When I arrived there was an additional doctor, who was joining the practice after shadowing, "Do you mind?" Well, yes (no one wants to feel like a school specimen); but I couldn't say that in front of the guy so it was what it was. Your prayers answered.
About an hour into my consultation (in order to visit with ODS I had to change my normal very early appointment to the last one of the day, another God-incidence) a third doctor joined the party! Talk about a fishbowl, but they seem to think I'm an interesting case -- smile Mom that was a joke even if it is true.
Ok, let's tick off the little things first; keep in mind that some diagnosis and resulting prescriptions overlap and to keep this short and less confusing I'm trying to list them once or in groups.
sleep -- a slew of reasons for that one but unfortunately those reasons worsen with lack of sleep so for now I have been prescribed Melatonin and to go back to daily Magnesium
yeast (ear infections, skin) -- yeast going crazy in my body to the point where I couldn't swallow and other issues... well this onslaught is due to the antibiotics for the previous Lyme treatment. The doctors are puzzled to why after all that we've done it is still around, they feel that even with having it so long after all the medications (3 types), how often I've used them, and the medicated shampoo, special laundry... and so on it should be a non-issue even with my stomach and intestine. So the final consensus is more good bacteria to get my body back into the proper balance. Which means I'm back on probiotics at a normal than higher dose along with the kumbucha about 3x a week; also organic garlic cloves can be rubbed on the yeast -- I can't take garlic internally do to reaction, but garlic kills yeast on contact. In addition after I've been on the AiP diet for a bit I have another round of prescriptions. At this age most if not all the ear infections I have had the last few years are all due to the yeast so when this issue is gone I should be ear infection free again. Once the yeast is in balance with the other bacteria the acne should clear up as well.
body swelling, hair lose, mind fog/speech/memory, skin, bloating, and feminine issues -- at this point my thyroid medicine seems spot on according to the last blood test but it has been a year and I am required to have another, they are willing to wait until I am on the AiP for the test as that will affect my results. Apparently it is a bunch of issues:
- A lot of these symptoms are Autoimmune Disease symptoms -- although the Lord has healed me of Lyme I have a few other autoimmune diseases: Restless Leg Syndrome, Thyroid, Leaky Gut, Celiac disease or at the least sever gluten intolerance, Type II Diabetes (I don't have this yet I have Insulin Resistance which is a precursor) so for the next few months I will be on the AiP (Autoimmune Protocol -- a diet) then see what I can add back in but never gluten or lentils, I was originally on something similar for a month when I first went to Progressive and was actually hungry for the first time in my life - weird feeling; but when my tests came back I was allowed to go to the gluten free diet. By the way arthritis is also an autoimmune disease if anyone is interested in the protocol.
- due to not knowing about the Celiac Disease until just a few years ago my stomach and leaky gut have made me malnourished (leaky gut is the non-medical descriptor as you intestines do leak to function properly, mine are leaking too much or the wrong thing) which means along with trying to heal the damage with the AiP, continued supplements and meds
- not enough caloric intake [This was not intentional! I was never hungry and eating made me sick most of the time -- see the above. Plus what I did eat rotted in my stomach. So, I've been taking and will continue with HCl and digestive enzymes, special shakes, as well as the traditional gluten free diet but will be switching to the Paleo diet's strictest form the AiP to work on the leaky gut +] this is an easy one eat more
- not enough fat (cod liver oil every day plus other AiP allowed fats)I have almost all the symptoms listed here and the added fat should make my skin not as fragile
body swelling and energy crashes -- my adrenals still need support (so taking those), autoimmune disease response (so AiP), and heart
heart, syncope, thyroid -- for all three I take a mineral dense salt 1/2 Tbsp a day, for thyroid I have the prescription alluded to before, for heart the AiP diet as well as fixing the adrenals, thyroid, syncope, sleep issues, etc. then moving more -- not so much exercise yet more like going for walks and 5 minutes on the bike, stretching even. For the current heart wackyness more magnesium, less stress, and the further away from the yeast prescriptions the better (excluding this last one)
stomach -- the bloating has continued even on the gluten free diet this seems to imply that I am cross reactive which means no grains or pseudo grains and the AiP. In addition and what sparked the request for prayer is that for some while all my food has been backing up and the bloat not only worse but never has gone away regardless of increased shakes, HCl acid, and yeast meds (the swallowing issue resolved) resulting in a liquid diet and by day 4 I was actually a bit hungry for the second time of my life. The shadowing doctor I mentioned in the beginning... guess what he has had a lot of experience with? Ok, I'll tell you - hiatal hernias. Guess what I have... Upon me sounding glum and saying, surgery then? All three docs gave an immediate and simultaneous no! Apparently it can be manipulated physically and that doc did the first treatment on the spot -- hurts like crazy and feels sore and bruised now; but I have actual movement -- gas, hunger grumbles... but after a real dinner (on day 5 of the liquids) the food was backed up. He had told me it wasn't fixed that I needed more manipulation. So, I am to see if I can find someone down here (and covered by insurance) that knows what to do; if not I'll have to return to Atlanta for additional treatment.
Feeh-ewh... I think that's it.
