penguin

Sorry you got sick, that sucks!

I'm with the others, unless I make it or see someone else make it...actually, no, unless I make it, I don't trust it. I trust DH to cook for me, but since all he can cook is steak and baked potatoes, no worries!

My suggestion is to become an excellent cook and wow everyone. That way, you know it's safe!

Lots of very very low intensity exercise? I mean, like one to two hour extremely leisurely strolls (2mph sort of thing). My understanding with exercise and anemia is that when you're severely anemic, you don't have enough iron to carry enough oxygen to do a lot of extra work. So you don't do extra work, you go slow slow slow so you don't need much in the way of additional oxygen supplies to your muscles. I'd think a gazelle may make you work too fast...

Also, avoiding smoggy days, and avoiding hot days or times of the day, and staying well hydrated - very well hydrated to make sure that the hemoglobin you do have is able to freely travel through your circulatory system. You might even find yoga helpful - a slower hatha class, not a bikram or hot yoga class nor even and advanced vinyasa class, of course.

Have you had any luck getting your iron stores up? It would seem that treating the anemia would be the first order of business, but it seems you've been battling this one for a while.

Thanks, Tiffany. I'm kind of afraid of overworking my heart, too. I mean, hell, my ferritin is down to 4 (taken a week ago)! I don't tolerate supplements so the dr. told me to eat lots of iron containing foods and to retest in 6 weeks, and we'll go from there. Basically, that makes me a carnivore for the next few weeks. Steak with oj and lots of it! Since I'm on a gluten challege, I'm eating cream of wheat and raisin bran as well. Pre-gluten-free that used to help me get back up to approaching normal. I would eat spinach, but it's non heme and also inhibits iron absorption.

I've done hatha yoga before and really liked it, maybe I'll look into that. Yoga centers are more plentiful than even starbucks here, and yet they still manage to be really expensive

Open Original Shared Link

About as conventional as it gets.

Except that if you actually read it, they say that intrahepatic stones are uncommon in western countries and that they are treated by radiological and surgical methods. Funny how cleanses are never mentioned if they are so effective in getting rid of stones.

Just a thought.

Boy I could go for some rotel cheese dip mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Oh yes!

Rotel is the college staple at the University of Arkansas. It doesn't get better than rotel and velveeta...

Yum...

And as American as apple pie

I'm a fan of mission, myself

I've talked to a few people who really really can't exercise for a few reasons. Some have said that they can't walk at all, and hence can't exercise. But that doesn't exclude them from swimming. Some have noted that they have very bad hips, excluding the walking and swimming, but that doesn't exclude upper body workouts, including arm bikes. (My point being that some haven't figured out how to be creative enough to work around their restrictions.)

But some that I've talked to really have restrictions that can't be worked around. Fibro, particularly, seems to be the big one. Whole body pain and fatigue that makes things so difficult. That's when you've got to do just about all the weight loss by diet. And that makes it harder, since you've got fewer tools at your disposal. It's still doable, but it is a lot harder. Those I know with those sorts of conditions have also noted that they have some days that are better than others, and they take advantage of those days to do a little bit more (but not enough to put them in bed all the next day). That, and continuing to work with doctors (and pain management specialists) to help get through the day so you can do a bit more.

Tiffany, do you have any tips on how to excercise with severe anemia? I've been told to excercise but know I'm not supposed to too much this anemic... I have a gazelle, any ideas?

I was so excited when I saw that in there. I use it all the time. Wow, we can eat the hot dogs? I know you get it without the bun but can you eat all the condiments there? I used to always get the yogurt. I just make sure I am full before I go in that place.

I don't know if we can eat the hotdogs or not, I'm on a gluten challenge for my biopsy. Something tells me that they're nathan's though, and not gluten-free. Sorry for not mentioning that

How r u doing ? I always think about you when I am choking down my iron and baby vitamins.

Marcia

Thanks for thinking of me! How are the baby vites going?

I haven't gotten brave enough to try an iron supplement yet

I ate steak for dinner last night and I'm considering steak for lunch, though it'll be expensive. I'm not really eating anything leafy and green, since it doesn't get digested anyway

The doctor said that if I can't tolerate a supplement to just eat more iron rich foods, like, constantly. At least I'm on a gluten challenge and can get the raisin bran variety of iron, and it serves a double purpose of gluten and iron, score!

Yeah, any flavored lip glosses and things like that taste nasty, like chemicals, to me. I taste cans sometimes too, just a metallic taste. Blech.

Red velvet cake tastes bitter to me, just too much red dye, yuck!

can you have eggs or gelatin? there needs to be something to hold the bread together, you can't have gums, right?

The reason that recipe can be so simple in the original recipe is because the gluten is elastic so it can hold everything together without the help of eggs or anything...

It's the first book about gluten-free that I bought. It's really funny, but take some of her info with a grain of salt, just like everything else.

My Costco has Pacific foods organic chicken broth, but right now I have a Sam's membership, so I don't go in there much unless I sneak in to look around and get a hot dog

The liver has direct control over the growth and functioning of every cell in the body. What science are you looking for? Do you have any science to contradict it?

Yeah, actually. If any part of the body controlled the growth or functioning of anything, it would be the brain. The brain (more specifically, the brain stem) controlls the autonomous functions of the body. The brain is what sends the signals to the liver, or any other organ, to function. The brain delegates and sends signals to the hypothalmus, pituitary, reproductive organs, and to the nerve endings, etc. etc.

Other than that, your skin is the largest organ that keeps bacteria and germs out. Your bone marrow makes your blood, which eventually gets to the liver to be cleaned and recycled. No one organ controlls the function of everything, and if one did, I don't think the liver would be in the top 5.

The liver is a biological coffee filter. I'm not saying it's not important, because it is. You would die without one, but you would die without many of your organs so it's a moot point. They all work together. The liver filters blood, recycles the blood, metabolizes drugs, and secretes bile. It's a great organ, but certainly isn't the end all be all of organs.

All of that is basic physiology that any 7th grader learns in bio. That physiology is based on thousands of years of research. Where do you get your information?

The liver controls every cell in the body, which obviously includes the Villi of the intestines. People are of course genetically pre-disposed to certain conditions but that doesn't mean you should resign yourself having an ailment all your life. Remember, the liver can keep the body alive when it is at 36% of it's capability. When it reaches 35% it fails and you die of liver failure. Unlike the stomach, it never complains directly, only indirectly through various conditions. That's why it's so often overlooked.

Would you mind sharing the science behind your statement, because that was overlooked in any anatomy or biology class I ever took...

Live and learn.

Oh yeah, I'm SOOOOOO over people telling me that if I follow this protocol or that protocol, my allergies/intolerances will go away. I've noticed only people who have neither like to preach this stuff. As my mama taught me, "Speak from knowledge."

Steph

PS ChelsE - you totally crack me up. Rock on!

Isn't that obnoxious? People that live allergies/intolerances know there is something wrong with the wiring in the body. It's not the liver. It's not some sort of psychological thing. It's not needing to "flush your system". Heck, it's not even the offending substance itself, it's a wiring flaw, the hard drive is damaged.

Thanks for thinking I'm funny!

Oh yeah - the chiropractor I go to for the shoulder thing wanted to allergy test me for some supplements and, since I knew he knew about my allergies and gluten, I trusted him. Well, he tested me for three supplements by putting the pill on my tongue and then pushing down on my arm. Strong arm - no allergy. I bought the supplements, was at home ready to take them when I read BARLEY and OATS on one of them.

Ummm, well, I guess it isn't an *allergy* technically.

Enough of that stuff for me.

Stephanie

Wow, you're sure good at finding the quackers, aren't you?!

You're not blonde. :-) gfp was using sophmore year chem major/minor lingo (specifically, physical chemistry). There's no reason to expect most people to understant it, but if you're interested, there are a number of useful websites out there that can explain the terms that google can help you find. Picking up a Physical Chemistry textbook from the library would do the same.

As nearly all of my friends are Chemical Engineers or Chemists, I know that nobody in their right mind picks up a p-chem book without a course requirement. Blech.

And very few of those that pick up the books, with course prequisites completed, understand any of it.

Oh, and Andreas - interesting guy, but no expert in my world view. He personally told me to stick to a high-carb diet for my hypoglycemia because more insulin is released when one consumes protein than carbs. So, using my "science" I can tell you about the time I got low blood sugar of 36 following that advice. Doesn't float with me.

What kind of quackbox is this guy?!?! He's going to kill someone going around saying stuff like that! Sounds like he very nearly did you in...

You're probably feeling the epididymis and/or vas deferens. Here's a lovely diagram of them Open Original Shared Link

The red dots may be broken capillaries, and they'll go away after a while. Do your kitties have fleas, by chance? Their bites leave red marks

It's my understanding that it's the IgG, not the TtG, that can be elevated in Chron's and UC, and those are both IBD's. The IgG is the most sensitive in the panel, but the Ttg is the most specific to celiac. In a normal person, those levels should be close to zero. Your "weak positive" is still positive, so sorry, you have celiac! Many biopsies come out negative because the damage isn't always in the duodenum or close to it, it is often further down in the small intestine. The endoscope can only go 5 feet into the small intestine, but the small intestine is 22 feet long.

And yes, it's very slow going. Feel better!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record--I'd bet that when you do go off gluten completely again, your levels will improve

I'm certain it will

Come on August 21st!

Although, I must say that I'm enjoying being able to eat fast food and flour tortillas, even if I am in the bathroom an hour after

I'm not enjoying the return of classic symptoms, but meh, maybe I'll get a good biopsy out of it.

On the upside, my mom is increasingly convinced that I have celiac (and that my sister needs to be tested).

ChelsE,

I'm really disappointed that your doc isn't going to order an iron iv for you. But, you have a lot of good ideas for iron loading.

At my pre-op this morning the nurse told me to use a cast iron skillet for cooking my meat in. She said that you will pick up some iron from the skillet. Sounds weird, but I bought one while I was out anyways.

And, my B12 was 286. My doc said that although the norm is 200 - 1100 a lot of people have problems unless their number are apprx. 500 . It says on my lab work "Although the preference range for B12 is 200 - 1100, it has been reported that 5 - 10% of patients with values between 200 and 400 may experience nueropsychiatric and hematologic abnormalities due to occult b12 deficiencies. "

She made sure that I got a shot of B12 before I left the office. And I wasn't acting nuts I'm going to start using the sublingual B12. I hope it is safe for sensitive tummies.

Oh, and I don't have a copy of what my ferritin was when my doctor ordered the iron iv for me. I was too weak to think of it back then. But it is an 8 now. My report doesn't talk about iron binding capacity. Sorry I can't help with that.

Marcia

I've heard that about the cast iron skillets too, I'm going to have to cook in mine more often!

I was thinking the same thing about the B-12 levels. With a range that huge, the normal levels on close to the end range on either end can't mean much! That must be why Red Bull makes me feel so much better, it's got tons of B vitamins.

I get the bloodwork re-done in 6 weeks. I imagine if it hasn't gotten better, or if it's gotten worse, they'll do something more drastic. The only value that really bugs me is that my iron saturation is 4. Sheesh, I wonder if my blood is even red at this point

Sorry you're having problems

One of my favorite comfort recipes happens to be gluten-free, soy free, and dairy free! It's also ridiculously cheap to make...

GREEK RICE

2 tbsp margerine, butter, or oil of choice

1 c. white rice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 c. chicken broth or boullion (stronger than normal is good)

1 lb ground beef

- heat the oil in a skillet or wok, add the rice. Brown the rice and until the rice is a golden brown color (add garlic near the end of browning).

- Add chicken broth, then crumble the raw ground beef into the pan. Bring to a boil.

- Once boiling, reduce the heat and cover. Cook until rice is done.

Serve with applesauce

Sounds wierd, but it's awesome, I promise!

I think it has something to do with the "whole grains" campaign going on in the food manufacturing world. Wheat starch allows them to claim whole grains, or something like that.

OMG!!!

I just got of the phone with Joe from Sojo Foods - he is SO awsome!

Despite the fact that according to the tests the Canadian Government conducted (that have a zero parts per million standard) the product contains no gluten, the company is altering their recipe from using malt vinegar to using regular vinegar.

He is also contacting all the stores that carry the product and letting them know one of the customers had a rection to that product.

I can't believe it! Even though I am the only person to notify them of a reaction, they are changing their recipe!!!!!!!

Do they not just ROCK?!?!?!?!?!

Thats awesome! Way to create change!

For me what I put in my body is important ... several other things are important and I know trivia (in the true sense) which is competely useless and people compete to have me in a pub quiz team but ask me to name 10 faces of actors/actresses and Im lost.

Im sure my friend thought it bizarre that I know the periodic table by heart including RMM's and isotopes ... and I had no idea what the name of a football team was from some town or other...

Yeah, but there's a difference between trivia and being ignorant. I couldn't tell you anything about football from 5 minutes ago or more than 10 elements on the periodic table, let alone their weights and isotopes. (Good for you on that, actually, DH is a ChemE and doesn't know all of that!) I do know quite a bit of cooking trivia, but that's my interest.

What disturbs me here is that the woman *works* in a restaurant, she is around food 8 hours a day and never bothered to glance at ingredient statements. It's not the hostess who answers those emails, this woman was likely an owner/manager/cook. We don't all have to watch football, or know the periodic table, but we all *have* to eat.

It just goes to show in this country, we're so used to eating things that come ready-made and wrapped in plastic that we don't have any flipping clue what's in it. I also get annoyed when people don't learn how to cook, since you have to eat every day, I see it being as important as knowing how to wash your hair and brush your teeth.

OK, I have the results from the lab in front of me:

Ferritin 4 ng/ml Expected range: 10-220

IRON BINDING CAPACITY AND IRON AND % SATURATION:

Iron, serum 19 ug/dl Expected range: 35-145

Unsaturated IBC 442 ug/dl Expected range: 155-300

Calculated Total IBC 461 ug/dl Expected range: 250-450

Calculated % Iron Sat 4% Expected range: 20-50

Folic Acid 8.8 ng/ml Expected range: >5.0

Vitamin B-12 277 pg/ml Expected range: 250-1100

So, from what I've read, just simple Iron Deficiency anemia. Easy enough to bring back up

Actually, those Activia commercials kind of crack me up. Marketing strategies

Seriously! I know I always discussed my regularity with my college roomates, and it was definitely a reason not to go out

I read the label and they have a special name that they trademarked for the bifidus strain. I just want to stand in the dairy aisle and go: "They're CHEATING you! ANY yogurt will do that!!" Since I'm not gluten-free right now I tried it and it is pretty tasty, but no more than yoplait or cascade fresh or stonyfield farms