Mamavation Monday - Doctor says...

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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!

Not familiar with Mamavation? Check out the about page! Even if you aren't interested stop by and check out the new site design premiering this weekend!