DEAR DR. GOTT: My question concerns my 34-year-old son. He does not smoke or drink and is in excellent health. However, he recently had pains on his right side, and they got so bad he went to the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital for three days. All kinds of tests were performed, and finally a CT scan detected multiple blood clots in his right lung. He is now on Coumadin, under the care of his family doctor and nearly back to normal.
I'm puzzled and have lost a lot of sleep over what caused this and if it could recur. There was neither trauma nor a family history of this type of problem.
The only thing out of the ordinary was, three days before the pain started, my son did five hours of welding on a trailer frame outside in the fresh air.
Could breathing these fumes have resulted in this problem? If not, what could possibly cause this to happen?
DEAR READER: The fact that your son developed pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lung) is of concern because the condition could have been and may yet be fatal. I am also concerned about why this event occurred in a young male. I do not believe that the welding fumes were a factor, but that is an issue that should be addressed with your son's physician.
Also, make sure that your son has had a blood test to measure clotting factors in his system. I believe close investigation of his clotting profile will give you the answers that you seek. Please keep me posted.
DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband and I have just started your no-flour, no-sugar diet. We just purchased your newest book from Amazon.com, and we are anxiously awaiting its arrival. But, in the meantime, we have cut out all flour and sugar (we think). My husband and I are having difficulty giving up bread, however. We both enjoyed toast and eggs for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch. Do you have any suggestions for bread substitutes?
DEAR READER: Congratulations on your decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. In my book, I give several alternatives to bread made with flour. One of the easiest to incorporate is using whole-corn tortillas, which can be used to make sandwich wraps or even homemade chips. Others on the diet enjoy homemade cornbread made with cornmeal. My personal favorite (and my readers' favorite, judging by the letters I receive each week) is flourless bread made from sprouted grains. There are several brands on the market today, but one of the most widely recognized is Food for Life. They make several varieties, such as Ezekiel 4:9, which is made from seven different sprouted grains. You can find this novel bread in most chain grocery stores and health-food stores, usually in the freezer or whole-foods section.
If you would like to learn more about Food for Life and the many products available, visit their Web site at www.foodforlife.com.
Readers interested in learning more about my book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" can order the book online at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. It is also available at most bookstores.
I'm puzzled and have lost a lot of sleep over what caused this and if it could recur. There was neither trauma nor a family history of this type of problem.
The only thing out of the ordinary was, three days before the pain started, my son did five hours of welding on a trailer frame outside in the fresh air.
Could breathing these fumes have resulted in this problem? If not, what could possibly cause this to happen?
DEAR READER: The fact that your son developed pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lung) is of concern because the condition could have been and may yet be fatal. I am also concerned about why this event occurred in a young male. I do not believe that the welding fumes were a factor, but that is an issue that should be addressed with your son's physician.
Also, make sure that your son has had a blood test to measure clotting factors in his system. I believe close investigation of his clotting profile will give you the answers that you seek. Please keep me posted.
DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband and I have just started your no-flour, no-sugar diet. We just purchased your newest book from Amazon.com, and we are anxiously awaiting its arrival. But, in the meantime, we have cut out all flour and sugar (we think). My husband and I are having difficulty giving up bread, however. We both enjoyed toast and eggs for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch. Do you have any suggestions for bread substitutes?
DEAR READER: Congratulations on your decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. In my book, I give several alternatives to bread made with flour. One of the easiest to incorporate is using whole-corn tortillas, which can be used to make sandwich wraps or even homemade chips. Others on the diet enjoy homemade cornbread made with cornmeal. My personal favorite (and my readers' favorite, judging by the letters I receive each week) is flourless bread made from sprouted grains. There are several brands on the market today, but one of the most widely recognized is Food for Life. They make several varieties, such as Ezekiel 4:9, which is made from seven different sprouted grains. You can find this novel bread in most chain grocery stores and health-food stores, usually in the freezer or whole-foods section.
If you would like to learn more about Food for Life and the many products available, visit their Web site at www.foodforlife.com.
Readers interested in learning more about my book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" can order the book online at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. It is also available at most bookstores.