February Labs and March Consult

3/5/14

So, this is a bit late, but better late than never.  My last consult was on March 5th with Dr. Cervantes at the Clinica Nutricion y Vida.  It went much as the other consultations have gone, and that is usually uneventful. Gratefully all labs look pretty good and I am feeling well too!

No mention was made about my sensitivity to potatoes.  I did notice that eating them even without the skin upset my stomach.  I could get away with it sporadically without trouble, but everyday seemed to cause issues.  I didn't have to really worry about all of my other sensitivities as they are not quite so important in my treatment.  I did mention that I had started eating some nuts and bone broth.  Although he wasn't excited about it, he didn't say anything about stopping them either.  

So we will begin with the CBC (complete blood count) and differential.  Basically these two give us the totals of all the different components that make up the blood as the name would suggest.   

From these results we are looking good.  Everything seemed within normal limits and he made the comment that I was not anemic at all, so that was good.

Next we have the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel or the CMP which will help determine your body's chemical balance and metabolism.

The only thing of real concern here is a slightly low glucose or blood sugar, so Dr. Cervantes suggested that I have a small piece of fruit between meals to keep it up.  Such an easy remedy.

Now for the UA...

Nothing of interest here...

Onto the thyroid with the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T4 Free, Anti thyroglobulin AB, and the thyroid peroxidase AB.  (I will explain as I go.)

Well, Nurse J had suggested that I have my thyroid levels more thoroughly checked this time just because she thought it seemed to be a bit enlarged after a physical check of the area.  She suspected that it was fine since it felt smooth and non-lumpy, etc.  She just wanted it to be sure since in the past I had some fatigue and malaise.

Here is a short refresher on how the thyroid works. The hypothalamus releases TrH or thyrotropin releasing hormone.  This stimulates the pituitary gland to release TSH.  This in turn produces T4 or thyroxine by the thyroid.  The "free" T4 then influences the production of T3 or triiodothyronine by the thyroid as well .  The amount of free T4 in the blood then in turn tells the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland how much TrH and TSH to produce.  (Did you get all of that?) ;)

So for the TSH and T4 free...

TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone is the most common test for thyroid function, and as we can see it is normal or at least within range here.  

As stated above the T4 free measure the amount of thyroxine in the blood which also helps determine the thyroid's function.  It is normal of course!  ;)

So, because of my slightly enlarged thyroid found on physical examination, the next two test were ordered. Theses are considered thyroid antibody tests.  Antibodies are created by your body, and these ones more appropriately are made by your blood cells called lymphocytes.  This is a type of white blood cell which just happened to be within normal limits.  Often your body can start working against you especially when you have an autoimmune disorder or just something as simple as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.  Your body can sometimes begin to manufacture two very common antibodies that will either stimulate incorrectly or damage the thyroid. These two antibodies are called thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin.  (Much more information can be found on these tests if interested.  Just Google them.)

Thankfully everything seems to be within normal limits.  Dr. Cervantes was surprised to see these ordered, but said it does no harm to test, and we did see some good results.

Now for my vitamin D results.  In many women with breast cancer the vitamin D can be quite low, so Dr. Cervantes suggested I take at least 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 when taking my flax seed oil in the morning and evening.  In fact, some studies have shown that high vitamin D levels may increase breast cancer survival in general.

These result are quite good compared to the last vitamin D result of mine.  Here we can see my level rose from 39 last time to 58 this time.  Yay!

Now for my lipid panel or cholesterol levels which have been quite low altogether.  Low is usually considered good, but you do have your "good" cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which should be kept up.  You do have your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol to keep on the low side though.

Once again my LDL is very low, but then so is my HDL or "good" cholesterol.  It is up slightly from 40 to 42 as compared to my last test though.  (You gotta look for humor and positivity where you can.) ;)

All the results really aren't too bad.  Of course, there is always room for improvement which I strive for.  I'm not going to stress it too much though as I feel great and know my body is doing exactly what it should be doing to heal itself.

Now for the new daily/hourly schedule...

Here are my new changes:

1.  Increase potassium to 2 teaspoons of potassium, but do this in only six of the drinks instead of all the apple/carrot juices and green juices.
2. Have a piece of fruit in between meals to bring glucose back up

Dr. C was very happy with the results.  I was happy as well, and already I felt re-energized and rested from being able to just be at home to take care of me.  I am truly blessed to have so much love and support behind me at all times.  Thank you one and all. So excited to see more progress!