Vitamin B12 A Silent Threat

Hello!

My beautiful people.

Before I kick off my new post, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few things of great importance.

Firstly and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to give a big shout-out to all of my readers for your overwhelming support. It is you that give me the courage to do what I do. My Journey has not been an easy one, and I still have a long way to travel. When I connect with you guys, it makes everything so worthwhile.

So thank you, thank you, thank you! You have my everlasting gratitude. I love you guys. ( shoo! that was a bit emotional for me, but it came straight from my heart)

Secondly, I want to APOLOGISE.

My last two posts were not very good; it was mediocre at best. I fault that to me being sick and suffering a personal loss. I know that is not an excuse. Believe me when I say that my head was not in the game (so to speak). I am only human, and as you know, emotions get the better of us at times. You will get a better understanding of my headspace when you read my post. With that said, please excuse me and; I hope that I never disappoint you too much.

Thirdly. I decided that once a month- I want to dedicate my post to you, the reader. I want to share your story with the world. Also, I want to give entrepreneurs who are just starting up their business a platform to speak about how they started and, in doing so, help someone or maybe give someone out there the courage to go ahead and do the same.

 Let’s call it the ‘ PAYING THE WAY FORWARD‘ campaign.

  Pay It Foward is when you are the beneficiary of a good deed you repay this kindness to others. My inspiration came from ‘World Kindness Day which, is celebrated on November 13, 2021. Let us be the start of something bigger.

 I feel good about this.

Come on, guys! Let’s get on board. You never know; YOU could change someone’s life. Let us inject some POSITIVITY and HOPE into this world!

Ok, with that said, I want to clarify just how I want to do this.

When I said that I wanted you to share your story, I meant that I would like to publish real-life issues from your perspective.

•  It could be your battle/journey of an illness.
• Marital issues/ divorce/ infidility
• Mental health stigma/issues
• Children (dissabilities/behavior problems/gender orientation/teenage pregnancies/etc)
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
• And many other personal-related topics. I am sure you get the gist of the content I am on the hunt for in my blog. Also, please specify things that have helped you. After all, the purpose of this whole thing is to help others in similar circumstances.

I also want stories about how you started your business/career. Share the platforms and strategies you used to reach your end goal. It doesn’t matter what you do. It could be something like making cupcakes in your kitchen and formulating a marketing strategy that helped promote your business and make it a success.

There are a lot of people out there that don’t know where to start. When they are desperate enough, they get caught in these quick rich schemes that most of the time never work out. It may lead to a lot of frustration, anxiety, and depression.

So come on, Guys!

 Let’s give this ‘PAY IT FOWARD’ campaign a go. Let us join hands and help our fellow human beings. I am giving you a platform to tell your story and also help someone in the process.

 *Please note that I would like to do this in the format of an interview or, in the case of your personal story, I would do the introduction and, of course, only accept those that I feel comfortable publishing.

* Also very important, I implore you to please note that this is not a chance for free advertisements. I want to help people. With your story, there must come information that will benefit the reader. 

So with that, let me get on with my post!

 

To say that my life had taken a downhill dive in the past couple of months would be a gross understatement. I had so many things going on all at once. It was very overwhelming.

The Covid brought its own set of upheavals to my life. I had a mini-breakdown when my eighty-two-year-old mum tested positive for the virus. It was heartbreaking not being able to be with her when she was so close to dying. Miraculously she recovered, only for me to receive the news just two weeks later that my only brother tested positive. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you he did not make it. He passed away due to complications.

So that is why when I started to feel sick, I put it down to being stressed and depressed. I was exhausted ALL. THE. TIME. The only place that I wanted to be in was my bed. That was not an option for me. I had many obligations that took up most of my day. 

Over time I noticed tiny changes in the way that I was feeling. Apart from waking up tired, I would wake up to a very blurry world. Putting on my specs did not help, and it would take a bit of time for my eyesight to adjust. As the days bled into one another, I not only was a tired blurry-eyed zombi, but I also became uncoordinated. It felt like I stepped off a rocking boat. A sensation that often left me nauseous with a pounding headache. All of this combined made me a walking disaster as I found myself bumping into walls and doors. It resulted in some nasty bruising. My poor husband got a few very threatening looks from my family members due to the bruising marring my body. 

The best way to describe it was to say I felt as though I was drunk and not in that one-to-many Jaeger bombs kind of way. 

So, looking at what I was experiencing, you might ask, ‘Why didn’t you seek any professional help and see a doctor?” 

The answer to that question; is that most of these symptoms are what I live with being a Lupus sufferer and having chronic anemia. I assumed that I was having an episode, and combined with my recent emotional drama; It made sense.

As you know, the assumption is the ‘Mother of all stupid mistakes.’

 As usual, I was heading in the direction of making a monumental one by ignoring what my body was trying to tell me. Go figure. I never seem to learn my lesson if you take my past experiences into account.

What ‘lit a fire under me and; get my butt to my doctor was despite my tiring days, I could not sleep at night. I would wake up in a cold sweat with my heart beating so fast and hard that it felt as though it would beat right out of my chest. I would experience shortness of breath climbing a few stairs. Not to sound overly dramatic but, I honestly felt like I was dying.

My diagnosis came back in the form of a sneaky little bugger called Vitamin B12 deficiency resulting, in me having Pernicious anemia. When I heard that, I was like, jeez- that’s a relief, it is just a vitamin deficiency. WRONG! It most definitely should be taken seriously. Left unattended- this deficiency can cause damage.

 

What Is A Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

It means that your body does not have enough of the vitamin. Your body needs B12 to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen. It also helps make your DNA.

Your body does not make Vitamin B12. You have to get it from animal-based foods or supplements.

Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

• Weakness
• Tiredness
• Lightheadedness
• Pale skin
• Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or gas
• Nerve problems like numbness or muscle weakness, and problems walking
• Vision loss
• Mental issues like depression, memory loss, or behavioral changes

Who Is Most Likely To Develop A Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

• Vegetarians or vegans
• Immune system disorders, such as Graves’ disease or Lupus
• Crohn’s disease or celiac disease
• Atrophic gastritis, when your stomach lining has thinned
• Pregnant or new moms
• The elderly
• Diabetics’ taking Metformin
• Those who have had surgery that removes the part of the bowel that absorbs B12

If you feel you may have a B12 deficiency, you will need to see a health care professional and have blood tests. Sometimes this deficiency can take a long time to get diagnosed.

Food Sources Of Vitamin B12

• Dairy products
• eggs
• meat (organ meats. Liver, and kidneys, especially from lamb)
• fish ( tuna, sardines, clams, trout, salmon) 
• poultry
• B12 fortified foods (check the nutrition facts label)

Food Sources For Vegan And Vegetarian

Vegetarian

• yogurt
• low-fat-milk
• fortified plant-based milk
• cheese
• fortified cereals
• nutritional yeast

Vegan

• fortified non-dairy milk
• meat substitutes
• breakfast cereal
• nutritional yeast
• vegan spreads

 

** For those already B12 deficient, supplemental B12 in the form of capsules or injections may be a requirement.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Most people can prevent Vitamin B12 deficiency but eating enough meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs.

If you don’t eat animal products or have a medical condition that limits how well your body absorbs B12, then invest in taking a supplement or eating more foods fortified with vitamin b12.

My Final Thoughts

I am in no way a professional on this particular subject. I am merely sharing with you one of my experiences and whatever knowledge I have on the Topic.

We are so busy with our hectic lives we oversee these small yet pivotal things. At times we need to listen to the signs our body is showing us.

Until next time, Be Brave and Be beautiful!

*Just one more thing before I go. My inbox has been full of inquiries about my website. I am not able to advise you on these matters as I do not know much about them. I have a very talented Web Designer that designed it for me. She also handles the maintenance and administration of my site. Below you will find her details if you are interested in hiring her. She is worth every penny that I invested.