Greetings from the couch.
This isn't where I ordinarily spend my time. Ordinarily, I am running or puttering around cleaning up after my family. However, the past few days have been one of those 'not quite right' episodes. Nothing drastic has occurred but I feel like I'm on the edge of a big ugly reaction and am trying to keep the storm at bay. Tongue feels fat at the back (goes down with epi spray for a while and that comes back feeling all thick), it starts tingling (stops with epi spray), my gut has been on fire all evening tonight, felt like I was going to fall down (and didn't! Yah!), acid reflux (that I don't normally get), some lung pain and horrendous bone pain. I feel weak. I am exhausted, but can't sleep. I flushed several times today, the bright red ring around my nose and cheeks, leaving my center cheek bleach white. Very odd looking. And I'm itchy...the unscratchable itch. The itch that moves all over the body, under the skin & feels like it's inside too. Unscratchable.
I've taken all my meds, and as instructed, have doubled up on some. I feel sick to my stomach (haven't puked yet...yah!) and just feel 'not right'. We don't go to the hospital for 'not feeling right' unless I can't breathe; can't swallow or have passed out. Felt close to all those things today (and some yesterday) but it hasn't gotten out of control.
So what brought this all on?
Could've been the initial perfume on some woman in Tim Hortons (where I'm usually ok for short periods of time). I got itchy tongue, all over body itching, running nose and eyes within seconds of her scent getting up my nose. I was standing in line. I used my epi spray as discreetly as I could. I got up to the counter to order and both nostrils literally let go. Blood. Haven't been feeling right since. Have had a bunch of nosebleeds like this, spontaneously, since. This'll teach me to say out loud that I've been well for over 5 weeks now. Wellish.
I mentioned before this combination low histamine and latex cross over foods diet has been improving a number of things. For one, I'm not puking near as much as I have been this past 2 years. I'm experiencing less bloating and gastric distress. Less bone pain. Clearer mind function. No full on anaphylaxis. My tongue has even reached normalcy. It was like being reintroduced to an old friend: "Hi Tongue, wow you look great!" Not today though. It's swollen, cracked, has the little red sores that appear on it when I'm reacting, and...is fat.
My good friend Kim, in Winnipeg, sent me a great book recently called The Maker's Diet. The author has cured, yes cured, himself of Crohn's Disease. I have a good friend locally with this disease so I've seen how crap it is. My little brother has it too...he's managed to improve his symptoms with a combination diet and Naturopathic care over the years. The book is really cool. The author, who is Christian, has gone back to the Bible seeking guidance, and examples, of foods that our Biblical forefathers ate. They lived much longer lives than we do. And not living in our toxic world, obviously weren't aggravated by the side effects in our quest for 'convenience'. I'm a fair chunk of the way in. Some of the stuff outlined in the book isn't rocket science...to those of us who are, have been, or beginning to be chronically 'ill'. While everyone would benefit from eating this way and living the ways outlined in the book, it's not for everyone. Some of us feel we can't 'give up' our 'convenience'. However, for those of us who've HAD to give up that 'convenience', there's some good advice to be heeded inside the covers of this book. So, I'm trying it. I've got nothing to lose. I am unable to eat a bunch of stuff in the 'recommended' section due to the latex cross over and low histamine thingy but (perhaps not so surprisingly) most of the 'do not touch' lists are foods and things I need to avoid regardless.
There are some things in this book that I didn't know about till now. HSO's, little organisms found in dirt and such can be beneficial to all human beings. I have to be careful with mold spores and such but he suggests gardening as a good way to get your fill of HSO's.
So, what have I changed this past week or so, since getting the book?
1) I'm combining bentonite clay (in liquid form...I tried the dried stuff before and could never get the ratio right enough to be able to palate it) with psyllium (ok, orange flavoured Metameucil...it's what I have and we have to be careful about money right now.) It's gently removing any residual mercury or other heavy metal toxicity I may have left floating around in this body. (Mercury, is another LOOOOOONG story in my 'getting sick' journey...for another day.) The psyllium is removing the sludge from my intestines and colon. It's working. And before you suggest it, I don't think this is aggravating my symptoms this episode. It was definately that woman's perfume that triggered me....if we can pinpoint ONE thing. I feel no discomfort with this cleansing concoction. Drink it on an empty tummy at night before bed...cleaned out and on the loo by morning. I'm going to keep doing it. I feel improvement in the digestive area. Once my batteries are charged and changed on my scales, I'll see if my 'feeling' lighter has translated to physical lightness.
2) Am no longer consuming pig products. At all. Ironically, the pigs we've grown on our farm this past summer, that are almost ready to go to 'get dressed' (Nov. 25th) will not be eaten by me. Perhaps for the rest of the world this is ok, but for 'sick' people, it's one of the first foods you should eliminate from your diet. They are 'bottom feeders' (like lobster, crabs, shrimp, clams and oysters.) The book's stand on this is that 'bottom feeders' are "unclean" (garbage in; garbage out) and that the Bible clearly ascertains that man shall not eat pig. I've asked some Christians about this (who eat pig) and they tell me it's more 'custom' than anything; they tell me that back then there were no refrigerators to keep the meat from rotting and it rotted quicker than say a chicken; they tell me it's a guideline...not necessarily to be taken to heart. Interesting that other passages or instructions are taken to heart, but not this instruction. Where do you draw the line? Well this book says you draw it where God says so. Do not eat pig. If you're reading this, and you're Christian, I'd be very interested to hear your take on this subjecct.
3) Chew your food really slowly, with intent and permit your body to have the time it needs to prepare the digestive enzymes that will help digest what you shovel in. I'm doing this...chewing 30-70 times per mouthful...and what I've discovered is, I can't eat as much as I used to. Don't need to.
4) Get sleep. (Oh, says I, on the computer at 12:30 pm)...for every hour before midnight that you get to bed, it's like having an additional 4 hours of real sleep. Apparently. I'm up right now because I had a flare up and I have trouble sleeping on these nights. Ergo, I'm on the couch. I also pee a lot more when I flare up, so I'm nearer to the loo. But, I do need to get going to bed momentarily.
That's as far as I am. Lots more in the book to talk about. And if I find any other useful hints, directions and such, I will post them. I'm already doing a bunch of other reccommendations (cutting caffeine; relaxing, etc.) but I'm thinking there must be something IN this approach. If God has truly offered instructions and guidelines for living healthy and long, then we might want to heed His advice? Interestingly, The Qu'Ran's guidelines aren't that much different. Nor are Orthodox Jews'. So...maybe it's true that the pigs function on earth, much like the shrimp or lobsters fucntion, is to clean up and not be eaten? For me, for now, this 'garbage in/garbage out' approach makes some sense...and I often throw pig back when I eat it, so I don't eat it much anyway. I know that our pigs have been fed well, but the stuff you're buying at the supermarket has come from a feedlot where ALL the waste goes, so that's what you're eating. I wouldn't feel good about that, no matter how it's smoked or prepared. So as much as I love a bacon sarney/sandwich, it's no longer a choice for me.
Must get some needed sleep now. I hope you each are well, happy and loving your lives. And if you're Canadian, I hope you've had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend this past weekend. I'd like to thank my Mother in Law for a gorgeous turkey dinner yesterday. It looked amazing. She makes it look so easy...another thing I aspire to do well in this lifetime. Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be grateful for.
xooxo
This isn't where I ordinarily spend my time. Ordinarily, I am running or puttering around cleaning up after my family. However, the past few days have been one of those 'not quite right' episodes. Nothing drastic has occurred but I feel like I'm on the edge of a big ugly reaction and am trying to keep the storm at bay. Tongue feels fat at the back (goes down with epi spray for a while and that comes back feeling all thick), it starts tingling (stops with epi spray), my gut has been on fire all evening tonight, felt like I was going to fall down (and didn't! Yah!), acid reflux (that I don't normally get), some lung pain and horrendous bone pain. I feel weak. I am exhausted, but can't sleep. I flushed several times today, the bright red ring around my nose and cheeks, leaving my center cheek bleach white. Very odd looking. And I'm itchy...the unscratchable itch. The itch that moves all over the body, under the skin & feels like it's inside too. Unscratchable.
I've taken all my meds, and as instructed, have doubled up on some. I feel sick to my stomach (haven't puked yet...yah!) and just feel 'not right'. We don't go to the hospital for 'not feeling right' unless I can't breathe; can't swallow or have passed out. Felt close to all those things today (and some yesterday) but it hasn't gotten out of control.
So what brought this all on?
Could've been the initial perfume on some woman in Tim Hortons (where I'm usually ok for short periods of time). I got itchy tongue, all over body itching, running nose and eyes within seconds of her scent getting up my nose. I was standing in line. I used my epi spray as discreetly as I could. I got up to the counter to order and both nostrils literally let go. Blood. Haven't been feeling right since. Have had a bunch of nosebleeds like this, spontaneously, since. This'll teach me to say out loud that I've been well for over 5 weeks now. Wellish.
I mentioned before this combination low histamine and latex cross over foods diet has been improving a number of things. For one, I'm not puking near as much as I have been this past 2 years. I'm experiencing less bloating and gastric distress. Less bone pain. Clearer mind function. No full on anaphylaxis. My tongue has even reached normalcy. It was like being reintroduced to an old friend: "Hi Tongue, wow you look great!" Not today though. It's swollen, cracked, has the little red sores that appear on it when I'm reacting, and...is fat.
My good friend Kim, in Winnipeg, sent me a great book recently called The Maker's Diet. The author has cured, yes cured, himself of Crohn's Disease. I have a good friend locally with this disease so I've seen how crap it is. My little brother has it too...he's managed to improve his symptoms with a combination diet and Naturopathic care over the years. The book is really cool. The author, who is Christian, has gone back to the Bible seeking guidance, and examples, of foods that our Biblical forefathers ate. They lived much longer lives than we do. And not living in our toxic world, obviously weren't aggravated by the side effects in our quest for 'convenience'. I'm a fair chunk of the way in. Some of the stuff outlined in the book isn't rocket science...to those of us who are, have been, or beginning to be chronically 'ill'. While everyone would benefit from eating this way and living the ways outlined in the book, it's not for everyone. Some of us feel we can't 'give up' our 'convenience'. However, for those of us who've HAD to give up that 'convenience', there's some good advice to be heeded inside the covers of this book. So, I'm trying it. I've got nothing to lose. I am unable to eat a bunch of stuff in the 'recommended' section due to the latex cross over and low histamine thingy but (perhaps not so surprisingly) most of the 'do not touch' lists are foods and things I need to avoid regardless.
There are some things in this book that I didn't know about till now. HSO's, little organisms found in dirt and such can be beneficial to all human beings. I have to be careful with mold spores and such but he suggests gardening as a good way to get your fill of HSO's.
So, what have I changed this past week or so, since getting the book?
1) I'm combining bentonite clay (in liquid form...I tried the dried stuff before and could never get the ratio right enough to be able to palate it) with psyllium (ok, orange flavoured Metameucil...it's what I have and we have to be careful about money right now.) It's gently removing any residual mercury or other heavy metal toxicity I may have left floating around in this body. (Mercury, is another LOOOOOONG story in my 'getting sick' journey...for another day.) The psyllium is removing the sludge from my intestines and colon. It's working. And before you suggest it, I don't think this is aggravating my symptoms this episode. It was definately that woman's perfume that triggered me....if we can pinpoint ONE thing. I feel no discomfort with this cleansing concoction. Drink it on an empty tummy at night before bed...cleaned out and on the loo by morning. I'm going to keep doing it. I feel improvement in the digestive area. Once my batteries are charged and changed on my scales, I'll see if my 'feeling' lighter has translated to physical lightness.
2) Am no longer consuming pig products. At all. Ironically, the pigs we've grown on our farm this past summer, that are almost ready to go to 'get dressed' (Nov. 25th) will not be eaten by me. Perhaps for the rest of the world this is ok, but for 'sick' people, it's one of the first foods you should eliminate from your diet. They are 'bottom feeders' (like lobster, crabs, shrimp, clams and oysters.) The book's stand on this is that 'bottom feeders' are "unclean" (garbage in; garbage out) and that the Bible clearly ascertains that man shall not eat pig. I've asked some Christians about this (who eat pig) and they tell me it's more 'custom' than anything; they tell me that back then there were no refrigerators to keep the meat from rotting and it rotted quicker than say a chicken; they tell me it's a guideline...not necessarily to be taken to heart. Interesting that other passages or instructions are taken to heart, but not this instruction. Where do you draw the line? Well this book says you draw it where God says so. Do not eat pig. If you're reading this, and you're Christian, I'd be very interested to hear your take on this subjecct.
3) Chew your food really slowly, with intent and permit your body to have the time it needs to prepare the digestive enzymes that will help digest what you shovel in. I'm doing this...chewing 30-70 times per mouthful...and what I've discovered is, I can't eat as much as I used to. Don't need to.
4) Get sleep. (Oh, says I, on the computer at 12:30 pm)...for every hour before midnight that you get to bed, it's like having an additional 4 hours of real sleep. Apparently. I'm up right now because I had a flare up and I have trouble sleeping on these nights. Ergo, I'm on the couch. I also pee a lot more when I flare up, so I'm nearer to the loo. But, I do need to get going to bed momentarily.
That's as far as I am. Lots more in the book to talk about. And if I find any other useful hints, directions and such, I will post them. I'm already doing a bunch of other reccommendations (cutting caffeine; relaxing, etc.) but I'm thinking there must be something IN this approach. If God has truly offered instructions and guidelines for living healthy and long, then we might want to heed His advice? Interestingly, The Qu'Ran's guidelines aren't that much different. Nor are Orthodox Jews'. So...maybe it's true that the pigs function on earth, much like the shrimp or lobsters fucntion, is to clean up and not be eaten? For me, for now, this 'garbage in/garbage out' approach makes some sense...and I often throw pig back when I eat it, so I don't eat it much anyway. I know that our pigs have been fed well, but the stuff you're buying at the supermarket has come from a feedlot where ALL the waste goes, so that's what you're eating. I wouldn't feel good about that, no matter how it's smoked or prepared. So as much as I love a bacon sarney/sandwich, it's no longer a choice for me.
Must get some needed sleep now. I hope you each are well, happy and loving your lives. And if you're Canadian, I hope you've had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend this past weekend. I'd like to thank my Mother in Law for a gorgeous turkey dinner yesterday. It looked amazing. She makes it look so easy...another thing I aspire to do well in this lifetime. Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be grateful for.
xooxo
