Mrs. Sommers uses her interviewing style to cover topics that are usually more difficult to understand when it comes to the complexities of serious illness. She includes a broad range of diseases, treatments, and types of practitioners, only occasionally mentioning her other best-selling books! I especially appreciate the index for locating topics of interest.
This book might have shortened my learning curve if it had been available 3 years ago. May it shorten yours!
Who knew that finely crushed, Unsalted Kettle Potato Chips would be like a salve to my wounded frame today? In the spirit of my previous foodie post, I must say that finely crushed chips make my creamy beef stew-ish soup puree quite special. Since there are potato chips in my belly, life will go on after all!
Yes, there is other good news after enduring 36-hours of hell, ending about an hour ago: we believe we have identified the trifecta-root cause of much of my illness. However, unlike a horserace where a bet on a trifecta identifies win, place, or show, we are not sure of the order of these little fillies:
Two infected teeth with root canals
Inflammation secondary to the infection and
Dental galvanism from dissimilar metals in the crowns of the root-canaled teeth.
Now we recognize that while we certainly won’t know the exact cause until the teeth are extracted and I have treated the infection, if needed. I am on a waiting list for a local surgeon after a trip to see a qualified biologic dentist out-of-state resulted in being passed on to someone else equally far from home. My husband has led us to the decision to find someone else locally; I am on a waiting list to have my appointment moved up from April 2nd with the best local oral surgeon. Those Gentle Readers who have followed me for awhile know that I have thought before that we found the “root cause” of everything. The “it” still could be complicated by underlying Lyme disease, mold neurotoxins and the definite mercury toxicity fueling it all. Yet one thing is now clear: these teeth still have to come out!
Here’s a brief summary of these three new factors in my own words:
1. When a person has a root canal procedure, a dead tooth is left behind. The primary root canals consisting of nerve tissue and blood are scraped out and a rubber-like substance called gutta percha is stuffed into the remaining cavity. While the opening is treated with an antiseptic, no one can ever know for sure if any secondary root canals were left un-cleaned and untreated. Any remaining nerve and blood tissues dies and can provide food for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Between the root canal channel and the outer enamel of the tooth is the dentin, consisting of 3 miles of dentil tubules. These are too numerous to be completely sterilized before placement of the gutta percha. Thus there is a possibility of infection seeping into the dentil tubules. When a tooth is healthy, all of the dental tissues are washed with blood but this is no longer possible with the severing of the blood vessels during the root canal procedure. However, if the infection grows, the bacteria can eventually seep from it’s hidden little factory in the tubules into the jaw bone and surrounding blood supply thus potentially affecting the mouth and rest of the body. It is well-recognized that these bacteria can be exceedingly dangerous.
Lastly, during a root canal procedure the periodontal ligament is often left in place around the dead tooth, adding further risk for infection and necrosis from this dead tissue lying next to the gums or jaw bone. Only in the dental industry is a once-living, now-dead tissue and a dead structure (the tooth) allowed to stay in the body; otherwise this tissue would be surgically removed as in the examples of damaged frostbitten fingers, gangrenous toes, severely burned skin, etc!
2. As spoken by the nurse in my doctor’s office this past week, reddened tissue means inflammation and often indicates the presence of infection. Pain in the upper left portion of my jaw has lasted over 13 years, increasing lately to the point of requiring periodic Ibuprofen and topical treatments such as (diluted) clove oil. I now chew food only on the right side of my mouth, avoid hot and cold temperatures, and consume soft/pureed foods so as to minimize the chewing and pressure on my teeth that trigger convulsive episodes. Geez!
3. Though considered controversial by traditional dentists, it is easy to find hundreds of mainstream and holistic dentistry sites that have described the dental galvanism (aka “battery effect”) that can occur from the use of dissimilar metals in amalgam fillings, crowns, and dental appliances. I had my amalgam fillings (generally consisting 50% of mercury) removed many years ago yet there remains a question if there is any remaining underneath one of my crowns. The bigger issue is that three of the four crowns in my mouth consist of a combination of metals. To establish if the presence of metals (in the presence of saliva) creates any currents between my teeth, yesterday my husband and I touched the probes of a voltmeter to the surface of the two teeth in question. The voltage was TWICE that of my skin on my arm! Steve questioned if this small amount of voltage would be of any clinical significance? Note that microcurrent (significantly less than the voltage we measured on my teeth) is used in rehabilitation for the treatment of pain. This means that the body must be affected by tiny currents. Too bad the current in my teeth is not mitigating pain! Conversely, I wonder if this battery-effect is over stimulating a part of my brain, triggering the convulsions instead?
Now to flesh out number 3 a little more, I refreshed myself on a little neuroanatomy. The upper branch of the trigeminal nerve innervates the upper and lower jaw of the mouth. The trigeminal nerve originates from a part of the brainstem called the “Pons” which sits on top of the spinal cord inside the back of the skull; three branches extend on each side of your head and across the face with the mandibular branch dividing over the top and bottom of the jaw. During dental procedures, this is the nerve into which a dentist injects a numbing agent such as Novocain. The motor division of the entire trigeminal nerve derives from the basal plate of the embryonicpons, and the sensory division originates in the cranial neural crest.
Fifth Cranial Nerve Distribution: Trigeminal Nerve (from Wikipedia 2.27.15)
To hypothesize what electrical stimulation from 1) this battery-effect flowing 2) BACK TO the brain in the first two of these three areas could mean for a person, I took some liberties and looked up the symptoms of the person who has a stroke affecting these three areas. (The cranial neural crest has more significance in embryonic development and stem cell research than the discussion here so I left it out.) My findings are fascinating. Please note that the exact symptoms will depend on which biological “electrical circuits” and junctions are affected since the structures are so small and interrelated; we cannot know for certain which structures will be affected. Regardless, I have listed a few symptoms that I do experience from each of these respective areas during my own seizure attack or convulsive episodes.
Damage to Basal Plate Symptoms: Loss of movement, such as stiff, rigid or weak muscles; tremors or body shakes; aphasia (difficulty speaking); changes in eye movements; or changes in motivation or personality.
Damage to Embryonic Pons Symptoms: Weakness of upper and lower extremity (arm and leg on same side as damage); dysregulation from inhalation to exhalation (difficulty breathing); sleep paralysis (inability to move when falling asleep or after waking up and altered dreams); difficulties with balance (ataxia); dizziness due to vertigo; or clumsiness of a hand or arm. A person with a severe stroke may need help with self-care or feeding as a result.
Wow. These all have happened in some combination with each “tazoring” as I call it. Thankfully there are higher parts of my brain in the cerebral cortex that appear unaffected and thankfully the symptoms are not permanent so far! I would not be able to write this blog if the damage was permanent. But I know I cannot overthink all of this. After the onset of acute upper back pain two days ago, I feared what the range of random electrical charges on my weakened frame could do to my heart. Or was it a heart attack? Well, no. I had gone too far. Pain comes from thrashing around and will be dealt with when I return to physical therapy and chiropractic care sometime after dental surgery.
Wasn’t this interesting? There is much hope in putting all of this together. Please join me in praying for the Lord’s will in all of this. And if it is the Lord’s will, I would love to have these two crazy teeth outta here ASAP! Time for these little ones to go! I prefer to be toothless in Indiana with crushed potato chips on my soup of the day instead of this saga continuing. Even if my hypothesis was wrong, I am grateful for the mental stimulation, the challenge of the hunt. I trust that the Lord will use all of this for His glory. Maybe this insight will help someone, somewhere, someday?
And you know and Lord willing, this year I AM GOING TO GET WELL!!! Yeah baby. Take care Gentle Readers. JJ
If I get to see you in the coming year, please understand that I will be singing songs of joy in my heart! Social isolation has been one of the most devastating effects of serious illness from these past 3 years. Should the Lord allow the circumstances for me to get out for an activity other than medical or a trip to the grocery store, I CELEBRATE!!!
So if I might ask for a few accommodations when we get together and you graciously oblige and I still get sick then blame any negative symptoms you may witness in me as the consequence of illness and not you! Very few folks live in a “clean room” like we have here at home. I did not clean at this level either until it was a matter of survival. Steve did not engage in my extreme mold/contaminant behavior strategies until two years ago. These strategies are necessary for this season of our lives together. Overall I do better when we follow certain guidelines resulting in less reactivity, the worst of which are fewer seizure-like and convulsive episodes which continue daily. We are implementing some “due diligence” from what we have learned to reduce my suffering with the goal of eliminating this illness altogether. We believe that the Lord has allowed these trials for mysterious reasons and ultimately His glory. He is good!
Both Steve and I recognize that there are definite signs that I am getting better. We have trained our eye to search for even tiny changes in the pattern and intensity of episodes, pain, and reactivity to keep us hopeful that one day I will be well. It is happening! So please don’t be discouraged when either one of us might mention that I had a rough night or you witness a significant setback. Recovery is a long, jagged line of progress, setbacks, and lateral “bunny trails.” The overall trending is positive!
The most important accommodations that would be helpful if we get together are as follows.
Meeting in a public place: Select a place with less noise and less loud music. Newer buildings are generally better than older ones; please no historic buildings or ones with known basements or crawlspaces and history of flooding. Restaurants that make their own food with fresh ingredients are better able to modify dishes to meet my food sensitivities. This rules out most fast food places! Letting me know the name and phone number of the establishment ahead of time will allow me to contact them with my needs and make the experience of ordering food more pleasant for both of us! Please do not wear cologne or perfume that day. I will need to greet you and depart with a “virtual hug” to avoid exposures to hidden elements that might be on your clothing or coat. Forgive me if I sometimes forget this step in the joy of the moment when I see you!
Meeting in your home: This is still a situation that I avoid since there are too many variables at this time that may cause serious problems. I cannot come over if you have 1) ever had flooding in your home of any kind from a leaky toilet to a wet basement or 2) have older carpeting. If you are willing to have me then please remove all fragranced products at least the day before we are scheduled to be together (such as plug-in or spray air fresheners, candles whether lit or not, potpourri, etc.) Keeping windows cracked open in cooler weather or open in warmer weather to allow fresh air inside always helps (unless someone is burning something nearby outside!) I prefer to visit in the area of your home without carpeting and sit on non-upholstered furniture. Wood, plastics, and leather are best.
Staying overnight: If we are invited to stay overnight then we will either bring our own linens, blankets and towels, or ask that you wash and dry everything in fragrance-free detergent and softeners (including dryer sheets). Please replace a moldy shower curtain liner with a new one! I will bring most of my own food and hand soap where possible. Providing non-cured, non-smoked meat cooked only with salt, plain oatmeal, plain salad-type vegetables or zucchini/cauliflower without seasonings will be a HUGE treat! I will always bring the extra condiments and food that I can tolerate.
Yeah, I know that this is a lot for a busy household to prepare! Thank you for helping us out with this stuff. Steve and I are exceedingly grateful to have recently obtained a travel trailer which has helped manage all of this tremendously well. (It is a lot of work for us too, I tell ya!) Both of our families and many close friends now live out of State so travel is necessary to see them. This single change in our mode of travel has allowed me to leave our home overnight much more safely and go places from which I have been cut off for most of the past three years. We are humbled and blessed! I really like having a mobile safe house that has already opened up my world, provided privacy during setbacks on the road, and aided sleep with a really comfortable bed that can be hard to find when away from one’s own humble abode at home. Thank you Jesus!
Visiting Daniel and Elizabeth in Alabama
We are hoping that the ongoing extreme avoidance and dietary strategies are temporary; some level of precaution albeit more relaxed than the current level will likely continue for some time. How long will we need to do all of this? We simply do not know. We believe the Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is due to mercury toxicity and we finally have the correct treatment protocols to get me well. I have excellent medical guidance and a proven treatment plan to follow. We are hopeful that I will be in better health within this year! I AM GOING TO GET WELL!!!
Travelling can be both exhilarating and hazardous to one’s health all the same time. Was it Mark Twain who said that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all? Yeah, he would be right at home in our house or rather our travel trailer!
And so I remain grateful for so much as Steve and I continue to navigate very odd circumstances while on the road. We have now passed the halfway mark in an Indiana, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina road trip that has provided much material for future blogging already! This stuff ain’t for wimps and we have proven to be mighty in the Lord. Here’s a peek:
This morning I awakened at 11:30 a.m. delighted to have slept in after a wretched night. Steve was arriving home to the tin can ranch after the closing meeting of his United States Canoe Association (USCA) annual meeting. He was energized beyond his lack of sleep, ready to hit the big water off the coast of Florida. A few bites of ham was all he needed: the outrigger canoe strapped to the roof of my truck for the past 1000 miles would see water at last!
A blast of seizures delayed my plans for breakfast as Steve assisted me with a bite to eat and trip to the bathroom. Then he found a deer tick on his back! We had hoped that the dangerous hitch-hiker was a loner but that was not to be. Within an hour we had found about a dozen on his clothing and the floor around the camper entry. Quickly we searched and cleaned, flashlights in hand until every inch of Steve, the dog, and our home away from home was cleared. [Some parts of the search weren’t too bad! ;)] At last I collapsed again, this time into a pile of tears: why does everything have to be so difficult all of the time?
Steve is a saint, this is true. He quickly switched gears (and clothing!) for the paddling adventure that awaited him at Amelia Island State Park with a fellow paddler in from Arkansas. I sent along two bars of chocolate from our hometown chocolatier to thank him for waiting for Steve plus Steve’s lunch that I had quickly assembled. At last I could ravenously consume my makeshift breakfast of thawed lunch meat, canned green beans, ghee butter, and pumpkin seeds: low oxalate on-the-road dontcha know! Steve soon departed after pumping up the tires of my bike for me: a tag-a-long I’d added in hopes of riding here in the warmer weather . . .
But I was just too tired to do anything but eat and check Facebook after my beloved departed. Oh how I longed to be with him! Someday soon we will again bring the tandem outrigger canoe (OC-2) on such trips so I may join my River Bear on the water. Yes, Lord: maybe this year? Instead Don and Steve will take turns paddling the OC-1 and have a blast surfing the ama (which is the float attached by two poles or iakos off to one side) and waves like true racers. Meanwhile I grabbed the remainder of my bag of organic popcorn and prepared to return to my own version of life these days in my pretty bed. And in due time, I did revive.
It’s raining now as this blog comes to a close. My bike is at the ready, leaning against my inner left leg, with my beloved pup feigning off sleep on the floor just beyond my outer left leg. O.K. so we are now also initiated to winter camping with way too many toys! Funny how I don’t regret hardly anything about how we crafted this trip. Most of the delegates stayed at the hotel where the USCA meeting was held and that certainly would have been more convenient than the RV park we ended up at which was a 25 minute drive north in Georgia. The air was stale to me at the Hampton Inn with the stale scent of air freshener in the lobby. Here amidst the palms we have fresh air ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT LONG! I like that! The rain dries up quickly anyways in the reddish soil sprinkled with pine needles. We will avoid the tick path my hubby took with the dog this morning, no problemmo. Here I can even see a few stars at night peeking through the overhead vents we keep open at night. That’s refreshingly cool and very romantic too!
I could be at home right now in the frigid Midwest, writing my heart out amidst the foot of snow around our home and subzero temperatures. This is better. This is good. This is what living a life of adventure is all about. Why wait for a “rainy day” when everything will never be perfect enough to do the things which call one forward TODAY. This IS that rainy day. And hey, the rain just stopped! I do believe I have carb-loaded adequately too! Where is my bike helmet anyways?
If blog posts here have peaked your interest in mercury detoxification and chelation, you are invited to join a new Facebook group. This closed group specifically covers the Quicksilver Scientific protocol and related issues. We are simply fellow sojourners sharing our experience, strength and hope; we are not experts. Check it out at:
While there are many protocols for mercury chelation, detoxification, and ridding ourselves of toxic heavy metals, this is the lab I have chosen for testing and remediation. Godspeed to all on the path for wellness and may your journey ultimately lead you to the person of Jesus Christ. He is our true hope!
Jesus is for the Wounded 
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