Kind of better and then not really

Remember how I had a doctor visit a couple weeks ago?

After 10 days of cutting caffeinated coffee from my diet, I wasn't back to normal. [sigh] I'm pretty bummed that it didn't fix me.

When I was at my doctor, he mentioned that I might want to try to take another 150mg pill before bed. Another 150? I just didn't want to take another full dose pill. So...for the last 4 days I've been taking a 75mg pill about 30 minutes before I get into bed. And it's definitely been helping. Not totally mind you but definitely allowing me to actually sleep most of the night. I was waking up coughing every hour or two before, so getting some solid sleep has been a blessing.

This past Tuesday, I finally went in for the blood workup that the doc asked me to go in for. It was a fasting blood draw. Oh how I detest those kind. Don't like them at all! But thankfully I did have the day off so that I could attend my daughter's commencement, so I was able to fit in the blood draw. I went in there and was out within 10 minutes. Can I hear a woo-hoo?

My doc left me a voicemail on Thursday and I got to touch base with him on Friday. Most of baselines are a-okay. But there was one item that was out of whack. Like big time. My vitamin D levels were horrendous. Where a normal level would be 30 -- my level was at 16.5. That's right folks. I was under by almost half what I should be. Therefore, back to the drug store I went. I have to take a megadose of vitamin D (40,000 units) once a week for the next 8 weeks. Yup, it's a prescription level dose for sure.Then I'll need to take a regular 2000 unit vitamin D pill every day. The reason behind the weekly megadose? So that I'll be able to accumulate the backlog and get back to a normal level.

40,000 units - (2000 units * 7 days) = 26,000 extra units per week

26,000 units * 8 weeks = 208,000 extra units

Since I had such deficit in my vitamin D? I'm going to have to up my calcium intake. Because if I'm low in vitamin D then I'm pretty sure my calcium levels have been compromised as well. I've never been a milk drinker. Milk has never sat well in my stomach. But I can eat yogurt and cheese without much trouble. Maybe because it's processed? I normally get the kids a few containers of yogurt at the grocery store. This time I grabbed a large Greek yogurt for myself. I also picked up a half gallon of soy milk. I'm planning on drinking a cup before I head out to work every day.

As I'll be taking a vitamin D pill every day soon enough, I'm going to start taking a multi-vitamin every day. Yes. At my age, I should have already been taking a multi-vitamin every day but I just haven't. No real reason. No real excuse. I just haven't been doing it. And now? I'm going to have to...if I want to stay healthy.

Sadly enough, I ended up buying one of those 7-day pill boxes so that I can keep my daily pill intake organized. I used to make fun of my Dad with his box but now here I am. Do I feel old now or what?