Vitamin D Deficiency

[meow]

Meow, I usually walk first thing in the morning and listen to a recorded book -- my alone time for the day.  When it warms up and I wear shorts, I also use some self-tanning lotion on my legs for the first couple of weeks lest, like you, I blind onlookers with my dazzling snow-white legs!

Oh, yeah, me too.  The self-tanner has the added bonus of lessening the contrast between the dazzling snow and the veiny  blue road map winding its way around the back of my knees.

[Patze]

Hi Prairie Gal and Meow,

What self tanners do y'all use?  My oh so white legs sure could use a bit of color in the winter.

Seems that way back when they first came out, I made the mistake and tried one; prettiest orange you ever saw until it wore off!


Patze

[Prairie Gal]

Patze, I use Jergen's Natural Glow -- I think that's what it's called -- and I think I picked Medium.   I also remember those first self-tanners; bought only one bottle because I never finished the first one.  Orange is right!

[meow]

 Yes, I remember the first one. " QT."
 As in Quickly Turns you orange... one friend of mine was orange in general, but there were some GREEN areas, too.
 She also forgot to wash her hands, and her palms looked like pumpkins.

The Jergens Natural glow is good. I use light-medium. I like the kind that has a tint to start with, so you can see what you are putting on. Don't put any at all on your knees or ankles, or put regular lotion first. Otherwise it looks really strange.

Right now, since we are moving into winter, these products are on sale.

[Patze]

On sale you say?  Hmmmm, yep, I'm there!


Patze

[Rhonda]

My rheumy said he could tell my pain was "grossly elevated" because my Vitamin D level was so low.  In an odd way, that made me happy.  I guess it validated my pain.    The Gastro dr says the Vitamin D could be low due to liver function being less than it should be.  He scheduled me for a a liver scan which I am having tomorrow.   

It is strange how such a small thing like a doctor taking you serious can bring such pleasure.

My low Vitamin D level was taken seriously by all of my physicians EXCEPT my neurologist - which is another story some of  you may be familiar with from my previous posting.  

[gphx]

Rhonda, the prevailing wisdom for a long time was to blame neurological issues on low D and B12. It still happens. My doctor tells me nothing but 'take your vitamins' not realizing I've done so for a year without improvement. It can be an excuse not to look further.

The flip side to this is neuro issues cause low D and B12 because they are used by the body to repair neural tissues damaged by disease processes.

Your neuro may be used to seeing patients with low D and he may simply recognize the low D as a symptom rather than a cause.

[Patze]

Hi Rhonda,

Good luck with the scan and I hope that it helps to point the way to a diagnosis. 

If the gastro figures out why your vitamin D level is so low, don't forget to pass it on, okay?

Take care of yourself -

Patze

[Rhonda]

No worries Patze - I will definitely share any information I get.  Thanks!