Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sick of it

I'm in a bad, grumpy, I'm sick of all this mood, so I thought it might be a good time to blog. I'm sure all of you want to hear my rant.

I am still getting over my 5th virus since Christmas. Each one hits me harder than anyone else in the house and for longer. I just have a really hard time fighting them off with my still-compromised immune system.

I want to be getting back into life, but every third week or so I end up sick again and unable to do much but lie around. I hate it. I feel so useless. I get the Lyme under control just to be disabled by stupid colds and other viruses.

I am discouraged. I know I have come a LONG way. I know the progress I have made in the past few months has been remarkable. It's just discouraging that there is still such a long way to go.

I started a new treatment this week. It's treatment for KPU (kryptopyroles) with Depyrrol, a product from Amsterdam that is basically zinc, b6 and a few other things. I also am taking Oil of Evening Primrose at night. This treatment replenishes some of the minerals that many (but not all) Lyme patients have lost. This Depyrrol is a product I muscle tested well for, which is why I decided to try it. The treatment can be harsh and should be overseen by a health care practitioner.

The thing is, once you get into taking it, your body can and will release a lot of heavy metals. I test low for metals. I have chelated the ones that were easy to get to. Now, I only have the more hidden in the tissue metals, which are now flowing out like crazy. My mouth tastes like it is full of coins. I'm sure this metal and toxin release is part of my bad attitude. I am taking binders right now to help the metals exit - zeolite, charcoal, NAC, whey protein, and fiber.

I also have noticed a parasite die-off. I don't know why it unnerves me every time I see a parasite ..... uh, I take that back, I DO know why it's so unnerving, it's just that after having seen so many, I would think I would be used to it by now! So, I can only assume I have a parasite die-off going on, which can only be contributing further to my BAD mood.

I guess I'm writing this today for a couple reasons .... one, I'm in a bad mood and need to blow off steam somewhere, better here where people are reading about my mood voluntarily than at home where they're just stuck with it ...... two, for those of you battling Lyme, you need to know that I get upset about it, too, that my battle is nearing the end, but has not ended yet .... and, three, because I wanted to tell you about the new treatment. I cut the Bionic round I was doing short to start on this earlier than I had planned. I figured that with the new virus/cold, I didn't want to keep working on killing pathogens. I wanted to work on building my immune system instead.

I am taking andrographis and resveratrol along with this new protocol to keep working on killing the bugs. I'm also drinking water with Himalayan Salt in it, which might be contributing to the parasite die-off. The idea of the Depyrrol is that after treating for several weeks, your body will be able to better release parasites, so at that time, I will do another round of Humaworm.

On a positive note, my air hunger has been minimal since my single photon treatment a couple weeks ago.

Feel free to commiserate in the comments. :)

Friday, April 24, 2009

My fault?

I have had a horrible cold that I caught from my kids. When we were in Chicago last week, my 13 year old caught it the day we were leaving. She was miserable .... we went across the street to buy her Advil and had to argue with some under-paid Bozo who worked at the Starbucks in the grocery just to get her a cup of water to take them with. I mean, I have a crying kid who wants to take an Advil, and he wants me to walk across the store to the deli to get a cup of water when he has water right there.

Isn't the "rule" there to keep the bums off the street who aren't buying anything from coming in and getting nothing but water. Oh well, some people just don't get why rules are in place. Anyway, we got the water from the lady who worked at the Starbucks, while I had to argue with Bozo the whole time.

A couple days later, my 15 year old stayed home from school for a day with the same bug. Both had raspy voices and sore throats, along with muscle aches/ headaches.

So, yes, of course, I got it to. My poor immune system is so bad at this stuff! I've had a low grade fever off and on for three days and have had no voice at all for two days now. I don't know who likes it better, hubby or kids! Anyway, I'm taking some herbal expectorant to help with the sore throat because I think it's from drainage. Also, the expectorant might keep me from choking to death on the phlegm that doesn't quite want to be coughed up. If this plays out like normal, I should end up with bronchitis .... if it's a head cold, I get sinus infections, if it's a chest cold, I get bronchitis.

I guess it's nice not dealing with Lyme too much anymore ...... but seriously? How many times have I fought viruses since I got back from Germany????

Oh, I just looked at the title again and saw I forgot to tell you that it's all my fault it's cloudy today. I thought I'd go get some natural photons and bask in the sun on what was this beautiful, cloud free day in the lower 80's. About five min. after I got outside and sat down with my book, the clouds rolled in and now it's overcast. I told my daughter about it and she said, "Thanks, Mom" like it was my fault. LOL

Monday, April 20, 2009

Photons again!

I've had a few weeks off, so started up with photons again. I'm using blood (got some new blood in the vial, more this time, so didn't add the vodka), 9.88 frequency, once per week. Those are the instructions those now coming back from Germany got from Dr. W, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The photons felt really good! I enjoyed the treatment this time. I guess I needed them.

I'm off all herbs, only taking iron and thyroid during the treatment, plus the herbs I need for sleep.

I felt really good yesterday after the treatment but today am a little sluggish. I did go to the gym to workout and noticed that my heart rate got higher than it normally does. I did a full workout, went to the grocery, came home and juiced, and fixed dinner, so I was able to do all my normal routine, I'm just a little fatigued.

I also had terrible insomnia last night. It was my fourth night off Ambien, and the first night I had any trouble sleeping. It was a couple hours before I fell asleep, but once asleep, I was okay. I woke up a few times, but fell right back to sleep.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

insomnia and herbs

Good news and bad news. The bad news is, this insomnia is driving me nuts! It is flaring very badly right now. Too bad I'm not still in college, I could be making use of this being awake in the middle of the night (studying, not partying, of course!).

I woke up after 1 1/2 hours of sleep last night at 1:11 AM. It was a wide-awake insomnia, not one of those nights where you keep drifting in and out of consciousness and go nuts because you're not sound asleep .... this was a wide-awake night. It was the longest few hours in my life! About 4 AM I finally picked up a book. I read for an hour, then turned the light back off. Fell asleep about a half hour later, then woke up at 10:30. So, I got six hours of sleep.

Considering it all, I'm feeling well today! I don't feel tired and I've finally adjusted to the herbs. That's the good news.

I was worried that these new herbs would keep me feeling bad as long as I was on them, but I'm feeling closer to how I was feeling before I started them. The shortness of breath that I have had for so long has lifted some. The fatigue the herbs were causing is lifting. The GI distress is getting a little better.

I've been taking Zeolite every third night to absorb some of the toxins being released with the parasite die-off. Also, a funny thing happened tonight ..... I hate sauerkraut. We had brats for dinner, and had sauerkraut because my husband loves the stuff. Well, I was craving it. I put some on my brat and it didn't taste offensive at all. Sauerkraut is a fermented product, so has good probiotics in it. I figure I was craving what I needed, good probiotics to take place of all these bacteria and parasites I'm killing off.

If you listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs .... yeah, you're saying, "What if I crave a chocolate bar?", well that means you need magnesium ..... "What if I crave sugar?", well, you probably ate high carb, low protein, low fat a few hours ago and now have a blood sugar crash, eat more balanced. It's a matter of understanding what your body needs with a specific craving, and there is almost always an answer. I think I'll say goodnight and go get some probiotics.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Starting herbs

I just wanted to post a quick update.

The terminalia chebula made me feel HORRIBLE! Yesterday, I just rolled out of bed and put sweats on, barely did anything all day. I even had hubby go to the grocery, but I was able to cook dinner (minestrone from scratch). I started declining on Sunday, and by yesterday was having stomach pain and diarrhea. I was also terribly fatigued and weak.

Today, all is good. Took some Zeolite last night, slept in a little this morning, and even managed to work out for an hour and twenty min. this afternoon.

Yesterday my spirits were down a bit. I was hoping this battle was closer to being over than it is, but really, I am doing so much better. I need to keep focusing on regaining health ...... I've mostly beat down the infections .... just a little more to go.

I'm thinking about jumping on the Progurt bandwagon. Seems everyone is getting good results from it, and it fits my current philosophy of focusing on making my body an unwelcoming host to pathogens.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Head lice???

I finally, recently got muscle tested!! Not an easy accomplishment in Ohio!

It seems borrelia and erlichia are gone! Woohoo!

I still have four infections - babesia, bartonella, fish roundworms (too much sushi I guess), and lice! OMGOSH!

We used to live out in the country and the rural school system my kids attended had a huge lice problem. They would have lice checks regularly. Well, about four years ago, my daughter ended up with lice. It was a very bad case and in only a couple days I spent 20 hours combing the nits out of her hair after repeatedly washing it with an herbal rinse .... after she sat around with a shower cap on holding the herbal rinse in place for hours. It was quite a project. Her lice infestation lasted for months .... it kept coming back .... Was she re-exposed? ... Or did we not get it all? I'll never know!

My husband would comb my hair out after I was done with hers to be sure any lice that got on me were taken care of before they laid eggs/nits. It's the nits that are difficult to get out .... thus 'nitpicking'.

Today I washed and straightened my hair, then Mr. Sixgoofy looked at it out in the sunlight under a magnifying glass, after all, we became lice experts four years ago, he knew what he was looking for. No lice! So, what gives?

What I'm thinking is that I must have been bitten by the lice and still carry something to do with the bites. It shows as a major stress to my system, so it needs to be taken care of. But how, if there are no lice? Humaworm (www.humaworm.com) tested well for fixing both the lice and the roundworms. I ordered some today. I am a little concerned since I have taken it twice before, but I was not in this good of health last two times, so maybe I just need a couple more rounds of it.

I'm taking some other herbs (mostly Buhner) to treat the babesia and bartonella during my month off photons. I started Resveratrol and Andrographis today, and started an herb recommended by a friend for GI symptoms, biofilms, and breathing symptoms - Haritaki. I also thought I'd take some Enula for parasites while I wait for the Humaworm since I previously had good results from that. I'm feeling a little fatigued and a little light-headed from these herbs, but not bad. Still functional.

I'm going to be taking some minerals to replenish all that is lost with being heavy metal toxic and sick for so long. Also, some good fatty acids.

My focus is still on rebuilding health, and I've made a lot of progress in the past several months .... down to four stressors .... not bad. :) I think I really just do not know what 100% is .... my pain receptors don't work very well (according to my massage therapist and my dentist) .... so I don't really know how much pain I'm actually in. I've never been better, but that's all relative .... I've been sick for 35 years, how will I know what perfect is? I guess when I test free of all infections. ;) Still, I can tell you, once the borrelia is gone, it's not so bad .... I would pass for "normal for my age" now if this were all I had.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Palm Springs

Well, I'm just traveling everywhere this year ... Germany, Italy, Vegas .... now Palm Springs! No, I don't "normally" travel this much, it's just worked out this way. Our trip to Palm Springs was for a convention that hubby has every year.

The weekend before last was Mom's weekend at my daughter's sorority at Indiana University .... I was there Friday and Saturday night, and had a great time with her. We met a fellow Lymie who lives in Indiana .... it was great to meet her, but sad to see this disease hit someone so young, so hard. We met with my daughter's friend who is a boy (as opposed to a boy friend). :) Also, met with some old friends. We were busy every minute and I was no more tired than she was. :) (She does not have Lyme).

I left from there out of the beautiful, new Indianapolis airport, to go to Palm Springs. This trip was four nights and almost every night is the "business" dinner at 9PM (midnight my time). I did fine again. I had no symptoms in Bloomington or Palm Springs.

It was great being in the nice weather for a few days. I was sure to get some natural Vitamin D out by the pool every day :-D

There were two things to note there regarding my Lyme Disease.

One, I went on the spouse tour. It was a fun day where we went to take the Palm Springs tram up the side of a snow-capped mountain. http://www.pstramway.com/ Last year when I drove my grandmother home to NC, as I was driving up the mountains in Knoxville, I got sicker and sicker as we went higher and higher. I was sick the whole night and next day till I drove back down the mountain to a lower elevation. However, I had no symptoms at all when I took the tram up to 8500 ft.

The other is, after the tram ride, my husband met me downtown and we walked all over town .... in the heat. Then we ate at a little outdoor restaurant and I drank a full margarita by myself. I had another one that night. Also, no symptoms after that.

Both of those are worth noting because alcohol and altitude has affected my health for quite a few years now. So, it appears that I might be in remission? The only symptoms I've had in the past three months were when I had a cold .... but they were all cold symptoms (aches, runny nose, etc.).

Oh, I forgot about the shortness of breath. Ends up, I didn't have it in Las Vegas as I wrote previously and I didn't have it in Palm Springs either. I didn't take my supplements with me either place .... and I have not been short of breath since I got back to the Midwest yesterday. I'm going to ease back into them to see if one of them might be behind that annoying symptom.

Yesterday we flew back to Indy, got there late, so spent the night. Our luggage stayed back in Palm Springs ... can't say I blame the bags, the weather was much nicer there! Today we drove home, and I'm exhausted. My iron is in my suitcase, and I do feel somewhat better after driving to Whole Foods to get more. I also took a B12. I think I'll sleep well tonight. ;)