Hi Everyone! It's been awhile!

Hi guys and gals! 

It's been a long time since I've been on here. I just wanted to stop in and say hello. Happy New Year to you all. I'm hoping this New Year will be better than my last. Things have been going ok. Not so great since November. Had a miscarriage back in Nov and then was in and out of the hospital with pain and temperatures. Had an infection, then an enlarged intestine, anemic etc... but finally got better by the end of Christmas.

I still suffer from strange addiction to strong chemical smells, car exhaust, gasoline, markers, paint all the terrible and dangerous stuff. Its an awful feeling and the anxiety it creates is terrilbe. It's like struggling with a huffing addiction (have to fight so hard not to huff!!!) sometimes I slip. It's not the high its the SMELL!!! It literally will make my mouth water...the need to SMELL its scent gives me this terrible anxiety in my chest. So bizzare!!! I talked to my doctors till I"m blue in the face and they are perplexed. This all started 2 years ago when I was pregnant with my little girl. They said it was PICA, but the symptoms never left. I've read up on it on the internet, but not much is known about the exact cause. Definite mineral deficiency of some sort. Although I think it is more than an iron deficiency. Some think its a combination of minerals...zinc being the most predominant to cause those sort of cravings... and copper deficiency. Maybe I should just suck on pennies all day. LOL... 'sigh' it's very scary and frustrating. I'm taking prescription Vitamin D which my doc says she'll probably keep me on it forever. She is seeing more and more of her female patients (even ones who have not had wls) are deficient in D! and even on the over the counter supplements for D she said her patients are still showing D deficiencies. I am also on prescription B12. it's a nose spray that I take once a week. Its weird snorting B12. It's pink and fruity! lol... I take 2 iron pills a day... then will take one next week a day then 2 the following week each day... My doc decided to try that process to see if my iron will go up by doubling up every other week each day.

Weight...well still struggling there. haven't gotten it off, but been depressed and havent exercised and dieted much. I'm feeling better though so I started my protein shakes today. I think that will also help with the mineral deficienies as well. I usually always feel better when I do my protein shakes. 

I hope everyone is doing well, its always a struggle for us all...but as long as we hang in there and support each other once in awhile or even just check in...every bit helps :)  ((Hugs everyone!))

Elizabeth M

Hi Elizabeth, what a breath of fresh air you air... I'm so terribly sorry about your miscarraige, hugs to you. Take good care of you and that handsome hubby of yours. The smells thing has got me absolutely stumped. And curious so you know what that means for your Reenie - research, research, research! I'll let you know if I find anything out. I've become pretty active on the Main Board and have learned so much more about the complications from RNY for long-termers. The consensus is that even the WLS surgeons only scratch the surface in terms of the knowledge they possess about the long-term consequences of malabsorption. Please everyone, stay on top of your blood work - the important screening, for instance, for your calcium level is the PTH - this will determine if your body is leaching calcium from your bones. About your Vitamin D prescription - are you taking the once-a-week little green gel pill? If so, guess what - we only absorb about 10% of it! So it's not really doing anything to bring up your D levels. You need to take a sublingual or liquid form and at a pretty high dose - I'll have to go back and find that email from "Vitalady" in Seattle. Anyhoo, so good to see your beautiful face again - we're all in the home stretch of our 6 year mark - just unbelieveable, isn't it? Take care, sweetie. Maureen

yep it surely is the little gelly green pill. its big too! I had taken it before and my levels came up a bit but still not quite up to par. I think basically...and what I should have been doing all along and probably everyone else should too...is to take the liquid vitamins. I use to take it the first year and never had any problems with my levels. it just tastes so GROSS!!! and I can smell the vitamins in the palm of my hands an hour later. Weird (snort). but I do! LOL! Its pricey about 30 bucks a big large bottle from the vitamin shoppe. I think I'll be picking it up and doing that. The smell thing is absolutely terrible. just thinking about it makes me crazy!!! gasoline... car exhaust is the BEST! 'sigh' its just terrible and getting worse. The more I think about the liquid vitamins as I type the more I think I'm going to stop and get some after work and pray it eases the need. Its a hundred thousand times worse of a need than when I SMOKED! But the thing is... Im surprised i haven't heard anyone here with the same symptoms and cravings as me being that there are so many deficient people here. Although...who'd admitt to that?? LOL>... I guess I could put up a post on the main board and ask if there are any others with similar cravings. I totally agree...not even the surgeons really truly know what the long term side effects will be...especially for each individual...because we are all so different. some absorb better than others...etc... I think if I stick with the liquid vitamins I'll probably be ok. if I actually do it faithfully!!! 'shudder' but its worth the ICK factor if it brings my levels back up. Right now I have a multi=vitamin chewable for adult women... but its lacking some vitamins. ok and i didnt do my protein shake for lunch. I went with veggie spinach stir fry instead. So then Ill just have my protein shake for dinner!!! :)  Then that will be ok... protein shake for breakfast and dinner and then a veggie stir fry lunch. Thats not too bad. lol. (If i hadn't sprinkled my veggies with some parmesean cheese that is) LOL... ah well. I need SOME kind of treat . ok actually i dont...   If only I can get to the place I was when I was 3 months out of surgery!!! OH the freedom of that time! freedom of NO SUGAR AT ALL!! remember those times when we ate NO sugar!!! not even substitute??? I do... it was so hard at first but after the 2nd month I was FREE!!! gosh to get there again! Right now I've been sneaking chocolate!!! been having it almost every day. Hershey kisses... or dove pieces... 'sigh' gotta get back to sugar free stuff. I gained 5 pounds from the holidays!!! awful.

yeah 6 years.. and I'm still fat. 'sigh'. i know i should be thankfull of the 115 pound loss and I am really...I've kept that off but still... to get the rest off... 'sigh'  so hard. Its good to see you again as well!!! anytime Im MIA shoot me an email anytime  :)  I also check my facebook email... but i havent been on there that much..the keyboard on my laptop at home is broken. I can only type with an on-screen keyboard and i have to click on each letter with my mouse. Takes forever just to say hello!!!!

You know what, that's a good idea to post your question to the Main Board. There are some whack jobs over there but there are hundreds of people very active on a daiily basis and mostly these guys are very knowledgeable and want to help. The DSers are a mean bunch, very militant about their surgery - I have discovered the Block button is very useful! But there is wealth in numbers and in the case of the Main Board, because of the level of activity, you will always get some help and support in response to anything you post. Yep, the chocolate is still my demon - it's really a miracle I'm not over 200 lbs. again - yet. I think, Elizabeth, you should try to trace the absolute beginnings of the fumes addiction (I think the term is "huffing") - and really take a look at what was going on for you, holistically - physical/emotional/psychological - the Big Picture. Just examine your cir****tances at the onset, sort of like you're on the outside looking in - and see where that leads you. I looked at your new photos - your kids are gorgeous - I have some new ones too, take a peek. My puppy, Ollie (short for Olivia) is the Clown in my life, I absolutely adore her. Love you, Maureen

you knlow we all have our new addictions. isn't that odd? I kinow i have my new favorites.
i remember them saying it was something we needed to watch for the new additons. do you remember that reenie? at our suppoort group meetingts?

i'm typing fast cause i'm late for work so please excuse the errors.

i kne wto expect posible new addictions to shoppuing, sex, drinking, that kind of thing cause the food one was gone (after surgery) but now it seems like i don't have those additons the one i worry about is laxatives!!!!! No i've not used any since i had gotten so ill but theres not a day that goes by that i dont think about it!!!!

so while i might look at the huffing as being different so is the stupid laxatives!

I guess my question is could the huffing be an addiction as the laxatives?

Hey Elizabeth!! I've been worried about you!! It's good to hear from you!! I think all kinds of bad things when one of the Marchers don't post for a while. I pray for all of you that have been my best friends since  we had this surgery, because we are the only ones that can understand what the others are going through.  It's just so good that I can come here and be with y'all!  Love ya, Judy

Thanks Judy. Hi Pammie!! Yeah, i bet you've noticed my cafe in disarray at facebook LOL... i haven't been on there to do that in a long time really. I played farkle for a moment but not having my keyboard working on my laptop drives me nuts.

The chemical thing started when I was pregnant with Katelyn. I never had it before. It was diagnosed as PICA on the onset. It wasn't an emotional thing, it was a purely physical thing lol... the baby was sucking up the nutrients in my body. I never recovered. obviously.

I got my liquid vitamins yesterday and took them and feel a little better. the need isn't as strong. I'm praying that this will do it. Of course its a physcial addiction of sorts... its not the need to get high... its the smell ... its so hard to explain... but i guess the need is essentially the same though... when i smell it, its like the same feeling of smelling a good steak?? i guess?? but more because the body craves it so terribly which pulls the addiction thing into play... our bodies are "addicted" to vitamins and minerals. if they dont have the proper amount "it craves". this is the best i can explain... SOOOooo hopefully this liquid vitamin along with the minerals of the protein shakes and protein bars will help balance me out. PRAYING! the liquid vitamins I got have trace minerals and copper. I hear that copper is also big in the play for this chemical smell need. which makes sense. zinc and copper being the main culprits... then iron. so we'll see...i'll keep everyone posted! :)