I can’t believe I am on day 19 and that I have made it this far. Two more days and I get to go home. My friend Simone is picking me up on Saturday around 10 AM.
Yesterday was a tough day to say the least. I feel a bit more calm this morning but am still confused about the progesterone cream. I just don’t know what to do. I wish I had some clarity. I did not use any at all yesterday. This morning I am back to very slight bloating and some fluid retention.
Bob and I are reading in Proverbs right now – the chapter that corresponds with the current day’s date. Here are the verses that stood out to me in yesterday’s and today’s reading:
Proverbs 3:7-8
“…simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong. If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pain.”
Proverbs 4:23
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
The latter is the one that speaks to me the most. When you are dealing with health issues it’s easy to get your thoughts caught up in all that is wrong. But this creates a vicious cycle and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Getting out of this negative thinking takes effort, but it seems to be the message coming into my life from different directions.
It’s also hard not to look at days like yesterday as a setback or even failure, but I need to look at “failures” differently. I read that it took Thomas Edison more than 11,000 experiments before he discovered the carbon-impregnated filament that led to the production of the first electric light bulb. After 5,000 tries a journalist asked him why he kept persisting after so many failures. He supposedly replied, “Young man, you don’t understand how the world works. I have not failed at all. I have successfully identified 5,000 ways that it will not work. That just puts me 5,000 ways closer to the way it will.” That’s a much better way of looking at things.
Not much going on today – just a foot bath and a colonic. I need to iron the clothes I washed yesterday and I am going to read, watch TV, and knit. The usual.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Day 18 - 2:30 PM
This is definitely turning out to be a horrible day. My head and upper and lower back hurt quite a bit. The bloating was reduced after the colonic. I had a bit of broth which was slightly thicker than what I have been getting. I did not have much at all yet half an hour or so later I was horribly bloated again. I talked to the osteopath about the pain and he said to give it time. He said it's normal for the body to go through this after having all the adjustments I had. I hope he is right.
I have been reading more about excess progesterone and found the following on this website:
Possible Side Effects Of Excessive Progesterone.
The two comments that concern me the most are regarding candida bloating. My neutrophils have been low for quite some time now. I want to just go off the progesterone cream, but it also scares me. I feel more calm on it. I hate these decisions and I hate days like today. I am trying to stay positive but it's so hard. I really would have thought that this far into the fast I would be feeling better.
On this websiteI read the following. This concerns me as well.
PROGESTERONE
Did you ever wonder why so many women have to use progesterone cream? It is because fungus devours this hormone and changes it into prednisone. In fact, one MD reports that drug companies farm fungus colonies, feeding them progesterone to make the drug prednisone--which they then sell to consumers as a remedy for everything. Prednisone is just one of the many powerful mycotoxins produced by fungus which can kill bacteria.
This explains why most women are estrogen dominant. Generally these women do not have an excess of estrogen, but they lack progesterone due to fungus overgrowth. These hormonal imbalances can cause the face to break out, breasts to lose firmness, hair problems, and perhaps most significantly, depression and migraines. Aside from these problems a woman's skin can become so sensitive she can't stand to be touched.
I really don't know what to do but here's hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.
I have been reading more about excess progesterone and found the following on this website:
Possible Side Effects Of Excessive Progesterone.
- Lethargy or sleepiness. This is probably an effect of allopreganolone, a by-product of progesterone, on the brain.
- Edema (water retention). This is probably caused by excess conversion to deoxycortisone, a mineralocorticoid made in the adrenal glands that causes water retention.
- Candida. This is the bacterium present in a yeast infection; excess progesterone can inhibit anti-Candida neutrophils (white blood cells).
- Bloating. Excess progesterone slows gastrointestinal (GI) transport, and with the wrong kind of gastrointestinal flora, such as candida, this can lead to bloating and gas. (During pregnancy the high levels of progesterone slow food transport through the GI tract to enhance absorption of nutrients.)
- Lowered libido. Excess progesterone blocks an enzyme called reductase that allows conversion of testosterone to DHT, and thus over inhibits the conversion. This happens primarily to men who are using too much progesterone.
- Mild depression. Excess progesterone down-regulates estrogen receptors, and brain response to estrogens is needed for seratonin production.
- Exacerbated symptoms of estrogen deficiency. Excess progesterone down-regulates estrogen receptors and desensitises tissue to estrogen. Because progesterone receptors are dependent on estrogen in the absence of estrogen can cause a lot of problems, Dr. Zava especially sees this in women who have very low estradiol and are taking large doses of progesterone.
The two comments that concern me the most are regarding candida bloating. My neutrophils have been low for quite some time now. I want to just go off the progesterone cream, but it also scares me. I feel more calm on it. I hate these decisions and I hate days like today. I am trying to stay positive but it's so hard. I really would have thought that this far into the fast I would be feeling better.
On this websiteI read the following. This concerns me as well.
PROGESTERONE
Did you ever wonder why so many women have to use progesterone cream? It is because fungus devours this hormone and changes it into prednisone. In fact, one MD reports that drug companies farm fungus colonies, feeding them progesterone to make the drug prednisone--which they then sell to consumers as a remedy for everything. Prednisone is just one of the many powerful mycotoxins produced by fungus which can kill bacteria.
This explains why most women are estrogen dominant. Generally these women do not have an excess of estrogen, but they lack progesterone due to fungus overgrowth. These hormonal imbalances can cause the face to break out, breasts to lose firmness, hair problems, and perhaps most significantly, depression and migraines. Aside from these problems a woman's skin can become so sensitive she can't stand to be touched.
I really don't know what to do but here's hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.
Day 18 - 11:00 AM
I woke up with very mild bloating again and fluid retention. Maybe it's PMS?! I'v also had a headache and upper and lower backache since the osteopathic treatment on Monday. Much like I had before I got the orthotics. I was worn out this morning. Thinking it might be from low blood sugar I got myself 1 T of honey from the kitchen and at it slowly. It didn't really help.
At 10 AM I saw the doctor. My blood pressure was 80/50. Now wonder I'm worn out. He gave me something called "Vitasprint" which his Vitamin B12, glutamine, and phosphorous. I had to sit in a chair for a bit. After a while the nurse took my blood pressure again and it was 80/60. She sent me downstairs to drink some water. When I came back I had to sit again and they took my blood pressure again. That time it was 90/60 so I was allowed to go.
By the time I got back to my room the bloating was much, much worse and so was the fluid retention. I am guessing it's from the honey or the stuff they gave me. Either way, I am frustrated. I cannot go on like this. I am on day 18 and still dealing with wicked bloating from something like honey or a vitamin drink. I don't know if I feel like screaming or crying. I JUST want to feel better!
At 10 AM I saw the doctor. My blood pressure was 80/50. Now wonder I'm worn out. He gave me something called "Vitasprint" which his Vitamin B12, glutamine, and phosphorous. I had to sit in a chair for a bit. After a while the nurse took my blood pressure again and it was 80/60. She sent me downstairs to drink some water. When I came back I had to sit again and they took my blood pressure again. That time it was 90/60 so I was allowed to go.
By the time I got back to my room the bloating was much, much worse and so was the fluid retention. I am guessing it's from the honey or the stuff they gave me. Either way, I am frustrated. I cannot go on like this. I am on day 18 and still dealing with wicked bloating from something like honey or a vitamin drink. I don't know if I feel like screaming or crying. I JUST want to feel better!
Day 18 - 11:00 AM
I woke up with very mild bloating again and fluid retention. Maybe it's PMS?! I've also had a headache and upper and lower backache since the osteopathic treatment on Monday. Much like I had before I got the orthotics. I was worn out this morning. Thinking it might be from low blood sugar I got myself 1 T of honey from the kitchen and at it slowly. It didn't really help.
At 10 AM I saw the doctor. My blood pressure was 80/50. Now wonder I'm worn out. He gave me something called "Vitasprint" which his Vitamin B12, glutamine, and phosphorous. I had to sit in a chair for a bit. After a while the nurse took my blood pressure again and it was 80/60. She sent me downstairs to drink some water. When I came back I had to sit again and they took my blood pressure again. That time it was 90/60 so I was allowed to go.
By the time I got back to my room the bloating was much, much worse and so was the fluid retention. I am guessing it's from the honey or the stuff they gave me. Either way, I am frustrated. I cannot go on like this. I am on day 18 and still dealing with wicked bloating from something like honey or a vitamin drink. I don't know if I feel like screaming or crying. I JUST want to feel better!
At 10 AM I saw the doctor. My blood pressure was 80/50. Now wonder I'm worn out. He gave me something called "Vitasprint" which his Vitamin B12, glutamine, and phosphorous. I had to sit in a chair for a bit. After a while the nurse took my blood pressure again and it was 80/60. She sent me downstairs to drink some water. When I came back I had to sit again and they took my blood pressure again. That time it was 90/60 so I was allowed to go.
By the time I got back to my room the bloating was much, much worse and so was the fluid retention. I am guessing it's from the honey or the stuff they gave me. Either way, I am frustrated. I cannot go on like this. I am on day 18 and still dealing with wicked bloating from something like honey or a vitamin drink. I don't know if I feel like screaming or crying. I JUST want to feel better!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Day 17 - 10 AM
I wish I could go home. Tried to walk but my heart rate was so high, despite the beta blocker I took at 6 AM, that I turned around after 10 minutes. I am slightly bloated. Have been all morning. It's very mild but still disappointing. Once again I have so many questions? Is it hormones? Should I stop the progesterone cream or reduce it? Should I keep it the same for now considering I am seeing a PA on the 15th? Is the osteopathic therapist right about my posture and the blockage in my colon? Will the pain come back if I don't wear my orthotics? I have prayed and asked God questions than sat and tried to listen. I got nothing. It is one of the disappointments about this fast. I was so hoping that I would feel closer to God and hear from Him but I don't. It's like He's not there although I know He is.
I am trying to focus on the results I have seen so far - bloating GREATLY reduced even after broth last night. There was no discomfort. Eye lids or face are not swollen when I wake up. No more die off pain from taking Nystatin. Yet I had hoped for more. Am I expecting too much? It's not a rhetorical question. I would really like a reality check right now.
The bad part about doing the fast in Germany is the time difference between here and the US. I would really like to talk to someone right now but I don't really want to call anybody, not even Bob, at 3 AM. I can't talk to my mom for reasons I don't want to mention on a public blog. My friends here are at work right now.
I just want this to be over. I don't want life, eating, nourishment, to be THIS hard anymore. I want eating to be a normal, joyful experience again. And I want to know WHAT is wrong with my body. Not having an actual diagnosis is worse to me than being told I have cancer (I think). I hate these ups and downs. The joy and gratitude I felt after the osteopathic treatment yesterday. Then the disappointment when the bloating came back. Wondering what I will do in the US if I can't find an osteopathic therapist.
I just want my life back!
I am trying to focus on the results I have seen so far - bloating GREATLY reduced even after broth last night. There was no discomfort. Eye lids or face are not swollen when I wake up. No more die off pain from taking Nystatin. Yet I had hoped for more. Am I expecting too much? It's not a rhetorical question. I would really like a reality check right now.
The bad part about doing the fast in Germany is the time difference between here and the US. I would really like to talk to someone right now but I don't really want to call anybody, not even Bob, at 3 AM. I can't talk to my mom for reasons I don't want to mention on a public blog. My friends here are at work right now.
I just want this to be over. I don't want life, eating, nourishment, to be THIS hard anymore. I want eating to be a normal, joyful experience again. And I want to know WHAT is wrong with my body. Not having an actual diagnosis is worse to me than being told I have cancer (I think). I hate these ups and downs. The joy and gratitude I felt after the osteopathic treatment yesterday. Then the disappointment when the bloating came back. Wondering what I will do in the US if I can't find an osteopathic therapist.
I just want my life back!
Day 17 - 8:25 AM
I already had my arm bath and colonic today. Despite feeling somewhat weak, I want to go for a walk and get some fresh air. One of the therapists this morning recommended I try the “potato wrap” at least once so I am going to order one for tomorrow. It’s just small potatoes boiled with the peel on. The cooked potatoes are then placed in a linen sack and they’re sort of crushed a bit. This sack, which is moist from the potatoes, is then wrapped in a towel and placed on the liver. You put a warming bottle on top and rest for half an hour. She said to get it once so I can see how they do it and then I can do it at home.
I have to admit that today I really want to just quit and head back to my mom’s house. I don’t feel horrible but I am ready to be done. I do feel very weak because I am not getting juice anymore. And the doctors here are nice, but I am not sure how much attention they really pay. The doc had ordered a blood test. My fasting blood sugar was 63. The normal range in the US is 70 to 99 here it is 60 to 100. So it would have been in the normal range and if I were drinking juice, broth with pureed veggies, and honey at night, I don’t think it would be a problem. Considering all I am getting is clear broth and some green tea, a fasting blood sugar of 63 is way too low. Yet he wrote on the lab that nothing needs to be done. Whatever!
Yesterday was an interesting day. I had the osteopathy treatment. I really didn’t know what to expect. Essentially it’s like getting chiropractic adjustments but they are not as harsh. Osteopathic therapists also manipulate organs with gentle pressure or massage.
When I walked in the therapist asked me why I am there. I told him what the doctor had said about my colon and bladder and also told him about the bloating issue. He said ok and to tell him what else I have going on since that’s not all and then he asked what’s going on with my right shoulder. I was shocked. I walked in there with baggy sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt and somehow he knew I was having problems with my right shoulder. I told him that it often used to flare up with pain from working out and my range of motion would be limited and I would have to lay off exercising. Then he asked what’s going on with my left leg and my feet. Wow – I was impressed. I told him about the leg length difference, misagligned feet, and hammer toes and that I am wearing orthotics. He asked when I got them. I said in September 2008. Then he asked when the bloating started and I told him it started getting worse and worse in September 2008. He smiled.
He then explained how everything in the body is connected and a misaligned body can cause problems in various organs. He showed me on a chart how what is going on with my posture/leg/feet is impacting my colon and digestion. Basically I have a blockage in my colon, food doesn’t completely pass through, it sits and ferments, that causes gas, gas rises, and that’s why I get the distention in the lower and upper region of my abdomen. Interestingly, a doctor back in Crossville, TN thought she had felt a mass and I had to get a CT but nothing showed up. And the doctor here said my colon felt “hard” in certain areas.
Anyway, I had imagined he would be doing a bunch of “massaging” of my colon and bladder but he didn’t. He did mild chiropractic adjustments of my legs, back, arms, etc. Before he started he showed me how my left leg was shorter than my right. He did this by kneeling on the table in front of me (I was lying on my back) and propping both of my feet/legs on his chest. I had to turn my feet to the side and I could see that my left heel was lower than my right heel. After the adjustments they were even.
He did spend about 3 or 4 minutes applying light pressure to a few areas of my colon. Then he showed me an exercise to do every day to keep the alignment. His recommendation is to get realigned by an osteopathic therapist every 3 to 6 months and to work on my feet. Unfortunately I don’t think osteopathic therapists exist in the US. Even here standard doctors do not necessarily recognize this treatment.
The cool thing is, half an hour after the treatment the bloating was GONE. I sat in my room and cried and thanked God. I had flax seed slime for lunch and the same for dinner plus some broth. By around 4:30 PM I had some light bloating but nothing like I experienced before. It was mostly in my lower belly and there was no discomfort associated with it.
The therapist had said that it could get worse the next 48 hours or it could get better, so I am hopeful. I also have one more session with him on Friday. This morning I have no bloating. All of this also means that I may not have any intolerances at all and it’s just a matter of a digestion issue. And it explains why I have had SUCH a hard time getting rid of fungal overgrowth. With food fermenting in my colon those little critters were having a blast.
What is aggravating is that I discussed a blockage with one of the doctors I saw back in 2008 and he said if I had a blockage I would be in more pain. I also considered the fact that I got my orthotics around the same time the bloating was getting worse, but then dismissed it. Although the bloating was gone after the treatment, I am skeptical. Could this really be it? And if so, how do I get adjustments every 3 to 6 months if I can’t find an osteopathic therapist in the US? It’s not the same as a doctor of osteopathy – at least to my knowledge. Unless I call a DO and ask if they do adjustments but the DOs I’ve been to just treat with supplements and diet and look at the whole person. But they do not do any sort of body work.
OK, it’s been 45 minutes since my colonic so I think it might be safe to go for a walk.
I have to admit that today I really want to just quit and head back to my mom’s house. I don’t feel horrible but I am ready to be done. I do feel very weak because I am not getting juice anymore. And the doctors here are nice, but I am not sure how much attention they really pay. The doc had ordered a blood test. My fasting blood sugar was 63. The normal range in the US is 70 to 99 here it is 60 to 100. So it would have been in the normal range and if I were drinking juice, broth with pureed veggies, and honey at night, I don’t think it would be a problem. Considering all I am getting is clear broth and some green tea, a fasting blood sugar of 63 is way too low. Yet he wrote on the lab that nothing needs to be done. Whatever!
Yesterday was an interesting day. I had the osteopathy treatment. I really didn’t know what to expect. Essentially it’s like getting chiropractic adjustments but they are not as harsh. Osteopathic therapists also manipulate organs with gentle pressure or massage.
When I walked in the therapist asked me why I am there. I told him what the doctor had said about my colon and bladder and also told him about the bloating issue. He said ok and to tell him what else I have going on since that’s not all and then he asked what’s going on with my right shoulder. I was shocked. I walked in there with baggy sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt and somehow he knew I was having problems with my right shoulder. I told him that it often used to flare up with pain from working out and my range of motion would be limited and I would have to lay off exercising. Then he asked what’s going on with my left leg and my feet. Wow – I was impressed. I told him about the leg length difference, misagligned feet, and hammer toes and that I am wearing orthotics. He asked when I got them. I said in September 2008. Then he asked when the bloating started and I told him it started getting worse and worse in September 2008. He smiled.
He then explained how everything in the body is connected and a misaligned body can cause problems in various organs. He showed me on a chart how what is going on with my posture/leg/feet is impacting my colon and digestion. Basically I have a blockage in my colon, food doesn’t completely pass through, it sits and ferments, that causes gas, gas rises, and that’s why I get the distention in the lower and upper region of my abdomen. Interestingly, a doctor back in Crossville, TN thought she had felt a mass and I had to get a CT but nothing showed up. And the doctor here said my colon felt “hard” in certain areas.
Anyway, I had imagined he would be doing a bunch of “massaging” of my colon and bladder but he didn’t. He did mild chiropractic adjustments of my legs, back, arms, etc. Before he started he showed me how my left leg was shorter than my right. He did this by kneeling on the table in front of me (I was lying on my back) and propping both of my feet/legs on his chest. I had to turn my feet to the side and I could see that my left heel was lower than my right heel. After the adjustments they were even.
He did spend about 3 or 4 minutes applying light pressure to a few areas of my colon. Then he showed me an exercise to do every day to keep the alignment. His recommendation is to get realigned by an osteopathic therapist every 3 to 6 months and to work on my feet. Unfortunately I don’t think osteopathic therapists exist in the US. Even here standard doctors do not necessarily recognize this treatment.
The cool thing is, half an hour after the treatment the bloating was GONE. I sat in my room and cried and thanked God. I had flax seed slime for lunch and the same for dinner plus some broth. By around 4:30 PM I had some light bloating but nothing like I experienced before. It was mostly in my lower belly and there was no discomfort associated with it.
The therapist had said that it could get worse the next 48 hours or it could get better, so I am hopeful. I also have one more session with him on Friday. This morning I have no bloating. All of this also means that I may not have any intolerances at all and it’s just a matter of a digestion issue. And it explains why I have had SUCH a hard time getting rid of fungal overgrowth. With food fermenting in my colon those little critters were having a blast.
What is aggravating is that I discussed a blockage with one of the doctors I saw back in 2008 and he said if I had a blockage I would be in more pain. I also considered the fact that I got my orthotics around the same time the bloating was getting worse, but then dismissed it. Although the bloating was gone after the treatment, I am skeptical. Could this really be it? And if so, how do I get adjustments every 3 to 6 months if I can’t find an osteopathic therapist in the US? It’s not the same as a doctor of osteopathy – at least to my knowledge. Unless I call a DO and ask if they do adjustments but the DOs I’ve been to just treat with supplements and diet and look at the whole person. But they do not do any sort of body work.
OK, it’s been 45 minutes since my colonic so I think it might be safe to go for a walk.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)