Day 23: Seek, Breathe, Play....Irony

Over the weekend, I received my letter stating the radiologist had viewed my scans and that they were happy to report they showed no signs of cancer.  Today I got  some lab work results from my yearly doctor visit.  Here is where the irony comes in, I have a Vitamin D deficiency.  The beach lover, the all sun all the time, summers and every possible weekend at the beach bum is not getting anything from the sun but a tan...I have to laugh because it is so ironic not just to me, but to so many who know me.  How is this possible?  Well, I set off to research how this could come about.  The main source of Vitamin D comes from being in the sun, though I discovered even though I spend a majority of my time in the sun the deficiency can result from wearing sunscreen, as it does prevent your body from absorbing enough Vitamin D (and I dare not go without my SPF).  Also, a diet that is rich in animal based foods like fish, fish liver oils, milk products and egg yolks helps increase Vitamin D in your system, something vegans and vegetarians may not get enough of (and I was a vegetarian for close to 10 years).  Then there is having naturally dark skin, which in the summer, with a tan, my skin is bronzed....having darker colored skin reduces your Vitamin D absorption.  Being overweight and having a high BMI (body mass index) also reduces your absorption of Vitamin D, and I am 10lbs over what I want to weigh but I feel I can cross that off the list as to a cause.  Then if you have kidney problems that could lead to a Vitamin D deficiency, which the other lab results indicated I did not have.  So I am to take a once a week prescribed high dose of Vitamin D for 12 weeks and then go on a Vitamin D and calcium over the counter dose at the end.  Ironic yes, I bask in the sun all summer and yet still cannot get the best benefit it has to offer...Vitamin D deficiency could lead to cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairments and cancer...and by taking supplements or absorbing it naturally you can prevent types of diabetes, high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis.  This led me to think about how many times in life ironic things occur.  The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, tells us that "the way up and the way down are one and the same."  What does that mean?  Such a contradiction, but sometimes in life both positive and negative realities are needed in order for harmony to exist.  When things happen in life that are completely opposite than what we expected; when things happen in life you can truly appreciate the ups because you have fallen down, isn't it ironic?

You cannot say to the sun, "More sun." Or to the rain, "Less rain."  And yet, to learn kindness after so much unkindness, to understand that a little girl with more courage than she knew, would find her prayers were answered, can that not be called happiness? After all these are not the memoirs of an empress, nor of a queen. These are memoirs of another kind. ~ Memoirs of a Geisha