So, my appt with the GI doc in Anchorage went well. I got to visit with a good friend of mine from Ft Lewis, I got to shop (I ended up with TWO suitcases and a small carry-on bag of Christmas gifts for the kids... Aside from stocking stuffers, I'm DONE for my family! WOOT)
Anyway, I was chastised because I have not had my liver enzymes checked in several months. He needs them ever 3 along with a CBC. He was no concerned that my PCM found my bilirubin was high. He seems to think that it's very common in white folk to have Gilbert's syndrome, and even he has the issue once in a while. I go back in 6 months to get a scope done. I doubt it will happen because he is in Anchorage. He is a military doctor, and he is in a military hospital. My husband will most likely be out of the military then. But at least I can get notes and start with another doc... hopefully here in Fairbanks.
I had to go see my PCM today because she wanted to discuss my B-12. So, because I have Crohn's, I don't absorb vitamins well. And I have a B-12 deficiency. I "get" to start next week on B-12 injections for a week, and while she's not sure of the next step, she did say that I will be having a B-12 injection once a month for.... ever. Nice. And since my B-12 was low, it *could have raised my bilirubin as well.
So, while my good Grok friend told me to not add a bunch of grain-ridden stuff to replace the gluten I'm trying to quit (and believe me when I say I have NOT done well this month), I did the opposite. I got gluten free pancake mix. I think I can use that to make some gravy when I do the roast this weekend. I bought some rice cakes for a snack because I'm a fatty and like to stuff my face. And I got Kix cereal. I found that even CHEERIOS has wheat, so I read the label on the Kix twice. Cereal is ingrained in my brain from growing up. It takes time to re-learn how to eat.
Apparently there is only one way to truly say if someone has Celiac's disease. The blood test helps because if you have the markers, you most likely have it, but even if you don't have the markers in your blood, you can still have it and they determine this by doing an upper GI scope and taking a biopsy. I have not had the biopsy done, so he can't label me with Celiacs because my blood work was good. However, given my past with my attempt at grain free, he believes I may have, if not Celiac's, at least a sensitivity to it. He just wanted to know if I was going to continue because patients like me who play with diet can help other Crohn's patients in the long run. Of course, I'd like to see the Federal Gov't get their heads out of the sand and realize that grains, especially wheat, are bad mojo for folks.
I start a new job (YAY!) next week, when the background check comes back clear. Um, I haven't even had a speeding ticket, and have been pulled over only twice. So that's a no-brainer. I'm hoping that since I will be packing my own lunch and at a desk WORKING, I won't be stuffing my face out of boredom. I can also pack a healthy lunch. Meats, eggs, salads, fruits, carrots. I'm looking forward to a lunch meat "sandwich" with Romaine lettuce as the "bread".
I know this is long, but just another thought. PCM today said she lost 10 lbs by cutting out the Pepsi Throwback and drinking Pepsi Max. While I respect that she lost 10 lbs, and if I cut out the Throwbacks, I'm sure I'd lose weight, too, I refuse to drink the aspartame-filled junk that comes in the form of "diet" pop. So, I'll keep drinking my Throwbacks and adjust my caloric intake accordingly. Most likely by eating more meat.
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