A slap in the face.

BatsinTrees
BatsinTrees Posts: 7
in Introduce Yourself
Well, hello everyone. I'm Erin.

It's time for me to lose weight. I know that, and so does everyone around me.
[rant]
I had done pretty well a while back, and had been resting at about 12 stone, after having reached 14 stone after my dad died in 2010. Then this year happened to me.
It started off with my immune system blowing up in my face, and giving me two sinus infections and a chest infection by the time January had ended, and then being hospitalised for what they thought was gastroenteritis, but which turned out to be an inflamed gallbladder, blocked bile duct and pancreatitis.
They got me sorted out, but couldn't remove my gallbladder until April, which made it almost impossible to go to college, thus stopping my one main exercise. Climbing that bloody hill up to the campus every day.
Once I had my operation, I weighed myself, and found that I had put back the initial 2 stone I had lost the year before back on, but thought nothing of it, as I knew I could get rid of it again.

Nope. My health was not done being a hat that goes on the rear end.
At this point, I started to get almost constant dizziness and nausea, accompanied by drill-like headaches. This stopped everything in its tracks. Just a month ago, I was diagnosed with severe migraines, and was put on tablets for it. The dizziness has stopped, but not the nausea and headaches.

So now... I'm in a bad place. Since April, when I last weighed myself (until today) I have put on more weight, putting me at 14 st, 12 lbs.
I can't do much exercise, because the two types of tablets I'm on make me almost constantly exhausted, and the doctor who put me on them, well, I don't see him again until December. I know I need to change my diet, and I know I need to get out of the house more... So.
[/rant]
Yeah... Hello.

Replies

  • skamnorth
    skamnorth Posts: 43
    So sorry to hear about your troubles. I've had my gallbladder removed at the ripe young age of 23 since it was inflamed, but like you I couldn't remove it right away since I had my appendix removed (they thought the gallbladderproblem was in fact the appendix going to burst and went in surgery with haste). Both pre- and post getting the gallbladder removed was horrible from a diet standpoint, I was just happy to be able to keep something in me for more then an hour.

    The good news is that now, a few years later it is SO much better. No more gallstone attacks, the after effects of removing the bladder is pretty much gone!

    As you say a diet change could help you our with your migraine, Have you talked to a nutritionist about making a plan?

    You dont need to do much in the beginning exercise-wise. Just start by taking a walk every day. Start with a kilometer, add another kilometer... soon you'll relish the fresh air and feel exhausted if you *dont* walk.

    Feel free to add me!
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
    Ahhh, I had to remove an extremely inflamed gallbladder a few years ago and I still remember how painful that was. None of that sounds like fun :( I'm sure you can still be successful at losing weight, though, even if you just focus on your diet until you can figure out your meds/get more energy. You've already taken one great big step by joining MFP -- Welcome :)
  • moment_to_arise
    moment_to_arise Posts: 207 Member
    i had my gallbladder removed back in 2010 after suffering from severe abdominal pains for 5 years without doctors knowing what was wrong. I remember how terrible it was, but after having it removed it is like a blessing. you WILL feel SOOOO much better once you are all healed up. it is like finally waking up after a bad nightmare.

    start out by just taking daily walks, just around the block or something, and then keep making them longer. This will get you out of the house, get your blood pumping, etc. This will also most likely help with your exhaustion. The more you don't move, the more you DON'T want to move. But once you get moving you won't want to stop.
  • BatsinTrees
    BatsinTrees Posts: 7
    Thanks guys. I've actually healed up pretty much fully from my gallbladder going bye-bye... I had an easy ride compared to some people in that respects.

    I will be going on daily walks, or you could call them nightly walks, as I have noticed that one of the main triggers of them is being out during the day. Luckily, now that it's autumn, I can take those walks before midnight, and it's still dark enough.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
    What are they prescribing you Topamax or something? Get Maxalt, it doesn't make you feel like crap for the most part, it isn't preventative but there's a generic now and it stops your migraine in it's tracks.
  • Kadoober
    Kadoober Posts: 289 Member
    I've had hormonal migraines for the majority of my life, and they suck so bad!

    Have you by any chance started replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners lately? They can cause some pretty nasty migraines, in fact a friend of mine suffered from them at least twice a month, debilitating, life halting headaches, and after several people suggesting it to her over and over, she just cut out the artificial sweetners last month, and hasn't had one since.

    Just a thought, as it's not uncommon for folks trying to lose fat to make a switch from the real sugar.
  • BatsinTrees
    BatsinTrees Posts: 7
    They've actually put me on nortryptaline, which is normally an anti-depressant, but it can work with migraines.
    I'll look into that and mention it to the doctor when I next see him though. Thanks.
  • BatsinTrees
    BatsinTrees Posts: 7
    Oh, god no. I can't stand artificial sweeteners. I'd rather have the sugar in moderation.
  • Kadoober
    Kadoober Posts: 289 Member
    Oh, god no. I can't stand artificial sweeteners. I'd rather have the sugar in moderation.

    I like you.

    :)
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    Back in my youth I was diagnosed with migraines. I really couldn't take the meds and work. I was going to school full time, working full time, and had two boys (one was a preteen and one was a teenager). Thankfully my husband was there and pulled his share of the home life work and we were able to work our schedules so that when the kids were home, someone was home. The doctors really felt that my schedule and stress was the whole reason for the debilitating headaches. WRONG! It was an allergy. After living with it for years, we moved. Almost over night the 2 or 3 times a week debilitating migraines stopped. Whenever I returned to the old homestead to visit I would get them back. I finally identified the plant causing it and I promise you it would have never been something they would have tested me for. I am not saying that is what is happening to you, but I am saying consider the possibility.
  • scot30316
    scot30316 Posts: 169 Member
    Back in my youth I was diagnosed with migraines. I really couldn't take the meds and work. I was going to school full time, working full time, and had two boys (one was a preteen and one was a teenager). Thankfully my husband was there and pulled his share of the home life work and we were able to work our schedules so that when the kids were home, someone was home. The doctors really felt that my schedule and stress was the whole reason for the debilitating headaches. WRONG! It was an allergy. After living with it for years, we moved. Almost over night the 2 or 3 times a week debilitating migraines stopped. Whenever I returned to the old homestead to visit I would get them back. I finally identified the plant causing it and I promise you it would have never been something they would have tested me for. I am not saying that is what is happening to you, but I am saying consider the possibility.
    Was that plant weed :)
  • BatsinTrees
    BatsinTrees Posts: 7
    Back in my youth I was diagnosed with migraines. I really couldn't take the meds and work. I was going to school full time, working full time, and had two boys (one was a preteen and one was a teenager). Thankfully my husband was there and pulled his share of the home life work and we were able to work our schedules so that when the kids were home, someone was home. The doctors really felt that my schedule and stress was the whole reason for the debilitating headaches. WRONG! It was an allergy. After living with it for years, we moved. Almost over night the 2 or 3 times a week debilitating migraines stopped. Whenever I returned to the old homestead to visit I would get them back. I finally identified the plant causing it and I promise you it would have never been something they would have tested me for. I am not saying that is what is happening to you, but I am saying consider the possibility.
    I don't think it's possible that there's anything that I've not been tested for being allergic to. I'm on so many antihistamines...
    But that's quite an interesting thought.
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    Back in my youth I was diagnosed with migraines. I really couldn't take the meds and work. I was going to school full time, working full time, and had two boys (one was a preteen and one was a teenager). Thankfully my husband was there and pulled his share of the home life work and we were able to work our schedules so that when the kids were home, someone was home. The doctors really felt that my schedule and stress was the whole reason for the debilitating headaches. WRONG! It was an allergy. After living with it for years, we moved. Almost over night the 2 or 3 times a week debilitating migraines stopped. Whenever I returned to the old homestead to visit I would get them back. I finally identified the plant causing it and I promise you it would have never been something they would have tested me for. I am not saying that is what is happening to you, but I am saying consider the possibility.
    Was that plant weed :)


    I knew someone would go there LOL, but no not one of my demons. It was Liriope, common border in decorative gardens. I moved from the city where everyone planted it in their gardens to the Mountains and live way out in the country, where people plant food gardens and not decorative gardens :)

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