Hypoglycemia

Okay, so a few of you know that I've been having some troubles with my health lately...

• Exhaustion/fatigue
• Headaches
• Irritability/temper flare-ups
  
• Insomnia at night
  
• Confusion/trouble focusing/indecisiveness
• Severe PMS
• Depression
• Nervousness
• Vision problems (blurring, spots, aching eyes)
• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness at random (which comes with excessive yawning & sighing)
  
• Joint/muscle pain, even with little to no activity to "cause" it
  
• Numbness
• Constantly cold hands & feet
• Ringing in ears
• Indigestion & internal tremblings
• Light & noise sensitivity
• Cold sweats

This is partly why I've been even more anti-social than usual lately. I haven't felt good in a long time now.

There are a few of you who know that I'm hypoglycemic. Well, a few months ago, I ended up having a really bad "attack" in Ramiro's car--I went into an angry fit, a crying jag, an anxiety attack, and nearly passed out. It was at that point that Ramiro (poor guy!) went "You have GOT to get yourself under control."

It was at that point that I finally started taking my hypoglycemia seriously. I was first diagnosed with it when I was 15, but for years I was in denial. Then, when I started dating Ramiro, I began to take things more seriously, but I didn't really know how to handle it other than eating frequently (which I had tried for a stint in high school but eventually gave up on). Sooooooooooooooo... I bought a bunch of books, went online, talked to people, etc. and really researched it. And my diet was all wrong! I ended up changing my diet to what was essentially a "Diabetic Diet"--so NO SUGAR and NO WHITE FLOUR--and ended up feeling better than I had in YEARS! (Not to mention I lost 15 pounds and 10 inches!)

But then, I started working at Del Taco (and we get no breaks!--it's absurd!), and then I sprained my back, and then I had my period...and then everything went to crap.

It was a pretty fast decline after that.

Ramiro finally convinced me to seek professional help. I put aside my beefs with doctors and went to get some tests done. Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that my glucose tolerance test is today.

Basically, I bombed my test.

The lowest anyone's blood sugar should ever go is 75. Mine was at 34.

So... I don't just have hypoglycemia. I have SEVERE hypoglycemia. The doctor called me up to give me my results and was just...marveling... He didn't even want to think about how low my blood sugar might go (or may have gone!) if I weren't on my awesome hypoglycemia diet. And frankly I don't want to think about it either.

And, on a side note, Glucose Tolerance tests are really Hellish. This was the 3rd time I've had to take one. They're awful. I hope that none of you have to take one ever. You know the part in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where Dumbledore has to drink that stuff to get the locket?? It's like that. Only I had to get a bunch of blood drawn on top of drinking something painfully bad (it felt like it was burning the back of my throat). Ramiro could barely watch. I was so glad to have him with me though. Especially after it was over (the test takes 3 hours). I was very queasy and dizzy and had a bunch of spots in my vison. Terrible. And then I came home and ate 2 sandwiches, a peach, and a bunch of sunchips all in one sitting. haha. I hadn't been that starved since my first black belt test!

So, basically, it's "imperative" that I eat "small frequent meals." I'm going to be getting a note to give to my boss that FORCES Del Taco to give me breaks to eat some snacks. And if they won't comply, I'm going to have to quit (yes, it's that important).

It's also been recommended that I see a "lady doc" for my "lady parts" to get my periods/PMS under control (probably with pills) at least for a little while until I can get my blood sugar levels back to something resembling normal.

So that's the good news, I guess. While I'll always have hypoglycemia and it'll always have to be taken care of (much like my allergies to soy & fish!), it CAN be controlled.

So...there you go then. That's what's been going on with me lately.

And, if anyone out there reading this has Hypoglycemia or knows someone who has it, please take it seriously.

Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive. And special thanks to Ramiro. I love you.

--Lauren*