Will Your Computer Be the “DEATH” of You?

Amazing true story of how my geeky ways almost killed me!

I love what I do. Probably most of us would say that or we wouldn’t be in this business. I’m online maybe 16-18 hours a day and I love every minute of it. My family says I’m “hooked.” My computer is like a drug. When I sign onto The Web Squeeze, a sense of well being and peace races through my veins. It’s like being excited, but yet, being at peace at the same time. As I answer emails, work on podcasts, and handle the hundreds of details that pop up in the course of a day-I feel alive!

Downhill Spiral

I’m not sure when things began to change for me. Over the course of months I found myself being sick more and more. I’d have a bout of bronchitis, then just as I was beginning to feel a little better, I’d come down with a stomach flu. I went to the doctor several times. I began to feel like the fictional character “Monk.” I carried hand sanitizer and wipes with me all the time. I know that made me look even more geeky-but at that point I didn’t care. I was just tired of being sick all the time.

Matters went from bad to worse. Instead of thriving on excitement and eating stress for breakfast-I began to have trouble coping with even small issues. The thought of a looming deadline would send my heart racing. One day a friend who was working with me accidently erased one of my external hard drives. I actually had chest pains! I thought I was dying. I went back to my doctor, who began to suspect that perhaps I had some anxiety and depression issues. Ya think? Pills were offered and taken, but they seemed to make matters worse.

My health went from worse to horrible. I was tired and fatigued all the time. I ached all over, like I was about to come down with the flu. Instead of being online all the time-I barely signed on anymore. I slept 20 hours a day and when I got up to eat, I still felt tired. I was too tired to die. Maybe you’ve been there, too. I couldn’t focus for more than a half hour at a time. My work suffered. I all but disappeared. Linda and Karinne (my business partners) must have thought I was cheating on them with another forum. Finally, they called me on it and I knew I had to do something.

What’s Wrong With Me?

I went back to by doc for a physical. I saw a new physician who talked to me about my complaints and my lifestyle. She asked if I got out in the sun much and I said, “no, not really.” Then, what she said shocked me a little. “I am seeing more and more patients with Vitamin D Deficiency. Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin.” Your body manufactures the Vitamin D it needs by absorbing the sunshine on your skin. Here in this area, we are at a higher elevation and folks here don’t get a lot of good strong sunshine. People who work indoors all the time, like you computer gurus, are especially at risk. This didn’t use to be much of a problem-but in med school they are beginning to teach more about it now. Kids stay indoors, watch TV and play video games, and when they do go outside their parents slather them in sun block. Vitamin D deficiency is showing up a lot. Let’s test your Vitamin D levels and go from there.”

I was on to the lab, where in my opinion they took out way too many little tubes of my precious blood. I almost passed out. But sure enough, in a few days I got a call from a nurse who was desperate to get me on prescription supplements.

“Your Vitamin D level is 10 mg. The low threshold of normal is 25. This is dangerously low. It can cause lots of problems so we want to get you on a high level supplement. Don’t bother to go out and buy any over the counter Vitamin D. You won’t be able to get enough that way. We’ll call you in a prescription and then check your levels in about 3 months. Your B12 is real low too. You need to start taking some supplements on your own or come in for some shots.”

Oh yeah! Shots are just what I want to jump in line for. I was kind of shocked, and didn’t really believe all this panic over a stupid vitamin. After all, I make sure to stop working long enough to eat at least once a day. But, I eat a lot at that one meal. And I don’t eat just junk. I eat a lot of chicken quesadillas and seven layer burritos from Taco Bell. I mean, think about it-there’s chicken and tomatoes and lettuce and cheese. That kind of thing is pretty good for you. So, I really didn’t get the whole deficiency thing.

I took so time to study this out. The connection between Vitamin D and strong bones has long been accepted. But there’s much more than that. Vitamin D is needed to help your body absorb calcium. And calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth. So, perhaps my first clue as to a vitamin D deficiency may have been those 18 cavities I popped up with a couple of years ago. And me being sick a lot-that fits too. Vitamin D has a hormone-like role as it is metabolized. In addition to its role in bone health, Vitamin D is also needed by other systems in the body. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression, insulin resistance, muscle function, and weakened immune systems. Thus, I began to see that perhaps my low Vitamin D levels played a role in my general aches and fatigue, my depression, and all the other illnesses I came down with.

How Much Do You Need and Where Do You Get It?

Surprisingly, few foods contain Vitamin D. Of the things I might eat, there’s a little in milk, cheese, egg yolks, and some fish. I’m not big on any of that except cheese. The recommended daily intake of D3 is 400-600 I.U (international unites) a day. A glass of milk fortified with Vitamin D has a fourth of that. So, drink a couple glasses of milk and some fortified orange juice and you’re almost there! Not really. Many experts recommend 1000 to 2000 IU a day. You have to walk a fine line because Vitamin D is not water soluble and you can overdose. You should have your doctor monitor you if you are taking higher doses of Vitamin D.

WEB MD explains,

“Vitamin D is so important that your body makes it by itself — but only after skin exposure to sufficient sunlight. This is a problem for people in northern climates. In the U.S., only people who live south of a line drawn from Los Angeles to Columbia, S.C., get enough sunlight for vitamin D production throughout the year.

Dark skin absorbs less sunlight, so people with dark skin do not get as much vitamin D from sun exposure as do light-skinned people. This is a particular problem for African-Americans in the northern U.S.

Five to 30 minutes of sun exposure to the face, legs, or back — without sunscreen — at least twice a week should give you plenty of vitamin D.

But this much direct sun exposure might also expose you to potentially dangerous levels of cancer-causing UV radiation. And unless you live in the South or Southwest, you probably don’t get enough sunlight during the winter months.

It’s probably a better idea to get vitamin D from foods or from supplements.”

He’s Alive

Dr. Polansky prescribed 50,000 units a day for a week-then one of those high dose pills a week for the next three months. No wonder they said I couldn’t get that much on my own! I also got a couple of B12 shots.

I followed her instructions to the letter, and amazingly enough began to feel much better. I felt like Frankenstein rising up- “He’s alive…he’s alive.” I couldn’t change my eating habits. I am what I am-a fast food junkie. I do try to get out in the sun more and I continue to take over the counter supplements. I am feeling much better. I am back online. I still sleep more than I used to, but it’s a more reasonable amount of time.

Vitamin D deficiency is an occupational hazard we should all be aware of. We geeks are obsessive about our work and can’t bear to leave the keyboard for long. While we all take time to run virus scans and install updates to ensure our computer is at optimal performance levels, we often deny ourselves the same courtesy. Remember, you are a needed “peripheral.” Without its operator, your computer is useless. Here’s hoping you will learn from my “near death” experience. Don’t wait till your body sends you a big 404 error.

Question & Answer With Dr. Polansky

By: Meredith Polansky, MD.

Who is most likely to have a Vitamin D deficiency?

At this point, it seems like just about everyone has some degree of deficiency! But those at most risk are those who stay in doors all the time and those who use sun block all the time.

I take a multivitamin every day. Wouldn’t this take care of any potential Vitamin D deficiency?

No. We now realize that the daily recommended value is way too low. In the next few years the CDC will recommend 1000 IU per day in addition to fortifying frequently eaten foods with Vitamin D.

What about tanning beds? Would it be a good idea to use a tanning bed in the winter if I would like a more natural approach?

Tanning beds are NOT natural sunlight. They do not provide the right type of light for the body to manufacture Vitamin D.

How can I tell if I am getting enough Vitamin D? Doesn’t my doctor check for this in my yearly physical?

Many MDs are now starting to check levels annually during the patient’s physical. You can request the doctor check your Vitamin D levels at any time, however.

What about my children? How much Vitamin D should they have and how can I be sure they are getting it?

The same amount-1000IU daily. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned they are not getting adequate Vitamin D.

Any other advice?

Go play in the sun!