Vitamin D Deficient

So I've been feeling sick for the last month and after three different rounds of antibiotic, I asked my Doctor to draw some blood and test to see what is wrong with me besides my depression which is practically my main source of illness.

So the verdict came in and, praise the Lord, everything looks fine but my vitamin D is low! It's supposed to be up there in the high numbers and is down there in the very low numbers of what it shouldn't be. So, he gave me Vitamin D to take once a week for the next three months and I need to retest my blood end of June.

Then, I sought Google to tell me what Vitamin D Deficiency is all about and this is what I found:


Vitamin D deficiency can occur for a number of reasons:


You don't consume the recommended levels of the vitamin over time. This is likely if you follow a strict vegetarian diet, because most of the natural sources are animal-based, including fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, fortified milk, and beef liver. - I happen to eat egss every morning but I'm lacking Nemo regularly.

Your exposure to sunlight is limited. Because the body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, you may be at risk of deficiency if you are homebound, live in northern latitudes, wear long robes or head coverings for religious reasons, or have an occupation that prevents sun exposure. - It has been winter here in Dallas so this could be the reason why I haven't been outside.

You have dark skin. The pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to make vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Some studies show that older adults with darker skin are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. - I don't like to get any darker than what I am already. I don't like to even out but I don't like tanning that's for sun lovers.

Your kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form. As people age their kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active form, thus increasing their risk of vitamin D deficiency.- Hmmm....my kidneys have been giving me problems.


Your digestive tract cannot adequately absorb vitamin D. Certain medical problems, including Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease, can affect your intestine's ability to absorb vitamin D from the food you eat.


You are obese. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into the circulation. People with a body mass index of 30 or greater often have low blood levels of vitamin D. - I have a problem with this and my doctor urge me to start losing weight or else!

West Nile Virus

While rain is always good in Texas, er, anywhere where a drought exists, there is always a negative side to it that comes after the rain is gone. Mosquitoes, flies and other insects. However, this year Dallas and the surrounding suburbs are experience the West Nile Mosquito Virus. There's been several deaths in Dallas and now Plano has had its 5th case! Yikes! We live by a creek....I'm not sure its full but I'm very sure there is standing water in it. When I get bit, I'm suddenly freaking out. So, we are spraying ourselves to death with mosquito repellent.

It's not like we go out to our backyard to play in the middle of August, it's too damn hot to do so, but now we have to fear not only the hot sun, now we got to watch out for a mosquito!

Dallas is deciding whether to do an aerial spray over the city and so is Ft. Worth. The health experts say is completely safe while very few say they are uncertain. I say spray! We don't need anymore deaths!

I have never wished for a really cold, freezing, ice, snow winter EVER!

This is what I found on the symptoms related to the West Nile Virus:


Q. If I have West Nile Fever, can it turn into West Nile encephalitis?A. When someone is infected with West Nile virus (WNV) they will typically have one of three outcomes: No symptoms (most likely), West Nile fever (WNF in about 20% of people) or severe West Nile disease, such as meningitis or encephalitis (less than 1% of those who get infected). If you develop a high fever with severe headache, consult your health care provider.
West Nile fever is characterized by symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache and sometimes swollen lymph glands and rash. West Nile fever generally lasts only a few days, though in some cases symptoms have been reported to last longer, even up to several weeks. West Nile fever does not appear to cause any permanent health effects. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. People with West Nile fever recover on their own, though symptoms can be relieved through various treatments (such as medication for headache and body aches, etc.).
Some people may develop a brief, WNF-like illness (early symptoms) before they develop more severe disease, though the percentage of patients in whom this occurs is not known. 


http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/west-nile/Plano-reports-fifth-West-Nile-virus-case-165158416.html

Ashtma

Asthma Patients Could Get Breath of Fresh Air.

Researchers at UT Southwestern are on the verge of a breakthrough that could make inhalers and steroid shots a thing of the past.

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I CAN'T WAIT!!! I love Texas but the dry weather is killing me! When we visit tropical places my Ashtma disappears! I have told John that we need to move i.e, Hawaii...but he says no every time. Then I say, Costa Rica, he says, maybe. There is hope!