Miles are up, not sure about weight

Today marks the conclusion of July 2019. While the month presents several positive attributes, it also encompasses lingering challenges and minor setbacks. I continue to experience anemia and chest pains, necessitating infusions to sustain iron levels. As previously mentioned, these occurrences are approximately half the frequency of 2018, yet they remain imperative.

Contrary to the physician’s recommendation, I have refrained from continuing omeprazole treatment. In January, I began experiencing significant difficulties, which were indicative of kidney issues. Kidney failure is a potential risk associated with omeprazole. Having discontinued its use for four months, I am confident that the kidneys are regaining their functionality, resulting in a reduction in my health concerns. My primary focus has shifted towards gut bacteria, as a balanced gut microbiome can contribute to the alleviation of various health issues.

In February, I stopped weighing myself. My weight feels lower, but only with effort. I’ll check with my doctor next. I’m focusing on balanced eating and more cycling. As of today, I’ve ridden 132 times and covered 1,796.3 miles. I’ve maintained this level since 2014, with a low of 760 miles a few years ago. My top year was 2,543.3 miles in 2012, and I’m on pace to exceed that this year. In July, I only drove the car for four days, mostly cycling.

My lingering health issues from the 2017 hospital stay are fortunate that my busy son doesn’t notice. Seeing a parent struggle with health is as hard as seeing a child with issues. I’m glad he’s working and unaware of my struggles.

He was in Germany for most of the first six months and was promoted to a new role, which increased his responsibilities. He’s only visited three times this year, including a brief stopover. The timing is perfect.

Here’s to August and hopes of a 400-plus mile month, as July was 481 miles.

Carry on my friends, carry on!

Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.

wildknits

Congrats on keeping your riding mileage up in light of everything else you have going on, especially the anemia! Hoping that you find the answer to your health issues, you have been struggling with them for years.  Did you find a good probiotic to take daily? Considering all of the antibiotics you have been on, it would be a wonder if you had good gut bacteria left. I think we are all learning more and more about the contribution the gut and its bacteria have to our overall health. I certainly have in the past two years! While some of my main issues have been addressed, I continue to take a probiotic, eat prebiotic foods, and maintain a diet that is radically different than what it was 2 years ago. Cutting out foods that cause inflammation for me has made a huge difference in how I feel overall, and led to some weight loss (not something I was looking to do at the time).  Thursday, August 8, 2019 at 7:28:18 AM CDT

LDP

Lisa, what I learned is that this is a long-term learning experience. Dairy and inflammation have a more significant effect on me. I use more care in selecting food and dissecting the labels, and in the past months, I was so surprised at the sugar in so-called health-beneficial food. The key for me was what the said was anemia, drug-induced. I have improved and look forward to a few more years when I finally get back in balance. At least the pace of improvement makes me believe that slow and easy will result in a good outcome.  Wednesday, August 21, 2019 at 8:10:37 PM CDT