Tag: Micro Cardiovascular Disease

When you feel like you’re starting over….

Published on by KatLeave a comment

I began a different blog in 2007. The year I had gastric-bypass to help with the weight gain from PCOS (Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome). The surgery worked! I lost all the weight and then some and I got regular cycles and even conceived my second child without any issues but that didn’t mean the PCOS was gone.

In 2016 I suffered a SCAD Heart Attack after a very rough part of my life. The darkest part of my life for that matter. Though my heart attack had nothing to do with a typical heart attack and I was sent home at the beginning of my heart attack because “I didn’t look like someone having a heart attack” being thin and in pretty good health and it took me going back for them to take me seriously I was still put on medications for high blood pressure since I was then diagnosed with Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Micro Cardiovascular Disease. Both affect the arteries and cause me to be at high risk for another heart attack or stroke.

From the use of these medications, I gained 60 pounds. As someone with body dysmorphia from the rapid weight gain and loss, this is hard on me. Why? People are cruel to overweight people and ASSUME that they overeat and don’t exercise and don’t care for themselves. This is 100% not always true. There are many health conditions that cause weight gain. PCOS being one of them and my PCOS is also in full swing again and I am also not absorbing nutrients. From all of this, I’ve tried to exercise and do things correctly based on my medical history but have not been able to since my body is out of whack.

I finally gave up doing this all alone and met with my primary care physician who then had me getting iron infusions, meeting with my cardiologist, and meeting with my new neurologist. Between all of my doctors, I am on new medications and a ton of supplements (photo and daily schedule below) that will help me feel human again and help my body to lose weight. My primary also let me know my body has gone into shock and when it does this a body will hold onto weight. I am willing to do as instructed so that I can get back a part of me I lost with my heart attack. I was active and felt good. Right now I don’t feel so good. My hope is that by doing as instructed by my medical team that over time my body will get back to a good place.

I want to be an example, as I was before that we can recover. It is not always easy, the path to healing but I know, as I have done it before, it can be done. To keep me accountable I will be utilizing the blog that I pay for and ignore. When I blogged my journey before I wrote on the struggles and the triumphs. I posted gluten and dairy-free recipes. I was living life and my blog turned into something different than it started as. My hope, as I continue to heal and really take care of my medical needs that I can get my blog there. I hope that seeing my journey can help others with PCOS or SCAD Survivors see it can get better. It isn’t a quick process and I need to remember that too. I am ready to see where this journey takes me and I’m grateful to have you along.

My New Morning, Afternoon, and Evening Medication & Supplement regime.

Moving Forward…

Published on by KatLeave a comment

So, in my quest to living life I stopped my heart medications.  Yes, I sure did.  I was only on these certain medications to replace the nitroglycerin I was taking that was giving me migraines.  Did I mention that since my heart attack I’m not allowed to take my good ole’ migraine medications so it was migraines or medications.  For a bit I did go with the medications until I realized it was both meds that caused my rapid weight gain.  You see I had this issue before with Provera for my PCOS.  So long story short I’m back on the nitroglycerin and living with the migraines.

Which brings me to I’ve now lost 8 lbs and have kept it off so far.  I’m back at the gym and I owe my gym success to Game of Thrones and that I’d have never watched before.  You see it helps to pass the time on the treadmill. I kid but it really does help as at time waster while working out.

The real test if I can continue this work out regime is the pass I was gifted for two weeks ends in a couple of days so I will have to do outside workouts and you know, I may enjoy it more.  We shall see.

I’m going to the gym today.  My head keeps trying to get me to back out but after I’ve gone for the 30-40 minutes I feel good when I leave.  I feel like I look super fat when I’m at the gym and that I’m the only one there who looks this way.  I want to get to a point where I don’t feel this way.  It’s hard work this self care game.

So to end this update and I hope to dig deeper into blogging again is this is where I’m at:

Still in school full time, still working some place that doesn’t make me happy but I know isn’t permanent, eating mini meals and gluten free, not beating me up if I fail on a meal because really, it’s not worth it, trying daily to do at least one thing kind for me including some form of exercise, being a great mother, partner, and friend, AND knowing that my past doesn’t define me.  What I do today defines me.  Today, I’m working on a better me even on the days it doesn’t feel good.