It has been nearly four weeks since last month's anemia. According to my menstrual cycle, now is about the time for anemia to set in. And it has. In spite of eating a high-iron breakfast and Vitamin C from a lime, dizziness and shortness of breath slowed me down at the farmer's market.
Depression is another symptom of low B12. It's a beautiful day outside, breezy though warm. It's nicer outside than inside an un-airconditioned apartment. But I don't have the energy or will to be outside. My hesitation to take my injection is directly due to an unwillingness to stick a needle into my body.
I do have a choice. Stick it or die.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Nerve Damage
My mother warned me again and again that missing an injection could lead to nerve damage. Why would I not heed to the warning of a doctor so esteemed that she had patients who would travel over 100 miles to see her? It's less because of a mother /daughter relationship than me being risky and trying to figure out how to avoid sticking a hypodermic needle into my thigh.
On the fifth day after taking the emergency injection, I tried not to worry that pins and needles still relentlessly poked my hands and feet. I called my mom. Her mother's instinct knew even though I said nothing about the numbness. She yelled at me.
That day, in spite of the new funny feeling, I realized that my energy level was quickly on its way back up. New blood cells were multiplying.
Permanent nerve damage? Lumosity.com, a site with games that improve brain function and even helps people with damage to their nervous systems, gives hope. Why should I not also hope?
On day 6, I tested my renewed energy and briskly walked from the subway station to a friend's party. Though mentally not fully engaged with the usual intensity that comes with the New York rush, my feet carried away as if nothing was wrong. At the party, while seated and in conversation, the possibility of damage became real as warm prickles radiated on the left side of my face and then switched to the right. The tingling didn't last, but it lingered long enough.
Later on in the evening, my friend who is a fitness trainer and knows about massage pressed hard on my hands. Usually if she does that it hurts. This time it didn't. I could feel pressure but could not sense how much.
On day 7, the pins and needles seemed to start subsiding. I don't know if the numbness had started to wear off or if I started growing accustomed to it.
Nerve damage as a result of low B12 occurs in the spine. That's what an article said anyway. Pins and needles are felt mostly peripherally in limbs.
A Livestrong article stated that permanent nerve damage occurs after considerable time with low levels of Vitamin B12. I haven't been any longer than 2 months without an injection for years. So the damage couldn't be permanent, could it?
On the fifth day after taking the emergency injection, I tried not to worry that pins and needles still relentlessly poked my hands and feet. I called my mom. Her mother's instinct knew even though I said nothing about the numbness. She yelled at me.
That day, in spite of the new funny feeling, I realized that my energy level was quickly on its way back up. New blood cells were multiplying.
Permanent nerve damage? Lumosity.com, a site with games that improve brain function and even helps people with damage to their nervous systems, gives hope. Why should I not also hope?
On day 6, I tested my renewed energy and briskly walked from the subway station to a friend's party. Though mentally not fully engaged with the usual intensity that comes with the New York rush, my feet carried away as if nothing was wrong. At the party, while seated and in conversation, the possibility of damage became real as warm prickles radiated on the left side of my face and then switched to the right. The tingling didn't last, but it lingered long enough.
Later on in the evening, my friend who is a fitness trainer and knows about massage pressed hard on my hands. Usually if she does that it hurts. This time it didn't. I could feel pressure but could not sense how much.
On day 7, the pins and needles seemed to start subsiding. I don't know if the numbness had started to wear off or if I started growing accustomed to it.
Nerve damage as a result of low B12 occurs in the spine. That's what an article said anyway. Pins and needles are felt mostly peripherally in limbs.
A Livestrong article stated that permanent nerve damage occurs after considerable time with low levels of Vitamin B12. I haven't been any longer than 2 months without an injection for years. So the damage couldn't be permanent, could it?
Friday, June 8, 2012
Like a Hyper-Chlorinated Pool
For most of the day today, breathing has felt like being at an indoor pool where evaporated chlorine gets inhaled. Or it feels like breathing menthol, or the mint from a strong mint candy.
Nearly two hours into the 4th day, I'm still tired, but not fatigued. Napping is a nice idea, but not necessary.
If red blood cells take 4 days to form, and if in fact my red blood cell count was really low (I don't know for a fact since I haven't taken any tests), then now the count is increasing.
Improvement is slow, but certain. It's like watching seeds sprout. After a few days in a damp sprouting jar, little plants begin to shed their seed hulls to become sprouts. They don't shed their hulls at once. Some are quick and some don't lose their hulls until another day later.
The slowness could just be that my bone marrow can only make so many cells at a time. At any rate, the lightheadedness is gone and my breathing is more or less normal. My lungs still feel like they've just breathed chlorine-filled air. Maybe it's all the CO2 transferring out that was previously stuck without a carrier. Hmm, maybe I should go breathe next to the tree in my living room.
Nearly two hours into the 4th day, I'm still tired, but not fatigued. Napping is a nice idea, but not necessary.
If red blood cells take 4 days to form, and if in fact my red blood cell count was really low (I don't know for a fact since I haven't taken any tests), then now the count is increasing.
Improvement is slow, but certain. It's like watching seeds sprout. After a few days in a damp sprouting jar, little plants begin to shed their seed hulls to become sprouts. They don't shed their hulls at once. Some are quick and some don't lose their hulls until another day later.
The slowness could just be that my bone marrow can only make so many cells at a time. At any rate, the lightheadedness is gone and my breathing is more or less normal. My lungs still feel like they've just breathed chlorine-filled air. Maybe it's all the CO2 transferring out that was previously stuck without a carrier. Hmm, maybe I should go breathe next to the tree in my living room.
Day 4 Approaches
As the 96th hour after the injection approaches, I can start to feel that it's actually warm in my apartment. I started feeling better about an hour ago. Though I still find breathing difficult, my hands are no longer cold and numb.
Every day since Tuesday, the act of thinking had been difficult. I could only sit at my work computer for about an hour before getting lightheaded and having to lie down. Now I can sit without a backrest and my arms no longer need to be propped up.
So much to do and so little time! All of the sudden, a list of things I have to do ran through my head. Do I have the energy? Will I be able to walk down the street without having to sit down or stop?
The last four days were a huge lesson to me, and I hope for others with this deficiency.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is no joke. It's not psychosomatic. It isn't something that can be healed with a placebo. Even if a person's B12 level is tested "normal", it's possible that a deficiency can still occur at some other lesser-known physiological process.
The important thing to remember is that the human body simply can not survive without B12. It's the factor of cell replication and energy metabolism that we so easily take for granted, especially among vegetarians. But the fact is, we are omnivores. I'm not against those who choose to be vegetarians. Vegetarianism is more environmentally sustainable. But we are homines sapientes. We are not designed to eat grass. It must be processed in order to take advantage of its nutrients. Otherwise, we eat meat. We can even eat meat raw.
Twenty years ago, I tried to be a vegetarian. It lasted 8 months before I became too weak to play sports. A blood test came back that said my B12 level was low. By the time my blood was tested, I had already started to eat meat again. But it was too late. My body no longer would process this complex vitamin from the foods I ate.
For 20 years I tried many diets. I even ate raw food. And every few months, the same problem occurred. This time, the problem lasted too long.
Every day since Tuesday, the act of thinking had been difficult. I could only sit at my work computer for about an hour before getting lightheaded and having to lie down. Now I can sit without a backrest and my arms no longer need to be propped up.
So much to do and so little time! All of the sudden, a list of things I have to do ran through my head. Do I have the energy? Will I be able to walk down the street without having to sit down or stop?
The last four days were a huge lesson to me, and I hope for others with this deficiency.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is no joke. It's not psychosomatic. It isn't something that can be healed with a placebo. Even if a person's B12 level is tested "normal", it's possible that a deficiency can still occur at some other lesser-known physiological process.
The important thing to remember is that the human body simply can not survive without B12. It's the factor of cell replication and energy metabolism that we so easily take for granted, especially among vegetarians. But the fact is, we are omnivores. I'm not against those who choose to be vegetarians. Vegetarianism is more environmentally sustainable. But we are homines sapientes. We are not designed to eat grass. It must be processed in order to take advantage of its nutrients. Otherwise, we eat meat. We can even eat meat raw.
Twenty years ago, I tried to be a vegetarian. It lasted 8 months before I became too weak to play sports. A blood test came back that said my B12 level was low. By the time my blood was tested, I had already started to eat meat again. But it was too late. My body no longer would process this complex vitamin from the foods I ate.
For 20 years I tried many diets. I even ate raw food. And every few months, the same problem occurred. This time, the problem lasted too long.
Today Is the End of Day 3
In my 20 years of being B12 deficient, it has never taken this long to recover. I feel continually like I have just given blood. Constantly feeling on the verge of passing out. Numb and cold. Exhausted after simple tasks like making coffee.
Yesterday was the start of Day 3 of having a fresh supply of vitamin B12 injected into my thigh muscle. I started wondering if this is what it feels like in the beginning of pregnancy. God bless you men who love your wives, girlfriends, sisters, and mothers. Women have to go through these kinds of feelings every month with every menstrual cycle. We lose iron to the uterus at the off chance that a fertilized egg will be implanted. For the 400 or so menstrual cycles a woman has in her lifetime, less than 1% of those cycles for most women results in the birth of a child. For the other 390-something times, we become anemic. I don't ever want to hear a man bitch or moan about being tired or stressed out.
Obviously, the thought of what pregnant women go through brought me to wonder about the length of time it's taking now to recover. Looking back at my calendar, I see that my last menstrual period started 21 days ago. This means that it's prime time for menstrual anemia. But since my body lacked the B12 needed to make new red blood cells to keep the iron that prevents anemia, this blog is now active.
In the past, I've tried keeping journals of this health madness. But I'm too inconsistent and distractible to keep it up. Hence, this horrible experience.
After the needle goes through the skin, the rest is easy. The needle point is so sharp, it can hardly be felt. I hope one day to not be afraid of sticking myself that this procrastination would not result in 4, nearly 5 wasted days of life.
Yesterday was the start of Day 3 of having a fresh supply of vitamin B12 injected into my thigh muscle. I started wondering if this is what it feels like in the beginning of pregnancy. God bless you men who love your wives, girlfriends, sisters, and mothers. Women have to go through these kinds of feelings every month with every menstrual cycle. We lose iron to the uterus at the off chance that a fertilized egg will be implanted. For the 400 or so menstrual cycles a woman has in her lifetime, less than 1% of those cycles for most women results in the birth of a child. For the other 390-something times, we become anemic. I don't ever want to hear a man bitch or moan about being tired or stressed out.
Obviously, the thought of what pregnant women go through brought me to wonder about the length of time it's taking now to recover. Looking back at my calendar, I see that my last menstrual period started 21 days ago. This means that it's prime time for menstrual anemia. But since my body lacked the B12 needed to make new red blood cells to keep the iron that prevents anemia, this blog is now active.
In the past, I've tried keeping journals of this health madness. But I'm too inconsistent and distractible to keep it up. Hence, this horrible experience.
After the needle goes through the skin, the rest is easy. The needle point is so sharp, it can hardly be felt. I hope one day to not be afraid of sticking myself that this procrastination would not result in 4, nearly 5 wasted days of life.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Dizziness
It took over 4 and a half hours since leaving the attorney's office to get on a train home.
I didn't want to go one more day without a supply of slow-roasted coffee beans that aren't burnt like Starbucks or bitter like some other coffees. Whole Foods was on the way toward Brooklyn ... on foot.
It was beautiful outside. There were no rain clouds in sight. On the way, I stopped in a mom and pop Indian clothing store and picked up a couple tunic tops for $10 each; sat on a chair near Madison Square Park to rest and wrote a blog post; and sat on a bench in front of Fish's Eddy, a store that sells fancy secondhand restaurant supplies, and wrote another blog post.
Hunger started to set in, so I stopped at a Goodburger restaurant. While waiting to make my order, I got faint with tennis ball head and the room started looking like TV snow. In spite of backing away from the counter to take a seat, one of the cashiers took my order from 8 feet away. "You better get some food in you," she said.
The burger totally rocked. I ate it without a bun and without ketchup. It was grass-fed deliciousness paired with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, mayo, and mustard. I drank some vitamin C-fortified apple juice (absorbic acid, which comes from corn) since I had read that vitamin C helps with iron absorption.
By the time I left the burger place, it had started raining. I made my way, step by step, toward Whole Foods. When I couldn't take the cold anymore, I went into a Petco store and browsed through dog toys and treats. Penny got a new toy.
The rain stopped and so I ventured out across Union Square toward Whole Foods. I really didn't know another place to get decent coffee beans. Dunkin Donuts is acceptable, but their coffee bags are made with plastic. No thanks. It didn't make sense to take a cab across the square, so I went step by step, occasionally losing balance.
Whole Foods of course was bustling. It was 8 o'clock in the evening and people were having post-work shopping time.
The iron from the burger I ate on the way seemed to begin helping. Iron attaches to blood cells in the form of hemoglobin, which is what gives red blood its color. Hemoglobin's job is to pick up oxygen from the lungs, leave it with cells in the body, and pick up carbon dioxide and other waste molecules brought back to the lungs for the exhale.
Finally checking out with coffee beans and a few other items, I headed toward the subway. Question was, which one? If I had taken the 4 train, I would have had to walk further to get home. I opted for the F train. Unfortunately, I got confused and forgot the F train was just as far away to walk as the 4.
I tried to sit and rest as much as possible.
On the way to the F train, I saw a Foot Locker store called Run. I needed running shoes that fit me properly, and I wanted to make sure I got my heart strong after this anemic madness was over. So I went in and sat down on the bench to stare at the options. It was after 9 p.m. when I chose a pair to take home.
Finally, at 9:40 p.m., I was on the train.
The world started looking much more stable. The spinning stopped after settling back comfortably into a seat. The burger must have kicked in. It was consumed almost 3 hours earlier.
Outside the train station, it was like discovering walking again. Though the dizziness was gone, each step still felt out of sorts. Pins and needles, lactic acid build up, and tender feet. At least tennis ball head was gone.
I didn't want to go one more day without a supply of slow-roasted coffee beans that aren't burnt like Starbucks or bitter like some other coffees. Whole Foods was on the way toward Brooklyn ... on foot.
It was beautiful outside. There were no rain clouds in sight. On the way, I stopped in a mom and pop Indian clothing store and picked up a couple tunic tops for $10 each; sat on a chair near Madison Square Park to rest and wrote a blog post; and sat on a bench in front of Fish's Eddy, a store that sells fancy secondhand restaurant supplies, and wrote another blog post.
Hunger started to set in, so I stopped at a Goodburger restaurant. While waiting to make my order, I got faint with tennis ball head and the room started looking like TV snow. In spite of backing away from the counter to take a seat, one of the cashiers took my order from 8 feet away. "You better get some food in you," she said.
The burger totally rocked. I ate it without a bun and without ketchup. It was grass-fed deliciousness paired with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, mayo, and mustard. I drank some vitamin C-fortified apple juice (absorbic acid, which comes from corn) since I had read that vitamin C helps with iron absorption.
By the time I left the burger place, it had started raining. I made my way, step by step, toward Whole Foods. When I couldn't take the cold anymore, I went into a Petco store and browsed through dog toys and treats. Penny got a new toy.
The rain stopped and so I ventured out across Union Square toward Whole Foods. I really didn't know another place to get decent coffee beans. Dunkin Donuts is acceptable, but their coffee bags are made with plastic. No thanks. It didn't make sense to take a cab across the square, so I went step by step, occasionally losing balance.
Whole Foods of course was bustling. It was 8 o'clock in the evening and people were having post-work shopping time.
The iron from the burger I ate on the way seemed to begin helping. Iron attaches to blood cells in the form of hemoglobin, which is what gives red blood its color. Hemoglobin's job is to pick up oxygen from the lungs, leave it with cells in the body, and pick up carbon dioxide and other waste molecules brought back to the lungs for the exhale.
Finally checking out with coffee beans and a few other items, I headed toward the subway. Question was, which one? If I had taken the 4 train, I would have had to walk further to get home. I opted for the F train. Unfortunately, I got confused and forgot the F train was just as far away to walk as the 4.
I tried to sit and rest as much as possible.
On the way to the F train, I saw a Foot Locker store called Run. I needed running shoes that fit me properly, and I wanted to make sure I got my heart strong after this anemic madness was over. So I went in and sat down on the bench to stare at the options. It was after 9 p.m. when I chose a pair to take home.
Finally, at 9:40 p.m., I was on the train.
The world started looking much more stable. The spinning stopped after settling back comfortably into a seat. The burger must have kicked in. It was consumed almost 3 hours earlier.
Outside the train station, it was like discovering walking again. Though the dizziness was gone, each step still felt out of sorts. Pins and needles, lactic acid build up, and tender feet. At least tennis ball head was gone.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Heart Issues
Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to more serious complications than tingling hands and feet. Some suffer from heart issues or stroke.
Two years ago, I went to the doctor for heart palpitations. At that time I was taking my B12 injections regularly, so something else was up.
After seeing a cardiologist and hearing my 38 year old heart was as good as a 25 year old's, my doctor pointed out that my potassium level was high. Too much potassium can cause the heart to palpitate. No more bananas. Or coconut water. I think I've had one banana and maybe two coconut waters in the last 2 years.
This all brings me to deduce that a body with too few red blood cells has a heart that works too much. Or maybe it's working less.
Earlier today, after a few hours working on my laptop, I felt extremely tired and lied down to rest. My heart beat weakly. I got up and swallowed a few drops of a cayenne pepper tincture I had made 2 years before, and then lied down again. I didn't want to end up like Amy Winehouse.
I wonder if these symptoms are over-exaggerated. My mother has accused me in the past for it, telling me they were all psychosomatic.
Today, each time I tried to walk at normal pace, my head has had that fuzzy and dull sensation. I call it tennis ball head. And then there's chest pain.
It turned out that two years ago, the palpitations were related to anxiety. My doctor at the time suggested that I go to the World Trade Center health clinic. It took another year and a half to finally go to the clinic, and since starting therapy I am a lot less anxious. Indeed it was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the 9-11 tragedy.
This time, the chest pain is due only to not taking my B12 injections regularly. Otherwise, I eat well and load up on iron.
There's a reason why sometimes vitamin B12 deficiency is called "pernicious" anemia.
Two years ago, I went to the doctor for heart palpitations. At that time I was taking my B12 injections regularly, so something else was up.
After seeing a cardiologist and hearing my 38 year old heart was as good as a 25 year old's, my doctor pointed out that my potassium level was high. Too much potassium can cause the heart to palpitate. No more bananas. Or coconut water. I think I've had one banana and maybe two coconut waters in the last 2 years.
This all brings me to deduce that a body with too few red blood cells has a heart that works too much. Or maybe it's working less.
Earlier today, after a few hours working on my laptop, I felt extremely tired and lied down to rest. My heart beat weakly. I got up and swallowed a few drops of a cayenne pepper tincture I had made 2 years before, and then lied down again. I didn't want to end up like Amy Winehouse.
I wonder if these symptoms are over-exaggerated. My mother has accused me in the past for it, telling me they were all psychosomatic.
Today, each time I tried to walk at normal pace, my head has had that fuzzy and dull sensation. I call it tennis ball head. And then there's chest pain.
It turned out that two years ago, the palpitations were related to anxiety. My doctor at the time suggested that I go to the World Trade Center health clinic. It took another year and a half to finally go to the clinic, and since starting therapy I am a lot less anxious. Indeed it was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the 9-11 tragedy.
This time, the chest pain is due only to not taking my B12 injections regularly. Otherwise, I eat well and load up on iron.
There's a reason why sometimes vitamin B12 deficiency is called "pernicious" anemia.
Pain
Everything hurts. My body feels like it had an intense workout a few hours before. My head feels like I just sprinted and the blood rushing through veins has oxygenated my brain. The difference is that the workout would bring oxygen to the brain.
I breathe normally and sit still aside from thumb-typing on my phone. The chair has inadequate arm rests, one of which feels as if it's leaving a bruise. I don't bother trying to use the other "rest" since it's far enough from my arm to make me use more energy than it's worth.
I arrived several minutes ago in an attempt to enjoy the blue sky that appeared beyond forecasted rain clouds. Leaving the comfort of home, my work computer, and nap place, I've ventured out to attend a mortgage closing. By the time I got out of the meeting, it was rush hour. The chances of getting a seat on the subway I was not willing to risk. On Monday, the day this whole health hazard began, I ended up sitting on the floor of the train. Thanks, sheeple.
Each engaged muscle in my body begins to feel lactic acid. Taking deeper breaths doesn't help. It takes enough energy to just breathe. The rest of my body is not getting enough oxygen. Am I going to damage or have I damaged my nervous system?
I feel pain on my back leaning against the backrest, and in my arm on the armrest. On the way down the street, there was pain in my legs.
A man is being interviewed a few feet away. Normally I would be distracted by the conversation. He is an architect. Or artist. Or both. Today, I don't care and can barely hear. Trying to listen makes my head hurt.
Pins and needles have developed in the fingertips of the possibly bruised arm. I switch armrests to alleviate it.
At least my butt doesn't ache.
A woman in 4-inch heels trips a heel on the pavement. I would much rather walk like her than I do today.
I breathe normally and sit still aside from thumb-typing on my phone. The chair has inadequate arm rests, one of which feels as if it's leaving a bruise. I don't bother trying to use the other "rest" since it's far enough from my arm to make me use more energy than it's worth.
I arrived several minutes ago in an attempt to enjoy the blue sky that appeared beyond forecasted rain clouds. Leaving the comfort of home, my work computer, and nap place, I've ventured out to attend a mortgage closing. By the time I got out of the meeting, it was rush hour. The chances of getting a seat on the subway I was not willing to risk. On Monday, the day this whole health hazard began, I ended up sitting on the floor of the train. Thanks, sheeple.
Each engaged muscle in my body begins to feel lactic acid. Taking deeper breaths doesn't help. It takes enough energy to just breathe. The rest of my body is not getting enough oxygen. Am I going to damage or have I damaged my nervous system?
I feel pain on my back leaning against the backrest, and in my arm on the armrest. On the way down the street, there was pain in my legs.
A man is being interviewed a few feet away. Normally I would be distracted by the conversation. He is an architect. Or artist. Or both. Today, I don't care and can barely hear. Trying to listen makes my head hurt.
Pins and needles have developed in the fingertips of the possibly bruised arm. I switch armrests to alleviate it.
At least my butt doesn't ache.
A woman in 4-inch heels trips a heel on the pavement. I would much rather walk like her than I do today.
Red Blood Cells and Digestion
It has been two days after nearly fainting. My arms are so weak, I have to prop them up in order to type. Had I taken my injection as soon as the fainting spell occurred, I would be at the office as normal. Why is it taking so long to recover this time?
Red blood cells last about 120 days. Our bodies continually regenerate these cells so that oxygen can reach the different parts of our bodies, like arm muscles. But when vitamin B12 is absent, body cells do not grow.
The dead blood cells are collected by the liver, spleen, and lymphocytes. When the liver collects a lot of dead cells, bile is released. This yellowish liquid – which has other functions including lipid digestion and removing cholesterol – may be released in excess and cause the yellowing of the whites of eyes.
I looked in the mirror. My eye whites are not very white.
In the meantime, I've been loading up on iron and vitamins by eating meats, vegetables, whole grain foods, legumes, and seeds – but not at the same time. Through years of experimenting with diet, I've found that eating meat with breads does very little except fill up the stomach for an extended time, and then leave the bowels mostly undigested. Eating meat with most kinds of vegetables, on the other hand, creates less waste by being digested more efficiently with stomach acids. Breads, eaten separately, are digested with a different process, starting with saliva in an alkaline process. The closest kind of diet to this way of eating that I could find is the Hay diet, named after Dr. William Howard Hay.
I've found that eating Hay-diet-like gives me plenty of energy. Going to the bathroom is not a problem, nor is it very stinky. The only downside is feeling constantly hungry, except when loading up on a high quantity of vegetables with some meat. Even that lasts only a couple hours before the hungry feeling sets in again. Today, however, no amount of eating is giving me enough energy. The red blood cells aren't there yet to carry oxygen to my fatigued muscles.
Reduced oxygen-carrying capability has taken quite a toll. Aside from typing fatigue, yesterday I joined co-workers for a birthday celebration and experienced brain function trouble. I went to the bathroom of the restaurant where there was a sliding door. I could see the sign on the door that said "Slide" with an arrow pointing to the left. The problem was, I couldn't see that the door was already open. I tried to push the door to the left. It wouldn't go. After a second or two, I looked to the "right" side of the door, which wasn't the door itself, but the opening to the bathroom. I still didn't see it was an opening. Scanning back to the left with outstretched hand, I finally realized that the door was already open. I had not had any alcohol.
If I have become so anemic that there are not enough red blood cells to function normally, it will take another two days to fully recover.
While I have been able to work from home, a few hours of sitting up requires some extra time lying down. I am dizzy. Everything spins albeit slowly. It's difficult to see peripherally. Motorcycle riding is completely out of the question.
I cannot wait until I have new blood.
Red blood cells last about 120 days. Our bodies continually regenerate these cells so that oxygen can reach the different parts of our bodies, like arm muscles. But when vitamin B12 is absent, body cells do not grow.
It takes 4 days to create new red blood cells.
The dead blood cells are collected by the liver, spleen, and lymphocytes. When the liver collects a lot of dead cells, bile is released. This yellowish liquid – which has other functions including lipid digestion and removing cholesterol – may be released in excess and cause the yellowing of the whites of eyes.
I looked in the mirror. My eye whites are not very white.
In the meantime, I've been loading up on iron and vitamins by eating meats, vegetables, whole grain foods, legumes, and seeds – but not at the same time. Through years of experimenting with diet, I've found that eating meat with breads does very little except fill up the stomach for an extended time, and then leave the bowels mostly undigested. Eating meat with most kinds of vegetables, on the other hand, creates less waste by being digested more efficiently with stomach acids. Breads, eaten separately, are digested with a different process, starting with saliva in an alkaline process. The closest kind of diet to this way of eating that I could find is the Hay diet, named after Dr. William Howard Hay.
I've found that eating Hay-diet-like gives me plenty of energy. Going to the bathroom is not a problem, nor is it very stinky. The only downside is feeling constantly hungry, except when loading up on a high quantity of vegetables with some meat. Even that lasts only a couple hours before the hungry feeling sets in again. Today, however, no amount of eating is giving me enough energy. The red blood cells aren't there yet to carry oxygen to my fatigued muscles.
Reduced oxygen-carrying capability has taken quite a toll. Aside from typing fatigue, yesterday I joined co-workers for a birthday celebration and experienced brain function trouble. I went to the bathroom of the restaurant where there was a sliding door. I could see the sign on the door that said "Slide" with an arrow pointing to the left. The problem was, I couldn't see that the door was already open. I tried to push the door to the left. It wouldn't go. After a second or two, I looked to the "right" side of the door, which wasn't the door itself, but the opening to the bathroom. I still didn't see it was an opening. Scanning back to the left with outstretched hand, I finally realized that the door was already open. I had not had any alcohol.
If I have become so anemic that there are not enough red blood cells to function normally, it will take another two days to fully recover.
While I have been able to work from home, a few hours of sitting up requires some extra time lying down. I am dizzy. Everything spins albeit slowly. It's difficult to see peripherally. Motorcycle riding is completely out of the question.
I cannot wait until I have new blood.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Delaying B12 injections: Bad Idea
If this were a hundred years ago, I would need blood transfusions to survive. That was how people with vitamin B12 deficiency were treated. Back then, nobody knew what B12 was.
Today, I can eat meat and feel a little better, but it's not enough. Eventually, I become faint. Yesterday I felt like passing out at work. Fortunately, I was sitting down, and I managed to get myself to a restaurant and eat a burger. Unfortunately, the burger wasn't enough to take away the dizziness, chest pain, headache, tingling sensation, loss of balance, muscle fatigue, and shortness of breath. So, at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I left the office and headed home to take an injection.
I should have known three days before, after 3 straight weeks of working until night every day, that depression would kick in. It's one of my first symptoms of the anemia setting in.
A hundred years ago, people died from it. Lack of B12 can cause permanent damage to the nervous system. Today, we still don't fully understand the multiple processes of absorption and synthesis of B12 in our bodies, which often makes pinpointing the exact cause of the deficiency difficult.
Vitamin B12 is responsible for cell metabolism. Cells do not replicate or process energy without it. The anemia is a part of the deficiency, because our bodies continually need to create red blood cells. Without B12, the number of red blood cells decrease. Since red blood carries iron, which is responsible for carrying oxygen to the rest of the body, shortness of breath also occurs.
By 4:30 in the afternoon yesterday, I had injected 1.5 cc of cyanocobalamin. Twenty years after being diagnosed with B12 deficiency, you would think taking a monthly injection would be a habitual process. It's not. I'm still not used to sticking myself with a hypodermic needle, and so I avoid it as long as possible. Unfortunately, at 40 years old, I can't get away without the injection for long. Within 6 weeks of an injection, I start to feel dizzy, lose balance, and need deep breaths just to walk. I usually feel better within 2 hours of taking an injection. But this time, 20 hours later, I'm still dizzy and a little short of breath.
Cyancobalamin is a form of B12 derived from the synthesis of the B12 molecule with cyanide, which is what humans use to make B12 injectable. The vitamin is otherwise synthesized without cyanide by bacteria.
B12 tablets, the kind you put under your tongue, don't work on me. Apparently, eating meat doesn't seem to work either. I've also tried growing wheatgrass and drinking its juice. That did make me feel great, but it didn't take away my deficiency. After a couple weeks of wheatgrass consumption, the symptoms still came full force.
About an hour after taking the injection, my finger muscles were twitching as I tried to make a phone call. Not fun. Another hour later, I got on the subway to meet a dinner date. Our conversation went well for someone whose brain operated as if in light sleep.
Recovery from the anemia is apparent: breathing easier, less numbness, and less muscle fatigue. But this time recovery is happening too slow. I waited about 4 hours after feeling faint to go home for an injection. It was almost 5 hours when I finally injected. Now I'm paying for it as even my writing is suffering.
In the past, I tried to keep track of the frequency of injections. But in the last few months since being busy with work, I stopped documenting.
A person with vitamin B12 deficiency is no good to anyone while anemic. Hence, documenting today. Over the last 20 years, I tried to avoid injections and tried alternatives like different diets. I've experimented, researched, and gambled on my life. As I get older, I'm finally realizing that it's not worth the gamble. This is a real disease, and it's not going away.
Today, I can eat meat and feel a little better, but it's not enough. Eventually, I become faint. Yesterday I felt like passing out at work. Fortunately, I was sitting down, and I managed to get myself to a restaurant and eat a burger. Unfortunately, the burger wasn't enough to take away the dizziness, chest pain, headache, tingling sensation, loss of balance, muscle fatigue, and shortness of breath. So, at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I left the office and headed home to take an injection.
I should have known three days before, after 3 straight weeks of working until night every day, that depression would kick in. It's one of my first symptoms of the anemia setting in.
A hundred years ago, people died from it. Lack of B12 can cause permanent damage to the nervous system. Today, we still don't fully understand the multiple processes of absorption and synthesis of B12 in our bodies, which often makes pinpointing the exact cause of the deficiency difficult.
Vitamin B12 is responsible for cell metabolism. Cells do not replicate or process energy without it. The anemia is a part of the deficiency, because our bodies continually need to create red blood cells. Without B12, the number of red blood cells decrease. Since red blood carries iron, which is responsible for carrying oxygen to the rest of the body, shortness of breath also occurs.
By 4:30 in the afternoon yesterday, I had injected 1.5 cc of cyanocobalamin. Twenty years after being diagnosed with B12 deficiency, you would think taking a monthly injection would be a habitual process. It's not. I'm still not used to sticking myself with a hypodermic needle, and so I avoid it as long as possible. Unfortunately, at 40 years old, I can't get away without the injection for long. Within 6 weeks of an injection, I start to feel dizzy, lose balance, and need deep breaths just to walk. I usually feel better within 2 hours of taking an injection. But this time, 20 hours later, I'm still dizzy and a little short of breath.
Cyancobalamin is a form of B12 derived from the synthesis of the B12 molecule with cyanide, which is what humans use to make B12 injectable. The vitamin is otherwise synthesized without cyanide by bacteria.
B12 tablets, the kind you put under your tongue, don't work on me. Apparently, eating meat doesn't seem to work either. I've also tried growing wheatgrass and drinking its juice. That did make me feel great, but it didn't take away my deficiency. After a couple weeks of wheatgrass consumption, the symptoms still came full force.
About an hour after taking the injection, my finger muscles were twitching as I tried to make a phone call. Not fun. Another hour later, I got on the subway to meet a dinner date. Our conversation went well for someone whose brain operated as if in light sleep.
Recovery from the anemia is apparent: breathing easier, less numbness, and less muscle fatigue. But this time recovery is happening too slow. I waited about 4 hours after feeling faint to go home for an injection. It was almost 5 hours when I finally injected. Now I'm paying for it as even my writing is suffering.
In the past, I tried to keep track of the frequency of injections. But in the last few months since being busy with work, I stopped documenting.
A person with vitamin B12 deficiency is no good to anyone while anemic. Hence, documenting today. Over the last 20 years, I tried to avoid injections and tried alternatives like different diets. I've experimented, researched, and gambled on my life. As I get older, I'm finally realizing that it's not worth the gamble. This is a real disease, and it's not going away.
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