Dianeb, Honestly, I'd like to say it's just a fluke but the truth is in todays world of healthcare if you aren't sick you usually don't get a whole lot of attention. Between HMO's and reduced insurance rates providers are seeing 2-3x the patients they would have fifteen years ago. That means reduced time in the exam room with you and even less time to fight through a chart which is usually unorganized and may even be missing the information they are looking for. We are slowly starting to see the use of electronic medical records or EMR's. These systems have built in safeguards which will ultimately make everyone healthier. My office is entirely EMR and if you were to come in not having had these tests when I come in your exam room with my chart pad I'm going to get a message telling me that Dianeb hasn't needs a routine (fill in the blank) based on current guidelines. It's sad but truthfully I (and most other humans) may not always remember what prevenative testing you need when I know I've got a waiting room full of people, a patient in the ICU who is getting worse by the minute and a pediatric patient that we just can't figure out why they're sick. As far as the labs I posted above, these are just very basic testing. They will tell us the state of your kidney function, liver function, blood clotting ability, cholesterol levels as well as give us some insight in to how your body is functioning. These are very basic and is where we usually see the first *doesn't look quite right* that prompts further testing. Be Well! D. Adams, NP

Thanks for the well wishes, HU-536588320. Sorry to hear about your alternative doc. My wife had a scare years ago, while she was using Prempro (or Premarin - forgot which.) Doc said she had a non-atypical hyperplasia in one of her breasts. Scared the crap out of us both. She then discovered Dr. John Lee's books, and that's why she started using natural progesterone cream. We learned about terms like unopposed estrogen, etc. Quite a journey that launched us both onto. I think you're right about DHEA being like a building block. I think some of the books we read called it a precursor...so instead of a woman deciding that her body needs more estriol, or estrone, or estradiol, or progesterone...if she supplements with some DHEA...then the body will turn that into whatever it needs. That's why I was so eager for my wife to try it some time ago. So, I was bummed to find out that she didn't respond well to it. It's been a while, but I think it irritated her tissue. I did some research, and turned out the provider or manufacturer of this particular DHEA suppository used a base that contained glycol (maybe even ethelyne glycol - been too long ago.) Well duh - that's what's in antifreeze! So the questions I asked and reading I did seemed to suggest it wasn't the DHEA my wife had a reaction to - it was the base they used. Not long afterwards, my wife came across the bezwecken cubes. They didn't bother her. So I read up on it a bit, trying to understand why she reacted favorably to that, but not the DHEA suppositories. Well surprise, surprise - the base used by the hydration cubes was kinder or more gentle - didn't contain that crap glycol chemical, lol. I wondered if we kept looking, and just tried a different supplier or manufacturer of DHEA suppositories...that also used a kinder or more gentle base...how would she respond to it? But since the hydration cubes did the trick...I guess we never pursued it any further. Wow - thanks for passing on the tip that, the DHEA does exactly for you what my wife and I are looking for. :-) Maybe I should get that recipe from you for the DHEA after all! :-) You know, you can spend a lot of time studying and researching all this stuff...but the human body is so complex and interesting...it still surprises you. It remains to be seen what kind of approach this OB/GYN will come up with. The first step was for my wife to get an ultrasound. I think that's in like a couple of weeks.

What a great thread...just found it today as I was surfing GW - I live mostly on the Kitchen & Home building forums :) Ilene - I was particularly interested in hearing your story - how is your daughter doing? I, too, had gastric bypass in Jan 06...my only regret was that I didn't do it earlier. I was indeed 'dying' a slow death & to me, it was the last resort, too. It took me 20 years to finally decide. I researched until all the cows came home...I am one to research something to death - I had to be sure. I'm almost 5 years post-op & I feel great! I've lost about 165 lbs & feel so much better. Hubby likes it, too ;) (Before & after pic below). The bypass is by no means a 'free pass'...it's a tool that, if used correctly, can have dramatic results. There is no magic solution...one still has to work. Yes, it does make it easier in some areas but the surgeon's knife didn't work on my brain. I had to use the 'honeymoon' period to build the good habits that will keep the weight off. I'm not perfect but like with anything you do...you just keep shooting toward the mark. :) Sugar was the reason I weighed 333 lbs. I was blessed with an intense sweets aversion from the moment I woke up. God must've said, "This gal needs this!" LOL A lot of people have sweets aversion following surgery (along with other weird food tastes that do eventually change) but they most often 'train' themselves right back into the sugar habit by just switching to sugar-free or even with the real stuff. I just chose to keep the white stuff out of my life. I was the dessert queen so it was kind of a challenge to hand off my 'crown' :) I do have to be careful, though...my sweet tooth has become very salty - love salt (funny, I have low blood pressure). I love those new Pop Chips - very low calories & fat. My favorite snack is the Revival Soy Jalapeno Cheddar protein chips...yum! The thing that helps me is cooking in bulk & freezing in portions. I make a lot of Arrabbiata Sauce (a spicy Italian sauce) & either combine it with meatballs or 'chunky' cooked hamburger (when I cook I don't mash the meat into tiny bits...I keep it 'chunky' so it's meaty.) I eat that with cottage cheese & don't miss the pasta at all. When hamburger is on sale, I make 2 huge pans of meatballs & cook them in the oven & store in Ziploc bags in the freezer. I can use these in so many different ways. I also make a boatload of chili at a time - one of my favorite meals. I've gathered a lot of favorite recipes & try to always have something on hand. For me, planning is essential. I fill my fridge with in-season produce & veggies. I make a lot of roasted veggies & eat with cottage cheese. I make tons of homemade salsas & use Mission extra-thin corn tortillas for my 'chips'. Quarter them, zap in micro for about 1:30 until crispy, 1 oz cheese on top, zap, serve with salsa, sour cream & a few grapes. I make a lot of beans, rice for...

I am sorry june to hear about your loss and your sc reaction. I have been reading alot on this Forum lately and it has done me ALOT of good. I wish i could have found it years ago but what i do know is that what i am reading just confirms to me that what i have been doing for the last several months ( and i have been doing it very seriously) is disengaging myself from DH adult children. I have done everything and anything for these children in the last 18 years and now that i am disengaging myself....i wonder why i got so trapped in their lives in the first place. I guess it was just the emotional instinct of a woman that made me react towards them like i had to be there for them constantly. Today, i can just say, that it is was not worth it at all! I must not be the only one feeling this way considerint June0000 post. It truly hurts me that stepchildren can be so inconsiderate. I've told my three SC that i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia two years ago. After work, i can hardly do anything and weekends i really, really try to relax and take care of myself. Not one stepchild has ever called in the last two years to simply ask me : How are you feeling? Well, i wonder why i haven't invited them even once over in the last months! On saturday, we had to stopped at the oldest stepdaughter's house for a minute. I didn't get out of the car. DH did. His daughter was outside and she could very easily see me in the car, waiting for her dad. Six months ago, i would have made sure i would have waved my hand at her to say Hi. This time, i just waited a little bit to see if she was going to wave her hand at me. Nope! Didn't happen. Not when we first arrived her place nor when we left! Ask me if i care! Lessons life teaches you. Keep on posting. Be good to yourselves.