Tag Archives: vestibular acoustic neuroma

How to Combat Low Vitamin D3 And Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

January can be such a dreary month in Michigan. Even though we’ve had a relatively mild winter so far, and not a lot of lake effect snow band squalls, the sun rarely shines. It’s great to get out in the fresh air, and I have had a relatively easy time with balance. The driveway or in parking lots aren’t always frozen over and slippery to complicate gait/balance and vertigo issues. But, I’ve been noticing since Christmas that I’m exceptionally fatigued. I feel like I should be over that after 13-14 months brain surgery post op. I know that Vitamin D3 levels should be checked with regularity, and I’m not sure mine has ever been checked. I was glad to hear that my new primary care provider wanted to do one a few weeks ago. I was surprised to hear, however, that my levels were even lower than what they consider low. I’m now taking D3 supplements at the urging of the PCP, but also cod liver oil and calcium with magnesium to be sure that bone health is good.

Honestly, I didn’t even realize fatigue was a symptom of low D3. It’s super easy to chalk it up to “I had major brain surgery a year ago, and the tumor void is still healing.”

 

What are the symptoms of low Vitamin D3? (See also Healthline.)

They can be subtle, and you might even chalk them up to other problems or disorders. I’m learning that this is often the case for a lot of disorders or health issues, and that’s why it’s so important to get baseline blood work and testing to be sure the PCP can note changes.

1. Fatigue and tiredness is one.

2. Inability to lose weight.

3. Getting sick or getting infections often. One may also find wounds have difficulty healing.

4. Bone or back pain. With a low D3 level, calcium absorption is not as efficient, so bones could be weaker. This can also be a cause of bone loss.

5. Depression which may or may not be part of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

6. Hair loss.

7. Muscle pain.

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Where does one get Vitamin D3? 

1. Sunshine helps bodies make its own D3.

2. From certain foods like certain mushrooms, egg yolks, salmon, tuna, cod liver oil, herring, sardines, halibut, mackerel, fortified foods like orange juice, cereal, cow’s milk, and soy milk.

D3 is actually a hormone, fat soluble vitamin. You get it from food, sunshine, and supplements. According to Healthline, it may aid in the blocking of fat cell creation and storage, thereby attributing higher levels of it to greater weight reduction. It may also play a role in boosting metabolism.

While doing my research on my Vitamin D3 level and problem, I found out that many of the foods and nutrients mentioned for combatting low levels of it are also the nutrients for health hair and to grow hair.

My free 3-book, 9 Nutrients for Growing Healthy Hair can be found here. I love to share it!

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Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder is sometimes considered the “winter blues” but it can happen any time of the year. It’s an actual cyclical depression. Some say they have SAD simply because they have low D3, but that may not always be the case.

According to the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of SAD may include:

  • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
  • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Having low energy
  • Having problems with sleeping
  • Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
  • Feeling sluggish or agitated
  • Having difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
  • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

The cause of SAD is not completely known, but it is noted that circadian rhythms, low serotonin and melatonin levels seem to contribute. Family history, bipolar disorder, and major depression issues also seem to contributing factors.

The Mayo Clinic says “Treatment for seasonal affective disorder may include light therapy, medications, and psychotherapy.” Meditation, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and music or art therapy may also help.

For either low vitamin D3 or Seasonal Affective Disorder, be sure to reaching out to your healthcare provider for the best ways to deal with your situations. Healthcare is not usually a one size fits all approach. This post should also not be construed as medical advice. It is simply my own research for understanding of my own situation.

To combat my vitamin D3 issue, my PCP recommended supplementation and diet. I’m happy to report that my fatigue symptoms seem to be lifting.

To combat any winter blues and to keep a good mental outlook, not necessarily related to Seasonal Affective Disorder, I’ve opted to create “happy places” or “pampering situations.”

I love changing out homey decorations with soothing colors, and have purchased more indoor plants now that there is no danger of my children eating poisonous leaves. I also love to listen to soothing music and create through crocheting, sewing, or crafting. There is nothing as encouraging as finishing projects! Adult coloring books are a fun activity while relaxing in the evenings too.

As always, I love keeping my mind active through reading and research of topics that interest me. I love that my nursing license credentials come due at the end of January so that I have to be sure I’ve completed enough continuing education credits. I love researching health issues related to myself or my family.

I get monthly massages, eat right, and drink plenty of water. I also try to exercise. And, of course, I am my own best customer when it comes to having new Lilla Rose hair accessories to beautify my hair and brighten up my outlook.

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How do you combat winter blues?

Tell me!

How To Create Beachy Waves For Your Hair In Five Easy Steps

It’s no secret. I am bored stiff growing out my neurosurgeon undercut hair style. While I am grateful he was able to remove my acoustic neuroma tumor, and I’m thankful for the skilled hands of his “day job”, I hope he’s never a hair stylist on the side. Growing a 2 by 8 inch section of my hair around my ear from my face to behind my ear for more than 9 months has been tedious, and I’ve grown weary of my inability to do much with my hair while I wait. I shortened my hair length once my head incision was healed and a little less tender in May, at 6 months post op. For most of this time, I’ve been wearing it down, or pulled back into a half back-not even a full half up- while that shaved hair grows. There were other patchy areas of my head affected by surgery too where hair needed to regrow. It’s been a series of not pretty events.

Many months ago, Lilla Rose released a new product, Sea Salt Spray, used to create and hold beachy waves. While my hair and all my daughters hair was very long, we were not impressed when we did a test pilot run of the product. We felt like it made our hair sticky, greasy, and weighted it down.

However, in the past few weeks, due to the boredom with my hair and the limited ways I can wear it, and noting that the regrowth is at the awkward stage of sticking out in any direction it wants, no longer being hidden by longer hair, I decided to try the Sea Salt Spray again. Now I can honestly say, I at least like it well enough to use it for the purpose of creating waves. For the time being, it is allowing me a different option for a daily easy hair style. When I was much younger, I always longed for loose curls. I don’t have curls, but at least I have loose waves.

LoveLeavingLegacy receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We tested and reviewed the products listed in this post. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

What I’ve been doing:

  1. After washing my hair, I wrap it in my Lilla Rose hair towel for about 15 minutes.
  2. I brush out my damp hair with my Wet brush, spray in Lilla Rose Rose Water to tame my wiry silver hair strands, and blow dry the top back and my forehead area to create some lift.
  3. I finger comb my top areas into place, and scrunch the remainder of my hair while spraying Lilla Rose Sea Salt Spray.
  4. I then let it air dry, but I continue to scrunch my entire head is dry.
  5. I’ve also been pulling what would be my bang area back a little and securing with a bobby pin or Lilla Rose mini hair clip to keep my hair out of my face. Sometimes I spray in additional Sea Salt Spray to tighten the beachy wave just a little bit.

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Have you ever tried Sea Salt Spray to create waves or to secure wispy waves in your hair? What were your results? Tell me in the comments.

Blessings,

Deb

9 Nutrients For Growing Healthy Hair

As most of my readers know, in October, 2018, I was diagnosed with a benign vestibular schwannoma, or acoustic neuroma as it is also called. It is a tumor that arises off of the vestibular nerve that controls gait, balance, and the main nerve for hearing that connects to the brain. My tumor was a big larger than large, displacing my brain stem, causing shortness of breath, temperature control issues, some hydrocephalus, and necrosis of the tumor. At diagnosis, my situation was deemed critical enough to report to the ER, as it could have been life threatening. There’s a phone call you hate making to your parents, let me tell you.

On November 29th, 2018 my tumor was removed after being on decadron, a steroid, to relieve brain inflammation all that time. My shortness of breath and temperature control issues were managed, but my dizziness, facial numbness, tinnitus, massive fatigue, and hearing loss were not. In fact, the only thing that is not permanent, even after surgery, is facial numbness. I have facial paralysis turned facial synkinesis, but most facial function is returning through time, soft tissue mobilization therapy and neuromuscular retraining. I am permanently deaf in my right ear as the nerve was severed. My tinnitus is permanent because my brain thinks it can still hear. It’s trying to make sense of the sounds it can feel. I do still have occasional dizziness because I worked hard in vestibular therapy, but I’m no longer a fall risk. I have fatigue and brain fog, especially after being around noise. Single sided hearing is a challenge, as sound discernment is often not possible. That may be playing a part in the fatigue and brain fog.

All that being said, while I was recovering from surgery, and after my fabulous not so fashionable neuro-surgical hair cut, I needed to know what I needed to eat and be nutritionally sound to heal well, and to grow my hair back as quickly as I could. I sell hair clips as my business, after all, and hair is needed for demonstrating that.

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9 Nutrients for Growing Healthy Hair

In the course of that nutrition research, this e-book, 9 Nutrients for Growing Healthy Hair got written, and it is has literally been how I eat. What else did I have to do, besides lots of vestibular therapy, but focus on writing an e-book and my nutritional status?

I’d love to share it with you. Let me know in the comments if this helps you! I hope it does. You can access it free here.

The good news is that i stayed healthy all the time I’ve been recovering from surgery. My muscles have grown stronger through exercise and therapy. My head where my incision was made healed nicely with no infection. My physical/vestibular therapists have been working on myofascia release in order to prevent cervicogenic dizziness, no scar adhering to my scalp, and to relieve scalp and craniotomy tenderness. My brain mri shows only continued brain stem healing and only scar tissue and a small piece of tumor left to preserve my facial nerve. My facial paralysis is healing.

Diet is not a cure all, nor does it necessarily mean someone will never be sick. Exercise is not a cure all, and maybe it will help in the prevention of future illness.  Good nutritional status does give the best shot at best healing.

I do hope good nutrition continues to help my hair grow! The shaved sections of my head now have hair that is at my ear lobe. My goal is to have grown out my surgical hair cut by November, a full year since surgery. My hair styling technique is very boring while I wait for that to happen.

Goals are good. Good nutrition is good. Exercise is good. Keeping it all in balance-that’s good too.

Blessings,

Deb