Fatigue, Food & Blood

I have been talking to this page in my head since last Wednesday but have not typed it out. Then the other day someone posted on their FB on the subject I wanted to talk about and I started feeling silly about talking about my problem after they talked about their similar problem because theirs is more serious.
However, now it is time.

For the last couple of months

1. My fatigue has been growing. I am really having trouble getting off my chair some days. I hate it. HATE HATE HATE it.
2. I have food issues that have been becoming more of an issue. I have an appetite, I do get hungry but nothing sounds good and as soon as I start trying to push myself to eat something I lose my appetite.
   • My weight has not changed by more than 2 pounds
3. My skin is saggy
4. I just in general feel like shit
5. I am having trouble getting even liquids in me
6. My mood is melancholy and cranky

I have been looking and hunting and scrolling for an answer. Nothing new is wrong with me. I have my same list of chronic conditions. Is it just age? No because other people get old too.

By default I almost always think everything is food related and also the easiest place to start looking for an answer. So I started thinking last week that for me, #2 on the list up there may actually be the cause and not the symptom. So what happens if we look at it that way.

Problem: I have food issues. I have an appetite, I do get hungry but nothing sounds good and as soon as I start trying to push myself to eat something I lose my appetite.

Results:

1. My fatigue has been growing. I am really having trouble getting off my chair some days. I hate it. HATE HATE HATE it.
2. My skin is saggy
3. I just in general feel like shit
4. I am having trouble getting even liquids in me
5. My Mood is melancholy and cranky

Hmmm….that works. If you have the problem than the results make sense. So I tried something new. I went ahead and started eating more. That’s right. Food. I made sure I ate at least three times a day. Sounds simple right? It is not. On Friday I also had blood work done for todays chemo. Surprise, Surprise my red blood cell count is pretty low. So yesterday after five days of eating more and gaining two pounds I felt so much BETTER!

Today is chemo which will start the whole process over but I am trying to prepare for it and will do what I can to not skip meals. I have got in a supply of my favorite liquid meal substitute (organic orgain) and will have at least that if I am not eating.

Moral of the story?