Intro

 I'm exhausted.  Like, seriously wiped out.  I'm not your normal semaglutide candidate and I wasn't sure anyone would be able to help me get back to physical health.  I did a lot of research before giving it a shot (no pun intended) and hoped someone would see the benefit of what sema could do for me.  This blog will be my experience.

     but, first...

     I am not a medical professional. This blog only relates to my own experience and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  If you feel sema may be right for you, please reach out to your doctor.

it's my normal

     I'm a 55 yr old post-menopausal woman.  I've had a complete hysterectomy, I have hypothyroidism, I've had my gall-bladder removed, I have chronic joint pain and I'm bi-polar with a lovely amount of anxiety added in.  However, my mental health is good.  I haven't had a manic episode in well over 10 years and I'm stable on my meds.  Anxiety does rear it's ugly head periodically, but neither of those are relevant.  

     My lack of gall-bladder is also not a significant part of this story.  It has affected me little.  I eat very little fried foods or I will regret it pretty quickly. My air fryer gets a lot of use!

     Hypothyroidism.  Among other annoying side effects is weight gain.  Add in a decreased metabolism to that for being in post-menopause. Good times!  But wait, there's more.  It was the joint pain that did me in.  This is where I started to go downhill.  Before I get on to that, I should give you a brief history.

back in the day

     I'm a GenXer and proud of it.  We had BY FAR the best music, tv shows, movies, clothes and oh yes... THE HAIR!  I digress.

     My weight wasn't an issue.  I averaged between 118 and 120 lbs.  (I'm 5'4)  When I got married in 1995 I weighed 125 and that remained constant until I became pregnant.  

     In my blissful mind I thought I could eat what I wanted and it would come right off after I had my child.  So I ate my chili cheese dogs (among other cravings) with great enthusiasm.  50 lbs later I had gestational diabetes.  Then much to my horror, they put me on a scale after I gave birth to my daughter and I had only lost 8 lbs.

     I had my second child 15 months later and although I lost some of that weight, I still enjoyed the comfort of maternity pants and oversized t shirts.  I joined a gym and went on the Atkins diet.

     Yes, I lost weight and got fit. Then I stopped going and wasn't.  I was depressed.  I saw myself in a group picture and I didn't even recognize myself.  My children were young teenagers by then so I again went back to the gym and got in shape.  I became obsessed with it, going 5 times a week for 2 hours a day.  I did slack off but remained at the gym for a few years.  Then one day I couldn't move my right shoulder.

living with pain

     It was that sudden.  I remember my shoulder being a little sore the day before but when I woke up the next day, I couldn't move it.  Seriously.  It was constant pain.  I could only keep it straight down at my side.  A quick trip to the Dr. and an X-ray showed bone spurs and a small tear in my rotator cuff.  Not a problem!  They gave me a shot in my shoulder that was supposed to make it feel better right away!  Um. No.  

     It took over a week of keeping my arm in a sling so no one would jar me when I was out of the house before my husband didn't have to help me get in and out of my shirt.  It was late fall, cold, and I couldn't even put on a coat.  I started physical therapy using heat and a tens unit and it slowly started to get better.  And just when it did, my left shoulder went.  The same exact thing.  It also eventually got better, though to this day I do have soreness.  Needless to say, my gym membership got put on the back burner.  This was 2016. 

     Fast forward a year later.  Football tickets, tailgating and miles of walking on Saturdays took a toll on my hips.  So much so that I would almost be in tears trying to continue to walk.  Back to the Dr. and more X-rays and an MRI.  Now we have Bursitis and Osteoarthritis.  At this point the weight gain was coming back and I started strict keto.

     After I began losing weight I noticed that the pain in my joints nearly disappeared.  I went back to the gym and all was well.  I lost a little over 25 lbs and was on my way to feeling good again.  And then covid hit. The gym closed, the store shelves were devoid of the food I needed to maintain my lifestyle so again I was side-railed.

       I was in limbo the next few years.  I was slowly gaining more weight and my joints were beginning to scream at me again.  Last year around this time I joined the gym again.  I only began walking very slow on the treadmill 3 times a week.  It lasted 2 weeks until I woke up and couldn't put any weight on my right leg.  Back to the Dr.  Now add tendonitis to my bursitis and osteoarthritis diagnosis.  It is a vicious cycle.  It gets bad, it heals up and then it comes back.  Being inactive caused me to gain more weight so it's a catch 22.  I need to be active but I can't be active because of the swelling and pain in my joints.  The swelling will go down with weight loss and then I can get myself back in shape.

      At this point in time I had a friend who had lost a significant amount of weight on the semaglutide injections.  I scoured the internet researching everything I could on the subject.  I knew my case was a little different.  I didn't have a massive amount of weight to lose and I wasn't diabetic.  I needed someone to push me down the road, jump in and pop the clutch. (if you know, you know)   This is where my journey begins.