Recovering from malnutrition

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Recovering from malnutrition

Postby rhubarbtriangle » Mon Sep 21, 2020 8:38 am

Haven't posted for a long time as I was happy and healthy on the McDougall lifestyle.
In December 2018 I became very ill and was hospitalised with what turned out to be an infected gallbladder but no gall stones - strange. A course of IV antibiotics sorted me out and I was home in a week.
But that was not the end of it. It seemed like I never fully recovered and a few months later I became weak, breathless, my legs swelled up, I couldn't walk or drive and truly I felt like I was dying. My GP got me an emergency appointment with a specialist and he admitted me to hospital from the clinic.
Turned out, it was, wait for it...malnutrition!
Of course, the docs were ready to blame it on me and how I eat, but I had a couple of years of food plans on my computer to show them. One even commented "Well that looks all well and good, but my experience is that what people plan and what they actually eat are very different things". I had to explain to him that due to the wonders of technology I had altered the plans to match what I actally ate so that I could see for myself what I was doing. I also pointed out that my eating had been far better than anything I could get in hospital. They did agree with that.
After 10 weeks in hospital being fed directly into a vein for 3 weeks and then naso-gastric tube for 4 more weeks and having every test available (at least that's how it felt) the doctors agreed that the previous antibiotics had killed off all the good bacteria in my gut so my food was not being absorbed properly. They were also quick to point out that this was a rare thing and nobody was to blame. They also thought it was remarkable that I had lasted so long between the antibiotics and becoming ill and admitted that having a good diet had probably kept me going longer than normally would have been expected.
But it was a very scary experience being so ill.
There was a long discussion about whether I should go to intensive care but they decided to keep me on the surgical ward (parental feeding is considered surgery) but put me in one of the 'poorly beds' in sight of the nurses' station. The doctor told me when I was going home that there had been times when he doubted I would be walking out of there at all.
It has been 10 months since I got home and it has been a long haul to finally start to feel better. Now I only take some supplements - B12, iron, calcium, selenium, and thiamine - but gradully being able to reduce them as my blood tests improve.
Over the months, taking the fortifying drinks which I am sure are full of fats and sugar, my weight rose to over 90kg. Can't blame this alone, as I have not been as compliant as I could have been. The docs were so insistent that I needed to eat more protein and fats/oils that I did do that but I've gained so much weight and my arthritis and gout has returned. Previously, eating the McDougal way my arthritis and gout had much improved and my health was better than it had been for years.
Since I'm back with the programme, I'm sure my weight will slowly go down again.
I'll start with the general McDougal system but with a couple of MWL days each week, since I know that way I can be compliant.
I had no idea such a thing could happen, especially when eating so well.
“What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.”
― A.A. Milne

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Re: Recovering from malnutrition

Postby VeggieSue » Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:32 am

Wow! Once again, a reminder that some medications can do more harm than good.

I'm glad your doctors were able to figure out what caused the problem, but too bad they had to ruin your health in another way to cure it. Hopefully your good gut bacteria is growing rapidly and you can tolerate and thrive on the McDougall food program - The Healthiest Diet on the Planet - once again.

Welcome back!
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Re: Recovering from malnutrition

Postby Daydream » Tue Sep 22, 2020 7:24 am

rhubarbtriangle, oh my gosh! You certainly have been put through the wringer. Please continue to update us so we can follow your progress. I wish you all the best!
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Re: Recovering from malnutrition

Postby viv » Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:23 am

How awful, it must have very frightening to go through. At first I thought your symptoms sounded like a vitamin B12 deficiency, especially as we age we don't absorb it as well and it's important to keep our numbers up. I have to take 1000 mcg daily to keep my levels up.

Continue eating lots of wonderful starches, fruit and veg -- I love potatoes and sweet potatoes, and you'll soon be on the mend.

Take care,
Viv
5'8", Started March 2013
Starting weight: 217
Current weight: 157
60lbs gone--for good!
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