This morning, my husband, declared, in front of an entire OB waiting room, that I had scurvy! I thought I was going to wet my pants from laughing so hard!
As I wrote previously, I have been battling the stomach yuckies for a few days now. Yesterday (Tuesday) I felt like a million bucks all day. I had my nails done, got a pedicure, and even went for a little design on my big toenails. I felt fabulous. I went to bed with a sigh of relief; I had made it through the day with no intestinal distress.
And, then, 2 a.m. came along.
Miss. Kitty and I were curled up together, sound asleep, when the most painful cramp shot through my body. I sat straight up, realized what was happening, and ran for the bathroom. This is how the rest of the wee morning hours went for me. At 5:30 a.m., I gave up. Danny was so surprised that I was awake before his alarm even went off. He did not understand that it was so much better to just be up than to keep trying to go back to sleep only to wake up to intense pain.
Anyhow, I fought the pain as long as I could thinking that all the medicine I had taken was stopping up the pipes and that it would be better just to clean out the whole system. That worked for a little while, but I had to go to my OB appointment and I didn't want to be miserable. So, I took a half dose of medicine and went on my way (with a sincere prayer in my heart for no emergencies while I was out).
During the ride over to Wilford Hall, Danny and I were discussing what my stomach problems might be. You see, I have IBS and have recently stopped taking the meds for it. I had started thinking that I didn't actually have a virus, but that my IBS was showing its ugly face again. I also wondered if the surplus of dairy in my diet these days was causing a commotion in addition to the IBS. Long story short, we were playing medical detectives trying to determine the cause of my misery.
And, then, once we were seated in the OB waiting room, Danny declared that I must have scurvy and need an emergency dose of vitamin C. He is so crazy! I would have never thought of that nonsense, and I laughed like a mad woman. I'm sure the other patients thought we were on drugs or something the way we were behaving. Oh well, it was fun!
Now for an update on the OB appointment:
This was my first OB appointment at Wilford Hall, and I didn't know what to expect. Well, it was a mess. They made my appointment with a nurse practitioner instead of a doctor, which just doesn't work for me. I have known nurse practitioners in my life, and I know they are intelligent people, however, I'd prefer a doctor to be caring for me and my unborn child. She was nice and patiently listened to my tummy woes. After consulting with one of the actual OB doctors (see what I mean...just cut out the middleman), she determined that I needed to go back on one of my IBS medications and that I need to limit my dairy intake while still being conscious of getting enough calcium. BOOOOOO!!!! That means no milkshakes, no milk with donuts, no cheese, no Mexican food....this is like the worst thing ever. I'm such a dairy junkie.
Anyhow, we'll see how it goes. Once we thought back to last night/this morning's misery, we realized that I had eaten broccoli and cheese soup at dinner. I had been perfectly fine all day and hadn't consumed any dairy, but then I was sick after a dairy-packed cup of soup. Crazy, I tell you!
The best news is that Tyler is alive and well. The lady that did all my measurements and clocked his heartrate was having to chase him all over my belly to get his heartbeat in the same place long enough for her to count the beats. She commented on his active behavior and visions of long, sleepless nights for many years to come danced through my brain.
I go back for another regular appointment on September 26th. This time I'll be seeing a doctor; I made sure of that before I left the office. In the mean time, I have to have another ultrasound to check on the placement of the placenta to see if there are any improvements. That should happen within the next week but they haven't called about an appointment yet. Then, about a week before my next appointment, I have to have that blood glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. I hear that that's not too much fun, but I guess there's not much choice in the matter.
All in all, it was a good day. I never got sick again after this morning, and I have remained far away from any and all dairy products!
Oh, and I bought a big bag of oranges...never know when you'll need to sidetrack the scurvy!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Scurvy
Posted by The Watsons at 9:15 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Okay, what the hell is scurvy???I'm confused!
I'm glad you found out the culprit, although I'm with you-that sucks that you can't have much dairy! What's a donut w/out milk? Thats like Peanut butter without jelly! Anyway, good to hear about little Ty. Hope the ultrasound results are good, and especially that your glucose test comes back alright! Let me tell you, the 3 hour test is horrible if you fail the first one!!! So, NO sweets the day before the test!
What do you take for your IBS? For years, all they would let me take was Immodium AD. And then they added Reglan when things got out of hand.
There is a great lactose free organic milk on the market called Organic Farms. I drink that now to tame my lactose intolerance/IBS coupled with the GF stuff. It's delicious, but a liittle pricy. I get it at Kroger.
I'm happy all else is well! XOXO Carter
Rachel, Scurvy is kind of an old-school disease that used to be predominant on ships sailing long distances from Europe. It's basically a severe vitamin C deficiency that leads to all sorts of problems, namely diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress. Here's some info:
Definition
Scurvy is a condition caused by a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the diet. Signs of scurvy include tiredness, muscle weakness, joint and muscle aches, a rash on the legs, and bleeding gums. In the past, scurvy was common among sailors and other people deprived of fresh fruits and vegetables for long periods of time.
Description
Scurvy is very rare in countries where fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available and where processed foods have vitamin C added. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant vitamin involved in the development of connective tissues, lipid and vitamin metabolism, biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, immune function, and wound healing. It is found in fruits, especially citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit, and in green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach. In adults, it may take several months of vitamin C deficiency before symptoms of scurvy develop.
Currently, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 50-60 mg/day for adults; 35 mg/day for infants; 40-45 mg/day for children 1-14; 70 mg/day during pregnancy; and 90-95 mg/day during lactation. The body's need for vitamin C increases when a person is under stress, smoking, or taking certain medications.
Causes and symptoms
A lack of vitamin C in the diet is the primary cause of scurvy. This can occur in people on very restricted diets, who are under extreme physiological stress (for example, during an infection or after an injury), and in chronic alcoholics. Infants can develop scurvy if they are weaned from breast milk and switched to cow's milk without an additional supplement of vitamin C. Babies of mothers who took extremely high doses of vitamin C during pregnancy can develop infantile scurvy. In children, the deficiency can cause painful swelling of the legs along with fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. In adults, early signs of scurvy include feeling weak, tired, and achy. The appearance of tiny red blood-blisters to larger purplish blotches on the skin of the legs is a common symptom. Wound healing may be delayed and scars that had healed may start to break down. The gums swell and bleed easily, eventually leading to loosened teeth. Muscle and joint pain may also occur.
Diagnosis
Scurvy is often diagnosed based on the symptoms present. A dietary history showing little or no fresh fruits or vegetables are eaten may help to diagnose vitamin C deficiency. A blood test can also be used to check the level of ascorbic acid in the body.
Treatment
Adult treatment is usually 300-1,000 mg of ascorbic acid per day. Infants should be treated with 50 mg of ascorbic acid up to four times per day.
Prognosis
Treatment with vitamin C is usually successful, if the deficiency is recognized early enough. Left untreated, the condition can cause death.
Prevention
Eating foods rich in vitamin C every day prevents scurvy. A supplement containing the RDA of vitamin C will also prevent a deficiency. Infants who are being weaned from breast milk to cow's milk need a supplement containing vitamin C.
Did you give credit to webmd for using their information??? : )
And who thought that you shouldn't be a teacher???
Post a Comment