Something That Might Save My Life...

I'm going to post this here and not on Echoes in the Night because I hope someone else may read it that needs to see it, too. I'm typing with a migraine so please excuse any errors. I'll clean it up later...

This morning, I read a little three inch news item buried in the back of the paper. The headline was: Study: Neurological condition linked to obesity surgery

For the past year one of my problems has been mental haze, tremors of the hands, short-term memory problems, among others. Here's the lead paragraph:

"Raleigh, N.C. Doctors warn that a few obesity surgery patients have developed a serious neurological condition, with symptoms of confusion and poor coordination, linked to a lack of vitamin B1." Wernicke encephalopathy, which is caused by a thiamine deficiency, is normally associated with severe alcoholism or chronic malnutrition..."

Obviously I "googled" Wernicke encephalopathy and what I found scared the crap out of me. I have faithfully taken B6 and B12 and liquid vitamins since I'm no longer hooked-up normally.
Gastric bypass patients do not absorb nutrients the same way we used to and malnutrition may result. That's why I have a protein shake every morning. Well, NO ONE mentioned B1. It was stressed to take B12 in the form that you place under your tongue so it is absorbed directly into your tissues. (I'm not sure how to spell troike)

I've slacked off over the years and am eating way too many carbs and have developed the unsightly cortisol pot-belly that is caused by stress and improper eating habits. The article mentions that this Wernicke syndrome is seen in alcoholics and 3rd world countries, due to malnutrition. It can also be fatal if left untreated.

My hubman is stopping at the vitamin store after work and I'm loading on the thiamine for a couple of weeks. It's a water soluble vitamin so it's okay. If, after a couple of weeks, I still feel foggy, I'm calling my doctor (if I still have one! - another story). I know they can test the blood for your B levels.

So, what may have been attributed totally to stress, and of which I do have a long history, may be alleviated by a simple addition of B1. A little article in a newspaper just might have saved my life...Grace!