Saturday, August 28, 2010

Mamavation Monday - Doctor says...

Watch Lives Change
Hey Mamavation ladies! I am so excited this week, I hope that this post makes sense... (It's a longie!)

As most of you may recall, in July I was very sick with Colitis. I visited the ER and was told I most likely had Crohn's disease, which made me very nervous and worried. First, I was worried about living with Crohn's for the rest of my life. Some people do it and do it well, but I was very unsure and scared of the unknown. I was also worried that if I did have Crohn's, I would not be able to apply for the next Mamavation Campaign. The second thing I was worried about was the colonoscopy (You're gonna put that where?!?) that the ER doc told me I needed. And lastly, I was terrified of the medical bills. I have NO health insurance. Yes, mostly my fault. So, to ease my mind, and to get a definitive answer, I finally visited a Gastroenterologist on Thursday. Dr. Awesome walked in the room and told me he was 90% positive that I don't have Crohn's and I didn't need a colonoscopy! (HUGE sigh of relief!) My discomfort was caused my the antibiotic Augmentin, which wiped out all of my intestinal bacteria. C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile) moved in and infected my large intestines. Doc did say that this was possibly a blessing in disguise. Through my CT and lab work, we discovered that I have a slightly enlarged spleen, elevated levels of bad cholesterol, and elevated liver enzymes. I would have had NO idea any of these were out of whack had I not gotten sick! I told Dr. Awesome to be honest with me, and tell me how much my weight was a factor in these new problems. He said my obesity was completely to blame. So, he gave me some awesome pointers, one being stay away from antibiotics, they really aren't good for your digestive system. Next he told me to walk 6 days a week. Whew. I walk 3-4 days a week, so that is going to be a challenge. I SO need a treadmill! So I am ecstatic that my few problems can be righted with diet and exercise, and I plan to see a huge difference within six months.

Weight loss this week was non-existent, but I am not complaining. Leah told me when I joined the gym a few weeks ago that I would probably gain weight when I started strength training due to my muscles getting stronger! So this week, I am up 3 ounces. Looking forward to awesome results next week!

This week's sister of the week is,  Janice @fitcheerldr! Janice is an awesome sista, always there to give support and help keep us motivated. I recently reviewed (and am still reviewing) her new Walk and Tone mp3 Workout! You should check it out at her blog!

Sponsoring our blog carnival this week is our new Mamavation Campaign Nutritionist, Cynthia Pasquella and her SoCal Cleanse!

Thanks as always to Leah and all the other sistas who help keep us Sistas in check and keep us motivated! And one last shout out to @jennydecki and @ljenator, this was their last week as Mamavation Moms! We have laughed with them, cried with them, and learned a lot from them! They have inspired me and I can only hope that I can be as much of a positive influence as they have been to me!
mamavationsistahoodseal

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21 comments:

gretablau said...

wow! i'm glad you don't have crohn's and yes, antibiotics are not always good. I always take probiotics when i'm on them so that the good stuff is still in there, if that makes sense.

It's great that the issues you do have are fixable by losing some weight! I'm guessing that will give you lots of motivation!

Good work on going to the gym!

bookieboo said...

Wow, that was just the kick in the pants you needed, huh? Moments like that are life changing. I know he told you to walk, but to get rid of all that cholesterol, all you really need to do is get your resting heart beat down. That means strengthen your heart. When you do things that strengthen your heart, your bad cholesterol goes down and the good cholesterol goes up. AND you lose weight, if you are eating properly. So you can do other things besides walk. Get some videos. The other girls are doing Zumba and Leslie Walk at Home. Why not try out some of those? XXOO

Laila @OnlyLaila said...

Glad to hear that you do not have Crohn's disease, I know that is a big relief for you.

It's also great to hear that you have a great doctor who sounds like he is going to really support you on your journey to health and wellness.

Best of luck to you this week!

Steph-Fit Mom in Training said...

So glad that it's not Crohn's. My job involves a lot of medical investigation and Crohn's is not a good thing. I hope everything clears up soon.

I can't wait to see your progress over the coming months. You have all the motivation you need now. Keep going with the strength training! You'll love it!

Have a good week with homeschooling too (that starts this week right?)

Steph (@fitmomintraining)

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you got good news from the dr. Good luck this week!

Ivette said...

So glad to hear you are OK and dont' have Crohn's disease!

I really like the Leslie Sansone walk at home DVD's and Zumba too. If you can find a local Zumba class give it a try. You might have a ton of fun and it won't feel like exercise :)

Good luck this week!

kia said...

I am so relieved for you that you have something that has a diagnosis that you can work with. Not everyone is that lucky. Now get yourself healthier, you have room to work here :)

Unknown said...

Glad to hear the good news. Did the doctor suggest taking a probiotic? That can help with your intestinal health.

Unknown said...

I am glad to hear you got some good news from the doctor, Remember, knowledge is power girl!! I know you are going to start feeling better in no time! You are in my thoughts! :)

Unknown said...

Yay for a diagnosis!!! Double Yay for it NOT being Crohns!!

Your doing so good! You can do it!

Resa said...

OH my goodness, I'm SO happy to hear that it's not Crohn's!! And consider yourself lucky that you're learning about your high cholesterol now - my dad found out AFTER he had a mild heart attack (he's totally fine now!), and while the lifestyle change was difficult at first, it outweighed the consequences of not taking better care of himself.

So while it's not a pretty diagnosis, it's an eye-opener for sure and you're so lucky you're getting the chance to make changes for the better. There are so many who don't.

Congratulations- I can't wait to see your progress!

Unknown said...

So glad to hear your good report from Dr. Awesome!! You can walk 6x/week without a treadmill. Leslie Sansone DVDs are awesome. Plus you can "pace" at home. It feels little like being a hamster on a wheel, but it gets you moving. I have a circular path that I can pace.

Now, get moving!! So proud of you efforts!

~Lori~ said...

Glad to hear you got a good report from the doctor! Time to kick it up a notch! Cant wait to see how you do this week!

Julie said...

You have gotten a lot of great advice from the dr and the sista! Hard to add more but also think about a spin class or just using a stationary bike at the gym. It is a great way to get the body moving and the heart rate up w/o wearing on joints. It is nice to have variety too.

Rachel @RunningRachel said...

HUGS! Take care of you!! HUGS Have a great week!

lorriel25 said...

its so great what a 2nd opinion can do especially that of a specialist I know you can do walking even if you just walk around your block or walk laps around your house that counts.

motivation present
http://p-rposters.com/images/0597mpl.jpg

Pamela M. Kramer - A Renaissance Woman said...

oh yes you chalk that 3 ounces up to muscle! lol - Glad to hear your news. Good luck this week.

Krista said...

So glad that your dr. appointment went well! I like the walk @ home videos plus it's nice to have something like that when the weather is cruddy.

Good luck!

Show Me Mama said...

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Syndal said...

thanks for stopping by my blog!! hope you're feeling better!

Confessions of a Paper-Crafts Chick said...

Hey Kimberly,

I'm glad they were able to confirm that you do not have Crohn's disease. Whew! I know that was a relief, but congrats on your weight loss so far. You can do it! Just keep pressing and everything will work out just fine.

(Thanks for visiting my blog, too) :o)