Medical purgatory

I feel like I'm in some sort of Purgatory. And waiting for the other shoe to drop. And other metaphors and analogies for waiting for a result. Back in October, I blogged about some of the health issues that I've been facing. I wish it where as easy and as simple as I thought it was back in October. So it turns out that I was misdiagnosed with celiac disease. I do not have celiac disease, and in fact I am now able to eat dairy which I had been allergic to for almost a decade.
Day after Christmas I received a phone call from my doctors office asking me to call back immediately because it was very urgent that they speak to me instantly. I called them back to find out what the important thing was and it was just an appointment to follow up on my test results. I asked them if I was going to die if I didn't come instantly and of course the Answer was no. So I scheduled an appointment for when I returned to New Jersey. At my appointment we went over the test results from bloodwork that had previously been done. As suspected I am severely anemic and also severely vitamin D deficient. The doctor prescribed a heavy iron medication as well as a large vitamin D supplement. Not as expected was learning that it's my kidneys were dehydrated. I was advised to drink more water. However I already drank water and chew ice like it is going out of style. So this does not make much sense to me. We will look back on it at my next appointment.
The other thing they found had to do with my thyroid. As it turns out I have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease. Essentially my thyroid is not producing any of the hormone that is supposed to produce. This is because my immune system thinks that this hormone is enemy bacteria and destroys it instantly. The doctor gave me for this as well and we will retest my blood in a few weeks. In addition to the medication my doctor ordered a thyroid ultrasound. This was a semi-painful procedure because the technician Used the ultrasound wand and repeatedly pressed down on my thyroid. At one point the technician flipped a switch which changed the ultrasound image into a multicolored image different colored shapes appeared on the image with sizes mark next to them, I knew that this was not a good sign. My doctors office called me later in the week to inform me, over the phone, that the ultrasound revealed a large number of nodules on my thyroid with a high probability of being cancerous. Following my blood work and in a few weeks we will discuss the options to further investigate the nodules which may include an air aspirated needle biopsy. This is a very frightening notion. I have never had any sort of procedure done. The most severe of medical procedures I've had is a cast one I broke my arm. I want answers and I hate feeling the way I'm feeling so if that is what it takes to get answers of course I will go through with it, however I hope that they knock me out for this. The medication of the doctors prescribed this is just me alleviating some of the symptoms of the Hashimoto's disease. I'm not entirely sure which symptoms it is supposed to take care of...Because I still feel exhausted I am able to sleep more than any person should be. It's a good thing that my first class on most days of the week is not until 1 PM because I am not awake before 11.
In other news I have joined a gym. I'm attempting to go at least three times a week. Ideally it would be more like every other day. And someone is I wish I had a friend to work out with so that I would be motivated to drive to the gym and work out and yet and other ways I don't want to work out with anyone I know because those body image issues. My goal, I am about sure of how realistic it may or may not be, is to lose 140 pounds in the next 16 months. This feels currently near impossible when eating on the school meal plan as I currently am forced to do. I hope and believe that this will become easier when the school year ends and I am able to cook for myself this summer.

Update 3: My Body Hates Me

Near the end of the summer I started noticing a theme: I was getting sick everyday. Whenever I ate, no matter what I was eating, I would get super sick. I have been allergic to dairy for years so I go out of my way to avoid dairy. This was not dairy related. I was getting horribly sick. I would have sharp stabby stomach pains all day, I would get tired almost instantly after eating, a migraine quality headache would soon develop and I was experiencing awful joint pain. Initially I did not connect the headaches, fatigue, or joint pain. I went to the doctor shortly after the semester started, just for the sick and stomach pains. We talked about what could be causing it and she order a lot of blood work.

Those that are successful at obtaining my blood without hurting me will be given a huge reward. To my recollection this has never happened. I have had everything from a phlebotamist inserting the needle and moving it around to find the vein. I have had blood taken from both elbows, the back of both hands, and even from between my knuckles at one point. When having my blood drawn at the doctor's office, it took two people. The first person attempted to get blood from my elbow and couldn't do it. The second person came in and took blood from the back of my hand. The problem, then, was that both were from my right arm, my dominate arm. I lost all feeling in my right arm for the rest of the day, which made driving a fun game.

I went back to the doctors this week to follow up. My blood work showed that I am severely anemic and that I have hypothyroidism. The Anemia I can understand but I have not fully understood what exactly hypothyroidism entails. However, the test for bacterial infections and parasites were clean. In between the two doctors visits I realized that everytime I eat wheat I would have all of the symptoms. So I haven't had gluten in a month. I feel so much better and I'm only getting sick when the dining services sneaks gluten into my food.

So it turns out I have Celiac Disease. Apparently 1 in 100 people have it. It's an autoimmune disease that makes it impossible for my intestines to process gluten (the protein found in wheat, barely, rye, and other grains). I have to load up on the fruits and vegetables and I am trying out weird gluten free foods. It has made eating in the dining hall insanely difficult so I am working with housing to try to move out of the dorm.

In one month I have been diagnosed with anemia, hypothyroidism, and Celiac Disease. My body hates me!

3 days=1,955 Calories

I am attempting to write a paper for systematic theology on the church’s Israelology by examining Article One of the Nicene Creed as well as Deuteronomy 7:6-9 and Romans 11. I am having a difficult time concentrating on the task at hand. This generally would not come as a surprised considering ordinarily I have the attention span of a goldfish but it is extraordinarily difficult today. This leads me to wonder if it has anything to do with a diet I have recently started. It's a diet I started with a few friends and today is the third day. For three days it is very structured and then for four days you eat whatever you want, in moderation. It sounds great until you take a look at what you actually eat for those 3 days...


Day One:
Breakfast: 1/2 a grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, 1 teaspoon of peanut butter...total of 165 calories (I forgot the Peanut Butter...-30)
Lunch: 1/2 cup of plan tuna, 1 slice of toast...total of 200 calories
Dinner: 3 oz of meat, 1 cup string beans, 1 cup carrots, 1 apple, 1 cup vanilla ice cream...total 440 calories (I'm allergic to dairy, subtract 200 calories)
Total calories for the day 805 (-230 =575)


Day Two:
Breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 slice of toast, 1/2 banana ...total of 215 (The cafeteria didn't have any bananas, subtract 55)
Lunch: 1 cup of cottage cheese or 1/2 cup of tuna and 5 saltine crackers...total of 260 calories
Dinner: 1 plain hot dog (no bun!), 1 cup brocoli, 1 cup carrots, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream...total of 480 calories (still no banana, subtract 55 & subtract 100 for the ice cream)
Total calories for the day 895 (-100-55-55=685)


Day Three:
Breakfast: 5 saltines, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1 small apple...total of 255 (-115 for cheese)
Lunch: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 slice of toast...total of 160 calories
Dinner: 1 cup plain tuna, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup cauliflower or green leaf vegetables, 1 cup cantaloupe, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream...total of 495 Calories (-100 for the ice cream)
Total calories for the day 910 (-115-100=695)


So if you have all of the food available and do not have any allergies, you will have consumed 2,610 calories over the course of 3 days. Because of my allergy and there being no bananas, I will have consumed 1,955. That is 45 calories less than the recommended caloric intake for one day! 


I believe this may be the first and last time I try this diet! 

United States Army

Om nom nom, nom nom nom


Filling up on the chocolate and bad for you foods tonight and tomorrow. After tomorrow's super bowl extravaganza I am completely changing my lifestyle. No junk food, cutting down the soda, limiting sugar intake, counting calories, working out every day...you get the picture.

In addition to wanting to look better (yes I can be vain) I have other reasons for the change. I have decided that I want to join the Army. The United States Army has the Chaplain Candidate Program and I think it sounds good. You train to be an Army Chaplain throughout seminary during summers and winters, they help pay for seminary and you are a reserve chaplain for two years after seminary.

Many different people have been pointing me towards this. My Pastor did this with the Navy when she was in seminary. When my grandmother died we had a get together at a cousin's house. One of my father's cousins was telling me about what the Navy has to offer and how I should consider joining as a chaplain. David's uncle is a Colonel in the Army and his aunt is a Lt. Colonel.  They are career military and seem to have benefited from it. I am not saying that I plan on being career military, but the benefits of becoming a chaplain candidate is great. Tuition, housing allowance, and health are just a few benefits. There is also the serving my country and working with soldiers.

I have been considering it for some time. When I was in Cameroon during break and had the experience with the dying woman it solidified my desire. I want to be there for families while their loved ones are deployed, I want to be there for soldiers when they come back from war, and while it frightens me part of me wants to be with deployed soldiers.

Right now I cannot pass the physical aspect of the entrance requirements. That is one of the biggest reasons for the wanting to change my lifestyle. I want to lower my BMI, I want to become physically fit, I want to be able to meet the requirements to becoming a Unites States Army Chaplain Candidate. I have not told many people yet, the general reaction at first has been laughter. Apparently the liberal who is against war cannot also desire to serve her country and help our soldiers. I was against us invading Iraq, but I am 100% in support of our troops. So yes, the super liberal wants to join the army and I am going to change my entire lifestyle, starting Monday morning, to do so.