My leukemia's back.

[Blooie]

Good morning Rachel and Team! I'm back from our trip to Casper. Yes, I know, I need to stay home more! Um, not happening!

Ronott1, interesting discussion! Question, though. How do we know if high calcium levels are something to really worry about, or how much is from being blasted with "experts" telling us we don't get enough calcium in our diets and pushing dairy and supplements? Kinda like our chickens - the right amount results in healthy layers with ideal shells on their eggs but the same amount given to roos or chicks is bad. Not being argumentative - it just popped into my head.

 

[sourland]

Hi, Blooie, welcome home.

 

[ronott1]

Good morning Rachel and Team! I'm back from our trip to Casper. Yes, I know, I need to stay home more! Um, not happening!

Ronott1, interesting discussion! Question, though. How do we know if high calcium levels are something to really worry about, or how much is from being blasted with "experts" telling us we don't get enough calcium in our diets and pushing dairy and supplements? Kinda like our chickens - the right amount results in healthy layers with ideal shells on their eggs but the same amount given to roos or chicks is bad. Not being argumentative - it just popped into my head.

If you have it, you will not be able to get life insurance so the insurance companies know how bad it is.

It does not matter how much calcium you eat if you have a tumor mining your bones for calcium. The hormone causes calcium from our bones to go too high into your blood. The kidneys and stomach then try to remove the calcium because it is hurting you.

As an aside, If you have a Tumor and too much calcium in your blood, taking calcium pills can give you a stroke. Same thing with Vitamin D.

It is a tumor causing the problem not diet and etc. If you were to do even a quick internet search about parathyroid disease, you would see that most Dr.s do not treat this like they should. The current recommendation is to have the tumor removed(Who would want to keep a tumor anyway...).

 

[ronott1]

@Blooie

Sorry about the long post to your question. I sometimes get carried away with this--comes with having PTH watched for over 10 years instead of treated.

The answer is: It does not matter how much calcium you get from pills or diet--The Glands will keep the blood level in the healthy 9 range unless there is, usually, a tumor.

One exception would be if you took a lot of tums and the blood levels would go down quickly when that is stopped.

 

[Blooie]

@Blooie

Sorry about the long post to your question. I sometimes get carried away with this--comes with having PTH watched for over 10 years instead of treated.

The answer is: It does not matter how much calcium you get from pills or diet--The Glands will keep the blood level in the healthy 9 range unless there is, usually, a tumor.

One exception would be if you took a lot of tums and the blood levels would go down quickly when that is stopped.

No apologies needed. The more information we have in the arsenal of being our own best advocates the better off we are! You did answer my question, and thanks!

 

[donrae]

Blooie--I worked as the office nurse for a critical care specialist for a few years--learned so much from that job. One thing I remember was him saying high blood calcium levels mean parathyroid issues and is a bad thing. He said it's basically impossible for a healthy person to have elevated blood calcium levels, there are too many fail-safes built into our bodies. I'm not sure if excess calcium intake can cause damage to humans like chickens, but we do store and/or excrete the excess, it doesn't circulate in the blood.

My mom was big on calcium supplements for us kiddos, especially during our teen years. I took so many calcium pills then.....ick. Now, my bones are so flippin' hard they can't do a manual bone marrow biopsy, they have to use an electric drill

. Gee thanks mom. Serum calcium levels are always normal.


Speaking of labs, got ahold of the staff up at the University and they say I'm good.....yippee! All my lower lab values are totally in line with infection, not relapse. My specialist up there has consulted their infectious disease person, lots of Very Smart People have reviewed my labs, etc and the consensus is it's all related to the infection. I'm thrilled, feeling so much better (especially in the mornings) and happily making plans for the future

 

[Blooie]

Oh, Rachel! I'm doing my happy dance here......no folks, that's not an earthquake....it's just me! Onward and upward!!!!

<------don't I dance well? I only know the "two step".

 

[sourland]

Hey, Rachel, about that future - how about trying to live in the moment? That's what everyone tells me, but I, too, am always rushing onward. Good news.

 

[lazy gardener]

Blooie, I'll do the happy dance with you.

I'm the one on the right... yeah... that one, the one tripping over her 2 left feet. Careful, I'll bump into you and knock you down. I never did learn to dance. But, for you, Rachel, I'll dance!!!!

 

[N F C]

I can't dance either so I'll just say Cheers and Here's To Your Good Health Rachel!

(I said it in red because I'm drinking a red. If I were drinking and spelling in white, no one could read it. That's my logic anyway!)