Holes

8/15/16

Dr. Chiropractor and I discussed my most recent epidural round which ended on August 8.

"I'm pretty sure this is the best round I've had, in spite of all the stessors. I've asked myself, 'Why? What's different this round?'

I think the iron supplement has helped. My fatigue wasn't as bad. I didn't have dizziness this round. I had less shortness of breath. Dr. Neurologist checked my iron levels last Monday; my saturation rate has gone up 4%. I'm 2% away from entering 'normal range.'"

He looked over my iron labs comparing April and August. The different things tested on the iron panel are moving in their proper directions. My chiropractor knows nutrition and physiology; that's mainly what I see him for. I seldom receive chiropractic adjustments.

I then added, "And the Charlotte's Web is still working. I also added bone broth to my morning smoothie; figure it'd be good for my bones. Another thing I thought of, as far as wondering why I think this was my best round yet?"

I paused momentarily before answering my own question, "I quit Facebook at the beginning of May."

He burst out laughing.

I chuckled. Then said, "Seriously though. I wonder how much of a difference that's made."

We chatted about the possible ill effects internet and social media might have on health.

"It wasn't a knee jerk decision. I'd thought it over for months. I actually posted on my Facebook Timeline that I was deactivating my account, that I'd be taking a sabbatical from Facebook for an undetermined amount of time. I thought long and hard about that too, whether or not to post I was leaving Facebook. It felt like the right thing to do, at least for me -- to say something and not just disappear, even though I've not been very active the past couple years. I didn't mention my health in that farewell post. Thankfully, no one else did either. I did receive a couple private messages, which was nice.

Since deactivating my account, I've logged onto Facebook a few times using Hubby's account, to check in on the kids and see what they post. And to see Son's pictures from his month-long road trip in June and July. While logged in I scrolled through Hubby's Newsfeed. I felt exhausted and depressed within 10 minutes. More confirmation to not reactivate. At least for now and maybe never.

It just drains me, all that news from people I personally know. And I feel loss as I read about people living 'normal' lives. Pictures of friends socializing and doing normal things...like cooking or holding babies. Things I physically cannot do on a regular basis. I get reminded of my losses instead of what I can still do. And I just can't handle that at this point.

I needed to create space for more energy reserves.

Maybe it worked!"

We chatted and then reviewed the lab results from another recent test series.

My insulin is good. My progesterone is good. My gluten sensitivity is negative; that's nice.

My adrenal function is not good; no surprise there. Among other things, my DHEA is "depressed," meaning with continued exposure to stressors, adrenal hormone output may continue to decrease.

I've had low DHEA since at least sometime in the '90s. I can't take DHEA as a supplement. It raises my testosterone without having a positive effect on my cortisol function; I get mean and grow (more) facial hair and get zits. Back in the early 2000s, after again trying DHEA and having the same effects as when I'd tried it in the '90s, my doc at the time then tried me on pregnenalone, a precursor for DHEA. But that didn't work either; my progesterone levels then went loopy. I tried DHEA again in 2013 (by another doctor) and got the same results - anger, more facial hair, and zits.The nice thing is, Dr. Chiropractor has a different solution other than pregnenalone or DHEA. But, we will wait until after I recover from surgery to give it a try.

My IgA level is low. My understanding is that IgA has to do with immune function responses to allergens and germs, what our bodies interpret as foreign invaders that enter through our bodies' "holes." Not pores, but rather holes -- like nostrils and mouth and those other holes. Low IgA can be a factor when folks get sick easily. However, I seldom get "sick," like with a cold or flu or allergies. (Tap on Groot.)

After my appointment, I drove from Dr. Chiropractor's office in Sparta, NC, to Fries, VA, to the southern tip of the 57-mile long New River Trail State Park. I cycled my last leg of the trail, 11.80 miles. So I completed it -- 114 miles, plus an extra leg, to make it a total of 120, I think.

I feel a sense of accomplishment. I like that feeling much better than being reminded of my losses.


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August 8, 2016, ended my 12th epidural round since January, 2014. Whew. I'm currently in Round #13 which goes from August 8 to maybe, October 31, 2016. Since September, 2015, we've been able to reduce the medication dosage in my epidurals. I hope within a year, that I can go longer between epidurals. What if I stop needing them? Now that will be cause for great celebration.

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Son and friends in June. Atop Mt. Elbert, CO, the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains in North America and the second highest summit in the continental USA. Son is wearing the orange jacket. After Mt. Elbert, the trio drove to northern California, Oregon, Washington, the Canadian Rockies,and then back to North Carolina. They were on the road for about 32 days.



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