Months ago Dave and I applied for life insurance. Part of the application process required that we give a blood sample. After about a month, we received our lab results -courtesy of the insurance company. I glanced over my results and everything seemed great. I knew I was healthy, only now I had confirmation.
Then, a couple weeks later my insurance agent called to say that they were raising my premium 20% because I had low cholesterol.
What? Low cholesterol is good. The lower, the better, isn't it?
So I went online to do a little research and found very little information about low cholesterol as a health problem. But there was this one site, created by a woman who had the problem, that listed a couple very interesting points:
1. Nobody will believe you have a real problem. And there is very little information or research out there to help you figure out the risks or solutions.
2. There are several side affects, mainly depression and/or anxiety.
3. Low cholesterol may indicate hyperthyroidism, liver disease, or malabsorption.
Anxiety. You mean, the primary problem I've had since Annabelle was born? Since I'd moved to Orange County? The same problem I've been dealing with since I started the elimination diet and stopped eating any dairy and most red meat (among other foods) to reduce the allergens in my breast milk?
Apparently cholesterol levels below 160 have been linked with anxiety disorders. And those under 180 are at greater risk for hemorrhagic stroke. Anything around 180-200 is optimal.
My number? 120.
And, actually, my blood was drawn before I gave up red meat. (Eliminating red meat from my diet has shown to have a dramatic improvement in Annabelle's ability to sleep more.) I can only imagine that over the last couple of months it's dropped a little bit more since I've gone from eating beef three to four times a week to zero.
When I looked up hypocholesterolmia in Wikipedia I learned that there are some people out there who test below 50. Strangely, it make me feel a little relieved. But I know I've got to get this solved before problems arise.
I've already informed Dave that as soon as I wean Annabelle I'll be putting myself on an ice cream diet. Oh, and lots and lots of butter on everything. Gosh, doesn't that sound delicious? Maybe I'll just bake a ton of shortbread and eat that all day. Yum!! And while I'm here talking about food that I haven't been able to eat for the last seventeen months, I'll list the first things I'm going to shove in my mouth the second I nurse Annabelle for the last time: brownies, brie cheese on water crackers, squaw bread, bagels with cream cheese and lox, a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread with a tall glass of milk, a white russian, some baileys on the rocks, whipped cream and berries, poached eggs with toast, and chocolate cake. All that would probably solve the low cholesterol issue, don't you think?
It seems weaning Annabelle is coming up here pretty soon. Actually, she's slowly self weaning. Twice this past week she only woke up once to nurse. A miracle!! And so, I've had two 24-hour periods when I only nursed her three times. I can also tell my milk is not as present as it once was... we're definitely closing in on the end of that section of Annabelle's babyhood. Sigh. I look forward to it sometimes, but mostly I try not to think about it too much.
