Just talked to my doctor about the heavy metal test results -- there are 3 ranges: toxic, elevated, acceptable -- I had aluminum, cadmium, and lead all register in the toxic range closely followed by (doctor said borderline) nickel, thorium, and uranium. Nothing else was worth mentioning as they fell in the acceptable region.
Insurance covers treatment for lead poisoning only, but the treatment works on the other metals as well and will just require a co pay every treatment (much better than $250 per treatment)plus there is the added benefit that the chelating agent is run on hydrogen peroxide.
I will have about 50 treatments called Short Chelation over a minimum of 2 hours (the longer the hydrogen peroxide is run the better as this is the oxygenation that will kill off the viruses and Lyme disease over time), EDTA will be the chelating agent. Here is an article on the use of EDTA for Lead Poisoning.
I will get 7 treatments in while my parents are here then I'll go down to the minimum of 1 a week for the rest of the year, as I'll have to drive myself and make arrangements for childcare for my youngest.
I am really hoping that the rest of the treatments can be done locally once my reaction is determined and my thyroid medicine is regulated. Please pray I can move treatments locally -- that is less time for my youngest to be at the sitter (5+ hours less) plus a lot less $ in gas! Also, please pray for lack of brusing and that I don't pass out, no burst veins, and for ease of IV insertion (no continuos stabbing but success 1st time every time).
I will be starting with a bolster treatment which as I understand it is a vitamin/mineral IV on Jan. 24th followed by Short Chelation on Jan 26th and 30th. There is a bolster treatment after every 5 chelations so I will actually have 2 bolsters and 5 chelations while my folks are in town.
The boys wont be able to keep up with me -- I'll be the Enegizer Mommy! by the end of the year.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Health Update
The song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller was what inspired the previous entry. Another song I like, as it reminds me I'll be whole in the future, is "There Will be a Day" by Jeremy Camp.
Ok, where have I been and what's the scoop on my health -- well as they say that is a long story...
Approximately a year and a half ago, my cardiologists where at a loss -- my tachycardia was still severe and especially during that time of the month often triggered atrial fib and syncope episodes. I still became a mindless, spineless, mess in any heat but humid heat was the worst (no more hot showers) and to make matters worse I began swelling up. Not just my hands and feet but my whole body and face -- congestive heart failure was immediately ruled out; but with the warning that in about 2-3 years it would more than likely be an issue if I couldn't get my heart rate down.
Exercise was problematic with how high my heart rate was to start and the issue with the heat -- not to mention I had absolutely no energy.
With the medical community scratching their heads and me seemingly only getting worse we took the plunge and headed to Progressive Medical Center (much thanks to family who provided financial help for the hotel and the 1st monumental set of tests).
They tested everything! Hair, saliva, unmentionables, and at least 14 vials of blood.
Results:
Anemia (again!), Thyroid disease, slow stomach with gluten intolerance, intestinal parasite, enflamed and leaky intestines causing me to be septic, Mono, Lyme Disease, Diabetes
I gave the results to my primary care, who still doesn't appear to believe anything is wrong with me, even though it was her office that caught the anemia and sent me to the OBGYN which started all of this and then to the cardiologist -- she did say it was a lot to take in and that she would have to review all the results though...
My cardiologist was over joyed -- He said to get everything under control (anemia, thyroid, mono, lymes, diabetes: all make the heart have an elevated heart rate by themselves) and if that hadn't fixed my heart then at least it would be a whole lot closer to healthy and the medicines had a better chance of doing something if they weren't rotting in my stomach.
So that's what I've been doing.
I take a boat load of supplements, killed off the parasite, gone gluten free, and seemed to be getting back to normal (only having heart issues and worrying about syncope during those 2 pesky weeks), after daily sugar testing it was determined that I did not have diabetes but was at risk, I even lost about 12 lbs through no effort at all plus a multitude of other health improvements.
Then we hit a wall -- no improvements and I began swelling up again amidst other worrisome issues, like all the weight I had lost was back plus some!
It was decided that I could only have 2-3 servings a week of gluten (I had been allowed to reintroduce gluten to my diet once my stomach and intestines where doing better) and they put me on stuff to bolster my adrenal glands. Some improvement (I can take a hot shower without passing out and my heart rate only reaches about 150) but my health still was deteriorating.
With the proverbial brick wall, the cost and distance, I had decided not to continue and went for one last consultation so I could get my thyroid prescription transferred to my primary care this last November.
I saw a doctor who took almost 2 hours with me! Hope restored. It was determined that the Lyme Disease was playing havoc with my thyroid and that I cannot have any gluten at all.
Here is an article if you want to read about how lymes affects the thyroid and why I am not a candidate for antibiotic therapy.
I had 2 tests on Dec. 5, 2011 to see if I was eligible for insurance coverage for treatment and to adjust my thyroid medicine again. We got the thyroid results rather quickly and my dosage has been changed, but the other results have just come in. The number of treatments as well as which treatment would be best and covered by insurance is still in question.
One treatment would require at least 50 infusions but is covered by insurance (only travel, sitter, and co pay costs) and would require additional mineral supplements and possibly give me issues with anemia again (controllable again by supplementation); the other treatment is supposed to be better but is not covered by insurance -- if less infusions are required and less supplementation it maybe a wash financially not to mention more convenient.
So ... waiting on doctors and insurance at this point; but I should be starting infusions this month erasing the final hurtle towards normal health.
Ok, where have I been and what's the scoop on my health -- well as they say that is a long story...
Approximately a year and a half ago, my cardiologists where at a loss -- my tachycardia was still severe and especially during that time of the month often triggered atrial fib and syncope episodes. I still became a mindless, spineless, mess in any heat but humid heat was the worst (no more hot showers) and to make matters worse I began swelling up. Not just my hands and feet but my whole body and face -- congestive heart failure was immediately ruled out; but with the warning that in about 2-3 years it would more than likely be an issue if I couldn't get my heart rate down.
Exercise was problematic with how high my heart rate was to start and the issue with the heat -- not to mention I had absolutely no energy.
With the medical community scratching their heads and me seemingly only getting worse we took the plunge and headed to Progressive Medical Center (much thanks to family who provided financial help for the hotel and the 1st monumental set of tests).
They tested everything! Hair, saliva, unmentionables, and at least 14 vials of blood.
Results:
Anemia (again!), Thyroid disease, slow stomach with gluten intolerance, intestinal parasite, enflamed and leaky intestines causing me to be septic, Mono, Lyme Disease, Diabetes
I gave the results to my primary care, who still doesn't appear to believe anything is wrong with me, even though it was her office that caught the anemia and sent me to the OBGYN which started all of this and then to the cardiologist -- she did say it was a lot to take in and that she would have to review all the results though...
My cardiologist was over joyed -- He said to get everything under control (anemia, thyroid, mono, lymes, diabetes: all make the heart have an elevated heart rate by themselves) and if that hadn't fixed my heart then at least it would be a whole lot closer to healthy and the medicines had a better chance of doing something if they weren't rotting in my stomach.
So that's what I've been doing.
I take a boat load of supplements, killed off the parasite, gone gluten free, and seemed to be getting back to normal (only having heart issues and worrying about syncope during those 2 pesky weeks), after daily sugar testing it was determined that I did not have diabetes but was at risk, I even lost about 12 lbs through no effort at all plus a multitude of other health improvements.
Then we hit a wall -- no improvements and I began swelling up again amidst other worrisome issues, like all the weight I had lost was back plus some!
It was decided that I could only have 2-3 servings a week of gluten (I had been allowed to reintroduce gluten to my diet once my stomach and intestines where doing better) and they put me on stuff to bolster my adrenal glands. Some improvement (I can take a hot shower without passing out and my heart rate only reaches about 150) but my health still was deteriorating.
With the proverbial brick wall, the cost and distance, I had decided not to continue and went for one last consultation so I could get my thyroid prescription transferred to my primary care this last November.
I saw a doctor who took almost 2 hours with me! Hope restored. It was determined that the Lyme Disease was playing havoc with my thyroid and that I cannot have any gluten at all.
Here is an article if you want to read about how lymes affects the thyroid and why I am not a candidate for antibiotic therapy.
I had 2 tests on Dec. 5, 2011 to see if I was eligible for insurance coverage for treatment and to adjust my thyroid medicine again. We got the thyroid results rather quickly and my dosage has been changed, but the other results have just come in. The number of treatments as well as which treatment would be best and covered by insurance is still in question.
One treatment would require at least 50 infusions but is covered by insurance (only travel, sitter, and co pay costs) and would require additional mineral supplements and possibly give me issues with anemia again (controllable again by supplementation); the other treatment is supposed to be better but is not covered by insurance -- if less infusions are required and less supplementation it maybe a wash financially not to mention more convenient.
So ... waiting on doctors and insurance at this point; but I should be starting infusions this month erasing the final hurtle towards normal health.
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