Shit-tastic Day Becomes Tough Week

I touched on some topics last blog post about tough times in friendships, "local travel" woes (i.e. driving long distance for work stuff), money and health concerns. Well, all of these have just continued to evolve this week. This time another friend invited and then un-invited me to visit. Yet again, this happened due to the presence of a boyfriend. OK, I don't want to come across as being a man-hater or being jealous of my friends' boyfriends. That's not it at all. I just want my friends to use a little foresight when making plans with me so that I'm not always feeling ditched or replaced.

As for travel, well like I said I was making plans to go out of town for a long weekend but that was cancelled almost as soon as it started. Instead Leigh and I are planning some brief driving trips this summer to see something new every so often. First is Leigh's birthday next week. We haven't decided exactly what we're doing yet, but it will either be a trip to Girdwood and Portage to see some wildlife or a drive all the way to Seward to the Sealife Center. Either one will be a blast! We are also talking about going up to Denali sometime this summer, but we haven't hashed out the details. In the Fall we're going to Hope for the weekend, which I've heard is a really fun time with great hiking and scenery.

Money and health seem to be going hand-in-hand these days. Last Monday I made an appointment for my annual visit. Tuesday this week I went in, had all the usual stuff done, and stated my concerns regarding my inability to control my weight through diet and exercise among some other issues. The doc took blood and ran tests. The next day I learned that my cholesterol is through the roof and my triglycerides are so high I'm amazed I'm able to function. Some other numbers came back elevated too, including my insulin and thyroid, but the doc assured me that I'm not diabetic and I don't have PCOS, which I was actually assuming it was one or the other. Instead they're saying it's a metabolic disorder of some fashion and I've made an appointment to see a specialist.... in JULY! I can't believe I have to walk around for 2 months knowing I have sludge flowing through my veins.

So scary, and it's hard to concentrate on my daily life now. I don't know if I should change how I eat (which is actually very healthy), exercise less vigorously (to avoid a cardiac problem??), or anything else. Logic tells me that with my healthy diet and non-sedentary lifestyle that any dietary or behavoiral changes won't affect my numbers enough to make a difference, so I should just go about my business so the specialist gets an accurrate reading of my body's operating levels. But the scared shitless part of me wants someone to dip net in my veins to get all the triglycerides out and then go vegan immediately.

As for money woes, well these tests have already cost me $800 and I learned today that my benefits year renews on July 1, BEFORE my next doctor's visit. So I have to meet my deductible AGAIN before reaching my annual maximum. That's another $500 out of my pocket due purely to bad timing. If I need surgery I'll have to make sure my benefits will cover that at all. So Leigh says I need to up my coverage during the open enrollment period because, obviously, whatever is going on with me is going to get expensive and it's going to get there fast.

Since I've gone ahead and made it public knowledge that something is awry with my health, I promise to keep this blog updated for the 1 or 2 people who stumble upon it from time to time. I don't mean to alarm anyone, especially as it's too soon to know exactly what's going on or how serious it is. For now I'm just nervous. As a 26 year old, I've never actually been ill or felt less than fortunate to have good health. Now I know I've been walking around with some serious issues, possibly for years, and that is unsettling at best. The good news is that in those years I've swam on a collegiate team, survived the stress of law school, walked/hiked around Europe, eaten heavy French food, hiked in Oahu, and ridden my bike around Anchorage without episode. Odds are I can continue along my regular business of eating healthy food and exercising a few times per week without keeling over and, when I get some answers, I can then decide how to proceed to live a long, healthy life.