Wednesday, October 7, 2009

:: Mary Poppins Lied ::

I've always thought a spoonful of sugar helped the medicine go down. Maybe not? After months of undiagnosed symptoms like extreme fatigue, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision and a pounding heartbeat (among other symptoms) I went to the doctor for some blood tests and finally received a diagnosis! No Paula, I don't have cancer! Turns out I have Hypoglycemia, an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood. After a little pep talk from the doc about eliminating sugar and starting on a South Beach style diet, I came home and googled all I could about the unfamiliar-to-me-disease. If you'd like to educate yourself along with me, here's a little of what I learned:

"In simple layman's language, Hypoglycemia is the body's inability to properly handle the large amounts of sugar that the average American consumes today. It's an overload of sugar. Functional hypoglycemia, the kind we are addressing here, is the over secretion of insulin by the pancreas in response to a rapid rise in blood sugar or 'glucose.'

"All carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits and grains, as well as simple table sugar), are broken down into simple sugars by the process of digestion. This sugar enters the blood stream as glucose and our level of blood sugar rises. The pancreas then secretes a hormone known as insulin into the blood in order to bring the glucose down to normal levels. In hypoglycemia, the pancreas sends out too much insulin and the blood sugar plummets below the level necessary to maintain well-being.

"Since all the cells of the body, especially the brain cells, use glucose for fuel, a blood glucose level that is too low starves the cells of needed fuel, causing both physical and emotional symptoms: fatigue, insomnia, mental confusion, nervousness, mood swings, faintness, headaches, depression, heart palpitations, a craving for sweets, cold hands and feet, forgetfulness, dizziness, blurred vision, inner trembling, outbursts of temper, and sudden hunger."


So there you have it. I only wish I would have noticed the symptoms sooner so I could change my diet and start feeling like myself again. No more standing in line at Target afraid I'm going to pass out before I reach the check-out stand, or driving down the road feeling dizzy and drunk. Scary!!! I know it's going to be a difficult month to stay away from sugar (hello....Halloween???) but I'm so done with feeling zapped of energy all the time, so stay away from sugar I will....even though all I want right now is another chocolate chip pumpkin cookie over there on the counter. Grrrrr!

9 comments:

Brooke Wilkins said...

aubrey, that is no fun! I am sorry, but like you said at least you know what is wrong. I had fun talking to you today! Hope to talk to you soon!

Bracken and Bracken said...

At least its easier to treat than a brain tumor!! Don't worry, I will eat some extra sugar for you if you want :) But seriously, that's a bummer. Do people know this is a girl who grew up with a boat named "Sweet Tooth", I mean, hello, this IS the Messick family we are talking about here. Good luck Aubs!!

Kim Messick said...

That explains everything! I'm so relieved...now all I have to do is eat all of the sugar in this house so there won't be any temptations.
Cookies are gone by-the-way! :)

emily said...

Oh bummer! I am glad that you got a diagnosis. I hope you start feeling better soon!

Hizzeather said...

Oh man...bummer. I loved the title of this post, although I hate to laugh at your medical issues! take care of you! :)

L said...

Oh man Aubs! I'm so sorry! I once went 5 months with NO refined/processed sugars, and it did WONDERS. You'll discover a new energy - and just feel SO good! Just get to the 3rd week and then it will get easier! 1st week, hard (but new and so not that bad), 2nd week - TERRIBLE, 3rd week...easy!

Michelle Michel said...

oh man!that stinks...my family seems to suffer from hyperglycemia (steven and we all occassionally think we suffer from it..especially on fast sunday).

shauna.m. said...

i have it too! but i just use it as an excuse to be crazy and mean when im hungry...

charity said...

the diagnosis has an upside! i was diagnosed back in 2000 and every time i cut the sweets i shed lbs. it's awesome and i feel so much better when i stay strong. next on the list is cutting out wheat! try that one :).