health
Keeping your mind and body in check - popular topics in health and medicine to maintain a long and healthy life.
The Journey Begins
When the journey had only begun I can remember it was warm outside, maybe July or August. I came in from swimming one day, and taking off my bathing suit, I realized how weird my stomach had started to look. My right abdomen had begun to sink in and the skin to became rather hard. I of course went to my parents who seemed to be worried and confused at the same time. So we started first by going to my family doctor who of course had no clue what was happening to my stomach.
By amber hatfield7 years ago in Longevity
A Cyst, Cancer, and a Hysterectomy at 32
When I told people about my experience of being taken into hospital in April with severe abdominal pain so many of them told me that I must have been scared. Having an ambulance sent out to me at 3:30 in the morning, being alone, having waves of crippling pain course through my abdomen every 30 seconds, laying alone in a room waiting for pain medication that wouldn’t be effective must have been so scary. In truth though I was never scared; I was convinced that I was overreacting and that I’d be told they couldn’t find anything wrong with me and be sent on my way. I believed this even when I was left in the middle of A&E, crying, “Ow!” out loud, toes curling in pain and banging against the sides of the gurney because the pain was so intense that I didn’t know what to do with myself. When my mum came to see me and I told her what I’d been doing she told me that “nothing is painful enough for you to need to make any noise,” and I felt instant shame at my actions.
By Tuesday Styx7 years ago in Longevity
The Rarest of Them All
Last summer of 2017, I was diagnosed with something not everyone knows about. It is called "Evans Syndrome." "What is Evans?" you may ask. Well, Evans Syndrome is an Autoimmune Disorder where your own immune system starts to attack itself. "Why?" you may ask. This is a very rare syndrome and the blood doctors do not know how the immune system can start attacking itself. Everyone has cells of course; you have three main ones: Red Blood, White Blood, and of course Platelets. Platelet cells are your clotting cells. They help clot your blood whenever you get a cut. Everyone also has Antibodies that destroy bad cells such as infections and bacterial diseases. So last summer I was on my lady cycle which lasted for 17 days. I knew something wasn't right because I was very exhausted, slept all the time, felt fatigued, and lost color in my face. Bruising easily, and my heart rate would increase if I was just walking or sitting. What the doctors found was that my Antibodies started attacking my Platelet cells which I need. I was admitted into the hospital, very anemic and low on platelets. An average person needs about 150,000 to 450,000 of platelets, and I had 5,000 which is extremely low. That is why my period couldn't stop because of my clotting cells being destroyed. Their is no cure for this rare disease and I have been battling with this for about a year now. It has been an obstacle to balance with life and everything else. As time went on none of the therapies for me were working and I started to give up. Then I started to think to myself, with this negativity thinking of course I won't get better. I was also hospitalized twice. The second time I was admitted in the hospital was because I was having blood in my urine, which of course isn't normal and that detects a urinary infection. It didn't hurt so thats what I was confused about. I had transfusions which one transfusion stopped working on me. The transfusion used on me was called "IVIG" which is used to trick the immune system and keep it stable until the doctors found what the issue was. I had a terrible side effect which that infusion. I had a terrible cough that I couldn't shake off. I coughed so hard one night that I popped a blood vessel in my eye. Then I had a terrible migraine I just could not sleep it off. I stayed in the hospital for 5 days and missed my last first day of senior year. Of course I was upset because it was my last first day of being in high school. A year goes by and I got my IUD placed in the Mirena due to it being to risky to have a period again. Im also traumatized to have another one. I almost couldn't graduate high school because of my illness and having to miss a lot of class days. Which stressed me out thinking I wasn't going to be able to graduate after all the hard work I put in. I had to make up 16 hours in order to graduate, which I did and I walked that stage like I owned it! its now October and it seems as if my immune system is behaving. I did have a scare where I had to be taken into the hospital because my body felt weak and I knew something wasn't right. Sure enough it was my platelets which went down to 34,000. Not the best I want to keep it above that. I live each day praying and hoping a cure will be made for rare diagnosis. Its hard to know that I have an antibody attacking me and have no idea why or how. I live by this quote forever which is: "Life Doesn't Allow you to be Weak." I pray to god I will outgrow this rare disorder, I just gotta take it one day at a time.
By Taylor Hansen7 years ago in Longevity
What Is Your ACL?
A torn ACL. Unfortunately, it's something you hear all too often in the world of sports. Maybe you've had a friend or teammate deal with this injury. You know it can be painful. You know it can stop you from playing. And you know it has something to do with the knee. But what exactly is the ACL? Why is it important? And why does it seem to tear so frequently? Consider this article your quick guide to this crucial ligament.
By James Kopniske7 years ago in Longevity
What Alcohol Does to the Human Body
Alcohol in large quantities can cause brain damage. It can also damage your liver, by causing cirrhosis. While in Europe, drinking alcohol is a cultural norm, in the United States many people go for total abstinence. Alcohol affects your neurotransmitters, the communication pathways in the brain that allow your body to work while using your brain. Drinking can cause heart arrhythmias or an irregular heartbeat. It also causes a stroke and high blood pressure. My own high blood pressure got treated this year and I’ve had it for many years without knowing about that.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez7 years ago in Longevity
My Road Trip Through Life: Currently in Stand Still Traffic About to Run out of Gas
It's 11:30 on a Friday night. Four hours ago Clementine (my three year old daughter) and I were making homemade sugar cookies that looked like monsters. It was raining outside, so we grabbed our umbrellas and played in the rain while the cookies baked.
By Korrie Denton7 years ago in Longevity
What Nobody Wants to Admit About Living with Type 1 Diabetes
For some who may not know, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. This means that my body attacked itself and my body no longer produces insulin (the hormone that turns the sugar that you eat into energy). It's not something you can catch from me, it's not easy, but it is life threatening.
By Allison Decker7 years ago in Longevity
