I discovered a small lump in my left breast on a Saturday at the end of March 2010. I was initially not too concerned because I had my annual mammogram only about 8 months earlier which was normal. Nonetheless, I called my gynecologist’s office Monday morning and was referred to a surgical practice that has doctors who specialize in women’s …
Chronic Illness: Diagnosing a Family
As you know by now, my life forever changed 3 years ago, but I think it changed for the people around me even more. I had to change my everyday routines to accommodate and adjust to my chronic illness. This meant the life of everyone close to me and around me had to do the same. This change brought on …
Dietary Supplements: 4 things you can be doing better
Dietary supplement use among adults in the US rose from an average 24.5% in the early 1970s to 56% in the mid-2000s. Supplements have grown into a $30 billion a year industry as of 2011. (Stephen Dickter/Flickr) Can supplements really help your health? Well that’s an ongoing debate but when Americans were asked Almost half the people who take supplements …
Space Bones: Osteoporosis in Outer Space?
We’ve been talking a lot about bone health and osteoporosis on the Cal-EZ blog lately. Here on earth, we have certain things we need to do to keep our bones healthy. But what happens when your childhood dream of becoming an astronaut comes true and you find yourself on a mission in outer space or being able to live on …
The Caregivers
Most of us who are sick have a caregiver of some sort: a parent, family member, spouse, nurse, friend or just someone who comes and checks on us. Usually, the point of focus is on the one who is sick because they need assistance of some sort. Focus isn’t on the caregivers. Caregivers can get overlooked. I know first-hand how …
Osteoporosis: a Pediatric Disease?
According to this article, Dr John Kelly at the University of Pennsylvania, considers osteoporosis a pediatric disease. How can that be? Everyone knows that osteoporosis affects the little old ladies after they’ve gone through “the change” or the little old men at the nursing home. So why would it be considered a pediatric disease? Bone mass continually builds until about …
Menopause, Bone Health, and Calcium
Sometimes, you just need a summary of some of the essential things you need to know about what you’re going through. Am I the only one going through menopause? What happens to my bones when I go through menopause? Are there ways to keep my bones healthy during menopause? Do I need calcium during or after menopause? How much do I …
Marathon Training: Grateful through the struggles
Wow, life has been crazy since my last blog post. It seems like the saying, “when it rains it pours” is very applicable. Every time things started to settle down, something else reared its ugly head and demanded my attention. Needless to say my fitness goals continued to be less of a priority. Sometimes it just has to be that …
Determination and Independence: Two traits for chronic illness
There are two words that I live by these days: “Determination” and “Independence”. When I was diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism 3 years ago I was more determined than ever to maintain my independence. I had my thyroidectomy October 14th, 2011 and I had no prior knowledge of hypopara or really any of the risks of having the surgery. When I was …
One Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer Survivor’s Voice
Meet Betty, a new voice in our blog series. Betty is using this blog to take us on her jouney through breast cancer and her need for calcium. I am an older woman who has never written a blog and who has only read one blog in the past. I never even considered the possibility of writing about myself. …
Osteoporosis: Know when and where to get your bone checkup
Here at Cal-EZ, we talk a lot about bone health and diseases of calcium deficiency like osteoporosis, hypoparathyroidism, and gastroparesis. And even though I’m so immersed in this world of calcium, I find some facts very startling. Like this tweet from the National Osteoporosis Society in the UK. Where we are now… #osteoporosis #nhs #health pic.twitter.com/k7aMEMF7xD — NOS (@OsteoporosisSoc) …
Vitamin D and Spring: More Sun, More D?
Happy Spring everyone! Most of us in the United States have already set our clocks ahead one hour, and I think most of us will be glad to finally put Old Man Winter to rest and start enjoying the warmer weather and sunshine. I know I will. Now that spring will officially be here tomorrow, what does that mean for …
Ironman Training and Nutrition
Cleanse update It has been just over a month since my last blog. I started my 28-day cleanse last week. I am currently on Day 11. The first week of the cleanse is probably the hardest. It requires you to get off coffee for an entire week! I can drink green tea in exchange for coffee, but talk about feeling …
10 Things TO Say to Someone With a Chronic Illness
In the chronic illness community, whether on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, you see many posts about what sick people DO NOT want to hear from others. At one time or another, we’ve all heard the classic “but you don’t look sick” comment from someone. For me, it used to make me really mad when someone would comment on how good …
Osteoporosis: A Silent Disease
When I googled silent disease, one of the first things I saw was an article on osteoporosis. I’ve heard that osteoporosis is a silent disease, and you, like me, may be wondering why it’s called this. A silent disease is one that continues to develop in the absence of symptoms. So how does this apply to osteoporosis? We tend to …
Rebooting the Brain: Clearing the Mind
Over the past few weeks my life took an unexpected turn. I can’t go into details here due to the sensitive nature of the situation, but let’s just say that I’ve been dealing with a family crisis that has required me to rearrange much of my existing structures and schedule. It’s been tough, and for the foreseeable future, it will …
Vitamin D Tip Sheet
When taking vitamin D supplements, like Cal-EZ, there are times that you need to know that you are taking them correctly. Cal-EZ has developed a printable Vitamin D Tip Sheet with a list of Do’s and Don’ts for taking vitamin D, a list of risk factors for vitamin D deficiency, and a list of medications that may interact with vitamin …
We Are Here to Help
Here at Cal-EZ, we aren’t just about selling a calcium and vitamin D supplement, we’re about helping others. Some of the people we’re helping are those that suffer from hypoparathyroidism and gastroparesis. On February 28, 2015, join with us as we recognize Rare Disease Day, a day that draws awareness to the many diseases that seemingly only affect a few. …
Give-a-Little Campaign: Help us support them
Cal-EZ is proud to support the Hypoparathyroidism Association, and now you can too! When hypoparathyroidism patients, caregivers, or family members make a purchase, 10% of the total purchase price will go towards an unrestricted grant to the Hypoparathyroidism Association, Inc.
Letting Go
I made a promise to myself when I agreed to do this blog, that I would be 100% honest. I had no idea how hard it would be being so honest with myself and for the world to read. I have always thought of myself and my life as an open book, but when it comes to living with hypoparathyroidism …
The Rule of Three: A Guide to Healthy Eating
Healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle do not happen through one choice or overnight. Rather, they are a culmination of choices made over time that add up to create an overall picture of health and wellness. There are many different guides out there, however, the easiest one for me to remember is the Rule of Three. As a nutritionist, …
Handling Love and Chronic Disease
Ah, Valentine’s Day; the holiday of love, candy and greeting cards. Whether or not you have someone to celebrate this holiday with, being sick can really put a damper on the day. If you have a partner and want to do something special and celebrate, here are some ways you may be able to have your cake and eat it …
Training While Sidelined
One of the hardest things to deal with as an athlete and a patient that suffers from a rare disease is to stop and listen to your body. As athletes, injuries are common and happen all the time, but it is when you need to stop and let your body recover that is the hardest. This can also be extremely …
Ignoring that Negative Voice
When I’m out running I have a lot of time to think. Most often it’s just me and the road. The miles keep ticking and my mind starts racing. I think about everything from current life to future goals. I think about how far I’ve come and where I want to go. I think about crossing finish lines and beating …
Calcium Tip Sheet
When taking calcium with other medications, there are times that you need to know that you are taking them correctly. Cal-EZ has developed a printable Calcium Tip Sheet with a list of Do’s and Don’ts for taking calcium and a list of medications that interact with calcium. And best of all, you can take it with you. We hope you …
