One of the most annoying things about my life right now. (Hair loss)

I can't just say that it's an annoying thing about surgery, because that isn't true. This is most likely not-surgical-related --- because it was a problem I had before I even started looking into surgery.

Hair loss (and re-growth).

I was lucky, because I had very thick hair before this all started. I had thick stick straight strawberry-dirty blonde hair. I went through a phase in middle school where I dyed it brown a lot. and got highlights a few times. But I let it all grow out, and I haven't dyed it since.

Well!! around 2010 I started losing more hair than you're supposed to. (Most people lose around 100 hairs a day.) and I hadn't been to doctors as frequently as necessary for my Insulin Resistance, I needed blood work done.. sure enough when I went in in early 2011, I found out my thyroid levels were messed up, among other things.

That was around the time I was looking into surgery.

Well, the hair loss never stopped. Because as soon as the new medications started taking affect, I had surgery. and my body was thrown into a whole other cycle, it didn't know what the hell happened to it. I had issues drinking enough for awhile, although I did get enough protein in (and still do, most days.) The hair loss still hasn't stopped. I'm 11 months out now. It is freaking annoying.

I still lose a handful a day. I used to be able to wrap a hair elastic-tie thing around a ponytail 2-3 times. Now I can wrap it around 4-5 times. I used to like braiding my hair, because it would give it deep-looking-waves. And I would have to do like 4 braids all over my head, sleep on it, and wake up and take them out. Now I only need to do 1. and the 1 braid i do, is just a tiny bit thicker than one of the four I used to do.

It's insane.

Here, look for yourself.

That's just when I have my hair in a ponytail. So clearly I don't do that much anymore, unless necessary. and when I do, i use bobby pins and hair gel and stuff to keep it all back.

The re-growth is worse than the loss itself.

and what you see, is the re-growth. I'm still losing a lot of hair on a daily basis. The re-growth is going to continue for a very long time, and I have absolutely no idea how to get it to stop.

I don't have the money for biotin, and I asked my doctor about it and they said it hasn't been proven to help much anyway.

I take all my vitamins, get all my protein, and my blood work is all fine.

So I don't know. Maybe I need to increase my protein. But yeah.

I mean, I can make my hair look normal (although you can tell it's thinned out..)

see? 



That's how long my hair is. and I refuse to cut it off, although I know it would be easier. I regret it every time I cut it though. I chopped my long hair off in 3rd grade. and I chopped it off again in 8th. and I've always wanted super long hair, like, past my waist. I'm so close. So even though it'd be easier, I refuse to. I look terrible with short hair.

But it's SO much effort. I have to shower and wash my hair every day, or else it gets super oily and disgusting. shampoo. condition. comb. heat protectant. blow dry. straighten. finishing cream stuff to smooth it all down. comb again. and comb periodically throughout the day. and then shower again the next day. and another clump of hair ends up in the drain.

and I have to straighten it every day. because not only is my hair re-growing. but it's not growing in straight like the rest of my hair. it's growing in curly. and darker than most my hair.

wonderful, right?

I'm this >-< close to shaving my head. but again. I won't. because i love my long hair.

Ugh. It's bittersweet.

Okay. Rant over.

Bye!!! (:

-Ashley.

Vitamins!!!!!

These are the vitamins I take, currently, 9months out.

Multivitamin 2x a day (One a Day VitaCraves Gummys): http://www.drugstore.com/one-a-day-vitacraves-sour-gummies-complete-adult-multivitaminmultimineral-supplement/qxp218242?catid=180675 (Sour type.. Taste & texture of sour patch kids.)

Calcium Citrate 2x a day (Bariatric Advantage Raspberry Chewy Bites): https://www1.bariatricadvantage.com/catalog/list/2/Calcium (taste & texture of laffy taffy.. i take two twice a day.)

Vitamin D 1x a day: http://www.drugstore.com/nature-made-vitamin-d3-1000-iu-softgels/qxp344274?catid=183173

Vitamin B12 1x a month (shot/injection): I get it through prescription. But you can mail order them, and order online. I'm not sure about what websites.. But here is one you could check out: http://www.b12-shot.com/#b12 I take 1000mcg 1x a month.

I was on B1 for 6 months after surgery, but I'm not anymore, but this is the brand I was taking once a day: http://www.drugstore.com/sundown-naturals-high-potency-b1-100mg-tablets/qxp186184?catid=183165

On my scars/stretch marks I'm currently using Vaseline brand Cocoa butter lotion, and pure vitamin e oil.. I've never done much for any scars or marks or anything.. They faded eventually. But newer ones I'm trying to fade quicker... So I'm not sure if this will help at all yet but.. it's worth a shot.

http://www.drugstore.com/vaseline-intensive-care-cocoa-butter-deep-conditioning-body-lotion/qxp157894?catid=182918

http://www.drugstore.com/sundown-naturals-pure-vitamin-e-oil-70000-iu/qxp186909?catid=183177

Then of course I have my prescriptions.. But these are just all the vitamins I'm on/have been on. They've worked pretty well. The smell of the B1 was nasty... and I didn't take it as often as I was supposed to because the smell alone made me sick, not to mention the taste. I was taking gummy/chewy vitamins after surgery because they're easier to get down.. and I just kept doing it because they taste good.. I don't need to. I could take regular ones if I wanted to. Haha.

Alright. So Just thought I'd share this. I seriously prefer the b12 shot once a month, instead of a b12 pill once or twice a day... its one less pill to worry about. People say the shot burns or hurts or aches a lot.. But I don't have a problem with it. My moms a registered nurse. so she usually gives it to me. I'm gonna ask her to show me how to do it myself, sometime. although I've seen her do it enough times.. I don't think I'll have a problem.

So yeah. Have a great day. (:

-Ashley.

Post-Op Haircare.

I don't know about everyone, but personally for me I always hid behind my hair.. (and piercings.. haha) When my hormogne levels got jacked up I started losing hair, then medications made me lose even more hair, then after surgery I lost even more hair when I wasn't getting enough protein.. Then every time medicines get changed, I lose hair. It's vicious. My hair stylist thought i was like purpously thinning my hair out.. Because it's like only half as thick as it used to be. But then I explained all the medicine changes.. and that explains it.

Also, with hypothyroidism hair can become really dry and brittle.. Then with other hormognes being messed up it can get really oily. along with your skin being oily, etc... I have a really weird mix of both. And I hate it. I control it the best I can.. But it's still frustrating.

I've done lots of different things over the years.. and I use different products at different times.. But i just found a really good combination of very cheap things that help keep my hair as healthy as it can be... So I don't lose more.

Causes for hair loss: Messed up hormogne levels, not enough protein, not enough vitamins.

So basically: Get your medications figured out, eat enough protein, and get enough vitamins.

But on top of all of that, this is what I'm doing:

**Suave 2 in 1 Ph Balancing shampoo/conditioner.

**Herbal Essences Anti-Breakage Conditioner.

**Aussie Shine Spray/Heat Protectant

**Garnier Fructis Curl-Sculpting Cream Gel

Yes. I use the shampoo/conditioner combo and then a regular conditioner on top of it.. Rinse it all out. Use a wide-tooth comb through your hair, instaed of a brush or fine tuth.. To prevent breakage. Be gentle!!

Then run some heat protectant/shinespray or leave in conditioner or any smoothing product through the hair... and either air dry, or blowdry (If you blow dry, don't do it every day if you can help it. Less damage is better.) Style however you normally do, and because I have so much re-growth.. I have to find a way to matt it down or it looks like an afro along with my long hair..

So I use the curl sculpting gel (even though I usually straighten my hair) and smooth down the top layers everywhere. it smooths it all down and keeps the flyaways and regrowth down for the most part.

and that's that. (:

It's a lot harder with long hair, like mine.. But totally worth it. I contemplated chopping all my hair off because it's so jacked up if i dont spend time on it.. But I look terrible with short hair, and I'm trying to grow it out down to like my hips... I want to do Pantene Beautiful Lengths (Similar to Locks of Love.. but for cancer patients.. Locks of love rarely donates their wigs to cancer patients.) So I'm trying to keep my hair as healthy as possible.

This is my hair now by the way..:

I didn't do much to it today. I let it air dry, then just straightened the very front portion that is more frizzy than everything else.. along with everything else I mentioned above. Most days I'll either curl it or straighten all of it. But I was lazy today. Haha.





Kay, well I'm going to go now. Have a great day!!

~Ashley (:

Update - march 2012

So I went to my wonderful Endocrinologist today.. and she confirmed I'm not diabetic anymore. Still Insulin Resistant, but not Type 2... So that kind of made my day. (: But my face has been breaking out pretty badly....

Not the most attractive picture.. But most of the pictures on this blog arent. Metabolic issues have a lot of physical side effects that arent attractive, unfortunatley. And I guarantee you the flash on my camera made my skin look better than it is... I purpously didn't wear any makeup today so my endocrin could see how bad my skin was. I guess I usually do my makeup REALLY well.. and it's even fooled some of my doctors in the past..

But yeah. What I found out today: I'm still hyperinsulinemic(is that the word.. i still over produce insulin.. my insulin levels have gone from 25 (preop) to 18 now... but they're still pretty high. my hemaglobin A1c is down.. and everything that goes along with diabetesispretty much down i guess other than the insulin piece. So.. I'm not diabetic anymore. (:  She's going to run another glucose tolerance test.. but not untill i see her again in four months.

Reason behind that being: She increased my metformin from 500 2x a day to 850 2x a day. and put me back on aldactone. a blood pressure medicine. my blood pressure isn't nearly as bad as it was in the past... my top number was a little elevated today.. (I hadn't slept... I'm assuming that's partially why.) but it's also a mild diuretic.. and the last time i was on it my skin was perfectly clear, and i lost mad weight... so we'll see what that + the higher dose of metformin does. Hopefully it helps some.

Hm. What else... Oh! she showed me a chart... of mybmi from the time i had been first diagnosed (6-7 years old..) my bmi was 26... at 7 years old... I'm at a bmi of like 36/37 now..  I should be at a bmi of around 26 right now... but I'm 16... a 7 year old with that bmi is terrible...

Doctors told my mom I wouldn't make it to my 40th birthday, when i was that little, if they didn't get it under control.... and now I am. It's amazing how things can change.

I'm going to be honest... I love my endocrinologist. She's the one who sent the referral for me to have weight loss surgery... And I think with her I would have been able to lose a lot of the weight on my own (as i did pre-op..) that i have with surgery.. And my surgeon even knew that.. (not the endocrine piece.. but that i had lost a lot of weight on my own for the first time in my life..) and asked if i was sure i wanted to still have surgery.. and why? My answer to that is it's permanent. It is a tool that will help jump start everything, and my stomach will most likely never be the size it was again... So if i ever do fall off track.. (hopefully that doesn't happen) it'll be there t ohelp me. and yeah.. the word permanent stuck out in my mind. ---- But out of allll the doctors I've seen my entire life she is the one who ran all the tests as a teenager.. once the problem got really out of hand.. she put me on higher doses of meds than I've ever been on in my life.. and in turn, i lost weight. Something I was never really capable of doing.. No matter how much I exercised and restricted my diet. So I have her to thank for all ofthis.

People always say I"m the one who did it all... I'm the one who has worked for it.. But I cuoldn't be here without the doctors... I do have them to thank. I can't write the medications for myself.. and the lifestyle changes i made when i was really little (and even since surgery) wouldn't have the effects of what they've done for me... not even just the drugs, but really getting it through my head and teaching me what's going on.. so if any of you ever see this blog, thank you.

-----

So yep... drugs i'm on now:

Zantac 150mg 2x  a day.
Altavera birth controll 1x a day.
Metformin 850mg 2x a day.
Aldactone 50mg 2x a day.
Synthroid 50mg 2x a day.
Multivitamin 2x a day.
Calcium Citrate 250mg 4x a day (or 500 2x a day)
Vitamin D 1000ui 1x a day
B12 shot 1x a month.

It seems like a lot.. but it could be a hell of a lot worse.

I'm exercising about 1 hour a day.. sometimes a little less.. sometimes i miss a day.. but it's been pretty consistent.. now that it's warmer i'm actually enjoying it a lot more. (:

alright. well i'm gonna go now. have a great day!

-Ashley.
www.facebook.com/justashley1637
www.twitter.com/justashley1637
ashleyellen1637@aol.com

Oh, and here is the paper I got at the appt. (: