MEDICAL EXAMS

Lupus patients have the need to become a researcher also, because our sickness can change in a very short time.  That's why we always have to be alert how to identify If we are having or not a flare.

In this occasion, I will post about the Preparation Before to Make a Medical Exam.  In further post I will explain about how to Understand Lab Test and Results.  

To ensure the quality of the results of the laboratory tests, the patient contributes a bit by preparing himself either for sampling and for collection or sometimes for the transportation of it.

If you need to make a (CBC) Complete blood count, creatinine, or liver tests, you can go at any time for you to extract the sample without being in fasting.

Being in " fasting " means not eating or drinking for a period of time. For some tests it is necessary, because blood levels of substances such as glucose, vary during digestion . While fasting is, the patient can only drink water. It is not allowed to eat anything or drink coffee or juice or tea, just water. You can not chew gum, even those that are sugar free, because digestion is activated and the test results would be affected.   As for the drugs can be taken unless the doctor tells you to not take.  If taking them, it must be with water.

To comply with a fast of 12 hours, most comfortable for you is to stop eating for example at 7 pm and run for sampling between 6 and 7 am .

TEST THAT REQUIRES TO FAST:

These Laboratory  Test requires from 10 to 12 hours of fasting

• BASIC METABOLIC PROFILE (Na,K,Cl,CO2,Gluc,Bun,Creat,Ca)
• CHEM 7
• CMP-COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL
• GLUCOSE
• HOMOCYSTINE
• INSULIN
• LIPID PROFILE (Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL)
• RENAL FUNCTION PANEL
• VITAMIN B12 & FOLATE

TEST THAT DOESN'T REQUIRES TO FAST:

• CBC-COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT
• C-REACTIVE PROTEIN
• CREAT CLEARANCE (24 hrs)
• ELECTROLYTES (NA, K, Cl, CO2)
• ESR-SED RATE
• HEMOGLOBIN
• HEMOGLOBIN A1C
• HEPATIC FUNCTION PANEL (ALP, AST,ALT ALB,TBIL, TP)
• HEPATITIS PANEL
• INFLUENZA (Clean Nose)
• IRON
• HIV
• LYMES DISEASE
• MONONUCLEOSIS
• PLATELET
• PRENATAL
• PROTIME
• PSA
• URIC ACID
• URINALYSIS 
• URINE MICROALBUMIN
• PTT
• TSH, T3, T4
• 24 URINE PROTEIN (Refrigerated 24 hr urine specimen, obtain container from the lab).
• VITAMIN D

The test of glucose tolerance can be 2 to 5 hours, according to medical orders.   This test includes measuring fasting glucose levels, and each hour after drinking a glucose solution.    For this test you should be prepared to stay inside the lab, without eating, until the end of the test.   You can't leave the Lab during the test, because walking or running affect glucose levels, and the results would not be reliable.

To collect a good sample of urine should do the following ;

When you get up in the morning and before urinating, clean your genitals with soap and water (always from front to back if female). Then rinse with warm water and collect the first morning urine, discarding the first and last part of urine. 

Urinate directly into the special container, ensuring that it doesn't touch the skin. A man should push apart the skin of the penis (the foreskin); and if female, separate the lips of the genitals, then urinate.  You must provide the urine test as soon as possible.  If for any reason it is not possible to deliver the urine within 1 hour, you must save it in the refrigerator until the time of delivery (avoid delays of more than 4 hours).

CAN LUPUS PATIENTS USE HAIR DYE ?

Good morning out there my Lupic friends. This morning I would love to share my experience with the Hair Dyes.   I remember that when I was first diagnosed with Lupus I asked that question to the Dr......, ohh Dr. can I still using hair dyes?    He told me, well I don't recommend you to use regular hair dyes because it haves DMDM Hydantoin.   But what is this,don't worry I will explain you.   

DMDM Hydantoin is a preservative that is a derivation of formaldehyde and its slowly releases chemical, the longer it sits on the shelves.  It may cause tissue irritation and affect the Immune System   DMDM Hydantoin kills off fungi, yeasts and bacteria and it’s also used in herbicides, floor waxes, polymers, color photography, latex paints, cutting oils, adhesives, copying paper, and inks.

If you have a something that can be absorb into the skin which releases formaldehyde slowly, there is going to be formaldehyde in your system for quite a lot longer than just to put it and rinse it.   And this is not something that the skin is likely to have evolved any mechanism for dealing with. Formaldehyde is quite likely to be toxic to the Lanhgerhans Cells that are a key part of the skin’s defenses. In some ways Langerhans Cells themselves are a bit like bacteria. DMDM hydantoin is definitely harmful to bacteria so in someway it will affect your skin ability to protect your body and it also said that DMDM Hydantoin can leave your body more susceptible to cancer.

Anyway the smell of regular dyes use to bother me a lot.   So, I used Ammonia Free Hair Color Dye, that are soft to the scalp, with nice odors and they leave the hair more soft than a regular dye.    

Ammonia Free Colors doesn't lift so much like a regular dye because they don't contain Hydrogen Peroxide, so If you want to be super blonde I recommend you to do some highlights with a Highlight Cap, that way it will not touch your scalp at all.   In fact, for my opinion this is the safetiest way to color you hair.

But If you love Black, Brown or Red Tones in your hair I would recommend you to use Henna to color your hair.  First of all is a natural way to color it and will make your hair softer, shinier and frizz free by time of use it, because Henna relax curls. 

And also Dermatologist recommend me to use Henna if I want to give color to my hair, after I am dealing with troubles with Alopecia Areata.   So imagine how safety and non-damaging it is.

There are many benefits of using Henna for a healthy hair and it is one of the best natural remedies for hair growth, but people still go with the chemical products for quicker results. 

Henna helps to prevent dandruff, infections and scalp itching.  It is the best and safest way to color your hair that has no ammonia, chemicals, toxins and fades less quickly than artificial dyes. 

WARNING: Henna dye is permanent, so you will have to wait until your hair grows out before making any drastic changes.   

NIGHT SHADE VEGATABLES

   NIGHTSHADES

We have read in many post and heard in TV shows that Nightshade Vegetables and Nightshade Fruits are not good for people that suffer from Chronic Pain and Inflammations.  

Common diseases that causes both Chronic Pain and Inflammation are: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Reactive Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and Multiple-sclerosis.

So in Theory, people with this Chronic Illnesses should avoid to eat frequently Nightshades, to diminish this symptoms.

I know..I know.... It's very difficult to avoid or to reduce the intake of this food, that is part of our daily diet, but in the other hand, we feel so happy when the Doctor lower our dosages of  anti-inflammatory medications due to the improvement of our Lab Test.   So we can think a bit and decide what is better for us, drink lots of medications that have unwanted side effects or sacrifice our taste bud for a good cause.

In case we decide to give a try and see if our health improve, i leave you here the list of the Nightshades.

Nightshade Vegetables:

• Potatoes (but not sweet potatoes)
• Tomatoes
• Bush Tomatoes
• Bell Peppers (Sweet Peppers)
• Chili Peppers
• Jalapeños
• Cucumber
• Tomatillos

Nightshade Fruits:

• Goji Berries
• Huckleberries
• Ground Cherries
• Naranjilla

Other Nightshades:

• Hot Sauce
• Ketchup and BBQ Sauce
• Cayenne Pepper
• Curry Powder
• Chinesse Five-Spices
• Tabasco
• Garam Masala Spice
• Steak Seasonig
• Paprika
• Tobacco

We encourage you to decide and give a try avoid these food for six months and see If the elimination of the Nightshades can vanish your chronic joint pain, the muscle pain, and the nerve pain.