Health & Fitness August 2012

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Here's a big advantage to posting in this thread. When one goes back to reconstruct one's feelings/symptoms, there's a lot written in here. For instance, the nausea and malaise started a full week before I recall and I had forgotten the aches around July 26.

I'm writing up a complete history of everything in case I'll need the info in a consult.

[Nancy]

K in C I was wondering if it might be food poisoning [salmonella], guess not w/ itching? Shingles? at least there is a shot for that. I'm not much help.

Walking [ski] poles were great for mojo on my walk last night.
Today got my walk done before it got too hot.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Nancy what's helping me run out of ideas is that my liver enzymes are so out of whack. Like 30x what they were just 10 weeks ago. Tomorrow I'll get another set of results and we'll be able to see if they are dropping or remaining out of whack.

I try to avoid going online for too many answers because 1) info is not necessarily specific to my case and 2) there are quacks out there even if the websites have responsible sounding names. I stick with Livestrong and WebMD and the Canadian Liver Foundation (or links from there.)

So I knew my numbers were high but how high sunk in today when I was on one site that said if my GGT is over 100 (it is), my ALP is over 80 (mine is 250) and my ALT is over 200 (mine is 820), then this is a list of possibilities (none of which are good but we can eliminate any that involve drinking since I'm dry.) Basically, all that's left is tumours or damage from an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune kind of makes sense (given my issues with inflammation) but for the changes to my liver to happen so quickly is confounding.

I keep hoping to find a website that says random viruses can throw your numbers out of whack. So far, I haven't, which makes me think this is something more than a random virus.

That nasty news today came when I was just searching what a liver ultrasound would be like. But each time I do a search, I find something yucky (the other night I was looking for non-pharma ways to control the itching but only came across sights talking about how bad the itching is as the liver is failing at the palliative care stage of things and no practical tips at all except to keep the skin as cool as possible. I did learn that itching worse at night and specifically on the bottom of the feet are to be expected.

[Harriet]

Sounds like gall bladder disease to me. I wish it would be. Quick surgery, TaDa, recuperate for a few days.

Remember, any of these tests can be a glitch, too. Both HRH and I have had glitches in blood tests within the last few years. Actually he's had two.

I am trying not to get too excited about the fact that HRH is doing my WOE with me. (yay) I don't want to get my hopes up that we could do this in common and have fun with it. So far so good.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Gall bladder is another potential culprit. My dad has out after a bad attack in his 80s, his sister had problems as well. And their mom had cancer of the gall bladder but not until she was 98.

[Harriet]

A doctor told us (when there were deliberations about HRH's gall bladder and whether he had to have it removed) that there are so many different "presentations" of gall bladder disease that it is difficult for one person to say they recognize another's symptoms. A pain may not be near the gall bladder at all - even on the other side of the body and not at the same level - but still be directly caused by the gall bladder.

Do the ski poles give your arms a workout, too, Nancy?

Lynlee, how are things going? I'm happy for you that you've made the change you needed. How's your balance in the yoga sessions?

HRH and I are going to share a banana as "late dessert" this evening several hours after our last meal (to avoid any digestive problems with protein/fruit) and call it a day. The banana will combat the sodium that was a little too much in our diets today. He will have had 900 cals and I will have had 600. Tomorrow he will aim for 2,500 and I will aim for 1,900. I fully expect him to want a big breakfast and I'll support that, even though I might normally have oatmeal.

I'm going to make a new batch of steeped water tonight. We have really been enjoying it lately.

[Nancy]

Yes Harriet that's the idea to keep arms moving to burn more calories. Not an extreme work out for me like wts. would be but just changing up the routine is great for like once a week or if I'm gimping around! LOL!

[Lynlee]

I'd wondered about gall bladder too Kathryn.
My DD1 had glandular fever that stuffed her liver when she was 18. Ended up in hospital on a drip. I forget what else. It took 10 years or so before she could have even one drink without being ill next day. DD2 had it too at 18 (without the liver complications) and stuffed 2 years at uni.

Harriet - yoga is now wed or fri mornings - or both if I have the energy. I try to push my ballance if I can - and my hips cooperate. My left hip is at a stage of aching if I lie on that side a while. Sometimes they really complain about poses.
Energy is down atm.

[Nancy]

I took my walk early this morning while it was cool and air was clear it's smokey out now here.

[Nancy]

Walk & then moved bricks from under half of the play house a great arm work out.
Move lumber out from under the shop yesterday & walked.