Day 56!
I learned a lot this past week. One of the biggest things I learned was that I don't know what a normal me feels like? Since my quit I have been put on high blood pressure meds, put on low doses of Xanax to deal with anxiety, had my grand father pass, changed jobs, and been diagnosed with cancer. With all of these life changes I don't know what normal feels like.
On Jan 28th I started to feel fatigued and thought it was from the nicotine withdrawals or from the Xanax inter-dose withdrawals. Over the past two weeks it got worse to where I was extremely fatigued, felt tired, and all my muscles were throbbing, almost like an energy wave going through my body. Now I was thinking it's either the Xanax, blood pressure meds, stress from work and life, or it could be the cancer diagnosis and I am now feeling it. I was lost and felt helpless. The feelings really only over took me while I was sitting at my desk doing work for more than 20 mins at a time, in meetings, or when I went to sleep at night. When I was up and active I had none of these feelings of waves through my body. The more I sat during the day the more fatigue I felt, and the more I didn't have the energy to do anything. I often felt like I was going to pass out.
The one good thing is I have my mother here who was a nurse. The first thing she checked was my blood pressure (I keep track of it 3 times per day on a excel spread sheet) She noticed over the past two weeks it kept getting lower and lower. On Thursday morning it was at 94/51 at 49bpm. Way to low!!!!! She said to skip a dose of my 20mg of Lisinopril (High Blood Pressure Med) and see what happens. I couldn't go to work Friday morning as I had passed out and waited all day for the med to leave my body. This morning I awoke and my blood pressure is at 120/71, at 54 beats per min. Perfect!!! And I feel so great this morning!!!!! I reached out to my doctor and he said to cut my dose in half to 10mg and if my pressure was still low to get off the stuff. Keep in mind I have been eating a healthy diet and worked out 30 mins a day and lost 27lbs. over the past two months, so naturally my blood pressure would automatically go down.
As I said, it's hard to determine what is the normal feeling. I would have taken my dose down weeks ago, but didn't know what was causing the feeling.....my advice to all is to check your meds consistently when you're feeling weird. I was even able to reduce my Xanax down to .25mg twice a day and soon to be once, then none!!! All these feelings I though were anxiety were from my high blood pressure meds!!!!
I'll take these little wins here and there any day!!!! I feel great today and know I can take on anything!!!!
Speaking of anything, my cancer results come out Monday. Here is what I know so far
My biopsy was done on 2/9/16. It was painful because they couldn't numb me enough after I already told them it takes a lot to numb me! During this day they showed me my 24hr urine test results and they cam back normal!!!! NORMAL!!! If I have Multiple Myeloma the urine should have had high levels of M Proteins in it! (big win) Secondly, my blood test came back all normal except for the one elevated protein. The last one there was multiple elevated abnormalities (last blood test was during my 16 day into my quit and all the withdrawals) The doctor that was dealing with me was 74, a travelling doctor and seemed to have some memory problems. Needless to say I will be getting a 2nd opinion regardless of Mondays outcome! Wish me luck and thank you for all your prayers!
Sorry it was so long.....lot's of stuff happening!
Quit on Brothers and stay strong!!!!
