Carotenemia Made Him Yellow

        We went to have a medical check-up which included blood studies and ultrasound of the liver, pancreas, gall bladder and kidneys. I would have wanted him to undergo colonoscopy but he refused. According to my cousin, he has a scheduled colonoscopy when he gets back home in Canada. He had so much discomfort with it before that he didn't want to undergo colonoscopy  twice for this month.

       Having Dr. Rene Lacuesta read the results, we were glad that no liver complications were present. The yellow  discoloration of the skin was due to excessive intake of carrots, papaya and liver food. It was Carotenemia and not lver complcatin after all. We agreed to that because my cousin sorted to eating only organic food and non-acidic agents. This prompted my family to serve him carrots, either in meals or juiced, almost every hour.

       Carotenaemia or  xanthaemia is the presence of the yellow pigment carotene in the blood . This is caused primarily from too much intake of carrots or other vegetables increasing serum carotenoids. This leads to yellow-orange discoloration of the skin. It is said to be harmless  and will not be needing a specific treatment. The yellow discoloration of skin will gradually decrease as the patient takes lesser food rich in carotene.

       Dealing with cancer is never easy because of it's unpredictable progress. We have to be vigilant all the time for possible complications. Assessment will always play a big role not just to confirm the complications but to prompt us to send our patients for medical work-up. The earlier we detect symptoms, the earlier we find treatment.

        To me and my family, the early assessment meant taking away our worries, lessening our fear and continuing life's blissful perks.