Vitamin D - Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer and Diabetes, oh my!
What do RA, Cancer, Diabetes, heart disease, unexplained pain, Migraine, Osteoporosis, Dementia, allergies, Asthma, MS, and Depression all have in common? It seems the answer may be as simple as A, B, C errrrrr D actually. As in Vitamin D.
It's not new news that Vitamin D is important. Lately, Vitamin D has been a hot topic in health communities across the board. It's also no longer breaking news that this lowly vitamin plays a huge role in our immune systems. But, why aren't our doctors telling us about this connection? Why is it still difficult to receive testing? Why do many autoimmune patients never get the word that Vitamin D is so important to their health?
As an autoimmune patient I am constantly harped upon about the need to avoid the sun, which I now very reluctantly do. Yet, I have never once been asked if I am supplementing Vitamin D, or if I have recently been tested for this vital component to my immune system which is actually formed in my body as a result of sun exposure.
I know I'm not alone.
Today, I'm very concerned about the autoimmune groups I frequent, as the connection between vitamin D and our immune systems and the relationship between our autoimmune disease and our vitamin D status, is rarely if ever discussed.
What can we as Health Activists do to raise awareness that those of us with autoimmune diseases not only need to be careful about sun exposure, but also our vitamin D status?
Yesterday I received my latest bloodwork results including my Vitamin D3 status. I have been making it a point to eat a lot of eggs (the yolks contain a high level of vitamin D) so that I don't have to restart my vitamin D supplements. In the past, I was prescribed a very high dose of ergocalciferol - this is vitamin D2, which must be converted to D3 in the body. Stopping my supplementation of D2 did ease and change my headache status, although it also resulted in my D3 levels dropping fairly quickly. Thankfully, I was able to catch it and really make it a point to try to supplement naturally - through the foods I eat vs. a pill/capsule to swallow. I hope to be able to continue to keep my levels at least between 30 - 50 this way. My physicians would prefer my levels be kept at least in the neighborhood of 50 - 60, but it may not be tolerable to me at this point. I am at best, a challenging work in progress.
The saddest part of this story, is the fact that I had to educate myself and ask for my family's status to be checked, and periodically re-checked. I also find that my doctors NEVER bring this up in our visits. I can only assume, if they are not discussing it with me, they are likely missing it with their other patients as well.
How many discussions about naturally maintaining vitamin D status do you see in your groups?
Do you think this is adequately covered in your communities, or is engaging conversation missing to the possible detriment to your community members?
Do you maintain files of all-around helpful information for your community members in a place they can easily access them? Do you periodically highlight these files - perhaps one a week, or a couple monthly? Do you have another way of creating awareness for these types of issues?
For me, I plan to schedule a week's worth of vitamin D tweets sometime soon. I'll be sure to post them here on my blog as well. Would you consider joining me in tweeting for vitamin D awareness?
Please feel free to share this post in your communities with this handy short url: http://bit.ly/94uLVq
It's not new news that Vitamin D is important. Lately, Vitamin D has been a hot topic in health communities across the board. It's also no longer breaking news that this lowly vitamin plays a huge role in our immune systems. But, why aren't our doctors telling us about this connection? Why is it still difficult to receive testing? Why do many autoimmune patients never get the word that Vitamin D is so important to their health?
As an autoimmune patient I am constantly harped upon about the need to avoid the sun, which I now very reluctantly do. Yet, I have never once been asked if I am supplementing Vitamin D, or if I have recently been tested for this vital component to my immune system which is actually formed in my body as a result of sun exposure.
I know I'm not alone.
Today, I'm very concerned about the autoimmune groups I frequent, as the connection between vitamin D and our immune systems and the relationship between our autoimmune disease and our vitamin D status, is rarely if ever discussed.
What can we as Health Activists do to raise awareness that those of us with autoimmune diseases not only need to be careful about sun exposure, but also our vitamin D status?
Yesterday I received my latest bloodwork results including my Vitamin D3 status. I have been making it a point to eat a lot of eggs (the yolks contain a high level of vitamin D) so that I don't have to restart my vitamin D supplements. In the past, I was prescribed a very high dose of ergocalciferol - this is vitamin D2, which must be converted to D3 in the body. Stopping my supplementation of D2 did ease and change my headache status, although it also resulted in my D3 levels dropping fairly quickly. Thankfully, I was able to catch it and really make it a point to try to supplement naturally - through the foods I eat vs. a pill/capsule to swallow. I hope to be able to continue to keep my levels at least between 30 - 50 this way. My physicians would prefer my levels be kept at least in the neighborhood of 50 - 60, but it may not be tolerable to me at this point. I am at best, a challenging work in progress.
The saddest part of this story, is the fact that I had to educate myself and ask for my family's status to be checked, and periodically re-checked. I also find that my doctors NEVER bring this up in our visits. I can only assume, if they are not discussing it with me, they are likely missing it with their other patients as well.
How many discussions about naturally maintaining vitamin D status do you see in your groups?
Do you think this is adequately covered in your communities, or is engaging conversation missing to the possible detriment to your community members?
Do you maintain files of all-around helpful information for your community members in a place they can easily access them? Do you periodically highlight these files - perhaps one a week, or a couple monthly? Do you have another way of creating awareness for these types of issues?
For me, I plan to schedule a week's worth of vitamin D tweets sometime soon. I'll be sure to post them here on my blog as well. Would you consider joining me in tweeting for vitamin D awareness?
Please feel free to share this post in your communities with this handy short url: http://bit.ly/94uLVq
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Tags: alzheimer's, asthma, autoimmune, cancer, depression, diabetes, heart, migraine, ms, pain
© 2012 Created by Susan M..
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