So, I went to the doctor yesterday to discuss the results from those seven vials of blood that were taken out a month ago. This is pretty much what she said:

* Low in B12, must immediately take supplements (have to go out and buy them today)--I knew this, but now I have the test to say it's definitely a problem. This will be checked again in three months.

* Very low in iron, must immediately take supplement (will begin doing today). She suspects I am low in stomach acid, since my body doesn't digest food very quickly. The low acid may make it so that I'm not absorbing the iron I'm taking in. So, I have to use lemon with the iron, when I take it. This will be checked again in three months.

* I have high homocysteine (or however you spell it) which probably means heart disease in my family, she said, but it could also be that I'm deficient in B vitamins--must supplement with Bs on a daily basis. This will be checked again in three months.

* My thyroid levels are low and she wanted to start me on a low dose of thyroid medicine, but I asked to please hold off on beginning any medicine. She said okay--we'll see how things change after I'm 100% raw for a bit.

* My blood pressure was high (!) the last time and this time. I didn't know it was high the last time, but when she told me that this time it kind of freaked me out. My blood pressure has been consistently low (sometimes alarmingly so) my entire life. Now all of a sudden it's high? Is that possibly because of me having a cold both times of her checking it, I wonder? I looked up high blood pressure and it says that it's sometimes a result of insulin resistance and low magnesium, so it could be from that, too.

* My cholesterol panel amazed her. It went from being not so great (because of the insulin resistance) to being fantastic! She asked about what I had been doing and I told her other than transitioning to the raw, I had been eating young coconuts almost every day. She smiled and said it's most likely from the coconut oil! Who knew! I love those baby coconuts!!

* I lost another three pounds since last month's visit, so that was good.

* My menstrual cycles are getting worse again--not having a period and only spotting. So, although something is helping with the insulin resistance enough to change the cholesterol levels, it's not working enough on the insulin resistance to help the rest of my hormonal imbalances. So, I have to take chromium and magnesium every day. I started the magnesium last night and will get the chromium today. She wants me to add more ground flax along with the flax oil she's been having me take since last month.

* My CoQ10 is slightly low, but we're not going to address that this time. She said if I'm feeling okay after a month, or so, of taking all the other supplements, that I can start adding some CoQ10, too. I'm going to be so full from all the supplements!

* I need more protein, so she wants me to find a suitable protein supplement. I think I read something about a new raw protein that was developed. I wonder if it has cacao or some of those other stimulating things in it, though? I can't take that stuff.

* My stress hormone (cortisol) was very high. This can come from actual mental stress, but also stress from not eating regularly/often enough. I'm just not hungry enough, though, probably because of my slow digestion. I need to force myself to eat more often (every 3-4 hours) to see if that will help with the cortisol level. If it doesn't help, then it's probably from mental stress. :-(

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I'm a bit concerned about the cysteine level because it's certainly not a good thing to have heart problems on top of my heart already having other problems. But, hopefully the B vitamins will help with that. She explained that the cysteine is a jagged-shaped thing than nicks the vessels and heart. My body isn't converting them into smoothe things, so it's dangerous and has to be monitored. UGH! Please, please, please let the B vitamins work. You'd think with how healthy I eat that I'd not have heart problems. I probably would have died years ago if I was a meat eater my whole life!

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So, that's about it. I don't think I forgot anything, but I could have because I don't have the results here in front of me. I go back in February to see how things have changed after a few months with the supplements and one month completely raw.