The Sun is Shining in LA

Mid September, clear blue sky, beautiful ocean waves. Oh, how I love Santa Monica. The air is even clear today. It seems that getting back to the allergist for my shots is helping. I had been on vacation for a few weeks, so I hadn't had my shots for 15 days and I was starting to see more irritating red bumps forming on my skin. Today, I don't see any, but they are pretty good at hiding from me since they know my disgust for them. I am also so happy that I lost a pound, yes only 1 pound since Saturday but it gives me hope and here's why. 
When you see an overweight person, don't be so quick to judge them and think they eat too much and are lazy. They could be on steroids or anti-depressants. When my doctor wanted to put me on prednisone, I was so unhappy to read all of the side effects, such as weight gain, "moon face", water retention.... Thankfully I only had to be on steroids for a week at a time and I actually lost weight when I was on them, they made me excited and full of energy that I couldn't even sleep. 
I had a pretty severe case of hives, swollen lip, fainting..etc late May and my doctor told me I really needed to take doxepin which is an anti-depressant, but happens to be one of the best histamine blockers (hives are a result from the release of histamine in your body). I laughed when I googled side effects of doxepin and the #1 side effect is "massive weight gain" and it makes you incredibly tired like zombie tired.  Are you serious? This drug is supposed to help depression, by what making you rapidly gain weight and be so tired you can't get out of bed. It is 2009 and this is the best we've got? 
Reluctantly, I started taking 20-30 mg of doxepin a day and yes I was soooo tired.  I was told to stick with it and my body would get used to it, which it did and it didn't make me tired or drowsy anymore. I did however gain 10 lbs in less than 2 months. I have been on it since the end of May and am trying to get my weight back down to where it was. Wish me luck! I read somewhere that people on doxepin gain on average 4 pounds a month and someone I met gained almost 90 pounds in a year. Yikes, we are supposed to be getting healthier.  The fact that I lost a pound this week, gives me hope that I can still be taking my meds and lose weight...time will tell. 

Til next time,


Playa Girl


To make you smile:
"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the heck she is."
Ellen DeGeners.