The past couple of months people have been sending me links to all sorts of protocols for FM and CFS cures/aids. None of them tell you to get blood tests first to see if you are actually short on any of these things. Most of the literature I've read said that CFS/FM patients have a magnesium deficiency and indeed my blood work in March did show one. My doc put me on 1000mg/day which I've been pretty good about taking. My test this week showed a blood level of 3.1. It is supposed to be between 1.6-2.6 so I've taken too much for too long. I'm now stopping my magnesium pills. The moral of the story is get tested and only supplement if it is indicated!! Protocol be damned. You can get just as sick from taking too much of some of these supplements as from having too little.
My B12, which was deficient in November, is now up to a healthy 784. The normal range is 211-946. There is some debate that it should be even higher but I haven't seen anything definitive yet, so I'm happy with my numbers. I'll probably keep taking the B12 but cut back to once a week instead of daily. That way I have a nice maintenance dose. Mind you these are large dose sublinguals I've been on 1000 umg/day.
My iron level is back to normal so I just have to check with doc if I should stay on the supplements or stop for a while. Maybe I'll skip a few days between doses or do once a week like the B12. Iron is another one you don't want to take too much of like the magnesium.
Glucose, HDL, LDL and liver tests were all normal. Woohoo!! Something is normal for a change!
Now the mystery number and the reason for my angst today: triglycerides are 309. Normal range is 50-150 so I am considered in the high range. Apparently there is a 'very high' range but I'm a couple hundred counts short of that category. Why is this?? I don't eat crappy? Has my thyroid gone on the fritz again? I had several weeks where my hair was falling out like mad and I've suddenly gained seven pounds. Okay, maybe it was that suddenly but still. I'm still eating about the same I think. I've had a hell of a stressful month this past month so I might have had a bit more chocolate than is normal for me. Doc wants to put me on meds for it but I think I might ask for a check on my thyroid to make sure it is okay or gone wonky again. Maybe I should contact my endocrinologist and see what she has to say.
Things are finally calming down in my life but my energy level is worse than ever right now. I can't seem to catch a break where I can rest for long enough to do any good and make progress. It has been more of a one step forward and two back kind of thing this year. I just start doing a bit better and then something happens: restrictive diet, graduation, hubby threatening to leave, cockroaches. I'm so angry and frustrated. I already had a good cry today.
I wish I had enough money that I could get hire someone to cook, clean and run errands for me so I could concentrate on getting better. Holey crap. I want a few months off all house duties. I need to do nothing for a while. It is bothering me that my energy envelope is getting smaller and smaller. I've been getting worse this past month not better. It is scaring the crap out of me.
I need to put together an action plan. Lay out what food and supplements I should be taking. If I get my LTD approved maybe hire someone to run errands/cook. Hubby wants nothing to do with food and it is beginning to look like I'm not going to be able to cook much for a while. I'll have to talk with the kid and see if I can get him to cook for a few weeks. I can help but I need to put someone else in charge of the kitchen for a month or so. Although I've been sick I've still been the one putting together grocery lists, keeping track of food related inventory, nagging people to go out and buy food, doing the prep and often the cooking itself. I've also been doing the odd bit of cleaning here and there. The stove has been my responsibility to keep clean. Doesn't matter that someone else spilled spaghetti sauce all over it or pancake mix, it will sit there for days until I clean it up. Plus I'm trying to keep peace in my house. I'm trying to make hubby happy or at least less angry. If I manage to get food on the table then he is easier to manage. OMG, I want to quit. I need to quit. I need to stop being a housewife for a while.
Why is it that I'm the one that is sick and people still expect me to do stuff?
One of the cooking things I did Peg when cooking became a challenge for me was change how I was cooking. I started using stock pots, crock pots and George Foreman grills plus eating raw like salads and fruit and stuff.
ReplyDeleteI also switched to one pot meals like chili, pot roast, or things I could make in one pan in the oven like my fish/chicken and potatoes meal.
And lastly, I would always make double or triple batches and freeze up serving sizes in the fridge so I just have to pull it out. That way I cook once a week or so.
I don't know if that will work with a family but I thought I would suggest it.