Already August on the Allergy forum?! (chat thread) - Page 3

[dannic]

Hugs, JaneS. And Kathy, hope you didn't think I was being pushy with all the links...just trying to help, not overwhelm or seem judgemental.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

You guys help just by being here. I've been researching a lot of stuff to try to make a decision. But I still feel sort of paralyzed by it. I wish someone could make a decision for me but it's one of those got-to-do-it-myself kind of decisions. But at least you guys aren't bashing me for thinking of non-natural solutions. That's what I was mostly worried about. That you guys were going to shun me and yell at me for even considering such a thing.

Chickie, we all know you've got to do what's right for YOU and YOUR FAMILY. I have not even a clue (and hope never to have) what I would do in your situation, but you can rest assured that I would be considering ALL of my options, natural or not. We will definitely stand behind you with whatever decision you make and pray that another one of us will never have to make the same difficult choices. I am just so relieved that whatever choices you make at this point are preventative, as opposed to the alternative. I think I can safely speak for everyone when I say we our Kathy!!

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I just feel like any of the things that I'm considering (tamoxifen plus MRIs/mammograms Or prophylactic mastectomies aren't necessarily "natural" so I figured I couldn't really talk about it here). I kind of feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. DH said yesterday that maybe my back spasms were from increased stress....

Of COURSE you can talk about it here. Most of us (none of us?) haven't been in your position, I'm not going to try to tell you what to do. And geez, tough decision all around.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

You guys help just by being here. I've been researching a lot of stuff to try to make a decision. But I still feel sort of paralyzed by it. I wish someone could make a decision for me but it's one of those got-to-do-it-myself kind of decisions. But at least you guys aren't bashing me for thinking of non-natural solutions. That's what I was mostly worried about. That you guys were going to shun me and yell at me for even considering such a thing.

And to what Jane said.

Really, we wouldn't bash you. I'll throw out an alternate perspective--well, one you may have already considered and discarded--but it's not my decision and not a decision I've had to make for myself, nothing even similar. Really, I think you are the best qualified to make the right choice--you'll do great!

My gut reaction would be to think, how am I like the other people out there who've had similar lab results, and how am I different? Normally our bodies don't let cancer cells reproduce and proliferate out of control, right? Our bodies don't necessarily 100% prevent the first atypical cell, but they halt the reproductive process in a timely fashion. What I guess I'm really going for, though, is--you are doing a lot of things for your health, to improve how your body is functioning, that most people aren't -- you've already done a lot more than most people--what if you've delayed this for several years, compared to not figuring out your food intolerances? You're working on the lyme, you've got a plan for the metals. I know I feel a lot better now that I've made a lot of progress on the metals--I have to think, though it's not guaranteed, that a lot of process in my body that I can't immediately feel are also working better, probably preventing other problems from developing.


I think one possible rational choice is to say hey, MY plan to prevent cancer from developing is to work on the lyme and the metals and do supportive stuff with FEs or homeopathy or your osteopath. It's not the only solution, and I really, really wouldn't somehow blame you or whatever for choosing a solution that has more conventional approaches. You are more able to discern the best path for yourself than anyone else and you've had a lot of practice doing just that.

[lil_miss_understood]

Okay, totally off the present topic and much more light, but...
We were supposed to have spaghetti tonight but I didn't want to deal with all of the dishes that entails (cutting up veggies, making sauce, 2 kinds of pasta, salad ). So, we're having sloppy joes. I can't recall exactly when we had them last so it's been a while. They smell SO good! Still having salad, but it saves me a couple of pots.

[tanyalynn]

Easy dinners are good. I think of them as my fallback dinners. I need more that are good for DH but also on the easy end of things.

[JaneS]

The support means a lot, thanks to everyone.

That was incredibly sweet of you to offer, C!! We'll be okay. My brother has extra bedrooms but I didn't want to interrupt DS's life any more than necessary.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Do people have reactions to them? Because I know that my father doesn't use cholorine. That's the pool I was just in (2 flips into the pool maybe 15 minutes swimming) and then 3 days of back spasms. I thought maybe it was my minor exercise. Are you saying it could be what he uses in it? Drat.

For my DS his reactions to the pool is the same as his salicylate reactions... eczema and disturbed sleep. A little digestive upset.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I just feel like any of the things that I'm considering (tamoxifen plus MRIs/mammograms Or prophylactic mastectomies aren't necessarily "natural" so I figured I couldn't really talk about it here). I kind of feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. DH said yesterday that maybe my back spasms were from increased stress....

And just to repeat, I'll listen to everything and can only sympathize with a tough situation. I'd much rather you get it off your chest here. Um. Ha, ha...? Seriously, don't think another thought along those lines, mama!

I've also read alot about back pain and hypoT too. I realize I sound like a broken record lately, but my perspective right now is based on some drs who have treated thousands and thousands of patients (Starr, Barnes and Langer et al).

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

From the saliva test, I have an adrenal problem, but I still keep wondering about my thyroid too even though my numbers were "normal".

I can start posting more of what I know as I research adrenals more in depth if you want. I guess I have to wade through that looooong Adrenal Fatigue thread here. I have James Wilson's book, I just need to get back into it.

But I can tell you after extensive study for the past several months, and consulting several MDs with alternative learning that I trust and speaking with our holistic RD who also has thyroid issues and researched up the yin/yang herself ... "normal" thyroid tests are a complete fallacy and based on incomplete data. They are unsubstantiated by studies ... modern thyroid studies are NOT based on actual symptom resolution and patients are followed for like 6 weeks! It's madness!

Traditional thyroid labs only tell you if the pituitary is producing TSH and if some thyroid hormones are in a "normal" range.

Don't tell you anything about if the cells are actually accepting the thyroid hormone (and ALL cells of body need thyroid hormone, that is why there are so many sx associated with hypo or hyper).

Don't tell you anything about whether the communication between the cells who need more hormone actually put out enough of the signal to the pituitary to raise the TSH.

Without providing a way to answer these other steps to the intricate system of the thyroid, mainstream medicine is completely ignoring the fact that all body systems CAN and WILL malfunction... to assume that some pieces of it will always work perfectly is ridiculous.

I have been left with the knowledge that if your temps are low, if your metabolism is low, if you have thyroid symptoms, there is a problem regardless of what your labs say. I guess I'm just lucky that a found a dr. that will test an "experimental" test like Reverse T3 and also look at the Free and Total ratios.

Thyroid is ESSENTIAL for immune system. I really do not think that it's a coincidence that most of us here have low thyroid sx when I asked a while ago. I guess we will learn collectively by my experiment! If I didn't have a dr. I'd be going right to the desiccated thyroid WITH active hormones that you can get OTC: ThyroGold by Dr. Lowe.

Also I found out thyroid hormone is involved in making proteins "unallergenic".

Yep... ding, ding, ding!!! that was in Mark Starr's book too. Tons of digestive issues are resolved with thyroid supplementation based on the work of dr's that treat by sx, temps and physical exams.

I haven't been back to the fibromyalgia thread but many functional thyroid doctors think this is another "make up a new dx" for an old problem. The problem that is increasing based on genetics AND toxicities. The genetic piece of it was explained by the fact that a lot of people who normally would have died in the past as a result of a low immune system are being kept alive to reproduce by modern medicine, antibiotics, etc. That was a hard thing to read as the mother of an ana child, but interesting to think about.

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by JaneS

I can start posting more of what I know as I research adrenals more in depth if you want. I guess I have to wade through that looooong Adrenal Fatigue thread here. I have James Wilson's book, I just need to get back into it.

But I can tell you after extensive study for the past several months, and consulting several MDs with alternative learning that I trust and speaking with our holistic RD who also has thyroid issues and researched up the yin/yang herself ... "normal" thyroid tests are a complete fallacy and based on incomplete data. They are unsubstantiated by studies ... modern thyroid studies are NOT based on actual symptom resolution and patients are followed for like 6 weeks! It's madness!

Traditional thyroid labs only tell you if the pituitary is producing TSH and if some thyroid hormones are in a "normal" range.

Don't tell you anything about if the cells are actually accepting the thyroid hormone (and ALL cells of body need thyroid hormone, that is why there are so many sx associated with hypo or hyper).

Don't tell you anything about whether the communication between the cells who need more hormone actually put out enough of the signal to the pituitary to raise the TSH.

Without providing a way to answer these other steps to the intricate system of the thyroid, mainstream medicine is completely ignoring the fact that all body systems CAN and WILL malfunction... to assume that some pieces of it will always work perfectly is ridiculous.

I have been left with the knowledge that if your temps are low, if your metabolism is low, if you have thyroid symptoms, there is a problem regardless of what your labs say. I guess I'm just lucky that a found a dr. that will test an "experimental" test like Reverse T3 and also look at the Free and Total ratios.

Thyroid is ESSENTIAL for immune system. I really do not think that it's a coincidence that most of us here have low thyroid sx when I asked a while ago. I guess we will learn collectively by my experiment! If I didn't have a dr. I'd be going right to the desiccated thyroid WITH active hormones that you can get OTC: ThyroGold by Dr. Lowe.

Also I found out thyroid hormone is involved in making proteins "unallergenic".

Yep... ding, ding, ding!!! that was in Mark Starr's book too. Tons of digestive issues are resolved with thyroid supplementation based on the work of dr's that treat by sx, temps and physical exams.

I haven't been back to the fibromyalgia thread but many functional thyroid doctors think this is another "make up a new dx" for an old problem. The problem that is increasing based on genetics AND toxicities. The genetic piece of it was explained by the fact that a lot of people who normally would have died in the past as a result of a low immune system are being kept alive to reproduce by modern medicine, antibiotics, etc. That was a hard thing to read as the mother of a ana child, but interesting to think about.

That's fascinating. I thought I had read somewhere that treating the thyroid before the adrenals causes other issues of its own. Do you think that's not the case?

I guess I'll call the doctor tomorrow. I'd love to have my thyroid more carefully looked at then the pcp did.

[tanyalynn]

My newfound ability to break electronic things continues. DH came in, suspicious look on his face, and said he wanted to have me tested. The light in his truck that indicates Drive (vs reverse or park or whatever) went out. It's an LED, he doesn't think it should've ever gone out. I drove his truck to the grocery store this afternoon. Now I'm going to be paranoid for weeks.

My headache is gone, at least for now. Can't tell if it was the handful of nuts, the caffeine, or luck, but I've had the headache for a full 24 hrs so, whatever the cause, I'm glad it's gone.

[Theloose]

Hugs for everything, Kathy! For the situation, the choices, the not feeling like you can talk about it... Breast cancer is scary. I had no idea how prevalent it was, either. I think something like 1 in 8 women get it in their lifetime?

Tanya, my great grandpa was known for breaking watches. He couldn't wear them, they would always just stop working. And BIL has an amazing ability to break computers. Now he's dh's favorite beta tester I wonder if there really is something going on? Have you tried sticking any magnets to your arms lately?

I made a nettles infusion and as I was pouring myself the first glass, I said to dh how it was so perfectly yummy and I wanted an infinite supply. What did he do? Poured himself a glass. Nice that I'm getting him hooked, not so nice that he's drinking my nettles! Then when I refilled my glass at dinner, ds swiped at it and knocked the whole thing to the floor it was pretty funny, thoug, dh got SOAKED

ds is in the stage where he's trying to steal everything fromthe table, and gets mad when I won't let him have food - to the point that I feel bad! He's also only 4mo, and has been doing this since for a month already! And with the history of sensitivities and all that, there's no way we're starting solids early, but today I gave him a whole raw organic heirloom carrot to gum on. He LOVED it he's also definitely getting little flavors of things, like residue on my fingers and such. He goes bonkers for anything resembling food. It's cute, and a bit heartbreaking!

I made my first pathetic attempt at a stevia mojito with fresh lime and sparkling mineral water this afternoon (thanks for the blender tip, Kathy!), then remembered how I'm avoiding lemon/lime water on an empty stomach Then got to thinking - I never got a satisfying answer on what lemon water DOES, exactly. Now I'm wondering if it doesn't set off a similar reaction to the pancreatin? Like maybe those enzymes somehow activate whatever system for a good gut pH, and maybe the lemon water triggers release of the enzymes? Ooh, and then that could be why you do it on an empty stomach for detox - because then the enzymes work on the gut rather than your food? (totally guessing here)

[tanyalynn]

My headache is really gone! It started yesterday, this afternoon was really not fun, I thought it was going to be around for days, but it's gone! woo-hoo!

DD is downing the nettles, drank a quart today, no, it was a quart and a half (3 pints). DH didn't get any because of it... I told DD that I thought that peppermint tea and nettles would help prevent nosebleeds--she likes them both anyway, but I think this is an extra incentive. Love it when the kids actually crave stuff that's good for them.

I've stayed up way too late tonight reading because it didn't hurt to do it, but I really should get to bed. I am going to be sorry tomorrow, but everything is better when your head doesn't hurt. I can look at the cluttered coffee table and think hey, I just need to start putting some of this stuff away, and it's not annoying and overwhelming.

Hope everyone's happily asleep. Night night.

[lil_miss_understood]

[lissybeth74]

Hi Beautiful Mommas--

Where do you all get your nettles to make infusions, etc.? I have been dying to try this stuff....but Rose Mountain Herbs has been out of stock for forever.

[mama1803]

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

Oh good, I'm glad you're enjoying it. This fall I am going to put in some major work simplying our house, getting things more organized, less visual clutter, 'a place for everything and everything in its place' type of thing. I've started a little bit, but in September I plan to get a bit more organized about it. For now, just surviving the summer travel and heat.

I wanted to say thanks for the recommendation. I started reading it this weekend and am enjoying it. I also need to declutter, but have felt much to lazy to figure out where to start.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by lissybeth74

Hi Beautiful Mommas--

Where do you all get your nettles to make infusions, etc.? I have been dying to try this stuff....but Rose Mountain Herbs has been out of stock for forever.

I've only ordered from MRH, I saw they were out once but I got distracted by life and when I next looked, they had nettles again. I tend to order extra and put them in the freezer. But I don't have a backup plan for when I next order and they're out.

Originally Posted by mama1803

I wanted to say thanks for the recommendation. I started reading it this weekend and am enjoying it. I also need to declutter, but have felt much to lazy to figure out where to start.

So glad it's been helpful for several folks, I am so grateful to my friend here who listened to me talk one night about what I felt like I needed from life and said, "I have just the book for you!"

So, my headache is still gone. Amazing how that makes the day better. And I haven't seen local friends in more than a month, due to our travel, and we've got activities today, tomorrow and Thursday. Unusually busy, but nice to see folks. for something good tomorrow at the opthalmologist (I really should just chill about that). Need to make nut butter cookies now, and get through part of the mountain of dishes in the kitchen, and whiz up idli batter. And start nettles before we leave. And get dressed, do pills... I should clearly be working, right?

[lil_miss_understood]

What recommendation?

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by dannic

Hugs, JaneS. And Kathy, hope you didn't think I was being pushy with all the links...just trying to help, not overwhelm or seem judgemental.

Not at all. I welcome all links and advice at this point.
And thanks everyone, for your support on this.

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

My gut reaction would be to think, how am I like the other people out there who've had similar lab results, and how am I different? Normally our bodies don't let cancer cells reproduce and proliferate out of control, right? Our bodies don't necessarily 100% prevent the first atypical cell, but they halt the reproductive process in a timely fashion. What I guess I'm really going for, though, is--you are doing a lot of things for your health, to improve how your body is functioning, that most people aren't -- you've already done a lot more than most people--what if you've delayed this for several years, compared to not figuring out your food intolerances? You're working on the lyme, you've got a plan for the metals. I know I feel a lot better now that I've made a lot of progress on the metals--I have to think, though it's not guaranteed, that a lot of process in my body that I can't immediately feel are also working better, probably preventing other problems from developing.

Well one of my worries is that I was already doing so much. When I first went in the surgeon said I had to go off soy (been doing that for 2 years) and caffeine (done that for 14 years) and flax, which I've had more of in the last couple years because of using it as an egg sub but really I don't use it more than once a week. And go off all the plant based estrogens, well it turns out that most of the stuff I was on for lyme had plant based estrogens. So again, I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Did going on all the lyme stuff actually start this? I had a clear mammogram in October, and now I have a 2" x 2.5" lump. That seems pretty fast moving to me. I eat healthy, organic, all that stuff. So I can't tell if what I'm doing is helping or hurting.

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

Okay, totally off the present topic and much more light, but...
We were supposed to have spaghetti tonight but I didn't want to deal with all of the dishes that entails (cutting up veggies, making sauce, 2 kinds of pasta, salad ). So, we're having sloppy joes. I can't recall exactly when we had them last so it's been a while. They smell SO good! Still having salad, but it saves me a couple of pots.

I love the smell of Sloppy Joes. But what do you put it on? I always want it on doughy white bread hamburger rolls.... Last night when I was trying to fall asleep (and failing) I was trying to figure out how to make Italian/French bread again. It's my impossible dream....

Originally Posted by JaneS

I've also read alot about back pain and hypoT too. I realize I sound like a broken record lately, but my perspective right now is based on some drs who have treated thousands and thousands of patients (Starr, Barnes and Langer et al).

I've gone to an endo though, and they did free T3, and free T4, as well as TSH. And she put me on the hormone for a few months just to see if it would help (albeit low dose) and it didn't do anything. Is there some test that would show something different? I do have nodules so it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. My temps are low, my blood pressure is low, but my metabolism is high.

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

My newfound ability to break electronic things continues. DH came in, suspicious look on his face, and said he wanted to have me tested. The light in his truck that indicates Drive (vs reverse or park or whatever) went out. It's an LED, he doesn't think it should've ever gone out. I drove his truck to the grocery store this afternoon. Now I'm going to be paranoid for weeks.

That's freaky!

Originally Posted by whoMe

I made my first pathetic attempt at a stevia mojito with fresh lime and sparkling mineral water this afternoon (thanks for the blender tip, Kathy!), then remembered how I'm avoiding lemon/lime water on an empty stomach Then got to thinking - I never got a satisfying answer on what lemon water DOES, exactly. Now I'm wondering if it doesn't set off a similar reaction to the pancreatin? Like maybe those enzymes somehow activate whatever system for a good gut pH, and maybe the lemon water triggers release of the enzymes? Ooh, and then that could be why you do it on an empty stomach for detox - because then the enzymes work on the gut rather than your food? (totally guessing here)

I've been doing lemon water, but I forgot that you're supposed to do it on an empty stomach. I know it's supposed to alkalyze you. But I think you're right about the enzymes. That's another thing that I bought but haven't started yet: pancreatic enzymes, oh, and I haven't started the cell salts either (got the recommendations from PB for DD2 and me, but didn't get her all the pictures of DS that she needed. I should do that too).

I have been wanting potatoes all the time lately: roasted potatoes for breakfast, french fries for dinner, potato salad, boiled potatoes, potato chips. I know it's a nightshade, and an inflammatory food, so I always worry about it, but I want them all the time. Is that a bad thing?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Not at all. I welcome all links and advice at this point.
And thanks everyone, for your support on this.

the paths I know of to chase down are the stuff you're thinking of, trying to get into a clinical trial, or the alternate routes like iodine at www.breastcancerchoices.com, the aluminum gut stuff deb talks about from yasko, looking into insulin level (I think it was on the list bloodsugarthinktank recently, but I didn't read details), or gking the route of my aunt who was just diagnosed, like her mother and grandmother before her of acceptance and enjoying life. They are/were all over 60, though. My aunt I think is hoping her 'emaculate' raw foods diet will help her, I think.

I need more sleep. With storytime to fall asleep, I've been staying up way too late

[changingseasons]

Wow, I've got a lot to catch up on! Please, PLEASE let the phone guy fix our DSL today.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I just feel like any of the things that I'm considering (tamoxifen plus MRIs/mammograms Or prophylactic mastectomies aren't necessarily "natural" so I figured I couldn't really talk about it here). I kind of feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. DH said yesterday that maybe my back spasms were from increased stress....

I know I've probably missed a lot in the last couple weeks of dial-up, so you might have already talked about this. But what happens if you do nothing? Are they telling you that you definitely will get cancer at some point in the future? Is it a 90% chance? A 50% chance?

Have you read about the paleo-type diets in regard to cancer? (Again, sorry if this was already talked about.) Basically, no sugar means nothing to feed the cancer cells. I know that would be a BIG change to your current (delicious!) diet, but it seems much less drastic than some of your other choices.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

You guys help just by being here. I've been researching a lot of stuff to try to make a decision. But I still feel sort of paralyzed by it. I wish someone could make a decision for me but it's one of those got-to-do-it-myself kind of decisions. But at least you guys aren't bashing me for thinking of non-natural solutions. That's what I was mostly worried about. That you guys were going to shun me and yell at me for even considering such a thing.

Don't be silly.

Originally Posted by dannic

I got really messed up on the iodine too. My adrenals tanked. I never had an issue with thyodine (sp?).

Interesting. If I could find my old food journal, I would be really curious to know if my thyroid/adrenals crashed around the same time that I started taking iodine. (I'm not taking it anymore. hmmmm.)

Originally Posted by JaneS

Also I found out thyroid hormone is involved in making proteins "unallergenic".

Great. So at the same time that my thyroid tanked at the beginning of the year, DD's symptoms all got worse and she started losing weight for the first time ever. And of course I got to see the endo who absolutely refused to test anything other than TSH, because "that is the most sensitive marker."

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I have been wanting potatoes all the time lately: roasted potatoes for breakfast, french fries for dinner, potato salad, boiled potatoes, potato chips. I know it's a nightshade, and an inflammatory food, so I always worry about it, but I want them all the time. Is that a bad thing?

Potatoes are supposedly one of the foods higher in iodine, so you might want to consider the iodine therapy at the link Shannon suggested. I'm not sure if you're aware that Japan has a breast cancer rate several times lower than North America's which has been theorized to be due to their increased iodine intake.
Just a thought.

I've been awake since 6:30 but still feel like I'm "just waking up". I hate that. I always feel like I'm in limbo of sorts until DH's awake and he doesn't get up until between 8:30 and 8:45 (10 and 11 on days off ) so my entire morning is like this waking-sleep and then, after he gets up, it's like I finally wake up for real. Does that sound absolutely ridiculous? It's really annoying.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by changingseasons

Great. So at the same time that my thyroid tanked at the beginning of the year, DD's symptoms all got worse and she started losing weight for the first time ever. And of course I got to see the endo who absolutely refused to test anything other than TSH, because "that is the most sensitive marker."

Grr. DOCTORS.