Addison's, Zumba, and a wish for warm weather

It has been a while since I've posted, but I think I have a pretty good excuse! Here's my story:

In April 2010 I began to feel very sick. I had very low energy, no appetite, nausea, and I couldn't walk or stand at all without becoming very short of breath. I lost a lot of weight and lost most of my muscle tone as I was very sick like this for about 7 months. Having been to several different doctors several times, a stay in the hospital and the ER, and having a stomach scope, colonoscopy, an EKG, a 24-hour heart monitor and countless labs done, I was beginning to feel a little hopeless. Then on November 17th, 2010 I was admitted to the ER with very low blood pressure, low sodium and high potassium. I was sent up to the ICU where the doctors conducted a full evaluation and tests and were able to diagnose me with Primary Adrenal Insufficiency, also known as Addison's Disease.

The adrenal glands do a lot of different things in the body, but a few of the main things affected by the insufficiency is my ability to retain salts, maintain water balance (stay hydrated), absorb fats, and receive the natural "stress hormone" called Cortisol. In people with normally functioning adrenal gland, cortisol is released into the body in the early morning and then tapers off throughout the day. When our bodies undergo any type of stress (whether it be a cold, the flu, a car accident or emotional stress) the adrenals release extra cortisol to help our bodies cope. Since my body doesn't produce this for me, I have to supplement the Cortisol and an other steroid that helps me retain salts and water. I will have to do this every day for the rest of my life. The prognosis is good; Addisonians have lived normal lifespans for many years with proper medication. In fact, JFK had Addison's Disease. Remember his nice glowing tan? That was actually hyperpigmentation caused by the Addison's. I have also experienced hyperpigmentation.. I consider this the "silver lining" or a perk of the disease :).

Addison's is usually caused by an autoimmune disease; which is true for me. My thyroid shut down at the same time my adrenals did, so I am also taking medication to supplement that loss.

One potential side effect from supplementing with steroids is weight gain. Unfortunately, I have gained some weight and I feel rather uncomfortable with it. Although all the weight I had lost when I was sick was not lost in a healthy way, it is rather shocking to pretty much gain 10-15 lbs. over night (which is what happened in the hospital due to water weight). Even though I lost the water weight, I made up for it by eating too much (steroids can make you feel very hungry). Also, taking an improper dosage of Cortisol can interact with insulin and create "fat pockets" in the body. Sounds lovely doesn't it?

So I have some things to work out with dosage and I need to find a diet that works for me. Some people with Addison's strictly stay away from all gluten and refined sugars and that helps them with the weight gain issue. I am looking into trying this after doing a 2 week detox. This detox involves cutting out the most common allergenic foods so that one can reveal potential food allergies by slowing re-introducing certain foods and taking note of how you feel.

I also just joined a Zumba class this week with my friend Asya. Although I was expecting the class to be a lot more intense, I have hope that it will pick up pace and be not only a lot of fun but also a great work out. I have a membership to the BSU gym that I have not been good about utilizing so far. So today I plan to go after work and either walk in the treadmill or work the elliptical. Afterward I think I'll attempt some weight machines. I'm looking for a workout to tone my hips. My mom tells me I have "child-bearing hips," which is fine, but what do I do with them when I'm not bearing a child? Nothing.

A large motivator for me right now is thinking about WARM WEATHER! I'm imagining myself in short and a tank top, out in the hot sun enjoying some rays. Everyone wants to feel comfortable in their own body and the thought of wearing a swim suit or shorts the way my body feels right now gives me a little extra drive to get on that treadmill.

I actually have a goal of losing 15-20 pounds by April 1st. That's about 2 pounds a week for 10 weeks. When I keep things in perspective, 15 pounds really isn't that much to lose. However, if I don't make efforts to lose that now, 15 pounds could easily turn into 25 or 30 pounds that I have to lose. Its good for me to remember that.