half of the calories I burn every day. I'm not hungry either! And, the foods I'm making to take to work are easy to do and taste good. I've been organized and am able to walk through the door and make dinner at night without it being too big of deal (and easy clean-up) So this week the food situation was very good.

Monday food: 1 cup raw spinach, 2 cups raw romaine, 4 oz Cheddar cheese, 3 stalks raw celery, 1 baby carrot (I forgot), 1 pound 95% lean hamburger (I actually made two burgers twice for a total of 4 burgers 'cause that is what I wanted at the time), 2 cups steamed cauliflower then run through the blender with 2 oz. whipping cream and 4 tablespoons of butter for "faux mashed potatoes" TOTALS (for the day): 1,820 calories, 132.8 g Fat, 27.4 g Carbs minus 11 g Fiber for ECC of 16.4 g, 130.4 g Protein.

Calories burned for Monday - 3,503

Tuesday food: 2 cups raw spinach, 3 oz Cheddar cheese, 2 servings Cheesy Sausage Bake (I wasn't very hungry on Tuesday) TOTALS (for the day): 1,625 Calories, 125.7 g Fat, 24.9 g Carbs minus 6g Fiber for ECC of 18.9 ECC, 103.8 g Protein.

Calories burned for Tuesday - 3,020

Wednesday food: 2 cups raw spinach (I've been on a spinach kick), 7 Hebrew National Beef Franks, 7 spears of steamed Asparagus with lemon juice drizzle, 1 serving Cheesy Sausage Bake TOTALS (for the day): 1,532 Calories, 133.9 g Fat, 18.7 g Carb minus 4.5g Fiber for ECC of 14.2 ECC, 73.8 g Protein

Calories burned for Wednesday - 3,430

Thursday food: 1 Cheesy Sausage Bake, 2 cups raw Spinach, 2 cups Chicken Salad (my homemade), 1 cup steamed Cauliflower turned into Faux tatoes with butter. TOTALS: 1, 785 Calories, 117.4 g Fat, 28.3 g Carbs minus 9.4 g Fiber for ECC of 18.9

Calories burned for Thursday - 3,389

I haven't lost a pound. As a matter of fact, I've been yo-yo-ing up and down between 230 and 233. At night it has been 235 to 237. I'm not too worried about that yet (even if my fat/calorie intake is too high) because this is the week I don't use the hormone creams and I've felt bloated and pre-menstrual all week. If my body behaves as it has before on LC then when I've had my period I'll drop weight all at once one night. (Love those "whooshes"). I don't know if my body is doing that or not now but I'll find out sometime next week - after I go back to using the hormone creams on Sunday. The hormone cream schedule is 3 weeks on and one week off.

Now I'm going to take my grumpy self off to bed. 5:30 a.m. comes awfully early and I've got a ton of things to do tomorrow!!

I hope I have a better attitude tomorrow.

__________________
Start Date: March 2005

Goal Date: June 25, 2006 EDIT: 2007
Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Restart Date June 10, 2009

STILL Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Hi M'Lady K,

You've been through an awful lot in the last year and I'm gad to hear things are looking up for you! The whole peri-menopause thing sounds soooooo familiar. Glad you found some relief.

How do you burn so many calories per day? Ae you exercising? If so what kind(s) do you do?

Hi Kathy
first off sending lots of hugs
you have been thru sooo much.
Im so glad your MIL directed to you where you can get some help.
Im sorry about your home too, I had a friend who had a bad fire and it was horrid how the insurance treated her and all.
You can do this, we can do this together ok>???
I have to get the kid other wise I would write more. I sent you a email earlier, I will be back
sandi

__________________
One Day Starts Today!!!

Atkins and Totally Gluten free 8/1/09
355.6/324?
31 pounds gone (8/1)

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and cahins. Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale. ~Stephen Phillips

Hi "Pretty Hot and Tempting," nice to see you visiting, welcome to my little home here!

To answer your questions, no I'm not exercising on a program. I just try to be active. I do things like walk up and down the stairs at work instead of using the elevator (actually I walk more down trips than up trips but every week I try to increase the number of walking up trips instead of the using the elevator. I ALWAYS walk down). I don't park next to the grocery store/any store door in a parking lot but almost down at the end and walk those extra few feet/yards. Because I'm not doing this all at once, the walking I mean, I don't get so tired but all those little trips in a day add up.

Hmmm...I'm not explaining this well. Let me run over to FitDay and grab my "activities" log for yesterday.

Okay, first FitDay has you log in your weight and your height. Then you chose your "lifestyle." The choices are: Very Low Activity (Sedentary); Seated All Day; Mostly Seated with Some Movement; Standing Work; Strenuous Work or Highly Active. I chose Mostly Seated With Some Movement for my Lifestyle. The reason FitDay has you do this is that you burn a certain amount of calories just running your body every day - hey, breathing burns calories!

Then you go to the daily Activities tab and start to chose the activities you did that day. Every activity, no matter how small has a calorie count. These are adjusted by the amount of time you spend doing the activity or the distance covered while doing the activity. And I do mean EVERY activity - including sex!!!

Here are my examples from Thursday (excluding sex information <smile>):

Lifestyle calories burned - 410
Sleeping - 6 hours - 396 Calories burned
Showering, Standing, Toweling off - 20 minutes - 95 calories burned
Making bed - 5 minutes - 12 calories burned
Dressing or Undressing - 40 minutes (I dress in the morning, change from work clothes to comfortable clothes when I get home and then undress for bed at night so I list 40 minutes total for all of that) - 119 calories burned
Cooking or food preparation - 1 hour - 143 calories burned
Driving automobile or light truck - 2 hours - 285 calories burned
Light work while standing (Bartending, store clerk, assembling, filing) mine is filing - 4 hours - 716 calories burned
Writing, desk work, or typing - 3 hours - 387 calories burned
Walking, gathering things at work, preparing to leave - 2 hours - 432 calories burned
Walking up stairs, climbing a ladder - 20 minutes/80 feet (I make 6 trips minimum up and down the stairs between 1st and 2nd floor daily) - 190 calories
Putting away groceries, shopping without cart, carrying in groceries - 1 hour - 181 calories.
This makes a daily total of 3,354 calories.

So that's how I burn so many calories. Basically just doing everyday things.

Sandi,

I got the email. Thanks. I wrote you back and posted quite a lot in your journal.

Gotta go write about today now,
~k

__________________
Start Date: March 2005

Goal Date: June 25, 2006 EDIT: 2007
Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Restart Date June 10, 2009

STILL Keeping my eye focused on 10 pounds at a time!

Hi Kathy,
How was your day today??
thinking of you today
sandi

__________________
One Day Starts Today!!!

Atkins and Totally Gluten free 8/1/09
355.6/324?
31 pounds gone (8/1)

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and cahins. Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale. ~Stephen Phillips

good evening Kathy
how was your day?
How was it at your MIL's?

Sending hugs today

__________________
One Day Starts Today!!!

Atkins and Totally Gluten free 8/1/09
355.6/324?
31 pounds gone (8/1)

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and cahins. Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale. ~Stephen Phillips

Hi M'LadyK.

Didnt see your post the other day but also got the Fitday tip from libaki. Did'nt realize that one burns so many calories just doing everyday things. Maybe there is hope for me yet tacling the exercise.

BTW -- love your middle ages quote :-)

Oh, just saw that is Sandi's quote...like your 10 lbs at a time quote as well!!

Kathy, you ok>>>
where are you?

__________________
One Day Starts Today!!!

Atkins and Totally Gluten free 8/1/09
355.6/324?
31 pounds gone (8/1)

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and cahins. Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale. ~Stephen Phillips

Hi Kathy
still hoping you can find some time to come visit her
hang in there ok
Miss you

__________________
One Day Starts Today!!!

Atkins and Totally Gluten free 8/1/09
355.6/324?
31 pounds gone (8/1)

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and cahins. Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale. ~Stephen Phillips

Hi Kathy,

Hope all is well with you...

Hi kathy
hope all is well
Miss talking to you

__________________
One Day Starts Today!!!

Atkins and Totally Gluten free 8/1/09
355.6/324?
31 pounds gone (8/1)

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and cahins. Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale. ~Stephen Phillips