So, I was advised by a herbalist of where I could get a
'cheap' Vitamin D test done - City Hospital, Birmingham, for £28. You can find it online, pay the money, and
they send a kit. You then need to prick
your finger with a special blade, and drop 4/5 drops on their special
sheet. NB, the drop needs to be quite
large, but shouldn't incorporate several drops - that may mess up the test
somehow (it wasn't quite clear how unfortunately since I had small drops and
added a bit of blood here and there to make the size bigger). The website link is: http://www.vitamindtest.org.uk.
You need to do the test on a weekday so that they can get it
and return in the week. I guess the
blood may get too old and not fresh otherwise to do the test. So, Monday to Wednesday are probably good
days, and post as early as you can to have good chance of getting through
quickly and for the next day.
I was heartened to get the result back (early August), with
just into 'normal' range (51, and normal is 50-200). This is encouraging since a test I had a few
months ago was 35, and before that last year sometime 49.
It is hard to know cause and effect, but I have made a lot
of effort to get in the Sun when it shines, with a fair amount of skin
exposed. I've also kept going with
trying to increase oily fish (eg mackerel, salmon, sardines) and greens as well
as seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) in my diet. I had
already given up coffee, tea and alcohol round October 2016, in the thinking
that that too might be having adverse effects in allowing for uptake of Calcium
etc for bone. (I have since gone back to
having some of these 3 latter drinks from time to time, but so far not as
frequently as when I gave them up last year).
I offer you these thoughts in case helpful. It seems encouraging that the Vitamin D level
has gone up to within normal range, if still rather low. It's also worth noting we are now in Summer,
so a concern that it will fall again in Winter.
Something to watch - perhaps I will have another Vitamin D test in about
3 months to monitor.
Next steps may be to review my exercise some more - eg
include more 'weight-bearing' exercise which is meant to be good for bone. This might include jogging; skipping is also
considered to be very good for bone. My
herbalist also recommended mini-trampolining which has been fashionable, but I
can't imagine how I could include that into the space I have so probably not an
option.
Feel free to post any thoughts you have in the Comments
section.
best wishes,
Catherine.