I could use some cheering up

[KlutzyChy1]

So as some of you may know, I went through hair loss a couple years ago due to being underweight /malnutrition.

Well the past few months, I've been super stressed & spent almost every day practicing to get my license (passed my first try though, woo) but it ended up being so much more stressful than it needed to be & I ended up losing a little bit of weight & now I'm 88lbs. I figured it was okay because now I could focus on eating more but literally the day after I got it, I got sick & I've been sick ever since with with flu. I haven't slept in days, & I haven't been able to eat much & I noticed today I've lost more hair than usual so I'm just a bit freaked out, so if anyone could offer some comforting words, I'd really appreciate it.

[FennFire911]

First off, figure out sleep. That's goal number one.
Next, if you're noticing you have a hard time eating enough, you may want to consider supplement shakes. Definitely take a daily multi vitamin.
Maybe try and take a mini sabbatical where you just stay at home for a few days and don't allow yourself to think about any of your stressors. Easier said than done of course. But many people can benefit giving themselves a few days where they only focus on their hobbies, fave TV show and/or movies, etc. And every time you fall into stress, try to redirect yourself. I have panic disorder and I know how invasive and debilitating fears and worries can be. I'm not trying to trivialize how you're feeling at all. But if you could find a focal point, focal activity, diversion...You can get through.
It's Ok if sometimes when people ask you if you're Ok the answer is "no", but always try to follow that no up with "but I'm going to be."

[Ardyn]

Ah hun, I hope you’re feeling better soon! When you get sick, your hair is the first thing to start to feel weird as it is the most expendable thing. Your body is focusing on taking care of the important stuff and so, it doesn’t give much to your hair. I can usually tell if I’m about to get sick as my hair starts going weird and my scalp usually crumbles to all hell!

But the good news is it tends to balance out pretty quick once you recover :) get that rest and vitamins, plenty of fluids, and just focus on getting better! Your hair will follow suit shortly after :)

[lapushka]

So as some of you may know, I went through hair loss a couple years ago due to being underweight /malnutrition.

Well the past few months, I've been super stressed & spent almost every day practicing to get my license (passed my first try though, woo) but it ended up being so much more stressful than it needed to be & I ended up losing a little bit of weight & now I'm 88lbs. I figured it was okay because now I could focus on eating more but literally the day after I got it, I got sick & I've been sick ever since with with flu. I haven't slept in days, & I haven't been able to eat much & I noticed today I've lost more hair than usual so I'm just a bit freaked out, so if anyone could offer some comforting words, I'd really appreciate it.

Some of us have "reserves", but it looks like you didn't have those anymore, if at all because 88lbs is not that much and you only indicated losing "a little bit of weight". :(

I know what it's like, trust me I do.

I second the food shakes and a good multivitamin. And if you do / can eat something, try chicken soup, it's very nutritious.

[toastmouse]

I'm so sorry you're going through this!:blossom: I would say try not to worry too much about the stuff beyond your control (easier said than done I know sorry) and just focus on really looking after yourself and getting better to the best of your ability. Everything that has already been said about taking time to rest and relax as much as possible, finding ways to get some nourishment, positive distractions etc. Yoga with Adriene on youtube has some great gentle yoga videos for when you're sick and stressed if you're up to it and that's your thing, they've really helped me before with my anxiety, and also with sleep. Hope you get better soon! Also congratulations on getting your license that's awesome!

[njrb]

Hang in there! Just focus on getting healthy and I'm sure things will work out alright. Just do your best and ask for help where it's needed, no need to do it by yourself.

[Lady Stardust]

Sleep and eating go hand in hand, so if you can manage small but regular meals, it’s a step in the right direction. It doesn’t matter if you can’t face much of the meal, just try and keep the habit and gradually it will improve.

Take care and rest and indulge yourself in anything you want to, including just chilling and not feeling that you have to do anything. You’ll feel better soon, it’ll come. Lots of hugs and good wishes coming your way.

[spidermom]

Oh hon; I'm so sorry. Get well soon.

[cailinbee]

I am so sorry to hear you're going through that crud! Every little bit of self care is important, though, and I hope you have the mental space to recognize the positive steps you are able to take, or reach out to the right people if you have trouble taking them (or even if you're succeeding -- everyone deserves a support group regardless of ups and downs!) Hugs to you!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/11/14/87/11148773e88aea4c118cfb1aee121456.jpg

[pili]

:grouphug: Sending you healing light and positive energy. No advice, just lots of love.

[KlutzyChy1]

Oh goodness, I just read all your replies & I appreciate you all so much. You guys are so wonderful & supportive. I'm not home right now, but I just wanted to let you guys know I saw what you all said & it definitely made me feel so much better & I'll reply to you all individually when I get back. Thank you again so much. ❤

[RedStripe]

Here's a little cheer-up image for you. Sorry, I couldn't get it to insert by itself.
https://1funny.com/dalmatian-hug/

[lucid]

I hope you feel better soon! I too have experienced hairloss due to being underweight. I know how stressful it is!

To me, liquid calories are easier to get down when I don't have appetite. I make smoothies with protein powder, olive oil, avocado, juice and blueberries/berrie mix. It tastes horrible, but contains 600 kcal, so it's very nutritious and calorie dense. I drink it with a large straw/thick, which I put far back in my mouth to get as little taste as possible.

In addition, when I was underweight, I drank as much sodas and chocolate milk as I wanted. Just eat or drink whatever you can get down, do not worry about whether it's healthy.

It's normal to shed a bit more when sick, so try not to think that what you're experiencing now is another hairloss episode.

I wish you the best!

[KlutzyChy1]

First off, figure out sleep. That's goal number one.
Next, if you're noticing you have a hard time eating enough, you may want to consider supplement shakes. Definitely take a daily multi vitamin.
Maybe try and take a mini sabbatical where you just stay at home for a few days and don't allow yourself to think about any of your stressors. Easier said than done of course. But many people can benefit giving themselves a few days where they only focus on their hobbies, fave TV show and/or movies, etc. And every time you fall into stress, try to redirect yourself. I have panic disorder and I know how invasive and debilitating fears and worries can be. I'm not trying to trivialize how you're feeling at all. But if you could find a focal point, focal activity, diversion...You can get through.
It's Ok if sometimes when people ask you if you're Ok the answer is "no", but always try to follow that no up with "but I'm going to be."

Oh goodness, I wish I could figure out the sleep thing but I don't know why I can't. Normally it takes me a little bit to fall asleep, but then I'll sleep through the night & get my 8 hours but for the past week & a half I get MAYBE an hour or two& it's so weird because I'll be tired all throughout the day & at night I feel like I'm going to pass out, but the second I lay down, I'm wide awake.

I just went out & bought those Ensure supplement shakes. They're 350 cal. each so I'm hoping those will help& I always take a multivitamin every day.

&No no, it's okay! I have horrible anxiety myself & especially in these past few years, I've found it's controlled almost every aspect of my life & I still haven't figured out a way to manage it yet. A lot of the things I have anxiety about stem from past experiences and it's usually me worrying that the same thing is going to happen again.

It's weird, I've been doing better in some parts of my life lately & worse in others. I've been a lot more busy & distracted lately & I'm finally starting to get my life together, which has taken off a lot of stress, but at the same time, doing all these things has caused so much stress in & of themselves & has taken up so much time, that I'm finding it hard to find the time to take care of me & my health. I'm not very good at juggling many things at once.

But thank you again so much for your advice & kind words. It is very much appreciated ❤

[KlutzyChy1]

Ah hun, I hope you’re feeling better soon! When you get sick, your hair is the first thing to start to feel weird as it is the most expendable thing. Your body is focusing on taking care of the important stuff and so, it doesn’t give much to your hair. I can usually tell if I’m about to get sick as my hair starts going weird and my scalp usually crumbles to all hell!

But the good news is it tends to balance out pretty quick once you recover :) get that rest and vitamins, plenty of fluids, and just focus on getting better! Your hair will follow suit shortly after :)

Ah, thank you so very much! ❤ I think I'm finally starting to feel a little better. Today was the first day I've woken up & haven't had my whole body ache or had a headache to deal with. I'm still nauseous & don't have much of an appetite though but I'm trying to force myself to at least get some food in. I'm hoping tonight I can finally get some sleep. Fingers crossed!

&That's what I've been trying to do. Solid foods haven't been sitting very well, so I've been trying to have smoothies & nutrition shakes for now. I'm hoping tomorrow I can finally start to eat normal again!

[KlutzyChy1]

Some of us have "reserves", but it looks like you didn't have those anymore, if at all because 88lbs is not that much and you only indicated losing "a little bit of weight". :(

I know what it's like, trust me I do.

I second the food shakes and a good multivitamin. And if you do / can eat something, try chicken soup, it's very nutritious.

I know. I was at 93-ish lbs before but was maintaining my weight fairly well, so I figured I'd be okay, but it seems like with the way that I eat, even skipping a meal here or there makes me drop weight so quickly, & then I have such a hard time putting it back on (ah, why).

I went out & bought some of those Ensure nutrition shakes & have been making sure to keep up on my multivitamin so I hope that helps.

Thank you again for being so kind & supportive ❤

[KlutzyChy1]

I'm so sorry you're going through this!:blossom: I would say try not to worry too much about the stuff beyond your control (easier said than done I know sorry) and just focus on really looking after yourself and getting better to the best of your ability. Everything that has already been said about taking time to rest and relax as much as possible, finding ways to get some nourishment, positive distractions etc. Yoga with Adriene on youtube has some great gentle yoga videos for when you're sick and stressed if you're up to it and that's your thing, they've really helped me before with my anxiety, and also with sleep. Hope you get better soon! Also congratulations on getting your license that's awesome!

Thank you so much! Ugh, I wish I could, I'm doing my best but I have such horrible anxiety that I get scared quite easily about certain things. I've been doing my best to just try & put it out of my mind for now though. I keep telling myself that worrying does nothing but cause more problems, (but like you said, easier said than done).

&Oh! I love Yoga with Adrienne! I used to do her 20 minute yoga for beginners like every other day of the week, but ever since I've been so busy, it's just so hard for me to find the time to focus on anything else. I have such a hard time juggling self care with the rest of my life.

&Thank you! I'm glad that's at least once less thing I have to worry about!

[KlutzyChy1]

I hope you feel better soon! I too have experienced hairloss due to being underweight. I know how stressful it is!

To me, liquid calories are easier to get down when I don't have appetite. I make smoothies with protein powder, olive oil, avocado, juice and blueberries/berrie mix. It tastes horrible, but contains 600 kcal, so it's very nutritious and calorie dense. I drink it with a large straw/thick, which I put far back in my mouth to get as little taste as possible.

In addition, when I was underweight, I drank as much sodas and chocolate milk as I wanted. Just eat or drink whatever you can get down, do not worry about whether it's healthy.

It's normal to shed a bit more when sick, so try not to think that what you're experiencing now is another hairloss episode.

I wish you the best!

Thank you bunches! I appreciate your guys support so very much ❤

Oh goodness, that sounds absolutely dreadful. It reminds me of a shake I used to make when I was underweight. The taste wasn't 'that' bad, but the texture was awful & it was quite heavy. I would use protein powder, full fat milk, yogurt, granola, peanut butter, honestly whatever I could shove into the blender hehe. I went out & bought those Ensure nutrition shakes & have been making green smoothies every day, so I'm hoping that helps!

&Ah! Thats something I've been struggling with A LOT lately. I normally get in around 1200 cal a day, but I'm only 5"1' & not very active, so it was enough to maintain my weight, but once I became super busy, even skipping a meal here or there was enough to make the weight come off. But I have such a hard time convincing myself that it's okay to eat unhealthy food, but the healthy foods I do eat aren't much in the way of calories. I just don't know how to find the right balance.

[KlutzyChy1]

Here's a little cheer-up image for you. Sorry, I couldn't get it to insert by itself.
https://1funny.com/dalmatian-hug/

Oh my word, that is the most adorable thing. Awe! It definitely made me smile. Thank you❤