Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! This is certainly time to reflect on the past year and to look forward to what the new year will bring. It was definitely not a year without challenges, but that has offered opportunities to grow. I have really had the opportunity to learn how to put boundaries in place and to speak up for myself. This I believe is key in seeing improvement when you are chronically ill. Boundaries are much more important to health and well being when you are ill. I've done a good job at listening to myself and determining when something will expend too much energy or bring too much stress upon myself. Some of have lived with stress for such a long time that it is often difficult to see how it affects our health or how it can be a stumbling block to improvement. Saying "No" or setting limitations is imperative. Trust me, people will respect your boundaries if you firmly put them in place and do not make exceptions... and if they don't, then truly they are toxic to you anyway.

Finding your voice is part of setting boundaries... it requires that you speak up for your needs/wants. This one can be tough. I have found that I've been one of those individuals who has been agreeable most of my life... afraid to rock the boat and someone in there my voice became diminished. I've found that has been a huge dis-service to myself and to others. Speaking up for my needs is a number one priority for my continued improvement. Mind you, I've always seen myself as a strong, independent woman with her own opinions. Mostly that is true, but I found I haven't been as true to myself along the way at times and so... no more.

Looking to the new year,  I know that I will see some real improvement in my health and as a result, other areas of my life will flourish as well. I know there will be challenges, but I look forward to the growth that results from any challenge and I will continue to set boundaries and use my voice.

As for resolutions, I'm not much on new year's resolutions. I believe is there is an area of your life that requires change, then I embrace that and take the steps necessary to make that change happen. Along the way, there may be struggle to make change, which is not an opportunity to be hard on yourself, it is a learning opportunity and time to figure out how to support yourself in a different way, so that change is possible.

So, lets embrace 2015 and all that it will bring our way. If you feel changes need to be made, set yourself up for success and when you struggle, know that you are human and be gentle with yourself. Get back up and know that change is possible, sometimes we just have to look at change from a different angle. Here's to wishing you success with whatever your hopes and dreams are!

Happy New Year!

Paying it Forward

When you are chronically ill it typically "takes a village" of practitioners to help one stay well and keep the illness managed. This is no different for me and I want to take this time to thank all the very important practitioners in my life for never giving up on me and thinking of new options when the going got tough and simply being there for me. Thank you! I am grateful to have you in my life!

Now it is my turn to pay it forward. I have been diligently working on putting together a Lifestyle Consultation practice with a focus on chronically ill clients. It will give me the opportunity to work more closely with my husband who is a Chiropractor, but more importantly I will be so honored to work with folks who are struggling on their journey to become well. I'm so looking forward to helping them find their way to better health and to regain their lives so they no longer feel imprisoned by their illness. Life is full of challenges for everyone, but especially for those who are chronically ill and it is expensive to be chronically. You only have one life and it is worth investing in. I will be able to meet my clients where they are on their journey, because I have most certainly been there. It will be my pleasure to advocate for others and to empower others to regain a sense of well-being and ability to handle what life throws your way.

This is my logo and I will keep you posted as the website is completed, but for now I am available for consultation. I can be reached at: 303.539.9362 x2 or TheVitalBeet@gmail.com

On another note, my progress continues. We will likely do another heavy metal challenge in a few months to see where my toxic load is at and how long chelation must continue or if we reach a good stopping point. My protocol has been adjusted to remove some of the Lyme anti-microbials and some additions were made to continue opening up my methylation pathways, so that my cell continue to be better nourished. My body seems to be doing relatively well at fighting off acute illness. I've been around a few sick people this season and could typically count on getting sick and staying sick for a while in the past, but not the case this year. YAY!!!

I just want to say again, thank you to my readers, my practitioners and my loved ones. I appreciate your support through the years on this journey and the years to come. I'm looking forward to giving back. I have thousands of hours of research and real world clinical experience from the patient standpoint that will truly benefit those I will be helping. It is because of you that I am able to enter this next very exciting phase of my life!

Peace!

No More Tag

http://krishanson.deviantart.com/art/No-more-pain-Request-291205320

I am doing relatively well and seeing some improvements with my health. I say this while I am currently experiencing a flare-up. It can be quite difficult to remember how far I've come when there is a set-back/flare-up, but what I can tell you is that my body is truly doing much better at recovering more quickly from a flare-up and they are less severe. I hope that one day maybe they will be nearly non-existent.

I believe that the cycles of oral chelation are what is causing the frequent flare-ups as it is moving metals from my body. I now get excruciating headaches that can wipe me out while I'm on a chelation cycle. I think this may be fairly common with chelation. Fortunately I don't get them every time I chelate, but this is something that is becoming more common for me and was a rare symptom prior to chelation, so this is something I will discuss with my doctor mid-month. There may be something I can do to lessen the severity or frequency.

 

Great news! I had minor surgery to finally have the titanium tag removed from my right breast that was placed about 8 years ago. All my doctors were in support of having it removed due to the frequent problems that were occurring in the right breast. When my doctor removed the tag she showed me exactly why she thought I had been experiencing so many infections, pain and other issues. My body had grown a capsule of tissue around the tag and had actually been rejecting the tag. As it turns out, that particular tag is no longer being made and it was made of an alloy, so my body could have been reacting to some other metal and not the titanium. This may have been why I had mastitis shortly after I had started chelation. The mastitis was located in the same quadrant where the tag was located. Case in point… This is a very important reminder that you know your body best. All my doctors including me are so thankful that I no longer have that tag in my body. Amazing what a miniscule piece of metal can do. Imagine the problems I would have had if it had been a larger implant like a hip replacement or some other type of joint replacement. My body has a big enough battle without adding foreign objects to the mix. The good news is that I am 2 weeks post removal and I'm in far less pain.

 

This has also been an important reminder that I need to have my fillings replaced. My hope is to do this over the course of the next 6 months. This will be a costly process and one that will require great care as I do not want to increase my toxic load of metals. Whoever decided that mercury in any amount was safe for the body was so sadly mistaken, though I'm preaching to the choir here. The health of our mouth can be a critical indicator of the health of our bodies. This is a crucial point that most Doctor's miss when treating chronically ill individuals.

 

As for my mental state, I would say I am holding up very well and I think 2015 is when I will see some real improvement. Mid-February will be about 6 months of oral chelation with DMSA. This will be a good time for me to take stock of how effective chelation is for me and perhaps there will be re-testing between now and then to see how my toxic load has changed. I am hopeful that I will see some very apparent progress by then.

 

I will be attending a nature retreat in which I will have an opportunity to bury some stumbling blocks that are holding me back from reaching my full potential. I think it is important to visualize what may be holding me back and to be able to also visualize letting go of whatever that might be… whether it is money, a job, an unhealthy relationship… whatever, now is the time to let go. Fall is a great time to do this. I expect that it will help me to feel I have the space and time that I need to move forward with progress. I believe this will also be beneficial as I enter my new journey to become a Lifestyle Educator. I'm learning new things and attending seminars taught by doctors regarding successful treatments for Autoimmunity, Chronic Lyme and taking into consideration genetic predisposition, epigenetics, nutri-genomics and lifestyle/behavior changes. All of this will help me to have a well-rounded view and perspective with the most chronically ill that seek out my help along their journey. It will be my pleasure  to hold their hand along their journey and to support them as they grow and learn about their own health and how to become well.

 

Until next time… Happy Fall!

Not Your Normal Reaction

We live in an ever increasing toxic world. That said, most of us are toxic to a certain degree, but those with chronic illness and in particular with autoimmune diseases, these individuals typically have a high toxic burden. This is primarily because their bodies have more complication with eliminating toxins. This is where genetics can play a really important role because methylation pathways are key in eliminating toxins. If there are genetic SNPs these become a stumbling block unless you have the proper set of keys to unlock these SNPs being very specific supplementation to support the body's natural processes that have been stopped by a set of genes that have been passed down. It is possible to help the body that is more challenged by detox processes.

I am chelating with oral DMSA because of an abnormal toxic load of Mercury, Lead and others. These are commonly found in autoimmune patients and Lyme patients. I was told by my doc prior to my heavy metal challenge that he had only ever seen one autoimmune patient that didn't have a heavy metal burden that was abnormal. I'm thankful to have a doctor who is taking into account my personal genetic SNPs alongside my oral chelation. Most doctors just chelate without giving consideration to genetic SNPs. Why do I think this is such an important consideration? Because chelation lowers the immune system. Strengthening and opening up my methylation pathways will be key in helping my body to detox and eliminate properly so that my immune system can remain strong. Even still my immune system will likely get a run for its money while I am chelating.

I had Mastitis a couple of weeks ago - very painful. Moms out there may be able to relate. This is the strange and rare thing… this is usually an infection that a breast feeding mother would contract. I'm not a mom, at least not to a human and I'm not breast feeding either, but then this is me we are talking about. I'm not the norm.  I had a biopsy many years ago for a recurrent issue in my right breast. It is common that they place a titanium tag with a biopsy for easy relocation of a problem area. That said, I am one of those rare individuals whose body is not happy with the titanium. Titanium is typically a benign metal for "most" people. I'm not most people. I've contemplated having it removed for several years because it has caused much excruciating pain among a number of other problems. I thought perhaps the oral chelation might have been the cause of the irritation and yes it was likely my immune system being lowered from chelation that opened me up to infection but not from loosening of the titanium from the tissue. DMSA has a higher affinity for Mercury and Lead. Titanium is much lower on the list if at all for DMSA chelation. All things considered I believe it may be time to remove the tag.

Mercury Amalgam   http://www.drchrispatten.com/heavy-metal-toxicity/

That leads me to the consideration of also having my amalgam fillings replaced with a more bio compatible material and so that my amalgams are not adding insult to injury with the oral chelation. I'll have to budget for this and perhaps consider one filling at a time. When the time comes to replace the fillings my doc will adjust chelation protocols before and after the procedure to mitigate any additional Mercury poisoning, which is a common occurrence after having amalgam fillings removed. Even if the procedure is done by a Bio Dentist in an extremely safe manner, this can still be a potential problem, but is less likely.

In addition to a lowered immune system with chelation, individuals with a propensity toward Candida overgrowth will likely experience an increase while chelating. This is something that is happening with me, so I will complete another 5 day course of Nystatin and Diflucan as needed. I also had to take a course of Cephalexin antibiotics for the Mastitis. We all know that antibiotics can also increase the overgrowth of Candida, so now it is up to me to eat well and get my rest during this cold and flu season that may bring me some challenges.





The great news or the upside of the antibiotics is that it killed off some of the Lyme and although Cephalexin is in the Penicillin family, I never got hives. I have to attribute that to my really smart doc who took into consideration a particular genetic SNP that I have, the particular antibiotic I was on and helped me by increasing certain minerals and supplements while on the course of antibiotics and for 5 days following, so that my body would be less likely to have my typical allergic reaction. Yay for no hives! Thanks doc!

Despite the Mastitis and also a flare up with my neck pain, my body seems to recover more quickly than it has in the past and it seems to be more readily using the tools and information I am giving it. I'm hopeful that one day soon I'll be writing about "turning the corner" and I'll be thrilled to share that with all of you.

There are not a lot of practitioners out there that have a strong understanding of epigenetics and nutrigenomics, but genes are so key if you are chronically ill and not seeing any improvement with your effort. So, if you find yourself struggling with a chronic health issue and never really seeing much improvement for your efforts, it might be time to consider empowering yourself with the knowledge of your own genetic SNPs and finding someone who understands how that information can actually help you to get well.

Cheers to your health!

Seasons of Change - What Are You Grateful For?

As we are closing in on the end of this year, I cannot help but think that this was a year I had such high hopes for and though there have been good things this year is has been a year full of challenges and a sprinkle of turmoil, but there in lies where growth happens. Who knew I'd still be growing in my ripe age... Ah, and this is my birth month no less. This month marks many memories, good and bad. September is also when my grandfather and my sister were born. I have fond memories of the three of us sharing our birthdays together while growing up. Birthdays seem far less special as we age, but not any less important. I'm grateful for so many things and I have high hopes for what the future holds. That said, we all experience pain to different degrees. Today I am reflecting on the past year as this is a day we had to make the tough decision to relinquish our baby Elsa to a wonderful no-kill shelter that specializes in Special needs dogs like Elsa. We came to the conclusion that we were just not equipped to care for her properly -- emotionally, mentally, physically and financially. She is in a place where her needs will properly be met and they will help her to get well and once she is better then they will adopt her to the right family. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one. We will miss her. I feel good knowing that we a saved her life and I think we were meant to be a stopping point for her to live through the meningitis and get her stable enough. I know she'll go to a wonderful family once she is well. She deserves a good life and I know she will get that. MaxFund is a very special place that is often a last resort for animals that need them the most. Kudos to MaxFund and we'll be volunteering there real soon. Ah, and this also marks nearly 1 year since Jack passed. My sweet 12 year old Dre has been through two losses now, but he's a real trooper and seems to be hanging in there. I'm sure it won't be long before he realizes that he's getting all the attention and that we will spoil him. I've dealt with health issues, job instability, no being able to go back to school as planned, sick dogs, crazy unexpected expenses, the floods and so much more in the past year, and yet I am so grateful we were blessed to have little Elsa grace us with her presence as part of our family even if it was only for 6 months. I'm grateful we still have Dre. I'm grateful to be making good progress with my new doctor (though not without its challenges), I'm grateful to have job prospects and people that reach out to me, I'm grateful for my family that came to visit and for my dear sweet hubby. I'm grateful his practice is growing and grateful I have a passion to help others through health and wellness coaching. I have plans for the future, but have learned to remain as relaxed and easy going as possible because life throws you curve balls from time to time that can hit you on the side of the head when you least expect it. I'm here to soldier on and I will leave this world a better place than I found it. That seems to be the biggest goal I have in life and it is achievable with small gestures and by taking baby steps. I've learned to take things in stride. I've learned to experience my pain for what it is and not to fight it, but also not to wallow in it. 
I feel it...
I learn...
I get back up on my feet...
I move on...

Happy Fall!

It has been a challenging year, but  I've learned so much. I embrace those lessons and take them with me.  As we enter my favorite season, Fall, I will be looking ahead with hope, yet living in every moment. 

I'll keep you posted on my progress with chelation and progesterone and anything that changes with my protocol. For sure there are still kinks to be worked out, but all in all seem to be on the path.

What are you grateful for?

Peace out my peeps! I hope you read this in good health.

Heavy Metal and I'm Not Talking 80s Hair Bands

image from vulture.com

Wow! I cannot believe it is already August. What a whirlwind Spring and Summer it has been. I suspect I will be very grateful once Fall is upon us. It is my favorite season. Things are finally settling down somewhat. Elsa is stable and she will be on Prednisone for another 5 months. By then she will be almost 14 mos old. We're discovering that she isn't going to be a very large dog despite being a cross between German Shepard and Bernese Mountain dog, which is fine by us. She still experiences pain, but not near the pain she had back in June. I look forward to titrating the Prednisone down and eventually getitng her off of it so that we can really strengthen her immune system, but in the mean time we are adding fermented fish stock and raw goats milk to her food, which seems to be helping both our dogs and they love it. Stinky, but good!

On the job front I have a little breathing room for now as some things have shifted and I'm able to keep my full time hours. Thank goodness. I don't do well with financial stress. That said, this has been a time of reflection and figuring out what my purpose on this planet is for this phase of my life. The truth is I actually know what that is I just need to make some steps toward that. The recent upheaval at work also meant that I had to drop my classes that I was going to take this Fall. My classes would be starting in a couple weeks, but alas that is no more. It is on hold for now or until I can find a relatively good online program. I'm really looking forward to being a Wellness Coach and helping people who are chronically ill or who want to try to prevent chronic illness, those who are motivated to be well, but just need the guidance. I will make this a possibility because it is something I'm faced with every day and I constantly have people asking me for advice and I'm passionate about helping. It makes my soul happy and that is how I know that I cannot ignore this call from the universe. 

My health is finally on the right track, but I still have much progress to make. My new doc is really great. I finally got over the herxheimer that lasted almost 3 weeks. I'm feeling pretty good, yet I know I'm going to feel even better in the future. My new doc started me on a regimen that focuses on opening up my methylathion pathways, which seems to be quite effective in my case due to the specific Genetic SNPS that I have. I am on a multitude of separate B Vitamins, as she said it, I'm being marinated in B Vitamins and not just any. They are specific clinical grade from Thorne that take into consideration my MTHFR mutation discussed in previous blogs. In addition I'm on Iron, Vitamin A (as Palmitate) because my body cannot use other forms of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Citramins (a multi-mineral), Magnesium CitraMal, Curaphen (for inflammation)... this one makes a huge difference, seveal probiotics that I rotate and several herbal/mineral remedies that are natural antibiotics against the Lyme. In addition I am on a low/no Amylose diet, which is great for individuals with biotoxin illnesses. My workouts are more geared toward resistance training as more aerobic activity in my case can actually be counterproductive for my needs. This one is a difficult one to get used to, but so far, so good. 

In addition to the new protocol I've had several labs run over the past 1 1/2 months. I've been through hormone testing, additional biotoxin testing and a heavy metal challenge with I.V. drip. I've learned that I'm likely in peri-menopause and so I will be starting supplementation with some progesterone over the next few months because I am estrogen dominant and my estrogen to progesterone ratio is out of whack. I was never in to 80s hair bands, but I also found out that I have heavy metal toxicity that is mostly attributed to Lead and Mercury, but there are others, so I will be starting oral chelation with DMSA. This type of chelation will take quite some time, but I should begin to see a noticeable impact in a positive way with my symptoms. These are both road blocks that need to be removed and will help all other efforts to become much more effective. This is not to say that there won't be another herx or other set backs along the way, but I look forward to overall improvement and moving forward with progress.

I hope you are enjoying your summer. Fall will be here before we know it. Cheers!

Set Backs Are Part of the Journey

I suspect many of you can relate to my title and this is an appropriate title as June came to a close and July began. Set backs are part of life for anyone, but even more so for those who are living with chronic illness. Vacation seems like it is in the distant past at this point. We spent a week in Mission Bay San Diego the first week in June. It was a truly relaxing and enjoyable vacation despite spending the entire vacation with a costochondritis flare up that is still hanging on over a month later. It was one of the worst flare-ups I've had in a long time and put a damper on some of the things we had planned, but the upside was that it truly forced us to relax. We spent plenty of time just chilling on the beach and I was even able to ride my beach cruiser for a few days thanks to Kinesio tape and my awesome hubby who is a chiropractor. Getting adjusted was either hit or miss on one day it would help while on the next it would flare me up again. We had several dinners with friends and family and even a lovely romantic dinner for two at a fabulous Spanish tapas restaurant. Paella... yummy! We even slept in almost every day. What a wonderful luxury. Ahhhhh..... We even had a couple days at home getting back on schedule before going back to the grind.

After a few days at home, the craziness which became June ensued. Elsa became extremely sick. She almost died. After five days of touch and go in and out of the vet and eventually in the ER overnight with a Neurologist consult, we discovered she has Meningitis in addition to all the additional illnesses (Demedox, Pyroderma, Spay Incontinence, andother UTI, Erlichia (Lyme related) ...) She is now on several medications and doing much better. We have since discovered that Meningitis is more common in Bernese Mountain dogs (of which is part of her mix) under the age of 12 mos. Good new sis that she is doing better and once she is off all the nasty meds, we'll be working on supporting and strengthening her immune system. She is really my dog. We're not sure how we ended up with her, but we did and we're so glad she made it through. Here is a picture of her with her goggles on while getting a laser treatment, which she seems to love. These treatments make her feel good.

About a week later, we learned that our landlord would be increasing our rent by about 11% with only a 30 day notice. Despite the fact that we have been good tenants that pay on time and take care of the house like it is our own and we've been here for 3 years, she emailed this decision to us telling us that she is essentially raising the rent because she can... AND yes she can... We frantically searched for a new place to keep our rent under control, but quickly realized after the unexpexted expenses with Elsa, we were in no position to take on the expenses of moving in 30 days, so essentially we are stuck. AWESOME!!! YAY!!

To add insult to injury, the same day of the email from the landlord I was told that two of our staff in the office I work in were cut to part-time, one more would be eliminated by end of July and my hours will be cut in half by end of July if our numbers as a whole do not improve. That said, it is not the end of the world and as much as I relish the idea of working part-time, this will bring financial hardship. Oh, Good... That was number 3 and I won't allow anymore hits. This is all my adrenals can take and being able to afford my health expenses will soon become a challenge on top of 2 of the most expensive months to date with my own health.

Needless to say the stress has been quite a wallop all at once and has been taxing on my adrenals. I initially thought that the widespread pain and exhaustion (among other symptoms) was my body's response to all that has transpired, but I truly feel I'm taking things in stride and it has been a while since I've experienced a herx and I truly believe I've been having a herx from my new protocol for the past 2 1/2 weeks. Lovely... The good news is that I only have about another 1 1/2 weeks until I complete the meds that I think I am herxing from. There is an end in sight.

Ahhh I know there is some nugget of wisdom I am going to glean out of all of this, but at the moment it all seems like some sick joke.

My spirits at this moment are unbelievably good in spite of all that has happened. I really wanted to share my comprehensive protocol in this post, but until I'm feeling better and I have a little less stress on my plate I think it is best that I hold off for now. I can tell you this that we are treating for biotoxins with Cholestyramine and Actos and my new doc is fairly confident that MARCoNS is part of my picture. Here are a couple of helpful posts, one on Cholestyramine and Actos:  Cholestyramine
MARCoNS

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all your support and for those of you experiencing your own set backs, my heart goes out to you. Chin up! The best is yet to come.

New Doctor and My Plea for Help

YAY for wonderful doctors! I know that it is early to tell or judge, but I’m so happy with my new  doctor. I flew to Seattle to meet her for my first appointment. It was a beautiful 70 degree day in May. She is so smart and her ideas make so much sense to me. Though it has been a very expensive month, I think it will prove to be well worth it. I’m so thrilled that she sees the genetic piece as very key to my improvement. That is the way I see it too.  I’m so excited to keep you posted on my progress and will share protocols once I have a better understanding of how everything is playing out. There is one thing that my readers may be able to help me with. 

On a side note, my new doc would like me to take a specific probiotic that could really help me to improve the only thing is that it is not available in the US. It can only be purchased with a Canadian, Australian or German address. ANYONE willing to help? I will pay. Please contact me at Hashi.Madness@gmail.com

This probiotic could potentially make a huge difference in my life. I'd be eternally grateful to anyone willing to help out.

Our sweet baby Elsa...Zzzzzzz

We’ve had unexpected expenses with our new puppy, Elsa as she is turning out to be a special needs puppy with a lowered immune system (she had Demodox, UTI, and now Pyroderma and Spay Incontinence). Of course she is my dog. We love her and she is part of the family and we’ll get this all figured out and manageable, but in the mean time it has been some sleepless nights and a fair amount of frustration. I hope my adrenals don't fry. I know we’ll eventually be able to look back at this as a blip on the screen and she is going to turn out to be a great doggie.  Our other dog really loves her, though she really wears him out at times. He is 12, so he needs a bit a of a break from the crazy puppy from time to time, but all in all he is attached to her. We'll be getting her some acupuncture and Chinese herbs once she gets over her latest hiccup with Pyroderma.

So back to wonderful doctors and the debate of younger vs older doctors. Both have their pluses and minuses. I had been thinking… most of my doctors tend to be younger (30s/40s ish) and I have to say this, even though they don’t necessarily have the years of experience that older docs typically have, they typically have a fire in their belly and the drive to get to the root of things. If something doesn’t work they always seem to have a Plan B or they are willing to come up with one. This is not to say that there are not older docs out there how have the same fire in their belly. When you have a complicated chronic illness it is so important to have doctors who are willing and able to venture into uncharted territory even if it is a little uncomfortable. It can make all the difference in the world. I’m not saying that older docs don’t do this, but I think most err on the side of tried and true, but that doesn’t work for every patient, hence why I believe more and more that the genetic piece is so important especially the role it plays in chronic illness.  Okay, I’ll get off my soap box now and hopefully I haven’t offended anyone. I think both doctors young and old play a very important role. I feel fortunate to have the wonderful team of practitioners that I have.

I’ll be on vacation this week in Mission Bay. YAY! Cannot wait to tell you about it. I need some time to relax as May has been a very hectic month. Wishing you all a wonderful Spring and a great beginning to Summer!

Knowing When it is Time to Move on or Make a Change

It has been quite the month of change for me in so many ways. I had to fire one of my doctors and hire a new one. I gave my 3 year notice at work, yes you read that correctly, 3 year… I will be returning to school in the fall on a part-time basis for a Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Therapeutics and Wellness Coaching and I completed a brutally intense clinical fast. Few!

So, I didn’t come to the conclusion quickly or lightly that I had to let my Lyme doctor go. The truth is that this individual is a good doctor, but at this time in their life there is a lot going on personally (things that I as the patient should not know about, but that this person divulged to me) and I began to recognize that the doctor’s plate was too full to provide the quality of patient care that I’ve come to expect from any doctor. Doctors should never throw-up their personal frustrations on their patients. Everyone is human and I feel it is the practitioner’s responsibility to realize when they have too much life going on that it is interfering with quality of care… to be humble enough to know when to cut back on patient load, because it isn’t fair to the patient if the practitioner is unable to be fully present (and of sound mind). This is typically when a doctor’s ego comes into play and it is usually the patient that needs to take charge and call it quits. I began to feel uncomfortable as some things were beginning to fall through the cracks and I realize that Lyme is too complicated a disease to feel uneasy about the person in charge of guidance in that area. Sadly I had to part ways and did so as professionally as possible. I had hope for a similar response, but unfortunately I think ego got in the way and my former doctor tried to lay blame elsewhere and made some shocking accusations. This just served to solidify my justification in firing the doctor.  Good Lyme doctors are hard to come by and I initially felt trapped and destined to continue the doctor patient relationship that had become subpar. Fortunately I have other really great doctors who were able to make recommendations. It will be an expensive transition, but worth it. I will be flying out of state in a couple of weeks to meet with my new doctor for the first time. Once I meet with her face to face she will be able to provide phone consultations. I encourage those of you who may be questioning the quality of care you are receiving to listen to your gut and to have the strength to make tough decisions, because it is your health and you need to be comfortable with those who are caring for you. 

Giving my notice to my boss, although nerve racking, was a very freeing experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better more supportive response from her. She is willing to be flexible with my school schedule and we’ll communicate if it ever becomes too much. I’m so excited about school and thrilled that I am in an office full of supportive women on this next journey in my life. I cannot wait to help others with all the knowledge I will gain and I’m hoping to gain extra training in the area of genetics (nutrigenomics / epigenetics) as I believe this will be key in the growth of healthcare and wellness because it can be so personalized.

Last, but certainly not least was the clinical fast. I’ve done many fasts in the past that have been partial water/juice, but nothing like what I just completed. I started preparing for the fast by eating a raw/vegan diet with the exception of fish 3 days prior, followed by 3 days of juice, then 3 days of deionized water, followed by 3 days of juice and finally breaking the fast with 4 small meals of steamed veggies and then slowly and methodically reintroducing food. My vitals were constantly monitored during the water fast and let me tell you this fast was one of the more brutal experiences to go down in the books. I can say this, I would never do this kind of fast in my own home ever again for fear I would end up divorced or worse. My experience was very different from most and one that the doctors want to investigate a little further as some of my response/reactions/symptoms were not typical. That is typical for me – bucking the norm. ha! Leave it to me to throw off the standard. The first 4 ½  days seemed like a piece of cake and then the detox kicked in and I was a goner after that and not at all myself. I felt like I might go insane and the hunger pangs (not normal on water fast usually) were relentless and like nothing most of us experience on a daily basis. By the 3rd day of water, my blood pressure, pulse and temp had all increased (the opposite affect that this typically has on most individuals)… making my doctor nervous, but they started to come down by late evening, a good sign. Apparently depending on what the body is ridding itself of, the heart can become irritated. Good thing that almost everything normalized by the first day back on juice and the second day of food reintroduction. Being back on juice the first day was like regaining a whole bunch of energy, but then my intestines dumped a whole bunch of bile and it was diarrhea city until solid food was introduced. The diarrhea wiped me out. I went through a range of emotions, which is fairly typical and a range of symptoms. I won’t be doing this again anytime soon, but I am glad I did it. I reduced my toxic load and a nice side effect is that we’ve managed to reset my oh so sluggish metabolism. Thank goodness. My weight is finally moving in the right direction and I will keep you posted.

WARNING! DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR OWN. I was guided and coached and checked on by trained doctors. This is not for everyone. I’m a tough cookie with an unusually strong will power that was almost broken by this fasting experience…. But I did it and I made it through and I’m so glad.  We ran my labs and I cannot wait to get the results. Stay tuned!

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Spring!!!! Here’s to you and whatever you are working on or changing in your life! I’m proud of you.

My Genetic Journey

I recently consulted with a doctor who focuses on functional medicine and biochemistry with particular knowledge in epigenetics and nutrigenomics. There are very few individuals with this type of expertise as these areas of study (epigenetics and nutrigenomics) are so new. My main focus was to have him review overall symptoms related to my genetic SNPs report. He reviewed some recent labs, my current supplement and lifestyle regimen and coupled that with the overall symptom picture. In most cases I would not have invested the time or money. Trust me, it was not an inexpensive consult ($350 for initial consult/$150 for follow up, OUCH!), but it is truly my feeling that the most progress has been made with my complicated case since we have started to scratch the surface with addressing my genetic SNPs and I wanted an expert to weigh in (mind you, I don’t think anyone is an expert in this area of practice yet due to how new these areas are, but some are more so than others because they have chosen to focus their efforts here). I believe that opening up my methylation pathways has made a key difference in everything else that we are doing including treating the Lyme. I just wish we had done something like this sooner. It is the first time in three years that I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I’m not feeling like things are “sort of working,” I know that they are and it is not just because of one thing that we are doing. I truly believe that what the future holds for complicated cases will be amazing and it already is because personalized medicine is becoming a very real thing. It is my hope that when I go back to school that I will be exposed to learning more about genetic mutations and how to address them effectively, because I hope to help others one day feel like they too can lift the cloud they have always lived under.  All this aside, I have to give true kudos to all my practitioners who started the effort in the first place and who encouraged genetic testing and who have been doing some things that are really right no matter how complicated. This is very leading edge stuff (my technical term, Ha!) in medicine.

The added benefit of talking with this doctor is that he has Chronic Lyme too, so not only was he very understanding of my case, but he was really was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together for me with regard to my specific genetic SNPs. Though, he admits he is not an expert on Lyme. I have a heterozygous HLA mutation, which means it is extremely difficult for me to clear biotoxins from my body. He made several protocol suggestions including a Lipid Exchange protocol that I believe will be helpful and I’m hoping that my Naturopaths are open to some of his ideas. I may not have agreed with everything and my NDs may not either, but I came away from the consult feeling like he had definitely added value and good insight.

On another note I will be starting my clinical fast this month, so wish me luck. I hope that I will have good news for you on the results. If nothing more, I know I will feel good. I always feel good after a fast.

I know there will still be bumps in the road, but I’m so grateful for my wonderful unwavering practitioners who have supported me along the way and continue to support me. I know that I still have a long road ahead, but I look forward to what the future holds and I’m hopeful that my body will one day function as it was meant to with just a little help on my part. We’re getting there!

What Do I have in Common with Plum Island?

About a year ago in my own research about Lyme disease, prior to my diagnosis I tried to uncover any rock that would shed light on Lyme disease. I did this because I was almost certain that I would be diagnosed with Lyme disease. There were several practitioners whom thought Lyme was likely part of my picture. Needless to say, when the diagnosis was actually made, in some strange way it actually brought a sense of relief. It made so much sense with everything that was going on with me, my symptoms and my history.

Part of doing research is finding both sides of the story and trying to cut through all the BS or crap and making sure that your findings or conclusions are based on sound sources. Research doesn't always reveal the most pleasant findings. I remember something I stumbled across about Lyme and it goes a little something like this... There is a beautiful pristine island located off of Long Island, called Plum Island, but what goes on there is not so beautiful and pristine. Human visitors are generally not welcome on Plum Island with the exception of the few biologists that are employed there. The island serves as the Animal Disease Control Center and is currently owned by the Department of Homeland Security. There is a serious conspiracy theory that this island is where Lyme was produced by our own government in addition to West Nile virus and a whole host of other biological germs. … so you see this is what Plum Island and I have in common. 

Plum Island - Lab 257

I discovered there is a book about this conspiracy called LAB 257 authored by Michael Christopher Carroll. He spent several years researching Plum Island and was able to visit the island and its labs on several occasions until he was no longer welcome once it was discovered what his intentions were. He is an attorney with a personal interest. Several months after discovering that this book exists I saw a documentary about the very subject of Plum Island and the connection to Lyme and several other biological germs that aired on the Discovery Channel. I had avoided ordering LAB 257 because I wasn't quite sure I could deal with the anger and frustration that would likely surface from reading such a book given that I have chronic Lyme disease. Yet, recently something told me that I was finally ready. I ordered the book and have only read a few pages, but from what I can tell in the short amount I have read is that it seems to be a carefully written and well researched book with resources to back the findings. So far it is chilling and disturbing. At the very least it could be a bunch of BS, but at least I'll be more informed on the subject from someone else's point of view. It is an interesting conspiracy and may not be that far fetched. I can only imagine what kind of biological catastrophes could be on the horizon.

I'm glad to live in this country despite knowing that our government doesn't always conduct itself in a manner in which it protects its citizens. This is one of those times I have to ask, “What if?” and What can I do?” Plum island is one of those places that I think our government would rather the majority not know about. Check out this article and the video included:  NewsDay.com

Here is the press release that Discovery Channel sent out prior to airing the show: Press.Discovery.com

Candida and the Repurcussions of Antibiotics

I'm not one who is much for resolutions. I feel if you need to change something, then simply change it, but don't wait for the new year to make it happen. That is just a recipe for high stress and failure in my opinion... but I do like to reflect on the past as each new year roles around. It is good to remember where you have come from. As with any year 2013 had its share of good and bad, but I have to say that I really feel like progress has been made with my health and I intuitively feel that 2014 will be a good year for making strides in my health as well. 

I'm feeling better since my last post, but wanted to share the double edged sword that antibiotics bring, which is why I really hold out and typically don't use them except as a last resort. I'm sure this post will ring true for many of you. I am very susceptible to Candida overgrowth and while on antibiotics I began to crave sugar like crazy. One of the tell tail signs of Candida overgrowth. Also, because I was on Amoxicillin, which is in the Penicillin family, my body can only tolerate so much. I am allergic to penicillin and I ended up with hives near the end of my treatment. Oh, goodie!! Anyway, it was the lesser of two evils as the other antibiotic option listed "snapping tendons" as a possible side affect. Uh, sign me up... NOT. So I picked my poison and I knew it was highly likely I would end up with hives. The interesting thing is that because of the methylation pathways that we've worked on clearing, I was actually able to tolerate far more than the last time I had to take Amoxicillin and my body cleared the hives much quicker in 3 days vs. 3 weeks. Anyway, I am now on the herbal detox for Candida and it is working for sure. I've had miserable nausea and severe diarrhea, but I think I'm nearly past that point and I have 3 more weeks left on this treatment. Bye, bye Candida. The treatment is high in Allicin, which is high in sulfer and that means not so good with my CBS mutation. I have to take Molybdenum to help counteract the effects of the sulfer. A little Activated Charcoal seems to help too. Anyway, I know the Candida die-off symptoms are temporary. I've been down this road before.

I saw my Lyme ND at the end of January and treatments for the co-infections are progressing very well at this point. I'm able to increase my dosage of the herbal tinctures I'm on and the goal is to get to 50 drops of each per day. I'm currently at 34drops per day and hope to reach my goal by mid-March given there are no bumps in the road.  Once I'm there we will switch to a stronger formula, but in the meantime I have to keep an eye on what my Dr. thinks may be an additional co-infection, Babesia. I've been getting night sweats and no I'm not perimenopausal. In addition to some brain fog that still hangs around and is typical that is shows up in the afternoon. If this all persists, we'll have to treat the Babesia in the others we are already treating. Eventually we'll move on to adding Artemisinin and others to address the Lyme. We'll also do a heavy metals challenge following my fast that is scheduled for April. 

In the meantime while I'm anxious about starting the fast I've taken almost all carbs out of my diet with the exception of 5 grams timed at 5 hour intervals. My body seems to be liking this and my hope is to kill two birds with one stone. I'm trying to starve the Candida and use my fat stores at the same time without upsetting the glycogen/insulin balance. This should regulate my blood sugar and not provide excess sugar for the Candida to feast on.

Not only am I looking forward this year to making inroads my health, but I'm excited and can feel it in my bones when I think of going back to school. Sounds crazy I know, but the program is Integrative Therapies and I hope to complete the degree with a foundation in Nutrition. I look forward to continuing to help others in the future by putting some real book knowledge under my belt in addition to my own life experiences. My hope is to be enrolled before the end of 2014.

How are you doing? I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you'd like to know about in future posts. 

Happy early Valentine's day!

Cheers to 2014 and Improved Health in the New Year!

I'm 3 weeks in with a bug I've been fighting. At this point I'm just ready to be done. I even threw in the towel a week ago and tried conventional route with antibiotics, which actually helped me to improve, but not 100%. The worst part is the ear infection, which make me feel like I'm walking around with a fish bowl on my head. That said, this is the first time I've really had a serious acute illness in a year. That is a really good thing and I can tell my body is really trying to fight this thing, it just takes longer for me and the downside is that I may have to try another antibiotic. This is not my favorite thing to do because I run the rick of Candida overgrowth amongst other things. I have a good plan in place for preventative measures.

Ok, enough about the acute illness. I recently got my labs back that look at my environmental exposure and toxic levels. Environmental toxins are known as the "obese makers" and may be a contributor to my weight gain and inability to loose. My tests were pretty good with the exception of Parabens. I'm someone that has taken measures to really reduce my toxic exposures, but the last piece is my makeup and hairspray. It is one of the toughest transitions for most women. I'm ready though. I recently ordered make-up by Tarte and so far so good other than removing the make-up. I'm not sure why it seems to be more difficult to remove this make-up, but my new challenge is to find a good make-up remover. In addition to switching out my make-up I am supplementing with Siliphos and Glycine, which will help protect my liver and kidneys as well as indirectly build my Glutathione levels and coleus forskohlii which will help with thyroid hormone production and fat metabolism including the removal of toxic fat, which is where the body stores parabens and other environmental toxins, hence the "obese makers."  So, I've started my protocol recently and I'm hopeful that it will help with the fasting process that is planned for spring.

I've recently developed Tennis Elbow, which is annoying and makes it difficult for me to do my weight lifting regimen. I have resorted to Ultrasound with my chiropractor and hope that it will be as effective as it was with my plantar fasciitis in the past. 

I will also meet with my Lyme ND later this month for next steps, but so far so good on this protocol. I recently started Curaphen, which has given me a better quality of life. My overall chronic pain issues are significantly better as a result.

I am so hopeful about improvement with my health in 2014 and as a result I'm hopeful I'll be abe to do some things that I've been wanting to do for quite some time. I'm even toying with the notion of going back to school part-time for Integrative Therapies. My fingers are crossed that this may become a reality as crazy as it sounds to go back to school once again.

I hope this post finds you well and I hope 2014 will bring out the best you yet!