5 pounds may not seem like much, but it takes a big weight off of me
With chronic illness, weight loss has been one of my biggest struggles
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Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Wegovy (semaglutide) and Foundayo (orforglipron). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy.
I’ve lost 5 pounds!
That might not seem like much, but to me, after more than a year of my weight being at a standstill, dropping that much weight is a big deal.
My weight has been a struggle since childhood. I was placed on my first so-called diet at the age of 8, one of my clearest, earliest, and most embarrassing memories that began just months into my chronic disease journey.
When I was 8, I was diagnosed with lupus and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and have had all sorts of issues with extreme hair loss, skin rashes, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, dislocating joints, and so on. We didn’t realize it at the time, but I’d also been showing signs of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and had been developing huge bruises, having nosebleeds, and experiencing horrendous menstrual cycles that would cause me to miss school. My doctor said I was anemic. I wouldn’t receive a diagnosis of ITP until more than 25 years later, but all the signs were there.
Because of these issues, I was placed on the steroid prednisone, off and on. While it’s commonly used to ease autoimmune symptoms, it’s also known to cause weight gain. By age 9, I was over 175 pounds, more than 100 pounds over the average weight for a 9-year-old girl.
I did regain some control over my physical activity and diet when I turned 16 and moved out on my own. I lost more than 80 pounds during my junior year in high school, but the weight slowly crept back on because I wasn’t in a position to prioritize my health.
A new hope
Today, I live with five rare and chronic illnesses and nearly two dozen comorbidities, and my weight is one of my biggest issues.
My weight loss efforts had stalled, and the strategies that once helped were no longer working. I had even begun taking the GLP-1 receptor agonist Wegovy (semaglutide) about a year ago, but the scale wouldn’t budge. I hardly ate anything, and I drank more water than I ever have in my life, but with prednisone now a big part of my maintenance care, the weight didn’t budge.
But recently, my primary care physician switched me to Foundayo (orforglipron), another type of GLP-1 drug, and, after several weeks on a low dose of it, I’ve dropped 5 pounds! Even better, the recent decision by Medicare to cover these weight-loss medications means I don’t have to pay out of pocket, as I had been for Wegovy. That alone takes so much stress off of me.
I hope I continue seeing some progress. I’m able to work out at an indoor gym now, and I’m determined to lose some of this excess weight. It’s a top priority.
Note: Bleeding Disorders News is strictly a news and information website about the syndrome. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Bleeding Disorders News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to bleeding disorders.
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