Pop-Tarts, B12, and the End of the World

Quite a combination isn’t it? So let’s take this one at a time, shall we? Pop-Tarts, while I have recently learned to assume nothing, a Pop-Tart is a breakfast item. Ii is like a…cardboard Danish with jelly in the middle (no offense Kellogg’s). You can eat them cold at 3 AM like me, or put them in the toaster where they get all warm and gooey and eat them for breakfast as you are running out the door. Now that we have established the concept of a Pop-Tart, you might ask, why  three AM?  Well, it is just one of those things. I have some of my biggest realizations during the munching of a Pop-Tart and a glass of milk at three AM.

On to the next, and as you all know it will make sense in the end. I promise. Do you know the significance of B12 to your body’s central nervous system? No? Well here is a little lesson, peeps.

Per the B12 Deficiency.org This vitamin has an element identified as cobalt that is as well as called as cobalamin. It is solely synthesized by bacteria and is can be found chiefly in dairy product, eggs and meat. — The main functions of vitamin B12 are the maintenance of the nervous system for it to always be healthy and the formation of red blood cells. The B12 is essential for the fast synthesis of DNA during the division of the cell. This is particularly necessary in tissues where the cells are quickly dividing, specifically the bone marrow tissues that are accountable for the red blood cell formation. B12 is as well as essential in keeping the nervous system. The nerves are surrounded by the insulating fatty sheath consisted of complex protein identified as myelin. B12 plays an essential role in the metabolism of fatty acids necessary for the maintenance of myelin.

So, Amy, what the hell are you talking B12 for? Well, a few weeks ago I went to the doctor because I was feeling tired all the time and foggy/groggy. Doctor tested Thyroid, B12 and Anemia. It turns out my B12 was severely lacking—unfortunately my doctor was out of B12 injections, which is the fastest way to recover, and thus I had to wait a week. Peeps, and I am not joking here…it has been the worst week ever. Not because of pain or discomfort but because I literally could not think, and I was exhausted all the time. I slept about 18 hours a day, and when I was awake, I could barely keep my eyes open. My brain turned to mush. I  could barely speak in paragraphs much less write.

There are several reasons I am sharing this. First and foremost, if you have any of these symptoms please talk to your doctor about B12. We all get tired, but when you get a full night sleep and yet you are sitting at your desk falling asleep, it is time to have a conversation. The other reason I brought it up is the realization I had last night while eating my Pop-Tart at 3 AM.

Sometimes the world as we know it ends and there is nothing we can do about it. The tight rope we walk to keep our dreams alive can easily snap, and leave you in a free fall.  We all know that life as a whole is an experience in choices.  As ambitious humans we many times challenge the capacity at which we can successfully function. We reach a cruising speed, but decide that if we go just a bit faster we can somehow get there sooner. When in fact we are just wasting gas for perhaps a few moments of time. There are times when fate decides to take a stand for whatever reason and cut the rope forcing us to adjust the way we move forward. Either way we are forced to take a step back and reassess. While this is definitely a painful experience, it can be for the best, if we make the most of the opportunity.

Yes, I said opportunity, because if you look at it in a positive light, the end of the world is not as bad as it sounds. Almost a clean slate. A chance to step back and look at we where we are, where are we going, and the most effective way to get there. This is a perspective that we need to embrace, not reject. Our instinct is to take the blow, fall ten stories, and then lay in the dirt moaning.  Go ahead and moan, lord knows it hurts, but guess what? You are still alive. You survived the fall! Now it is time to get up, lick your wounds, and head back up the stairs. Your dreams are still there, and now you can see them from the outside. You built the building you fell off of, but it is still there waiting for you to finish the structure, the masterpiece that is your life.

I am not going to lie, you are going to fall again, perhaps many times before your self made monument is complete.

A few weeks ago I fell off the rope, and lay moaning on the ground. It was agony, and I am still licking my wounds, but I can say with a certain amount of confidence that I am back with my blueprints, hammer, nails, and hard hat.  I am ready to start again. I am ready to do this because of a beautiful list of people I can call my friends, colleagues, and loved ones, and I thank them, each and every one.

I have, by the way began taking B12 everyday as well as receiving B12 injections once a week. I am feeling much better. I will keep y’all posted on my progress. Please visit the B12 Deficiency Site and talk to your doctor. This is a rare disorder, but if it happened to me it can happen to anyone.

 On to the Next!