I hate to obsess over weight, but I really don't want to climb back up to where I was before. Now before everyone starts in on a size 8 isn't fat, let me explain my past. I've always been small. When I was 20 and joined the Navy, I wore a size 3. Possibly should have gotten out of the Jr. department and into a 2-4, but anyway. By the time my first child rolled around, I was a size 8-10. I felt good there. After my first child, I got up to almost a 14, and started feeling a bit depressed. I worked my butt off (literally) lifting weights. I only lost 20 pounds, but went down to a size 6. I stayed around a 6-8 for quite a while. Right before the diagnosed me with a seizure disorder, I had gotten up to almost a 14 again. I guess I ate my frustration with my in-laws. They put me on Topamax, and the weight dropped off, and I almost got down to a size 4. My husband and I agreed that was too thin. But when I moved out of the in-laws house, I got up to a size 6. I was very comfortable there.
Originally, my doctor didn't really want me below an 8, because of starting at a 12. But he agreed that the 6 looked good. Now I'm fully into an 8 (a vintage 10 in jeans if there's no stretch). I don't mind the size, but I don't like the belly.
Fortunately, my doctor told me at the last visit that if I kept gaining weight, he'd change the meds. I've put on at least 10 pounds total. I know that's not too bad, but I don't want anymore. It doesn't seem to matter if I exercise or not, I stay right where I'm at.
I got a blender that crushes ice, so I'll be making more smoothies, maybe even vegetable ones. We'll have to see how it does on carrots. Drinking carrot juice is one other way I lost weight.
I've had no side effects from the Depakote besides weight gain and thinning hair. Sometimes if I take my evening pill to far after dinner, I get a little heartburn, but it's not bad. I can drink sodas again, even though we don't very often. If I go out, I can get a Coke again, YEA! I've missed a pill (once a day) 4 times in one week, and not had any problems. I'm going to mention it to the doctor and see if we can lower it. I don't know if 500mg is too low of a dose. I'll have to look that up.
I got to talk to my sister-in-law's husband, who just got diagnosed with epilepsy as well. He told me what he was on, but I never heard of it. His seizure was probably chemically related. But then I talked to my sister-in-law, and he's still having problems that he doesn't want her to mention to the doctor. She asked me if I ever said things that made no sense, or saw weird things. I said mine simple partial seizures usually involved hearing, mood changes, seeing, and being really confused. I forgot to tell her about the jais ma vu (however you spell that). That's the opposite of deja vu, where everything should look familiar, but you don't recognize it. I got that a lot before I was diagnosed...thought I was losing my mind. I'd have to read the road sign and just go on faith that it would take me home because it was the right road but nothing looked familiar. Once, when my husband was driving I thought a construction trailer jumped out in front of us...until I blinked. I even did the quick draw in a breath, like he was going to hit it.
So, I think my brother-in-law is in a bit of denial. He's afraid that a car accident he had when he was young may contribute, and this won't be an isolated event.
