#right now i'm jumping in between here and my ph blogs

[survivingsusac]

What do you know about hyperchloremia?

It’s latin for high chloride in the blood.

Jumping right in today because I'm too tired for my typical rambles. Unusual, I know. And borderline concerning.

I got a complete blood panel workup done this week. It's a typical lab ordered for people who are on intravenous or subcutaneous immunoglobulins. I was on intravenous and now I do my own subcutaneous. A complete blood panel is used to make sure that the somewhat heavy medication isn't taking a negative toll on your body's organs, focusing on the kidney and liver function. As those are the organs that filter things out of the circulatory system.

Pretty much everything was in normal levels which is great. I like being “healthy."

That was ironic humor for those of you who may have missed it. Aurora is not “healthy,” but she finds it ironically funny that her levels are in the ”healthy” range.

Interestingly, there was one metric that was on the tippy top high end of the normal range. My chloride levels.

What is chloride?

Chloride is a mineral electrolyte in your blood which helps maintain the acid base balance in your blood. Chloride is measured on a spectrum called the pH scale, which ranges from zero to 14. 7, being smack dab in the middle, is true neutral. Healthy pH of blood is normally slightly basic with a pH range of about 7.35 to 7.45. Usually, the body maintains the pH of blood close to 7.40. Blood tests, like my full blood panel work up, measure the acid base balance by measuring the pH and levels of carbon dioxide-a gas which makes your blood more acidic-and bicarbonate-a base, present in antacids like Alka seltzer-in the blood.

Electrolytes help control nerve and muscle function.

*This information immediately connected little dots in my brain between spasticity and chloride*

The amount of chloride in your blood is often measured with other electrolytes to monitor kidney disease heart failure liver disease and high blood pressure.

What part of your body makes chloride?

High cortisol levels play a part in chloride increases. Cortisol, often called the stress hormone, is produced by the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands sit like tiny little berets on the top of each kidney.

Higher chloride levels in brain region weakens synaptic transmission in the cortex. High chloride = slow brain neuron firing, like you’re sleeping.

What does a high chloride level really mean? Explain it like I’m five, please.

High chloride can indicate that you are dehydrated, that you have kidney disease, that you have metabolic acidosis or respiratory alkalosis. Metabolic acidosis is when your blood is too acidic (low on the pH scale). Respiratory alkalosis is when you breathe excessively or hyperventilate so you have too much carbon dioxide in your blood so it’s more basic (high on the pH scale).

The most common culprit for elevated chloride is dehydration. And your girl Aurora is chronically dehydrated. So while I have my theories of why my adrenal glands began over-producing cortisol, I also recognize that I have a serious problem with keeping myself hydrated.

Side bar:

If you can’t connect the dots to how I would have experienced an increase in cortisol-the stress hormone-would play a role in a physiological response in my body, all I can say is have you read the blog? Not trying to be rude. But here’s the bullet point Spark Notes style version:

Fight or flight response active for entirety of marriage

Adrenal glands on, increase in cortisol and apparently chloride

Habitual issue with hydration (not helping the chloride processing situation)

That’s it. That’s my Spark Notes version.

Aurora is verbose by nature, but she can break things down into the short and sweet. But you’ll need the contextual knowledge for what is contained in those bullets points for it to mean much to you intrinsically.

So, just…read the blog.

Surviving Susac,

Aurora

[hollen--zerstorer-blog]

"Today's been a little rough."