Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency is a rare metabolic disorder. OTC affects my body's ability to get rid of ammonia, a toxic breakdown product of the body's use of protein. The accumulation of ammonia in my blood travels to vital organs in my body. Complications of OTC can include developmental delay, liver damage, brittle hair, mood swings and affect my performance at school. Having only one kidney further complicates my condition. Since my body cannot handle large amounts of nitrogen, a low-protein diet (38g/day) is essential. I also take sodium benzoate after every meal, which "mops up" excess nitrogen/ammonia.

Thursday, 29 December 2011

Meat-free Christmas dinner.

I haven't been blogging for a very long time. I must say, I miss NOT having my OTC so much, but, it's all gotten so easy throughout the year. I still love my vegetables so much! The Christmas dinner I had with my family the other day was delicious, even though there was so much meat, and the rest of my family was eating meat, except me, but, I didn't have any meat because I didn't want any meat. So thats all for today.

Thursday, 29 September 2011

End of the term

Today is Thursday the 29th of September, and today was the last day of the school term, and as a celebration, the junior school had a market day. They were selling sweets and candy and all that junk food and they had games. I took money to school today so that I could buy things from the stores. What I did was, I put my money together with my friend's money, and whatever we bought with our put-together money, we shared, just the two of us shared what we bought together. Both of our lunch-bags were almost full with junkfood, but luckily I didn't buy too much junk food. After the market day, my friend and I divided our sweets that we bought between the both of us, and all my other friends, including my one friend that I shared everything with, helped me watch and lookout for the protein levels on the backs of the packets of the sweets. I'm so thankful to all of those friends of mine who took their spare time to help me watch and lookout for the protein levels.

Thursday, 25 August 2011

Protein overloads

If I have too much protein, I could pass out and I could go into a coma, but those are not easy for me to make sure of, I'd have to eat about 10% of protein in a whole day to be able to do those, but, I can deffinitely start feeling nausious and feel a little bit like fainting. That happened to me 2 months ago, but after that I was absolutely and completely fine, and I felt much better after I took my medicine. This can happen to anyone with a disorder like mine, but, the reactions that your body can make from this can be solved fast.

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

The foods I love the most

I love all foods and meals, but if there are several foods that I had to pick for my favourites, I'd pick Spaggetti, Salad, fruit salad, and chicken and vegetables. Those would be my specific favourites. I hate to pick what I like, but it's better to say my favourites than to say I love all foods when I don't love all foods. All foods are different, and some foods are the same, but I like the best and the healthiest foods.

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Not understanding

There are so many people I know out there who don't understand what my OTC is, and I do my best to help them understand, but then there are people who don't want to understand. To be around me for a whole day, a person has to try and understand my disorder, it's not really optional. Everyday, I try and act like a normal teeanger, and I don't even have to try, I've always just been a normal girl, besides my OTC, being a normal teenager isn't choice wise, it's just how I am, It's just how all teenage girls are. So, people just need to try their best to understand my disorder, but, if they don't want to, they don't have to, but it would be nessassary to try and understand it. It's the not understanding at all that will be harder, but it can be uderstood in an easier way for people who cannot not understand it no matter what.

Monday, 22 August 2011

Life's what you make it

Today I had a hard day at school, but, the delicious salad role my dad made me for lunch just made my day incredible! It was like biting a piece out of heaven, I just didn't want the salad role to finish. I deal with a very rare disorder, but it's a unique disorder. To those of you who have rare disorders, or even common disorders, you're special, the rest of the world is also special, but people like us with disorders are unique. You don't choose the body you get, or the special body chemicals that come with your body. You don't get to choose them, but you do get to make the most out of them. So, people with disorders have to do the same, except try harder, and it's totally worth it. Be smart with your body. With my OTC, I'm very smart with my body, my body has OTC, but, I'm still choosing what I want to do in my life, my body isn't choosing it for me, I'm choosing it, I'm just telling my body what I want to do. Even though I'm careful with my body, I'm still doing what I want to with my life, and you should do the same. When I first found out about my OTC, I thought to myself  ''Oh my word! Now I can't do anything with my life'', but, I was absalutely wrong about that! Don't let your body make life decisions for you, well, you can let your body make life decisions for you, but then make sure your body makes the right life decision, don't give up on yourself, your life, or your body. Make the right decisions or let your body make the right decisions for you, but as I said before, make sure your body makes the right decisions. And just remember, life's what you make it.