Health Hiatus to Healthier Choices

The medical adventure begins

This has been the longest time I was out in the office in my entire career of eight years...

Week 1: I was feeling my usual monthly flu-like feeling once again but worse. So I visited my highschool best friend who is now a doctor for consultation. I was advice to rest for 5 days and come back if the symptoms persist.

Week 2: The symptoms did persist! So with my second visit, we discussed what I was feeling much further. Even tracking back to the last 6 months to the last couple of years. 

My best friend is considering Chronic Fatigue for her diagnosis but I was advice to see an Internal Medicine specialist to run laboratory test before this could be finalized. But she urge that I immediately take a break from work before anything becomes worst. She said for the kind of beating my body has suffered for all these years, it is best to take 2-3 months rest. One month tops!

Of course, my head who is not very familiar to the idea of a long sabbath doesn't seem to agree on it plus the responsibilities on helping out pay the bills doesn't fit the timeline. But if only my body could speak up, I bet it would not just shout for ENOUGH but whack me in my head at the same time.

Week 3: Habagat strikes...  

Downloaded an app to help me monitor my meds

Week 4: Thanks to my Intellicare Medical Card, I visited one of their affiliated clinic which is Aventus Makati. A series of laboratory medical work up was requested through blood extraction.

I went back for the actual blood extraction after doing my 8-hour fast. The result is available the next day but the schedule of the Internal Medicine was a couple of days away.

I also saw an OB-Gynecologist in PULSE Clinic in Market Market since one of the major issues I have was my period which became irregular after actually I got married. My doctor was very thorough in explaining and hopeful after my Trans-V Ultrasound. She prescribed a pill that will help my cycle to become regular.

When I returned for my lab results to be read by the IM, the numbers were not good at all -- my glucose, bad cholesterol were high and my thyroid hormone was elevated. So I was endorsed to an Endocrinologist for more analysis on the thyroid result.

Week 5: I finally got to consult with THE Endocrinologist, who will change the course of my awareness regarding my body and put light on a very shady almost mysterious state that I am in for quite a while. The doctor asked me to take one more blood test before he gives his final diagnosis. But the result of that antibody blood test would come out a few weeks after but he already put me in a low dose of thyroid pill that will help balance my hormones and improve metabolism. The doctor emphasized the importance of doing a lifestyle change to help improve my health.

Week 6: Being in the IT industry, I could consider this "lifestyle change" to be a major upgrade on my legacy system... major enhancement... major release! So while waiting on the result of my last lab test, I had the task to find replacement to my former unhealthy food choices and re-program my sugar addiction to a more sophisticated good-for-the-body meals.

So the next grocery time with hubby was a series of reading the labels and experimenting if I could actually acquire a new tastebuds to these type of foods. I kept on asking God for wisdom for my daily choices and provision because the items on our shopping list do not come cheap.

Si Lord naman indi KJ, He even sent His Son to die for us so that we may live our lives to the FULL!!! Kaya thank you Lord for companies such as Nestle, Quaker, Growers and the makers of Nova.

And since I am limiting my rice intake, I just fell in love with the Gardenia Wheat Bread - Raisin and Cranberry Loaf. I don't feel I'm missing out on my carbohydrates because of it.

And of course, wala ng huhusay pa sa gumawa ng langit at lupa, prutas, lamang dagat, at sa nagbigay sa asawa ko ng talent sa pagluluto ng masasarap na seafood 'experiment' dishes.

Nestle Wellness

Staple snacks and Wheat Bread

Seafood helps with the thyroid function

and Mr. Crabs

Fruits, Fruits, and more Fruits

Week 7: This is finally it, the result of the antibody test is out and my doctor reads it... He then explained that base on the result, he is now able to say that I have nothing to worry about. The initial test which shows elevated TSH hormone (hormone produced by the pituary gland) can be categorized as subclinical hypothyroidism. This also affected my glucose so I am at risk to be pre-diabetic but this can be corrected with the meds he gave and you guess it right...la-la-la-lifestyle change! (I'll probably post another entry regarding my symptoms under subclinical hypothyroidism.)

After discussing my options on how conservative or aggressive we will address this, my doctor finally signed my Fit To Work Certificate... Praise God!

Fit to Work

Few days before I went back to work, I actually tried having a massage. It was my first to have someone non-related to me rub my back side while I am almost naked. I availed Olympic Manhattan Massage at the Big Apple Express Spa for only Php 99.00 (yes, less than 100 bucks) for 30 minutes and definitely it was the perfect culmination to my rest.

To beat that chronic fatigue

God is in control. With all things considered, even if in my eyes at first this experience was an inconvenience in my timeline, budget and career I trust God that He reigns over the situation. He revealed to me a lot of things during my quiet times in those 7 weeks. My relationship deepens even more with Him and I think He wanted that. For me to spend even more time with Him, listening to His voice minus the office deadlines. How He took care of me as I go through this valley in life and how His power of healing and wisdom manifested. Teaching me that the true sabbath is only found in Christ, our Lord. The Holy Spirit guiding me to bible verses that consoles me during the time of pain.

As I ended my "vacation", I wrote this in my journal to keep me focus in my journey:

Claiming this. Thank you Lord.