Not fully back but thought I'd give everyone an update. (going to copy & paste from my FB cause I'm in no mood for rewriting stuff).
T2 Diabetes: I've managed to get my A1C from 6.7% 3 months ago down to 6.1%. If I can maintain or get my A1C even lower we may be looking at a reduction in my Diabetes meds when I go back to see my Endocrinologist in October. I was informed that this is all my doing and not the Janumet medicine I'm on. The Janumet is responsible for only about 3% in managing my T2D. I should be happy but I am still feeling very guarded about it.
Chronic Bowel Issues: I just had my follow-up with my Gastro Doctor and he said the results from the colonoscopy/biopsies all came back clear meaning there is no cancer or any other life threatening issues. However, my chronic issues still continue. It is IBS. I had issues with the Metamucil/Restorlax concoction during the time from colonoscopy to follow-up. But now we are going to try Cholestyramine to determine if this is related to undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption or if it is just straight IBS. Bile Acid malabsorption mimics many of the same symptoms of IBS. And I, as a non-medical person, am seeing the correlation of things going back to my liver of which we already know I have issues with (NAFLD).
Then 5 days ago I did this: "Damn did I ever make one hell of a noob mistake this morning. I had gone to Lady York to get my Promise Gluten Free bread and had seen Carbonaut bread there as well so I bought a loaf to try. Tried one slice with butter and it was tolerable. Toasted 2 slices to make a sandwich for breakfast as well. Now I'm in a whole heap of abdominal & back pain 3 hours later. Why? Dumb dumb me didn't really look at the label properly BEFORE eating it. I assumed the 15g fiber was for a serving. Nope. Per slice. And I ate 3 slices. FML!!!!!"
Took me till Monday to finally start feeling more normal. Today (8/2) I started the Cholestyramine - not impressed. I decided to start with the 1/2 dose rather than doing the full dose & then cutting back if constipated. I'm in no mood for more pain and yet today was full of it with nausea added in for good measure. This will be a very rough road if this happens daily. And the Doc said it will take several weeks for this to actually work if it is in fact the bile acid malabsorption.
Mentally, I'm not dealing well with this crap. I dropped my mic and walked away. Nothing against you folk but this is my coping mechanism. Depression & Anxiety are in full swing once again. Actually, they have been in full swing since the colonoscopy but who's counting, right?
August is follow-up testing to see if my Glaucoma results have changed.
Weight has been going up and down but never lower than 240. Then again with all the other stuff added in I'm shocked that I haven't ballooned up again. I guess there are small mercies.
Anyways, long post but that is where I'm at.
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108.9 kg
Lost so far: 5.4 kg.
Still to go: 18.1 kg.
Diet followed: Reasonably Well.
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steady weight
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![](https://m.ftscrt.com/static/images/box/membersicon.gif) Comments
I have BAM. The cholestyramine odan worked beautifully although it is amongst the most disgusting things to drink ever.
On another note, has your endo recommended Ozempic. It is very effective in lowering A1C and as a side effect people with IBS-D have found relief as well.
Gosh, I hope you get better soon. Dealing with one health issue after another can be mentally devastating.
02 Aug 23 by member: Annisworkingonit
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Not sure if it would be helpful for you, but have you ever looked into a FODMAPS protocol to try and help with gut/digestive issues? Might be worth exploring, depending on what your issue is 🤷🏼♂️
02 Aug 23 by member: StomachMonkeys
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@Annisworkingonit - I had that discussion back when I first started seeing my Endo. After hearing the negatives about Ozempic and also under the suggestion of my Endo, we took it off of my options. The main problem with Ozempic is that it can cause intestinal/bowel issues. I already have intestinal/bowel issues. I do not want/need to exacerbate my condition to have even more issues. I'm having enough issues dealing with consuming the cholestyramine.
14 Aug 23 by member: Heather MacD
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@ StomachMonkeys - I've tried a couple of times using FODMAPS to determine stuff but in the end it wasn't a useful tool for me. I know what foods I can handle and what I can't. If I introduce something new, my gullet/intestinal track/bowels show me the outcome quickly. But if I have a negative reaction one time, the next time I don't. I try to keep what I know I can eat in my diet and the rest I don't bother with.
14 Aug 23 by member: Heather MacD
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Heather MacD's Weight History
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