Ciliac Disease: Just one Possible Cause of Hypoproteinemia

Some of this post is derived from THIS EXTERNAL WEB PAGE.
One cause of hypoproteinemia could be Celiac disease.


Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.


Essentially, the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac disease consumes gluten. If you are wondering if might have celiac disease, look at the following symptom checklist using this link to an external site dedicated to Celiac Disease.


For people with Celiac disease, protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye isn‘t processed correctly and results in the villi problems as noted above..


I was checked for this with a diet change. I was taken off of all wheat products for at two week, and observed. I showed no change in serum protein so I was pronounced negative for celiac.


There are many, many products containing gluten. It is used as thickener in canned soups, breads, pasta and many other products. Read the ingredients.

I also had small intestine biopsies that ruled out Celiac Disease because the doctor wanted to be absolutely sure this disease was ruled out.

Learning Medical Terminology can Improve Communication with Healthcare Professionals

If you have a chronic condition, it will do you a world of good to have some basic knowledge of medical terminology.


It is handy when I can explain myself to doctors using terms they can relate to.


Very often, I explain pains and sensations. If I can say something like, “I have a burning sensation on the posterior of my left upper leg, it sounds really good. I could further explain the pain to be just distal to my gluteus maximus on the medial portion of my left bicepts femorus.


Doctors and nurses alike are often surprised when I am able to keep up with their medical jargon, speaking it as well as they can. It is useful.


Even when understanding basic rules: For instance, the letter “O” is often used to join “root” words.


Suffixes like “ic” and “osis” mean pertaining to, referring to, or abnormal condition of”.


Here are some root words:

Pathy - disease, illness
Hypo - low or slow or few
Hyper - Fast, swift, higher, more
Tachy - rapid
Brady - slow
Anterior - Front
Posterior - back
Dorsal - back
Ventral - front
Emia - blood
Hepato - liver
Cardiac heart
Cyst - bladder, sack
Idio - unknown
Erethryo- red
Leuko - white
Cyano - blue
Gastric - pertaining to the stomach
Entero - intestine
Presbyopia - far sightedness due to age. Term means (OLD EYES)
Lateral - to one side
Bi-lateral - both sides

This is where I’ll stop. If you want me to continue posting medical terms from time to time, let me know in a comment or in the guestbook.

Doctor's Mistakes Cause for Concern - 5 Questions I ask to (Hopefully) Quell Apprehension

It is very difficult to trust doctors after realizing they make mistakes. That said, you should never place your complete trust in any doctor.


Placing your complete trust in your doctor means you’re giving up your responsibility of paying attention to your care. Over all, this is true, but there are times when complete trust; however uncomfortable, has to be given. We have to submit to doctors for medical procedures, for example.


I must say, I was extremely uncomfortable when I had my abdominal surgery on Friday afternoon. Knowing the doctors were interested in getting my procedure completed so they could take the rest of the day off played havoc on my courage.

I pleaded with the doctor before going to sleep to please take his time, and please be careful.


I came to realize how serious it can be for doctors to make mistakes, and that they can (in fact) make mistakes when I almost bled to death two summers ago.


I had a procedure where the doctor was sticking a needle/catheter into the space between my lungs and the pleural membrane to drain fluid.


That doctor managed to slice an artery, and I lost 5 or 6 units of blood into my chest cavity.


I remember being nervous about letting the doctor do this free-handed, but I let him since I am a veteran of many successful medical procedures involving getting stuck with needles.   

So, after the procedure was over, I remember going back to my room for a few minutes, then I was …. Lets just say “out of it”.


So you see, I am very weary of doctors now! They can and do make mistakes. This doesn’t mean I don’t submit to their expertise, it means I do it much more hesitantly.


I now ask the doctor questions to calm my apprehension:


1. Is the procedure necessary ?
2. What can go wrong?
3. Are you prepared if the thing that could go wrong, does go wrong?
4. Have you done this procedure before?  If so, how many?
5.  How many?


I’ve had to place my trust in doctors again, but I did so with much more of an awareness to their fallibility. This fallibility apples to medication errors as well.

Indications of Higher Protein Levels - Update

As noted in earlier posts, my weight is a good indicator of my protein level. If my albumin is low, my weight increases over time due to edema.


Inversely, when my albumin is higher, my weight (edema) decreases..


I believe my weight is dropping significantly right now, so my protein must be up. 22 days ago I weighed 199 pounds. Yesterday, I weighed 176.


Also, since I’ve been ill, I notice I have no hair on my legs after a long period of time with low protein. Then, as my weight begins to decrease due to an increase of protein, hair begins growing on my legs again.


Another more personal way I can tell my protein level may be on the rise is sexual arousal. I’ve noticed this aroused state more frequently lately.


Medication changes: I was taking Budesonide 1 cap every day. I decreased this to every other day.


Diet change: Over the past week, I’ve increased my fish intake significantly.


Dec 6-11 I was in the hospital getting albumin infusions and Lasix tid (three times a day) q8


The week I came home, I changed that budesonide dose. That week, my weight started creeping back up.


Then, I broke my leg on Dec-19. It seemed that immediately following that event, I began feeling less edemic.

Unexpected Accident Sunday

I broke my leg Sunday. My left Tibia fractured high (close to the knee). They called this the Tibia Plateau.


This injury occurred as I innocently threw an object into a tree. You see, I kicked my dogs ball high into the tree where it became lodged amongst its branches. I was attempting to knock the ball from the tree with a heavy socket.


When I threw the object upward, the lateral portion of my left leg was put in an un-natural bending angle, then it popped loudly. Of all ways to break a leg, this has got to be the lamest!


The orthopedic doctor who saw me said this type of fracture most commonly results in surgery. But in my case, he thinks if I keep my leg immobilized and don’t bear weight on it, that it’ll heal.


So I’ve got a knee immobilizer on and use a crutch under my left armpit, and a cane in my right hand.


It didn’t take long for me to realize how much of a workout I’ll be getting using these mobility aids.
One of my secondary issues that crept up due to my hypoproteinemia is osteoporosis. I’m not sure if this contributed to my leg break, so my VA doctor is going to schedule me for a density scan in the near future.


This doctor also told me to be watchful of blood clots. Since I don’t have a spleen, my platelets (Thrombocytes) are a lot higher than normal. That means my clotting factor is higher.


I am at risk of developing embolisms.


This is all for now. If you’d like to help me keep this blog going, feel free to donate using the button on the page.

Video Update about My Latest Hospital Stay

As my previous post indicates, I was recently in the hospital.  I made a short update video to fill you in on my latest treatment.

Dec 3, 2010 Update - Not Doing Well, and Why

I’m having a bad week. I messed up and ran low on my Lasix (fluid pills) and man, am I paying for it now!


Anasarca has set in with a vengeance! I think I have at least 30 or more poinds of fluid. It is VERY uncomfortable.


I’m paying close attention to my breathing, because fluid overload like this can cause the space between my lungs and their lining to become fluid filled. This is not good.


My belly is protruding like… like I don’t know what, and my legs, arms, hands, and face are bloated.


I definitely have to go in to the hospital Monday. My new supply of lasix did come in today, but they are not very effective right now because the edema extends into my intestinal tract and interferes with their absorbtion… hence their decreased effectiveness.


This situation as a great example of why it’s important to keep up with your meds.