I heart my doctor

If you've missed it or are new, I've written about some health issues and you can catch up here, here, and here.

Through all of the recent tests and various doctors I've had to see, my regular family doctor has been my biggest supporter.  He has believed me when I've told him how much I've been working out, and about what I eat, as opposed to some of the other doctors who have just told me to work harder in controlling my weight (a-holes).  He has continued to listen to my concerns.  Well Monday I woke up with a horrible sore throat.  I went to him and determined I have strep throat.  But we also took the chance to review my weight issues and for him to look over the results from my trip to the endocrinologist.  I eventually ended up crying and spilling the beans as to how negatively the weight is affecting my mood and self-esteem.  He patiently listened and talked with me about all of it.  He talked through all the tests I've gone through over the past year.

He finally started asking me some other questions.  Am I hypoglycemic? Yes.  What happens when I have one of those episodes? I become a cranky bitch like the switch of a light.  Where have I gained most of the weight? Stomach.  Have I always had these issues? No.  He then told me that one of the asthma medications I have been on for over 10 years has an extremely low dose of cortisol in it (that's a steroid).  The asthma medicine in question is called Advair, and is an inhaled medicine that helps prevent asthma attacks.  Normally, it does not affect anyone like normal oral steroids do.  However, he is suspecting that maybe my body is negatively reacting to it because the cortisol may have built up over the years.  It can also trigger hypoglycemia, and cortisol can make you gain weight in the stomach.

So for now, I'm off of advair and he is monitoring my asthma closely.  I go back to see him in 1 month to see if my weight has changed at all.  In the meantime, I am to continue my healthy eating habits, journaling everything I eat, and working out using the routine my trainer set up for me.

As I've said before, I'm truly willing to try anything to determine what is causing this horrible self-esteem issue.  26 lbs and counting.  I'll keep you updated!  I would be thrilled if my asthma could be controlled in another way and the weight would vanish away.  And to think that it could be fixed by something so simple as stopping a medicine sounds amazing.  I am trying not to get my hopes up in case this is not the answer and it leads to more disappointment.  But I am somewhat hopeful - I have to be.