Much Thanks

I had a really enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and I have alot to be thankful for. I have great friends and family that I was able to celebrate the holiday with. Things have been busy at work for both my hubby and I, but that is a good thing and we have embarked on one of the busiest months of the year. I made the conscious decision to cut back as much as possible on appointments with practitioners this month, but I won't be able to eliminate appointments entirely. I've had many positive improvements in my health recently, but there is still a long road ahead. 

I continue to be thankful for Cordyceps, which in my case has an effect of dampening Th17. I had a recent visit with my Naturopath and the update on the investigation into Lyme is that between my lab results and my survey, there is enough information to warrant treatment, but there is no definitive diagnosis. I'm really okay not arriving at a definitive diagnosis, since treatment will be aimed at boosting and modulating my immune system and ultimately aimed at helping me to feel better. That said, we are also waiting on lab results for 2 different markers, CD57 and C4a. CD57 is typically found to be low in individuals with chronic Lyme and C4a is sometimes high in individuals with chronic Lyme. The focus of treatment depending on what the results are will be to get these numbers into a better range. The numbers don't typically move gradually with treatment, but suddenly move once treatment has truly been effective over a period of time. At this point we are hoping the labs provide additional information that will be helpful, still there will be no diagnoses, just more or less suspicion about Lyme. 

My new treatment will consist of balancing my T helper cells with high concentrated doses of Turmeric and Resveratrol. These will help to balance Th1 and Th2 and dampen the negative affects of Th17. My new protocol also includes a combination supplement that will balance the way my body utilized Nitric Oxide Synthases (eNOS, nNOS, iNOS). I will also be taking a  supplement that will help my body to recycle the Glutathione that already exists in my body, since supplementing with straight Glutathione is usually very ineffective because the body has a tough time metabolizing oral Glutathione. Most of my protocol is based on much of Dr. Datis Kharrazian. Here is a helpful link that does a much better job of explaining: Nitric Oxide Modulation

In addition I will be making weekly visits to the infrared sauna, which will help to enhance the treatment. Here is a great article about the positive effects of infrared saunas for chronic Lyme patients: Infrared Sauna

In January, I will also add another gut healing protocol. during my appointment with my Naturopath, she told me she had recently attended a seminar by Dr. Kharrazian and he talked about autoimmune individuals. Over time, many autoimmune individuals develop and autoimmunity to their own gut lining (not Chron's or Ulcerative Colitis). His suggestion was that individuals with autoimmune conditions should do a quarterly gut healing, because autoimmune individuals end up with leaky gut from time to time if they don't do a regular maintenance of gut healing... so begins my regular gut healing in January. I will not be able to eat dairy, grains or nightshades during the 6 week gut healing. This should be a cake walk for me since I have done all of this in the past for a much longer period of time. 

I'm excited to start my protocol and I'm hopeful there will be more improvements. I will keep you posted on the progress.

I wish all of you a happy, blissful holiday season!

Magic Mushrooms

“Fall seven times, Stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

Well, I could not have said it any better. When something seems to work on this crazy journey, I take notice... cannot help but take notice. Three cheers for Cordyceps! I have fallen many time on this journey, but the reason I keep standing is because of things like Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture, Slow Flow, Cordyceps, Ultrasound, Chiropractic and Dry Needling/Physical Therapy that seem to really work for me and my many issues. They provide me a clear understanding that yes, I have chronic health issues, but if I keep "standing" up after falling so many times, I might just keep on standing because I found a solution or at least something that helps provide a better quality of life. Cordyceps is my magic mushroom and I'm sad we didn't try it sooner, but so glad to be able to benefit from it now. Here are some of the positive things I've noticed since adding Cordyceps to my regimen:

.       Energy and stamina are better, but energy seems to still wane in the afternoon & evening (lots of yawning)

.       Sleeping much better

.       Waking feeling more rested

.       Less/lighter headaches

.       Psoriasis seems much calmer

.       Reduced pain in muscles & joints 

.       Plantar fasciitis seems to be improving

.       Better outlook, much more hopeful, more even keeled

.       Less affected by stress

Cordyceps

Yay Cordyceps! That said, I'm currently in the midst of a Costochondritis flare, which is painful, but not nearly as bad as the last one I had. I've had success with Dry Needling and Physical Therapy and my PT encouraged me to begin pilates. I enjoyed my first class on Saturday, but unfortunately I was  at the tail end of a flare up during class and the pressure from the shoulder pads on the reformer was just enough to cause issues with my ribs and clavicle after the class. I could feel everything pop once I stood up from the reformer and that was when I knew I was in trouble and I'd be feeling pain later. That said, I'm excited about the pilates and being able to strengthen some of those muscles so that I can reduce or mitigate future flare ups.

Update on my labs - My ASI labs came back and my Cortisol is high in the morning and during late night, so that explains the crazy weight gain and inability to loose as well as crashing after workouts and being exhasted in the afternoon and evening and waking at odd hours. My Naturopath has started me on SeriPhos which is supposed to be taken when Cortisol is at its highest and its purpose is to plug up the cortisol receptors and help the pituitary to return to more optimal function. It may be a while before I can tell its affects.

As for the Lyme labs they were inconclusive. I had a couple bands show positive, but still not enough to tell exactly what is going on, so that means there is a need for further testing. I'm kind of in this holding pattern right now because my doctor want s to be sure she is fully educated on the matters surrounding Lyme testing before we move forward. There is so much controversy and confusion all the way around for patient and doctor when venturing into the Lyme world. I'm glad she is dotting her "i's" and crossing her "t's" before we move forward. It is a scary place to venture and I'm aprehensive, but I know I'm in good hands. Stay tuned for further information.

Hoping all my friends and family on the east coast have weathered the storm. You are in my thoughts.

On a lighter note, my hubby and I are taking a hookie day on Friday to see the new Bond flick. Cannot wait. I'm also looking forward to friends and family this month for Thanksgiving. It is my second favorite holiday. Some of my best memories are from Thanksgivings past.

Scream Until Your Lungs Hurt!

I decided my last blog post was pretty disjointed and that isn’t fair to my readers. I prefer the material to be interesting and informative at the same time while showing a glimpse into my journey with Autoimmune issues, so I just want to apologize because although most of my posts are stream of consciousness I try to make them read fairly cohesively.

Anyway, this is a time in my journey that I feel there will be a crossroads in the next year of my life with respect to my health. I feel it in my bones. I believe they refer to this feeling as intuition. Call it what you will.  I’m 40 now. I celebrated my birthday on September 28^th with friends and family and though I received some very lovely gifts, the best gift of all was being surrounded by wonderful friends and family whom mean so much to me. It is their love and support that gets me through some of my most difficult days. I try my best not to burden them with my health issues, partially because most people that don’t have autoimmune disorders don’t have the capacity to truly understand what is going on, (Mind you I’m not implying stupidity, but let’s face it, our own doctors don’t understand it for the most part.) and partially because being with them is my time to enjoy the peace I have while in their presence, because they are my net when I fall. The few times I’ve really talked about the symptoms and what is going on with my body, the few times I’ve needed to reach out they have been there for me and haven’t made me feel like less of a person or like I’ve put them out by telling them a little about my experiences. For that reason, I really try to limit the information I share because I respect them and would never want it to become a burden to someone else that I care about and love. A good support system is so necessary as I was reminded this week by my psychotherapist… I was reminded because I’m still on this crazy roller coaster that I cannot ever stop… perhaps we can slow it down a little bit or maybe even a lot and that is what I’m hoping for in this decade and maybe even over the next year. I hear that 40s are great.

My roller coaster seems to have been on a fast track downhill with symptoms galore for the past few months and my practitioners and I are putting our heads together to find the right brakes to apply to this crazy ride. This comes as a surprise because inflammation is supposed to reduce as the gut heals and my gut healing protocol comes to an end today. My energy has really been suffering and so I’m kind of along for the ride right now as much as I need to be actively involved, I also don’t need the additional stress of worrying about it. I have a good team that I trust to figure this thing out. It is the time it takes for most measures that is sometimes so painfully frustrating… Patience please be with me in this moment. All this inflammation just needs the right water so to speak to put the fire out.

The Th1 and Th2 challenge was a flop for me. My body reacted negatively to both challenges. It was a huge bummer for me. I had a lot of hope that one would help me to start feeling better, so instead my Naturopath is trying to modulate the Th17 cells in my immune system with Cordyceps. Information in Th17

I’ve only been taking Cordyceps for a couple days now, but I have to say that I think it may be helping, but part of me feels it may be too soon to tell. Cordyceps is a Chinese mushroom that has been used for many years to help modulate the immune systems in Cancer patients and there has also been recent success among the Naturopathic community in treating their patients with Autoimmune disorders.  Information on Cordyceps

Cordyceps has also been shown to help with Adrenal fatigue. We believe that I have been experiencing Adrenal fatigue for a while now and that may be why I’m struggling with so many symptoms and so much inflammation. I just sent my Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) Panel to the lab this week and should have some answers back in a couple of weeks as to the status.

I will also complete my Lyme Disease testing in the next week or so. I suppose this is the one I’m the most nervous about because I’m not only aware of how difficult it can be to treat chronic Lyme, but I am also very aware of the political controversy surrounding the treatment of chronic Lyme. I’ll go into further detail about this if I am in fact diagnosed. I also know how much worse things could be if chronic Lyme goes untreated. Testing can also result in a false negative, but the lab we are using for testing is the best one out there for now. My labs will be run through Igenex. Stay tuned.

I’m reminded with each appointment how fortunate I am to have the wonderful team of practitioners that I have. It is not only on the ride up that I appreciate their hard work and diligence, but it is on the out of control downhill roller coaster ride that I appreciate them the most because I know they won’t allow me to become derailed and I know they will eventually find the brakes to slow this crazy ride down.

So, put your arms up in the air, let your hair fly and scream until your lungs hurt! Try it. I dare you… It might be just what will get you through today.

Let me know how you are doing with all that screaming. I'd love to hear from you.

BUBL Conference Call - Sep 25th 7pm MT

Join us to learn about the statistics related to autoimmune diseases and to hear from the founder of BUBL regarding her own experiences with autoimmune diseases and how she has handled her ongoing journey. We’ll also discuss future topics for upcoming BUBL meetings. 

Monthly meetings are held onsite with practitioners across the Denver area, but once a quarter conference calls will be held in place of an onsite meeting in order to reach out to the autoimmune population within and outside the Denver area.

Date:              Tuesday, September 25^th, 2012

Time:               7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time

Place:             FREE Conference Call

Participant Access Code: 907183#
Conference Dial-in Number: (605) 475-4000

Participant: When prompted, enter the assigned access code, followed by the ‘#‘ key.  Once connected to the free conference call, every caller will be able to talk.

Mute - *6 key
Press *6 to mute your line. Press *6 again to un-mute the line.

R.S.V.P.:          BUBL.Denver@gmail.com

About BUBL…

BUBL - "Better Understanding By Listening" - An organization, which seeks to support others whom are attempting to live a healthier lifestyle due to autoimmune disorders. Join the BUBL and gain a Better Understanding By Listening to each other, to your "gut", to your intuition and to practitioners, doctors and health experts that have your best interests at heart. This is a community of like-minded individuals from all walks of life whom share a common interest in a positive healthy lifestyle. BUBL’s  mission is to provide patient advocacy and to increase awareness of autoimmune disorders and their root cause in an effort to improve quality of life and quality of care.

Thanks for your support!

Autoimmune Girl

Founder of BUBL

Bubl.Denver@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/bubl.denver

 

Author of The Autoimmune Battle

http://autoimmunebattle.blogspot.com/

Need Balance?

The Scales - Libra

Happy Labor Day! I want to dedicate this blog to my grandfather whom would have been 100 on September 1st. He passed in 2007 and I think of him often as he was always such an inspiration in so many ways. He was an amazing man and I wish he was here today. We drove up to Mt. Evans this weekend, which my grandfather would have loved. He loved the outdoors and despite his Rheumatoid Arthritis, he was fairly active right up until the time he passed.

I saw my Naturopathic doctor about 2 weeks ago and I got my lab results, so there is some good news. All my labs look pretty good. My thyroid numbers are in fairly good standing, though my TSH is on the high end of normal. My triglycerides are in good range. My cholesterol numbers look good. On the down side, my vitamin D levels and Ferratin levels dropped, but those are both easily treatable by increasing my vitamin D and iron intake in order to have more optimal levels. My glucose levels are on the high side of normal.

My doctor looked at and palpated my thyroid and agreed that it is definitely enlarged on the left from the last time I had seen her. The increased hoarseness that I've been experience in addition to the enlargement meant that we weren't out of the woods with the thyroid despite the numbers looking pretty good. We're currently treating with caster oil packs and hydrotherapy to the neck/thyroid, if this doesn't result in improvement, we will have to ultrasound the thyroid to make sure there isn't something more serious going on.

So, despite the numbers looking pretty good with exception of the Vitamin D and Iron levels, I haven't been feeling great. July and August were unusually busy months for me and I had the sense that if my thyroid wasn't out of whack, my adrenals would be out of whack and that is in fact the case. You see, the adrenals and the thyroid are like yin and yang. Most alternative medicine recognizes that if you don't address the adrenals first and foremost, then the thyroid with never really benefit from treatment. Conventional medical practices typically don't recognize a problem with the adrenals until it is far too late and one ends up with Addison's disease, which is an autoimmune disease of the adrenals.

Many of the borderline numbers on my labs (specifically the glucose and TSH in addition to other specifics), though in normal range in addition to my symptoms indicates there is adrenal insufficiency. What does that all mean for me?  Well, lets back up a bit with symptoms. I've been very exhausted for a couple months now. I crash hard in the evenings and my body just shuts down. I wake with insomnia about 3-4 am almost every morning and I wake feeling unrefreshed.  The body can only do that for so long. This is probably one factor that may be a cause of the higher glucose numbers. I'm still struggling to loose weight and it tends to inch up a bit every so often despite the fact that I work out every day and I eat a very healthy diet. I typically am very careful about what I schedule into my week for the very reason that I don't want to over do it, but there were some things out of my control the past couple of months. I had a couple of times last month that I cried out of pure exhaustion, another sign that the adrenals are affected. Dr. Rind has a very interesting metabolic scorecard, which compares adrenals to thyroid and when I went through the list I discovered that 90% of my symptoms fall in the adrenal category, though adrenal symptoms and thyroid symptoms can be very similar, making it difficult to differentiate. I don't know Dr. Rind, nor am I familiar with his work, so I typically wouldn't post about someone that I cannot recommend, but I feel there is some level of validity with this scorecard at least as an indicator that something may be going on that you might want to ask your doctor about. Use this link at your own risk: Dr Rind's Metabolic Scorecard

In addition to the above symptoms, since starting my gut healing process I had high hopes of feeling better and seeing improved symptoms.  I hate to disappoint, but I have hopes that I'll be able to tell you I'm feeling a lot better in future posts. My Psoriasis has been worse than I've seen it in quite a while. My Naturopath said this can happen in the healing process. The skin is an area where toxins are eliminated. My cycles have been more difficult. My sinuses have been flared up. I've had an incredible amount of pain that my physical therapist has been challenged to keep up with, but I'm so thankful for her. I have had chronic hypertonic muscles for years and they are causing issues that could possibly be pegged as costochondritis or tietze symdrome or both, there are slight differences between both, though we're not really naming the issues for now. Theses issues create an intense amount of pain that can be debilitating at times. I won't go into too much detail here except to say that being in constant pain can be exhausting and will also be draining on the adrenals. The chronic hypertonic muscles in addition to other symptoms continue to make me believe that Lyme disease could be a reality and that will be one of the next things that my Naturopathic doctor will test for. There is an interesting documentary about Lyme disease that is a big eye opener. You can watch it for free on hulu:Under Our Skin. Scott has an interesting website and blog about his journey with Lyme disease and he can also be seen in the documentary listed above. Here is his website if you want to check it out: Better Health Guy

Lyme is something that can be chronic and if I have it I will be in the chronic stage by now. If it is diagnosed treatment protocol will change somewhat from the current plan. Lyme can be with you for many years and I grew up in a state, which has the current highest reported Lyme cases in the U.S., Pennsylvania.

So, the theme or focus for the month of September is BALANCE. This is my birth month and I will turn 40 near the end of the month and I had hopes of having a big celebration and inviting friends from out of town. As nice as that would be I had to make the decision to have a low key birthday and I nixed the original idea opting for a low key get away to the nearby mountains with my hubby. My adrenals will thank me for not overdoing it and not adding stress. In addition I'm being much more intentional about incorporating more yoga, which is much better for the adrenals than some of the more strenuous/intense workouts. It may seem counter productive to weight loss, but weight loss won't matter if adrenal fatigue sets in. I will be making many intentional efforts this month to reduce the amount of stress in my life as a result intending to bring more balance into my life. I'm a Libra after all and balance is so important.

I am at 2 months of the gut healing protocol and I have another month to go according to my Naturopath. She switched up my supplementation and we've also added herbs that will support my adrenals. It isn't surprising that my adrenals are struggling given all the bugs my body recently had to work so hard at getting rid of. Any type of stress can be difficult on the adrenals. We'll also be completing a challenge of the Th1 and Th2 pathways with substances that support one side or the other. If you've read Dr. Kharazian's book than you'll understand what I'm talking about, but the idea is that in an autoimmune individual one pathway of your T helper cells is weak and the other is a bit overbearing. The challenge will consist of 3 days of one substance and 3 days of the other and depending on my reactions noted, should indicate which side of my T-helper cells need to be supported or strengthened, so my fingers are crossed that we'll be successful in discovering an area that we can support. Stay tuned for results.

This month for the BUBL meeting I'll be hosting a conference call, so if you are interested in dialing in, please RSVP to BUBL.Denver@gmail.com an 800 number and conference log in code will be provided. I'll provide an additional post with details in a couple of days, so stay tuned. I'd love for you to join us on this call and I'll try to do a conference call once a quarter so that those of you not located in Denver are able to attend if you would like.  Stay tuned for more details and the date/time for the conference call this month.

I'm tired and it is time for bed, so good night for now. I hope you are all well and I just want to encourage each of you to make space for yourselves and remember to find ways to relax as difficult as that may be at times, it is always so important.

Yummy for my Tummy

My hives and nausea are gone and best of all the H. Pylori has been booted out of my system as well. WOOHOO! Now it is time for all things slimy. Yummo! I am almost 3 weeks in to healing my oh so damaged gut. My protocol for the first 6 weeks consists of the following: 

Designs for health - GI Revive 

Aloe Vera Gel - 1 oz 2x/day
Bone broth - 1 cup most days
Super-Bio Pro (probiotic)

GI Revive consists of L-Glutamine, which is very important for healing the gut lining, 

Citrus Pectic

Licorice root

Aloe Vera

Slippery Elm

Mucin

Marshmallow root

... and so many other very slimy, good for the tummy ingredients.

Marshmallow Root

Thanks to everyone who supported me through the difficult ups and downs of trying to rid my body of  all the nasty bugs that were all too comfortable taking up residence in my body. I'm so glad to see them go and my hope has returned. This was a huge hurdle to overcome in healing my body.

I cannot say that at 3 weeks in to my gut healing protocol that I feel very different, but just knowing all the bugs are gone is such a mental relief. I suspect it will take a few months before I feel significant improvement. After I reach 6 weeks on the protocol, my Naturopathic Doctor will be evaluating where I'm at in my healing process and my supplements will most likely be tweaked a bit and hopefully I'll be seeing some improvement in Psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions near the beginning of October perhaps even before that. 

I also have to run labs at 4 weeks in. These labs will include a complete thyroid panel, CBC, Cholesterol, etc. My normal annual labs. Labs always stress me out a little, because everything is always so uncertain for me. My Naturopath and I are both a little concerned about the current status of my thyroid. I've had recent unexplained weight gain and the left lobe of my thyroid appears slightly enlarged, so it will be interesting to see if my labs reveal anything new. She assures me that she has a plan if my thyroid is in fact on the fritz.

Once my gut is  healed, the next step will be another elimination diet and allergy testing, so that I will be able to get a more accurate indication of what I am intolerant to. This will provide a better indication of what must be avoided, so that I don't cause further damage to the lining of my gut. Depending on how I feel once the elimination diet is complete, then we'll be able to determine if we need to move forward with testing for heavy metals, Lyme disease and who knows what else.

In addition to the above protocol, I've taken it upon myself to avoid the following for the first 6 weeks of healing my gut: Alcohol, Caffeine, Chocolate, Sugar, All Grains, Legumes and Dairy, which I avoid for the most part anyway.

This was not something my Naturopath instructed me to do, I just decided to do this on my own in the hopes that it will help to shorten the healing time and it was something I figured would be good for me anyway. You could say that my diet is primarily what is considered Paleo at the moment.

I had my second BUBL meeting at the Denver Integrative Massage School (DIMS) in their new space. We had a great conversation that was informative and we learned about the benefits of Thai Yoga Massage. We look forward to circling back around to a future meeting at the school.

Our next meeting is with Dr. Meyer at Highlands Health & Wellness (32nd & Newton, Denver, CO), where Dr. Meyer will be talking about the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet, what it is and how someone with an autoimmune condition will benefit. We will meet on Thursday, August 23rd at 6:30 p.m. We hope to see you there. Please RSVP by August 21st to BUBL.Denver@gmail.com

Thanks for all your support and I will keep you posted on the status of my tummy!

My Little Monsters

Hello my peeps. I'm going to try to remain positive in this post though this past month has served up many challenges and I have so much to write about. I must admit that there were a few positive things as well that will be worth mentioning.

H. Pylori

So, if you haven't guessed already, the H. Pylori is still here. My lovely little monsters have just decided that my gut is a sweet little place to take up residence and they have really overstayed their welcome. I knew that conventional antibiotics were most likely in order as soon as I received my labs near the beginning of June. The idea of having to implement conventional antibiotics along with the fact that the H. Pylori remained created alot of anger, frustration and sadness. I wanted to give up, but I knew that was not an option. I had a major melt down and head check in with my Psychotherapist and then it was time to move on. With a combined effort between my two very capable and wonderful doctors (my Naturopath, ND and my Doctor of Osteopathy, DO) it was decided that the "Prevpac" or "Triple Therapy" was in order. This consists of two antibiotics, Clarithromycin and Amoxicillin, and a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI), Omeprazole.  A PPI for those of you who are wondering is a stomach acid inhibitor. This is utilized in treatment to give the lining of the stomach a chance to heal in the case of ulcers caused by the H. Pylori. To make matters worse, adding more anxiety... Clarithromycin is from a family of antibiotics that give me horrible nausea and Amoxicillin is from the Penicillin family of which I had an allergic reaction (hives) to as a kid. I wasn't thrilled at what I was about to embark on, but somehow I had to view this as helpful and a lesser of two evils since H. Pylori can lead to stomach cancer.  To complicate matters even further, and here comes the good news, my labs had indicated that I had finally eradicated the Candida overgrowth that we had been battling for more than a year. Hoorray!!! The bad news is that I'm terribly sensitive to conventional antibiotics and I typically end up with Candida overgrowth following the use of conventional antibiotics. That said, my ND had planned MEGA probiotics during my antibiotic protocol and 4 weeks of replenishing all the good flora following the end of the antibiotic treatment. Fingers crossed that this has kept my gut in good condition. I had finally gotten my head in the right place mentally to begin my antibiotic regimen when another challenge was placed in my path. It was a Thursday and I had picked up my antibiotics and was just leaving the pharmacy when an email had come in. I had sent an email a week or so prior to a friend about my anguish of having to go on antibiotics. She is a doctor and has worked on my case in the past. She urged me not to go on the antibiotics because there is new research showing that H. Pylori that are only colonized in the lower bowel are  somewhat protective. Apparently stool test are very sensitive to detecting H. Pylori, but do not indicate which part of the bowel the H. Pylori exist in. Breath tests and biopsies that reveal H. Pylori are more indicative of H. Pylori colonized in the upper bowel and this according to my friend the doctor is where the H. Pylori are considered more dangerous. I was appreciative of her concerns, but had to trust in the direction my doctors were headed with my case and frankly the timing was a bit late and served to frustrate and anger me even more, at least in the moment. Besides, I had all the digestive issues that would indicate the H. Pylori was reeking havoc on my system. So, I embarked on my 10 day journey of "Triple Therapy." It was not an easy journey. I had severe nausea for the first 4 days, watery diarrhea for the first 7 days, complete exhaustion, terrible bloating and a foul taste in my mouth. We have been having record breaking heat in the state of Colorado and I was not immune to its effects. On day seven I ended up with heat exhaustion from running just a few short  errands during the midday heat (100 ++ degrees) and the following day I ended up with hives that got progressively worse. They were hot and prickly feeling. This was sort of a delayed allergic reactions because if I hadn't been on the antibiotics, the hives most likely would not have occurred. I still have them and it has been about a week. They are getting better, but very slowly. They are hanging on for dear life. That said, I'm done with the antibiotic treatment. I will send my labs off tomorrow and will know the results in about 2 weeks. Fingers crossed the H. Pylori is gone. H. Pylori is known to be very difficult to eradicate and it is a bacteria that has become more and more antibiotic resistant. I chose the risk (nausea &  hives) of this particular treatment because it is supposed to be the most effective at eradicating H. Pylori and I didn't want to have to turn to antibiotic treatment again. Though the findings are that even with the "Triple Therapy" success rates are only about 50-75% for eradication. That said, I am hopeful that the H. Pylori is gone and that I will finally be able to start on my journey of healing my gut. 

H. Pylori, Candida and Parasites are all closely linked with Hashimoto's and with other autoimmune conditions. They all cause leaky gut in addition to other factors. Next steps on the horizon are to heal my gut, which I hear can take anywhere from 3-6 months and sometimes longer for more difficult cases. I'm not entirely sure of what my gut healing protocol will consist of but I am including this interesting link written by a well known reputable nutritionist, David W. Rowland, whom teaches nutrition and founded two schools of nutrition:  Leaky Gut

It will be interesting to see what my protocol will be. I know that many protocols also include aloe vera. I'm obviously ready to move on, so my peeps, I ask that you cross your fingers for me that the H. Pylori is finally gone and that I am able to take the next steps in my journey. 

Either before or after healing my gut, I cannot remember the order according to my ND, I will have to do an elimination diet again and possibly IgG testing to see what my body reacts to, so that I can avoid further damage. I believe it is after healing the gut, because a leaky gut reacts to everything. Also, once my gut is healed we'll do all the typical labs like CBC, Cholesterol, TSH and we'll also check to see where my thyroid anti-bodies stand at that point. I'm hoping to see many of my inflammatory issues (psoriasis, arthritic pains...) dissipate once my gut is healed. I also hope that I'll finally be able to refocus on weight loss at this point. I've been putting it on the back burner as it truly hasn't been my main priority. I've just made sure that I have been eating healthy foods and quantities and I continue my regular workouts. All these bugs have really gotten in the way of my progress in this area and I've had to give myself credit for just simply hanging in there. It would be so easy to be hard on myself about not meeting any weight loss goals and even gaining a few pounds despite not changing any eating or workout habits, but I truly think it is amazing that I've even made it to the gym on most days. Given the journey I've been on I  guess I should be most proud of myself for not giving up and gentle with myself because my goal will take a little longer than it would for the average person. Those of us whom suffer from autoimmune conditions are very aware we are not average. We are unique, very unique.

On a positive note, I got my inaugural meeting for BUBL off the ground. I even had someone ask me a ton of questions about autoimmune conditions and I was really able to answer her questions thoroughly. To me that was a success and I look forward to future meeting of being able to empower individuals with autoimmune conditions and helping them to learn to advocate for themselves and to seek out better quality of care, that said, take a look at this petition post from one of my blog readers:

Have you heard of the int'l thyroid patient petition for better care: petition

Only 2months old, and it is supported by over 3000 signatures from 65 countries. We are trying to reach every thyroid patient we can so, they can choose to be represented. We all know we need change and it will take large numbers to accomplish that goal.

Here is an interview by Sarah Downing to help you get to know us better: Sarah Downing interview

Thank you in advance for your support,

Michelle

Author
Patients with Thyroid Dysfunction Demand Better Care
www.facebook.com/thyroidpetition

Please sign the petition at the link provided above. 

The next BUBL meeting will be at the new location for the Denver Integrative School of Massage at:  1221 Galapago Street in Denver. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 25^th at 6:30 p.m. Come and learn about the benefits of Thai Yoga Massage and see a demo given by the owner of the school. This is a great modality for chronic pain and I’m a huge fan. If you are interested in coming to the meeting, please R.S.V.P. at BUBL.Denver@gmail.com

We hope to see you there.

Until next time, be well!

Impromptu Travel

Trip to Seattle

Well, I finally took that vacation that my therapist was urging me to take and it was so worth it even though it was an impromptu last minute trip. My hubby and I were lucky enough to benefit from buddy passes and we decided to fly to Seattle. We had to fly stand-by and were able to get the flight we wanted on the way to Seattle, but on the way back we were bumped and ended up sitting in the airport all day. We had great weather while we were there and really had a chance to enjoy all the city had to offer during our stay. We enjoyed Pike's Place Market and a street fair near the University. We stayed at a great hotel just a couple blocks from the recently completed light rail, which made it easy to get to and from the airport. We were downtown at 6th and Pike. It was a nice long relaxing and fun filled weekend.

Traveling has its challenges when you are gluten free, but it isn't impossible and with a little pre-planning is very doable. A couple of years ago an impromptu trip and flying stand-by would have freaked me out a little when it comes to being gluten free. It is actually the airports I worry about the most. Some airports have better options than others, but you would be so surprised what you can actually bring in terms of your own food as long as it is in its original sealed packaging and doesn't include liquid or gel like substances. Lists of do's and don'ts can be found on the TSA website. Here is a list of what I actually packed because I didn't know how long I would have to be in the airport since we had to fly stand-by and I knew these items would come in handy on our trip anyway. 

several Lara Bars

several Zing Protein Bars

several whole apples

a bag of baby carrots

a bag of almonds

a bag of Rocky Mountain Popcorn

several packages of Gluten Free Oatmeal

I had absolutely no problem getting any of these items through the scanner. I also did some online pre-searching on restaurants that support gluten free patrons in Seattle. This was really just for fun because I had a pretty good feeling that Seattle would have some really great gluten free options. I was right. I had some really great seafood while in Seattle and we ate at some really great places. I learned how to make a really great Brussel Sprout salad while I was in Seattle... so tasty!

One of my favorite things to do in Seattle is go to the Public Market. If you like to cook you'll enjoy looking at all the fresh and inspirational culinary options at the Market and the flowers are gorgeous and plentiful and so inexpensive. I had only wished I had a kitchen in my hotel room so that I could have made a fresh meal from ingredients at the Market, though it was so nice to have a break from cooking.

Even though we had to sit in the airport for the day on our way back to Denver, it was okay since it was pouring rain in Seattle and we had done so much walking the two days prior we were fine sitting and reading a few books and magazines. It was good to have the down time even if it was in the airport.

Update on Lab Testing

Well, I wish I had news and I'm anxious to get the results, but my labs are caught up in a new roll-out that the lab is in the midst of launching, so they are behind on all results. What should have taken 2 1/2 weeks is now going on 3 1/2 weeks and its difficult to know when the results will be in, so I feel a bit like I am in limbo. I cannot take next steps  or protocol without the results. My hope is that the results will be in some time next week and that I will be able to meet with my doctor the following week. I'll keep you posted on the status of my current health.

Update on Support Group Launch

I'm so proud to say that I am launching a local support group and hope to have a meeting place secured so that we can have our first meeting near the end of June. If you are interested, please join / like the facebook page: BUBL

BUBL - "Better Understanding By Listening" - An organization which seeks to support others whom are attempting to live a healthier lifestyle due to autoimmune disorders that have created food allergies or intolerances, i.e. (gluten, dairy, soy...) OR just because you have made a conscious decision to avoid certain foods because you simply feel better by avoiding them. Join the BUBL and gain a Better Understanding By Listening to each other, to your "gut", to your intuition and to practitioners, doctors and health experts. This is a community of like minded individuals from all walks of life whom share a common interest in a positive healthy lifestyle.

 I don't want others to feel like they live in a bubble based on a diagnosis and necessary lifestyle changes that need to be made as a result. It took me a while, but I initially felt like I lived in a bubble and I wanted a whimsical lighthearted positive symbol to represent this group. A mirror image of sorts by joining the BUBL you won't feel like you live in a bubble. I hope to see some of you there and I look forward to supporting others in their journey.

Until next time, I wish you love and happiness!

 

 

Nat'l Health Awareness

May is a big month for all kinds of health awareness from Lupus to Arthritis to Food Allergies and more... See the following link for listings:Health Finder

I'm headed to Seattle for an impromptu trip with my hubby. Looking forward to it.

I'll post soon about my upcoming support group that will launch in June. I'm also looking forward to that as I think it will be so great to help others and to learn from others. Im sure it will provide lots of great material to blog about in the future!

Until then,
Cheers!

Set Backs are Part of the Journey

So, I’ve had a sinus infection for the past two weeks and the timing could not have been worse. It threw a wrench into my plans. I was supposed to retest for H. Pylori on May 6^th, but in order to do so, I would have had to go off all my supplements, which is required for these particular labs. Well, I was unable to do that because it would have left my immune system vulnerable at a time when it was working on over drive. My Naturopath had to talk some sense into me and tell me to wait to retest because it was best that I stay on my supplements until my sinus infection passed. I guess we all need the voice of reason when we are ill. I was glad to take her advice and my sinus infection is finally gone, but my retesting is delayed a week. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you have to wait for 3 weeks to get results back an additional week seems like a good chunk of time. Well, I’m anxious for results and they should be back around the beginning of June. I’m glad the sinus infection is gone and I’m anxious to be able to move on to healing my gut, that said I want to address a gluten free diet and my view after being gluten free for more than 2 years.

GLUTEN FREE

There was a great article this month in the Natural Living publication that is put out by Sunflower Markets. I really enjoy and look forward to this free publication. The article was called Gluten Free Upgrade and it really summed up my view on how a Gluten Free diet or any diet should be approached in order to have a nutrient dense diet. The point is that we should all be getting the majority of our nutrients from our food, but the problem is no matter how healthy any of us are with regard to proper diet, our soil is becoming more and more depleted of necessary nutrients and therefore supplements become necessary for some of us, if not all of us. In my case I have an issue with malabsorption, so despite how healthy I eat, I am very deficient in many vitamins and minerals, so it is therefore necessary for me to take certain supplements which have been recommended by my doctor based on lab results. The most important part of any diet is that we are eating a whole foods diet. For a definition of whole foods diet: Whole Foods Diet

In many cases after being diagnosed with an auto immune disease, which requires you to remove gluten from your diet or if it is because some health issue that creates a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten... many individuals start with replacing items such as pizza, pastries and breads with gluten free alternatives. This is not ideal and replacing processed items in the diet for gluten free processed items such as white rice flours, potato flours, xantham gum, guar gum… is not the way to go. When going gluten free it is important to view this as an adventure in discovering new foods. There are so many nutrient dense naturally gluten free foods in their whole form. Quinoa, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Brown rice, Wild Rice, Gluten Free Oats… As for baked goods I was an awesome baker prior to going gluten free and my friends and family always reaped and enjoyed the benefits. When I went gluten free it was a challenge and I really didn’t do any baking for almost a year and then I started experimenting. Some things were a success and some a huge failure, but I learned from all of it and I came to the conclusion that almond flour is my most favorite gluten free flour to bake with for so many reasons. It makes the most nutritious and yummy goods ever… better than baked goods that are not gluten free and they are protein packed and full of good fats. Unfortunately this may not be the best option for those with a nut allergy, but trust me there are other good options out there for individuals with nut allergies. There is a fabulous cookbook that I discovered written by a local woman in Boulder, CO. She and her son were diagnosed with Celiac disease and she felt there was a need for such a book and I agree. Check out Elana Amsterdam’s blog and cookbooks here: Elana's Pantry

As for whole foods diet, I love this cookbook, Whole Life Nutrition, because it mirrors much the way I’m used to cooking and expands my repertoire. I also like it because it was recommended by a couple of my doctors and if you are wondering if you have food allergies or sensitivities there is a great “28 day Elimination Diet” guide. Elimination diets are truly the best way to discover food allergies and sensitivities: Whole Life Nutritiion

This diet was how my doctor figured out I had parasites because I literally reacted to every food that was added back into my diet. It was a pretty good indicator, which we then confirmed by lab tests for parasites that came back positive. The parasites are now gone (see prior posts).

PSORIASIS

In addition to a gluten free diet, which usually indicates an individual has digestive issues, digestive issues can result in an auto immune disease called Psoriasis. Definition for Psoriasis: Psoriasis

Psoriasis is something I have suffered from for many years.

More information about relation between Cardiovascular disease and Psoriasis: Cardiovascular Disease linked to Psoriasis

I wanted to address Psoriasis because on May 20^th there will be a Walk to Cure Psoriasis and it is locally held at Sloan’s Lake. To sign up, go here: Walk to Cure Psoriasis

A story of a little girl, she reminds me very much of myself when I was her age, who will be participating in the walk and is afflicted with Psoriasis and Arthritis.

 Story of a Little Girl

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

…And last but not least I want to acknowledge all the mothers out there and the importance of their nurturing qualities. There are so many great mothers in my life past and present and certainly there will be in the future. Although I don’t have human children, I do have two furry kids and I love them dearly. I don’t know what I would do without their unconditional love. Happy Mother’s Day! Treat yourselves well. Cheers!

BREATH, RELAX, ENJOY

Breath, Relax, Enjoy - This is what seemed to come naturally for me in the month of March and I was really aware of it. I was self aware of many positive things in the month of March. I'm grateful for having the opportunity to slow down enough to notice. I enjoyed my practitioner vacation so much, that I decided I need to make them a more regular habit. I’m not sure my practitioners will agree, but they were all so supportive of this break.  I think it was the first of many to come and I feel like my body is ready and that I will be able to handle future breaks. I really just tried my best to do what felt right at any given moment in March and to really be in the moment. I of course continued with reading and research that pertained to my health. I think that has just naturally become a part of me and it is something I enjoy more now than I did a year or so ago. It doesn’t stress me out like it used to. This is what I call progress. 

I feel the vacation gave me an opportunity to really evaluate the avenues which are best for me in the future and which ones I need less of, but also knowing that this too can ebb and flow. It created a space for me to be able to step back and evaluate. It really helped me to create balance in my life and in my marriage. As busy as my hubby and I both are, the extra time allowed me to really be able to become more intimate with my hubby and to get to know him better if that is possible after 13 years. The month was not without its challenges, but I felt proud of myself at how well I handled the few minor stressors that arose in the month of March. I really did spread my wings and I flew... and I didn’t crash. FEW!!  

I am feeling fairly good and am hopeful that when the time comes to retest (next month), the H Pylori will be gone and I’ll be able to move on to healing my gut. I feel like healing my gut will be a huge hurdle in being able to feel really well most of the time. I really may have the luxury of being able to take these breaks more often. There is the chance that my hopes could be dashed, but for now I will revel in the moment, in the hope. "Live, Love, Laugh" – one of my favorite quotes for the moment and one that came up often for me over the past month. I was able to relax enough to even put aside some of my daily responsibilities a couple times in March because I simply didn’t have to be anywhere (other than work) and I didn’t have to be on my game and constantly prepared. AHHHH, so nice to let down the guard of constantly feeling like I have to be ahead of the game so I don’t fall behind or cannot get in bed on time. I even stayed up late a few times (10:30 is late for me) and I was able to go do my workout after work because I was able to sleep in and I didn’t have an appointment I had to be at after work…. So nice to be able to do this… but it also made me realize that I do better on a schedule of sorts. 

I suppose there is part of me that is excited to see my practitioners to tell them how well I did without them in March and not because I think they will see that as me rubbing it in their face, nor would that be my intention, but because they have all put in a lot of hard work on  me and because I think they will feel the joy that I am feeling, because they were an important part to helping me get to this point. It will be very important for me to thank them for this moment. For helping me to get to this point, I am so appreciative. So, for all the daunting things that I can think of that may need to be fixed in order for me to have better quality of life, it is this moment that makes thinking about that much easier and I know I won’t be alone in experiencing the challenges and the successes. Thank you to all the great practitioners out there that really just want their patients to be happy and healthy. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for understanding that compliance becomes difficult when a handful of practitioners are telling you what to do. We as patients sometimes must pick and chose what seems right for the moment because we know our bodies best. Thank you for still seeing that despite the difficulty to be compliant at times, we continue to try because we don’t want to disappoint anyone including ourselves and because we do want to be healthy and because you are the experts we turn to for help when nothing else makes sense. Thank you for all your unending support.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Well, Happy March = Mental Health Break Month!  I have a few different topics I would like to address in this post.

UPDATE ON PARASITES

On February 11th I was very sick. I had severe case of diarrhea and nausea and I was very weak and had no appetite. I stayed in bed all day. I got sick again on February 14th. I immediately thought for sure we had not gotten rid of the parasites, otherwise something was very wrong if we did. It made me very depressed to think we hadn't gotten rid of the parasites. Well, I got my lab work back February 16th. The good news was that we had eradicated the parasites. YAY! My joy was short lived. The bad news was that I traded them for something with very similar symptoms. I now have H. Pylori. The ugly is that this is a bacteria in the digestive tract that is linked with ulcers and certain types of cancer such as gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. It is a good thing we have caught this early on. I'm not currently at risk for ulcers and cancer from H. Pylori, but I certainly don't want it to hang out too long. The theory is that H. Pylori was probably hanging out in my system while I had the parasites and once the parasite moved out, the environment was perfect for the H. Pylori and they moved in. 

My lab work also indicates that my digestive health continues to be compromised and my good flora are not as balanced as they should be, but we cannot work on healing my gut until we get rid of all the unwanted bugs and bacteria. Not a huge surprise. That said, I'm in for another long 2 month protocol that I started today. I'll retest for H. Pylori after the 8 week protocol. It will take 3 weeks to get my lab work back after retesting. It is my doctors theory that I probably had a stomach virus that was going around when I got sick the week prior to my lab results. The good news is that the nausea and diarrhea are gone, but I have now had a severe sinus infection for 2 weeks. This is the first sinus infection that I've had in over a year, which is pretty good for me. I think perhaps the sinus infection and the stomach virus may be a result of the fact that I'm not currently on any antibiotic herbs and have not been since I retested back at the end of January. I believe because my gut is damaged and there is nothing protecting my immune system, I am much more vulnerable to catching whatever is being passed around. Needless to say, I'm very glad to get my new protocol started. I'm anxious to be that much closer to healing my gut.  As much as I am a proponent for Naturopathic medicine, there is nothing quick about it, but it definitely works and it gets at the root of the cause. So, once the H. Pylori is gone on the retest (fingers crossed), then we can start repairing my gut.

My entire system has been in a state of inflammation since I started the last protocol and has not remitted since. My Psoriasis is very flared and my Rheumatoid Arthritis is flared for the first time in many years. I've been having all kinds of skin reactions, but I feel confident that when the H. Pylori dies off, my system will have a much needed break and hopefully the inflammation will decrease. Here is a really great article on H. Pylori: H. pylori The good news is that I am told that H. Pylori is much easier to eradicate than parasites and much gentler protocol on the system..

Needless to say, getting my most recent lab result was bitter sweet. I definitely had a melt down… Can’t a girl get a break? It seems as soon as I get up I get knocked right back down. It is kind of the story of my life with all this stuff. I do get quite exhausted from continually battling all the issues and having been at this for more than 2 years I am really ready for a break. I cannot say that I'm feeling really great yet, but I hope that will be a different story in a month or so. As we continue to peel back the layers of the onion for underlying causes of all my symptoms related to my autoimmune issues I believe that I will experience some type of relief, I'm looking forward to that day.

I’m over my melt down now and ready to move on. The next topics of investigation will probably be Metal Toxicty and Lyme Disease depending on how I feel after the H. Pylori is eradicated and once we have a chance to heal my gut.  These are topics I don’t feel ready for yet. I’ve done some preliminary research and neither issue is easy to deal with. Most of what I’ve dealt with already will probably pale in comparison, so my hope is that they don’t exist in my body and that I won’t have to deal with either issue. 

Below is the protocol I used for getting rid of the parasites. Just because this protocol worked for me, does not mean that it will work for someone else. Every body is different. This is not in any way intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health professional before starting any kind of a new protocol.

PROTOCOL

Once my Naturopath had a suspicion that I had parasites we ran specific labs to find out if in fact I did have parasites. The labs are not cheap no matter where you have them done, but it is best to go with a lab whose testing is very sensitive to the detection of parasites or you could get a false negative. I used Metametrix and they test for the DNA of parasites. I believe it is the most sensitive and accurate lab testing currently on the market, but I suppose there could be others. It takes approximately 3 weeks to get results back. I suppose this is due to an incubation period of sorts. Once you have positive results for parasites, you have a couple of choices. Choices are the herbal approach, the antibiotic approach OR both herbal/antibiotic approach together. If you choose the antibiotic approach the lab work from Metametrix will indicate which antibiotics will be effective and which ones will not for the type of parasites that you have. I chose the herbal approach.

My protocol for one month was to take a high concentrated clinical dose of a complex formula of herbs that are effective at killing parasites. Some of those herbs included Wormwood, Black Walnut and Clove among others. In addition, I ate 2 Tbls of pumpkin seeds/day with the shell on. Pumpkin seeds and Pineapple are also effective at killing parasites. I also took a dose of Saccharomyces Boulardii every day. This helps to balance the good gut flora, which in turn helps to crowd out parasites and other unwanted guests. I also took a complex of digestive enzymes called Interface and a homeopathic remedy at bed time called Cina. I took buffered vitamin C as needed for nausea...

After 30 days of the above I had 2 weeks of a Mega ProBiotic formula that I took in addition to getting 3 colonics. The MegaProbiotics help to replace the good flora that are lost during a colonic.

After all that it was time to retest.

The protocol was tough on my body (lots of nausea, fatigue...) and it was also a strain on the wallet.

My protocol above was based on the advice of my Naturopathic Doctor. I greatly respect her. The Naturopathic approach seems to be one that works better for me in most cases.

If you think you have parasites, you should consider getting lab work done.

I hope my comments are helpful.

AARDA

I also wanted to tell you that March is National Autoimmune Awareness month. Please visit The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) at: AARDA

I was bummed because I missed the lecture presentation in Denver by one day, but there are ways that we can all support the organization. Support is important because AARDA is the only national nonprofit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases. Please look at some of the very real stories from "We Are 50 Million" that will touch your heart:  We Are 50 Million

Donations as minimal as $5.00 can be made to support AARDA at: Contribute

Or stay current with advocacy issues and write to your Senator at: Advocacy

This spring AARDA is organizing an AutoImmune walk in many cities across the nation. Consider organizing a walk in your city that will support AARDA. Link together for a cure and raise awareness: AutoImmune Walk

Support of organization like AARDA is so important if you or someone you know is suffering from an AutoImmune Disease. Research is so necessary as some of these diseases are so devastating and can be life threatening. Having one AutoImmune disease increases the risk of yet another one. If you are female the statistics show that risk is even higher.

Thanks for your interest and staying tuned in. I welcome any feedback or comments. I will certainly keep you posted on my progress. Enjoy the month of March as we embark on Spring and all things new/renewed. To Life!!

Just as a reminder the information on this blog does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with your own health care professional regarding any changes you would like to make to your own health care plan. None of the information on this blog is the expressed interest of or a recommended course of action by AutoImmune Girl. AutoImmune Girl shall have neither liability not responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information presented in this blog.