Weight Gain - Thursday, November 19, 2009

I have both good and bad news to report. It was last January, when I discovered a sudden drop in weight that disturbed me. Since I have always had a very stable metabolism holding the same weight for more than a decade at a time, the sudden shift seemed unusual. I went to the doctor and had blood work done, but it came back normal. I now believe that the cancer was the underlying cause. By the time of the operation, I had lost seven pounds. That may not seem like much to some, but it was enough to make others, as well as me, take notice of the change in my frame. The naturopath was concerned that I would drop more weight during chemo because it causes many to lose their appetite. To circumvent this, she prescribed whey protein. However, since I never lost my appetite during the entire time of chemo, I ate to my heart’s content. Because I weighed less than the top poundage I allow myself, I was also looking forward to "porking out" while in Rome. However, a few days ago, I weighed myself and discovered that I had gained back those seven lost pounds. So, although I view this as another testimony to the faithfulness of God, I am a little disappointed that I now have to exercise some restraint while on vacation. I just hope all the walking we will do will burn enough calories to balance the wonderful food I plan to eat. A small but unhappy dilemma, indeed!