Popping back in after a six month absence, as I do.
It’s been nearly seven months since the surgery. I had my six month check-in with the clinic recently; my test results came back fairly positively, with a few not unexpected exceptions. My vitamin d levels are low, surprising nobody; I’ve had chronically low vitamin d since forever, and it’s an easy fix. My liver function is still not where we want it to be, but it’s much better than it was, so that’s more positive than negative. Progress is progress.
Now that I don’t have oedema putting stress on my system, I’m not having high blood pressure issues anymore. In fact, my body appears to have decided to overcorrect in the opposite direction, as for a little while there my blood pressure was hovering around 90/50, which you may recognise as Too Dang Low. My doctors decided that between the POTS, the amount of fluids I drink (usually around 2 litres a day, mostly water) and the propensity for post-bypass patients to have various imbalances, the best course of action is to take some salt tablets and drink electrolyte drinks, because it’s probably just that I’m low in sodium and my electrolytes are a bit off. That seems to be working out fine, and hey, I’m not on blood pressure medication anymore, which is nice.
Various other levels are all fine. I’ll need to take supplements for the rest of forever, but I was going to need to do that whatever we did; I just don’t absorb well, and it would be impossible for me to get everything I need from a “natural” diet. I don’t mind the pills. I’m feeling a lot better taking them. Funny, that.
The weird – my system appears to have settled into an odd little biphasic sleep cycle. I’ll go to bed at night with the best of intentions and often the sleepiest of heads, and then three or four hours later I’m WIDE AWAKE. Not because of pain or discomfort or nightmares (all the time); just suddenly my body has decided that one REM cycle is plenty and we have Stuff To Do now!
Of course, I still need more sleep than the average person, so several hours later I need to have another nap, but it’s working out okay for now. I get some stuff done between three and eight, nap until lunch time, get more stuff done in the afternoon, sleep from ten until three. It’s not super convenient but it’ll do for now.
Swimming is a godsend. I would live in the pool if I could. The new aquatic centre is five minutes away and I live for the day I am well enough to just walk there whenever I damn well please. As it is, I go twice a week for about an hour of moving about in the water and that’s nice. It’s helping rebuild my muscle strength, and when I’m well enough for it, there’s an on-site gym that I’ll look into joining too. If I’m going to be tall and broad like an Amazon I’m going to be strong like one too.
I’m down to 180 kilos, making a loss of 88 kilos in 18 months. I’m getting buses and walking, albeit not far. We’re putting the wheelchair away except for big trips where I can’t predictably sit down to rest. I have a new desk chair that’s better for my back. My digestion is improving, and so is my relationship with food. I’m an emotional mess and my body image is in tatters, and I certainly don’t feel like I look like I’ve lost nearly 90 kilos, but that’s all stuff I can hash out with my psychiatrist. We all know my self-image is rubbish anyway; what else is new? I’ll poke it until it behaves.
The Medical Snowflake Diaries 