Thursday Sep 2

Posts Tagged ‘Insulin Resistance’

Aug
27/09
Big. Red. Dot.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 January 2010 08:09
Written by Melinda
Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Well, I found out why I’ve been so tired these past few weeks.  Mother Nature came calling.  You think I would recognize the signs by now.  I never do.  Every three to four months, it hits really hard.  With the Mirena, bleeding is usually pretty easy, light, almost non-existent.  There are those months though that are so bad…  the world wishes I would go away!

I can tell that the worst has passed.  The exhaustion appears to be gone for the most part.  And, I have felt like doing something!  I have rearranged all the furniture in my office at work, totally re-organized my files, supplies, you name it… it now has a new home.  Now if I could just build up the stamina to do the same on the homefront.  HOWEVER!  I did regroup my closet last weekend.  That counts!  It’s time for “spring cleaning”, in the fall of course.  Time to drag out all the fall clothing and move all the summer clothes out.  I may not be that rambunctious just yet.  We’ll have to wait and see.

I also want to add that sometimes I receive emails from ladies asking about PCOS.  The questions normally are something like this:

  • I’ve heard that my PCOS will totally dissipate after having weight loss surgery. Is this true?
  • I have hirsutism; will losing weight stop this problem?
  • I have a history of hormone problems.  What have you seen resolved after having gastric bypass surgery?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  I still have hirsutism.  My hormones have a mind of their own.  And, THEY rule ME.  PMDD is still a way of life (though less frequent, thanks Mirena!).  And, I did experience about a year of relief (the first year after my wls) but once my body was readjusted, the problems came back.  I have, however, received final word from my endocrinologist that there is no sign of Insulin Resistance at this time, and we will recheck in one year.  Sorry gals.  I wish I had a brighter answer for you…  but, life is still good (1 week out of the month, that is!)  You PMDD gals will “get” that last statement!  I threw that in just for you!

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Apr
13/09
Hormone Ponderings
Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 January 2010 08:20
Written by Melinda
Monday, April 13th, 2009

Last week I had an appointment with a compounding pharmacist to go  over the results of my saliva test.  My hormones are all out of whack, which is no surprise since I’ve had problems since I was a teenager.  But, he thinks I’m in PERIMENOPAUSE!  Glory to Jesus, Hallelujah!  And all the choir sang, “AMEN”!  Oh it’s a glorious time with the hot flashes, mood swings, irritability, cramps, insomnia, urinary urges, fatigue, headaches, and the “spare tire” around the midsection of the tummy.  I’m on a quest now to take better care of myself because I know what this road will lead me down.  WEIGHT GAIN.

As I chatted with the pharmacist about my history, I mentioned how I felt PCOS/Insulin Resistance were at the root of my obesity.  Basically, he agreed.  And, though he did not actually say this aloud, I could almost hear his thoughts.  Or, maybe it was just my thoughts yelling so loud, I couldn’t hear his.  But, the thought is IF I do not take better care of myself and get these problems tended to NOW, it will lead me down a road that I don’t want to go.  WEIGHT GAIN.

I’ve been a strong advocator that each bypass patient listen to their bodies.  Pay close attention to any changes that are going on, both in how you feel, and how your body shape is changing.  Some months ago, I noticed some changes in my body.  And honestly, it has left me very unhappy.  I’ve tried to resign myself to a state of contentment regarding the changes, but that nagging feeling still exists.  As we looked back on my weight charts for the past two years, there was noticeable change when I had Mirena IUD installed due to hormone problems.  But, the midsection tells the story best as it is getting bigger in the exact same places where insulin and estrogen are stored during perimenopause.  WEIGHT GAIN.

The past few weeks I have spent time logging more carefully my daily caloric intake.  I’ve cut out caffeine, lowered my carbs, and started exercising more.  My exercise over the winter was virtually non-existent and this has had no positive effect on my body either!  I’ve been walking, doing some hand weight, stretching exercises, and just added the big ball today so that I can do push ups and stomach crunches.  I’ve also got out my trusty broom handle to do a few tricks I learned after gastric bypass to help deflate the tummy area.  So I’ve been working out!  Not to mention, I’ve added some supplements to help me through these times.   At any rate, I am willing to do whatever it takes to prevent WEIGHT GAIN.

Now you might see a pattern in this post.  Every paragraph’s last two words are:  WEIGHT GAIN.  I want to bring your attention to it today.  We must be ever so cautious to evaluate and RE-evaluate our health and condition of our bodies.  If not, we can become lax, or allow health problems to continue which can bring back our obesity.  Weight loss surgery only helps us lose all the weight we had; it is no guarantee that we will never become obese again.  In other words, it’s a vehicle that drives us to the place we want to be (thin).  Once we arrive at the destination, it is up to US to stay there.  Let’s take a few moments today and ask ourselves questions such as:

1.  Has my weight gone up?

2.  Are there any physical changes in my body shape?  Any areas that seem to be getting larger?

3.  Am I logging my food?

4.  Am I drinking enough water?

5.  Has my eating got out of control or do I need to scale back on the carb intake?

6.  Are there any existing health conditions that could prevent weight loss or cause weight gain?

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May
16/08
T.O.M. – Ladies You Know What I Mean!
Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 January 2010 08:35
Written by Melinda
Friday, May 16th, 2008

I started my period yesterday. I’ve been in a lousy mood and have cramps.  While I did get my weight down,last night I was hungry at supper and had a nice portion (not huge, just a little more than normal) of my pastaLESS lasagna. Later I had a little bit of sugar free low carb chocolate ice cream and paid the piper for it! I have not had chocolate ice cream in months, and had about 1/8 cup. It made my stomach hurt so bad! It has done this on two other occasions, and you would think I would give up and say “it’s just one of those things that I cannot have.” But, I decided to give it another try. I am not sure if its something in the chocolate but I’ve used two brands and both did the same thing. Vanilla has never made me sick, although like I said, it’s something that I may have every few months in small portions.

While we’re on the subject of periods, I’ve been in a quandry. I was on the NuvaRing and have been wondering whether or not to get the Mirena IUD. This seemed like such a permanent birth control method, although it can be removed should I ever want to get pregnant. But I still haven’t made the decision: to have children or not. I never really wanted children, but now that I am getting older and my system is getting some cobwebs, it worries me that the window of opportunity might be closing. I’ve thought about children… about ten minutes a month when my hormones are going crazy. The rest of the time, I say “NO” to the thought of me with a child.

I woke up the night before last with my NuvaRing on top of my quilt at my chest! What?! How did it get from point A to point B? I have not a clue… so that pretty much made me decide to go ahead with the Mirena. I hope that it causes these cramps, moodiness, tearfulness, and other hormone crud to be resolved. The gyn thinks it is the best solution so I am trusting his medical judgment because at this point, I’m exhausted from the cycle…

So today is the day! I go in at 12:15 for the insertion of Mirena. I’m NOT looking forward to it because guess what I get to take as a pain prevention? Liquid Tylenol!? I know it’s going to hurt, and I have a very low tolerance to pain. If you don’t hear from me on the net all weekend, you know I’m probably conked out in bed with the cramps!

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Apr
28/08
Hormones Gone Wild
Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 January 2010 08:39
Written by Melinda
Monday, April 28th, 2008

Since my ninth grade year, I’ve had a series of hormone problems stemming from PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Insulin Resistance/Metabolic Syndrome. At that time, doctors were not as up to date in their treatments as they are now. But one thing I was placed on was birth control. After all, the main thing was to get my cycles regular. I’ve had some gynecologists say that it did not matter whether or not I had a monthly period. Now to me, this is a big deal. I hate having them, but come on! That’s the way our bodies were designed by the Creator.

For many years, I did not pursue treatment. I felt like a guinea pig in my early twenties because the doctors tried so many different approaches. I just got sick of the medications (I had a medicine cabinet full!) and said “Forget it all.” I did not pursue treatment again until the past ten years. As a matter of fact, my mother and I diagnosed myself with “Insulin Resistance” after perusing the internet for signs/symptoms. The medical doctor I was seeing at the time did not want to diagnose me with that until running a couple thousand dollars worth of labs. I kept asking him “Can you do the test to show whether I have Insulin Resistance?” As a last resort, and him being stumped, he ordered the test. Guess what? I was right.

Several years back, I had two roommates, both guys. I decided to take an even further step in finally having my period. I didn’t have one for a few years at that point. I knew that as soon as I started any treatment at all, Lord everybody should watch out! I knew that it was about to unleash the most terrible little demon inside of me… moodiness, emotional outburst, frustration, PMS or heck on wheels, whichever you choose to call it. I advised my roommates, thank Goodness they were best friends, “Now when I start taking these little pills (Provera), everything is going to change!” Josh, one roommate said later that I had never spoken the truth so much in my entire life than I had on that day! Needless to say, I suffered greatly with PMDD (the worst PMS you could experience!). Instead of one week a month, it was reverse….. THREE weeks a month! It made me feel crazy!

I lay this groundwork to say that I’m having my periods every two weeks now. I called the gyn’s office and have a morning appt today. Not sure as to what he will suggest, but where I used to never have a period, now I can’t seem to get rid of them! And y’all wonder why I can be so irritable, frustrated, anxious! LOL… Give a girl a break!

Now there are certain birth control forms that are best for gastric patients. My doctor suggested Ortho Evra patch but it is now causing me some problems. He also suggests Mirena, which is a device inserted into the body. My health insurance does not want to cover. I work for a Catholic Charities facility and they view this for birth control purposes only. This means that I must write a letter of appeal, presenting medical records, doctor letters, etc. to prove that this is the best resort for me. The gastric bypass further complicates things because of the malabsorption problem, not to mention the fact that I have taken many birth control pills and they either make me sick or cause PMDD emotional upsets. It appears right now that it was easier to get my gastric bypass and tummy tuck covered than it will be getting this IUD covered! And it has nothing to do with birth control at all. Instead it has to do with my hormones and problems related to it. <sigh>

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