Thursday, March 27, 2008
Warning: Extreme Hyperbole Ahead!
According to my doctor, living in Norway almost killed me! I had blood drawn for a routine cholesterol screening, and although my cholesterol is perfect, she found that I have Vitamin D deficiency. The whole time I lived in Norway I took a daily multivitamin and I regularly drank milk, but between the total lack of sunlight during the winter and the chilly, rainy weather this past summer, I was rarely exposed to the sun. Although it is fun to announce that Norway nearly did me in, it's not actually that big of a deal, I just have to take a Vitamin D supplement. My doctor did say that one of the symptoms of a Vitamin D deficiency is fatigue--and all this time I just thought I was extremely lazy! I guess the next time Kevin wants me to help him with some major, exhausting home improvement project, I can just say, "I would love to help, but my vitamin deficiency is getting me down."
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7 comments:
Wow!!! So did your doctor tell you to get in the sun more or is the supplement sufficient?
I want to have one of those biomarkers blood tests to see if i might drop dead anytime soon, but they don't offer it in Norway.
You're that deficient after only a year? Wow. How much sun were you getting in the US before you came to Norway?
Victoria, she just said to take the supplement--I think doctors are kind of scared to recommend hanging out in the sun these days!
Keera, I had blood work done a couple of months before we left for Norway (hmm, that seems like a lot of blood work for a healthy 31 year old--maybe I'm a bit of a hypochondriac?) and all the levels were normal at that time. I'm naturally pale as death, so I have never intentionally spent time baking in the sun, but I guess in the course of a day, running errands, I was getting enough sun in the U.S. I think we only had a couple of days that got above 70 degrees while I lived in Norway, and it rained all the time, so maybe it just wasn't enough? Or maybe Norwegian milk isn't fortified with Vitamin D? I don't know what happened! Emily
Hm, here they say that you're supposed to take cod liver oil ("tran") daily in all months with names that contain an R...but hell no, that stuff is foul! So maybe I have a deficiency too, although my annual exptensive bloodwork didn't show any, as far as I know. And I despise the sun, so I guess my frequent trips to LA have saved me. :p
Hey, I wonder if I have a vitamin D deficiency, too, because I could sure use a nap right now... ;-)
Emily, that's pretty alarming news, in all seriousness. I'm glad your doctor is taking good care of you.
Liz, I take two fish oil gelcaps every day but Ian actually drinks that foul cod liver oil. And he sometimes wears a traditional norsk sweater. I'm frightened about how Norwegian he's becoming. (That's my hyperbole for the day!)
I love the sun Emily. After 25 years growing up in cloudy England I was shirtless as much as possible in Australia and California. But after 20 years I actually grew tired of the sun. Now, after living in Norway for 2 yrs Michele miss it again, and I do sympathize with the sun worshipping Norwegians standing at bus stops staring up at the sun whenever it is out.
Emily,
You must haved found an outstanding doctor. From my experience it seems that most would have claimed your fatigue is psychological.
Nice diagnosis.
Vit D is available 1 gram caplets and in cod liver oil.
D is a very important vitamin.
A ton of Vitamin C can't hurt either.
Important: use Vit D3.
You can absorb enough of Vit D in 15 minutes of "t-shirt" sun exposure weekly.
Most people do not get enough Vitamins and humans cannot manufacture Vit C as can other animals.
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