Health Stuff

It's been a pretty strange year for me health-wise. We both had a physical in January just to see where we stand. That was just opening Pandora's box. John had some issues with his heart - they thought - but further tests didn't show anything. I had some nodules on my thyroid which I finally had checked after I began to have some throat problems. The throat problems turned out to be a type of reflux (LPR) which I am controlling by not eating Junior Mints anymore. The meds the doctor prescribed made everything worse so I am so thankful that I can control it so easily by just giving up one thing. During the process, the endocrinologist found that I was still vitamin D deficient and my liver enzymes were out of whack. After more testing, she was just sure that I had Paget's disease and I had a bone scan last week.

The results were not at all what she expected and there IS no bone disease - well - just a little arthritis - but no Paget's. She wanted some x-rays but I did some research and found that it is normal for alkaline phosphatase to be elevated when vitamin D is deficient and it takes time to normalize once the vitamin D is back to normal. Since my D is just now back to a normal level, I talked her into giving me some time and rechecking my levels. I will go back in December for more blood work. A full year of horsing around with this - and I have actually been healthier as far as my sinuses, allergies and bronchitis is concerned. I have had one short bout of bronchitis this year - back in March - and have not had to see a doctor for being "sick" since then. I think I will take a break from the physical in 2010.

I am taking a good multi-vitamin now with 1000 units of vitamin D, a couple of Caltrates every day to get the calcium, and right now, while the flu is so widespread, I am taking Emergen-C that has tons of extra C and B vitamins. Also, we are making an effort to eat better. . . more veggies and fruit and lots less sugar. I'd like to drop another 20 pounds by the end of the year and see my cholesterol go below 150. It's 160 now. We are both still content not eating meat or dairy and, in spite of what the doctors would like to find, we believe we are healthier. Neither of us takes any meds besides our supplements. I guess for 55 and 61, that's not bad. :)