I’ve been back in our home from a for just over a month now and generally feel better.  We remediated our home for water damage and what turned out to be a minimal amount of mold.  My noxious symptoms were better when I first came home and as of last night, they are much worse.  May I explain?

While our home is as clean as it can possibly be, there are always multiple factors, internal and external to address when battling chronic illness.  I was staring at the ceiling praying one afternoon this past week after a series of low grade seizure attacks for which I could not identify any particular trigger.  The bedroom window was slightly open for fresh air and I had not changed anything recently in my diet, supplements, or Rife treatment programs.  I talked to the Lord, praying, for a long time.  Not sure how to describe what followed:  a suspicion that the lingering yeast infection may have a role in the severity of my ongoing symptoms.

So I did what any dutiful patient would do, I called my husband at work!  Well that’s probably not the best use of his employers time; it was the sweetest voice in the darkness that I could find at the moment.  Steve looked up “yeast infection and seizures” and found a connection.  We hypothesized that the yeast has crossed the blood-brain barrier, contributing to this seizure-like complication that has remained elusive.  I knew that I had an undiagnosed recurrence of a urinary tract infection as well, again!  (Labs results are pending.)  Geez, what if there’s yeast in there too?  Other lab testing has already showed that candida is still in my digestive tract.  All this seems impossible with my limited diet:  no sugar to feed it and several rounds of treatment in the past!

I do not consume added sugar in any foods; no desserts, sweeteners, 1/4 serving of fruit every other day, and only limited servings of gluten free grain carbohydrates.  But there are sugars listed on the labels in some of my pharmaceutical-grade, doctor-recommended, and biomeridian-tested supplements.  Oh my!  At first, I felt betrayed.  How could my healthcare practitioners who recommended these supplements and all of the foods that I was consuming not see that there still might be a problem?  The feelings didn’t last long as I decided that I need to get to work FAST.  These seizure attacks have gone on long enough.  IT HAS BEEN A YEAR!

Turns out there are 8 grams of sugar in the daily dose of the powder probiotic I had just restarted.  Turns out there were hidden sugars in other supplements and even the 4 ounces per day of coconut yogurt I enjoyed that is labeled as “plain.” Tuesday was a wretched morning after a nice dinner the night before with friends.  Further investigation found that my dinner included a smaller-than-usual serving but slightly sweetener form of coconut yogurt, the 1/4 serving allowance of fruit, plus the probiotic later that evening.   I did not usually have all of these together on the same night until then.  Later in the week, my LLMD said that when the reaction is delayed until the next morning, it might be due to the fermenting of the sugars and yeast.  When I woke up and got moving on Tuesday, the seizure attacks could have been  triggered by the combination of activity, increased heart rate/blood flow, and the yeast having a party in my brain.  I was ripe for an attack, literally.

I may not have all the details correct on how this all works.  I don’t need to have it down exactly to know what to do!  Immediately I replaced the probiotic; checked the ingredient label for all of my supplements and made adjustments; abandoned the plain coconut yogurt; and cut out even complex grains to one serving or less per day.  Within a day I started running anti fungal and Candida programs on my Rife machine.  Guess what happened?  I felt worse.  The first part of today was a nightmare.  Is this what they call a herx reaction (i.e. symptoms caused by the toxins of dead organisms before they can be flushed from the body)?   Who knows.  I have to restrict my diet further anyways.  This is still war.  I am fighting for my brain and when I cannot breathe in the middle of an attack, it feels like I am fighting for my very life.

Steve wondered today if another factor to consider are changes in barometric pressure that occur when it’s stormy outside.  Further research shows that persons with epilepsy and migraines often can have setbacks with changes in barometric pressure.  Gratefully, I don’t have epilepsy.  Only problem with the weather connection is that there is nothing a person can do about the weather!  (We sang a song about this in Mott High School Chorale.  All we can do is “just complain!”)

So the illness profile that is Julie is a nightmare these days with some nice moments occasionally!  Everything appears to have the potential to trigger a pre-tic state or a full blown seizure attack; these generally come when falling asleep or waking up in the morning.  Yes, it is common with Lyme Disease to have numerous noxious symptoms that change at will and vary with each individual.  The LLMD has added the diagnosis of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome to the mix which describes the sickness that can follow after exposure to water-damaged buildings.  Fibromyalgia came as a diagnosis in 1992 with chronic pain and issues with fatigue.  While I have had many very happy and active days over these past 20 years, the clinical picture has gotten quite complex of late.  Thankfully, there is a new approach on the horizon:  VIP.  Here’s the latest research:

http://www.survivingmold.com/docs/VIP_published_3_2013.pdf

I’m not the kind of person that sees a T.V. commercial about a new drug and goes to the doctor demanding that it be ordered for me.  This time, I have pursued VIP after seeing this new research and talking with another person online who has benefited tremendously.  VIP stands for vasoreactive intestinal peptide, a naturally occurring hormone in the body.  My LLMD recommended it to me a year ago and we were unable to find it in the United States at that time.  I now fit both the research protocol and the compound pharmacy protocol I found online that issues VIP in the United States.  I really want to try it and am hopeful for some relief of these complications of illness.

I’ll write more about it as the order is processed Lord willing this week and as I begin treatment.  The average time for a person to notice a benefit is two months.  Sigh.  Regardless, I am looking forward to trying this new treatment approach, now that there is reasonable clinical indication that it could help me.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.  I’m lying low this evening after “doing it sick” today and baking some treats for others who have helped us so much this year.  If you are nearby (and you know who you are!), feel free to call me for a tasty treat.  Or maybe I’ll see you on Thursday with my plate of cookies for the National Day of Prayer remembrance at our church.  I do hope I make it this year . . .