Originally Posted by mrsD

@ Karen.... If you were taking B12 and didn't stop it for 5 days or more before the test, then your results are not sterling by any means. A test is only a snapshot in time. You could be going up or coming down. Having another test in 3 months and stopping all B12 supplements for at least 5 days before may reveal more.

On oral B12 you should be higher (closer to 1000). I would continue with the B12..therefore, as you were doing...and make sure you take on an empty stomach. Your depressive feelings could be related to low B12.

I've learned not to talk about myself and my pains many years ago. People just don't want to hear about it. I think it is more difficult to come to terms with a chronic health problem that rears up, if one has a personality that is used to controlling situations.
And a good teacher would have this trait, in order to keep a room full of children working well and learning. We cannot control our bodies the same way, so this is going to be difficult. It can take a while to accept new medical situations. It is being studied also by chronic pain specialists that focusing on the problem (pain) too much creates learned pathways to the pain perception centers in the brain. This is like any other learned skill, like driving a car or riding a bike etc. So while pain is aggravating, trying to keep it in the background and keeping busy with something else is best. Music, (I use art and my pets), quilting and sewing (my friend does this), reading or whatever, will really help.

So while it is helpful to vent (which is what this place is for among other things), it may be better to not focus too much on your pain with other people often in your private life. My husband asks me each morning how I am...and that is basically the only sharing time for me (unless some really sudden acute thing happens, like when my back slipped out 2 wks ago and I couldn't walk for 2 days).

You might find keeping a journal is helpful. Sometimes we can even find food triggers or some other trigger in there besides the other content. Food triggers may be delayed in onset by a day or 2 or 3 and a journal can reveal that type of thing.