Okay...last week I got a ton of blood work done. Today I got my results in the mail. I had several abnormal results. I set out to see what they meant on the wonderful world wide web. The first several were all related and fell under the CBC that I had done.
MCH - Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Ref. Range 27.5 - 33.5
Measures the amount of hemoglobin in red blood cells. Both hemoglobin and hematocrit are used to calculate this number. Low levels indicate anemia. Mine was low - 26.1
RDW - level is increased and the MCV level is normal. This can be caused by the beginning stages of a decrease in vitamin B12 or folic acid (a type of vitamin) in the body. It can also be caused by the beginning stages of iron deficiency anemia. Mine was high - 17.5
Both of the results made perfect sense to me. I have been dealing with being anemic since my gastric bypass surgery but I stopped taking my iron when I started on Prenatal pills because I thought I would receive enough through them. I guess I was wrong....back on the iron. B12 deficiency is also something that gastric bypass patients deal with. I have been taking B complex supplements as well.
This is the part that really fit together and made sense. Here is an article that I found online. I got tears in my eyes when I read it. I don't know why. I guess because it all made to much sense. Here it is....
Blood Sugar Levels and Infertility - Are they related?
Copyright 2001 by Lee James, used with permission.
Do your eyes burn so bad at times, that you think to just pluck them out would be much less painful than keeping them open? Or do you sometimes feel so nauseous in the middle of the morning or afternoon, that you actually convince yourself you must be pregnant to feel so sick? How about dizziness? Or headaches? Or have you experienced a racing heart, a flushed face and sweaty palms? Or do you have a grumpy demeanor for no reason at all at times?
All of these, can be, and usually are, symptoms of either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia is commonly referred to as "low blood sugar", or problems with your blood sugar dropping unusually low after a meal. This sudden drop in blood sugar, often causes symptoms, which although may vary for each individual, often include, a sudden feeling of tiredness, burning eyes, a feeling of lethargy, and often times a headache and/or dizziness.
Hyperglycemia is typically defined as the opposite of hypoglycemia. It is "high blood sugar", meaning your blood sugar usually spikes too high sometimes after a meal, and sometimes in-between meals. Hyperglycemia can often be detected by a feeling of nervousness or jitteriness, a racing heart and pulse, sweaty palms, and also a headache.
Both of these conditions are caused by an imbalance in blood sugar levels and both can be equally destructive. As well, it is rare to experience one without eventually experiencing the other. More often than not, you will experience one or the other much more frequently, and the other form only occasionally. But be aware that both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia cause many health related problems and can eventually cause diabetes if left untreated.
What you may ask, does this have to do with infertility?
Well, a lot. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are caused by your body’s difficulty to maintain satisfactory insulin levels. Heredity plays a big part in your body’s ability to maintain these levels, and some people are born with a condition called insulin resistance. For many of you with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, insulin resistance is a term you are very familiar with.
Insulin resistance is a condition where the cells of your body do not effectively receive the insulin your body produces. Therefore your cells trigger your brain to produce even more insulin thinking there is not enough. The end result is an overproduction of insulin. And since insulin is a hormone, the result is a hormone imbalance. This hormone imbalance can then cause any number of side effects from cysts on your ovaries, to overgrowth of bodily hair, to random swelling of your breasts, to very painful menstrual like cramping. But the key here is the hormonal imbalance.
Unfortunately, all our hormones are intricately linked together and a disturbance with one, can cause a rippling effect with all the rest of your hormones, including your estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels. These hormone imbalances are what lead to infertility. And since insulin is a hormone, it is very important to recognize the role it plays when trying to achieve pregnancy. And likewise, since hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are caused by unsatisfactory insulin levels, it can only lead one to the conclusion that controlling these conditions as much as possible can only aid in the quest for fertility. And not only fertility, but also the betterment of your health and well being in general.
But how do you go about controlling hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia? Well to be honest, it will take a lot of work and a lot of perseverance on your part. It will take a lot of trial and error and a great deal of getting to know your body - of being able to read the signs your body is giving you and knowing what to do when you recognize those signs. It will be a daily battle, and it will be something you will fight the rest of your life. But acknowledging the condition, and committing to the fight, is half the battle as they say. And the fight is definitely worth the effort when you consider the devastating impact of leaving hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia unchecked.
There are several medications out there that can aid in insulin resistance and concurrently aid in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia such as metformin. However, every person’s body is different, and not everyone will react the same.
For myself, my six-month stint with Metformin did virtually nothing to improve my insulin resistance. For others, it is all they need to obtain a good hormone balance and then pregnancy. All I can do is offer you tips and explain how my body acts and reacts and hope that you might find something useful in my words that will help you control your hypo or hyperglycemia, and hopefully lead you to a well (hormonally) balanced body and mind and eventually to pregnancy.
For myself, my main difficulty is hypoglycemia, with occasional hyperglycemia. After several years of trial and error I have learned to read my symptoms and trigger foods and have found many ways to combat and/or prevent the symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Eat protein with every meal (meat, eggs, nuts, cheese, milk, etc.) (This is especially important for breakfast and lunch).
Avoid sugar (this includes fruit and fruit juices. Or if you’re like every other woman in the US and just can’t pass up the chocolate, eat sugar with a meal, and preferably with protein, to counterbalance the effect sugar will cause).
Eat carbohydrates cautiously, and if possible combine with protein.
Avoid snacking and in-between meals, (or if you must, snack on something containing protein or complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain crackers or beef jerky).
Avoid simple carbohydrates and stick to whole grains, oats, and vegetables, as these will take longer for your body to burn off, and your blood sugar will not peak as quickly or dramatically and then crash just the same.
Exercise. (It has been proven to help balance insulin levels, by increasing blood flow through your cells.)
Take vitamins. (Vitamins such as E, C, B, Calcium, Potassium, and a daily multi-vitamin, help to balance sugar levels, and fortify your cells).
Ultimately, if the food you are eating is not right for your body, you will be able to tell by how your body reacts.
Consequently, this is where the trial and error comes in. Everyone’s bodies will react differently to individual foods. So pay close attention to what you are eating and when. Eating foods that take longer to burn off such as protein and complex carbohydrates will prevent the sudden rise and fall in blood sugar levels that sugars and simple carbohydrates will cause. For when your blood sugar suddenly falls, or "crashes", is when you will experience symptoms of hypoglycemia. For many people these symptoms come about an hour or two after eating, and for some who are severely hypoglycemic such as myself, they can come as quickly as 10 minutes after a meal. The important thing is to recognize what foods trigger this reaction, and then avoid them if possible.
Although at the moment you may not even realize you have hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, I encourage all of you women trying to get pregnant to really listen to what your bodies are telling you. Instead of dismissing the signs and symptoms you are having as mere feelings of fatigue or illness, try really hearing what your body is saying and focusing on your overall health. Ultimately, it will be the state of your health that will determine the state of your fertility.
So prior to surgery I was borderline diabetic and now I'm hypoglycemic. Can't I just be normal???? Why does this all have to be such a struggle and what is wrong with my body. Ugh...I feel even more doctors visits and blood work in my future. My arms haven't cleared up from the last batch yet.
Tomorrow I go to the Imaging Center so they can check out my fallopian tubes. Crossing my fingers that this doesn't get even more involved......
