I'm on the Medical Merry-Go-Round

If your thyroid is acting up due to autoimmune issues, it will clear up when your body begins to stabilize and heal itself.

On the bone broth, there's a post in the bone broth thread that suggests one should start out gently. Scan through that thread to find it. It's only a couple weeks old. The idea is to make a broth with meaty bones first and then move gradually to the bones/cartilage type. Since the gut is probably leaky, it can take time to heal. And since I mentioned it, it is suggested that it can take up to two years for a leaky gut to repair itself under good conditions. Supplements can speed this up to some extent, but it is still a time issue. You won't get well in two weeks.

You say you got a bill. If you are paying for things, perhaps you could have more say in what you are paying for?

If you need thyroid support for awhile, Armour whole thyroid is probably the best option as a neurologist told me back when they were working me up for pretty much the same thing. A variation is bovine thyroid that you can get on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Bovine-Thyroid-Health-130-Tablets/dp/B000VGAUGW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1361009566&sr=8-6&keywords=whole+thyroid

There's also this:
http://www.iherb.com/Nutri-Meds-Porcine-Thyroid-Health-130-mg-90-Capsules/45339?utm_source=acr&utm_medium=c

and this:

http://www.amazon.com/Analytical-Standard-Thyroid-S-Research-consumption/dp/B00AH6JZKS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_3

The problem when you start taking thyroid medications is that it fixes an "isolated" issue without addressing the cause or related issues. But that is how modern medicine works. It rarely looks at the body as a whole syngergistic system. They give you a med for this symptom and that symptom, and none of them address the cause, and then other symptoms come along and pretty soon, your whole body is out of whack. That's fine for people who believe that a symptom is the lack of some drug rather than the idea that a symptom is an indication of something larger that is out of balance. They are perfectly happy to take drugs, have surgeries, and just go down the tubes fast.

See here:
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/latestresearch/a/celiac.htm

here:
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/fibromyalgiacfs/a/cfsfibrothyroid.htm

and here:
http://robbwolf.com/2012/08/27/reversing-autoimmune-thyroid-disease/
 
Here is the relevant article on stock vs broth. Let's keep an eye on this one for all of those who are having trouble with broth when they are detoxing:

http://www.sott.net/article/257416-Stock-vs-Broth-Are-You-Confused

Stock is used in the beginning stages of the GAPS Diet, especially during the Introduction Diet where the primary focus is in healing the gut. Broth is ideal for consuming once gut healing has taken place. The significant difference is that the stock (meat stock) is not cooked as long as broth (bone stock).

Stock is especially rich in gelatin and free amino acids, like proline and glycine. These amino acids along with the gelatinous protein from the meat and connective tissue are particularly beneficial in healing and strengthening connective tissue. These nutrients are pulled out of the meat and connective tissue during the first several hours of cooking meaty fish, poultry, beef and lamb. The larger the bones, the longer the cooking time.

In Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Campbell‐McBride explains how to prepare stock (meat stock) to be used during the early stages of the GAPS Diet. Her recipe can also be found at the end of this article.

Stock prepared in this way supports good digestion, as well as promotes proper secretion of hydrochloric acid, which is needed for breaking down proteins in the stomach. Lack of adequate hydrochloric acid can lead to a myriad of symptoms including acid reflux, skin disorders, anemia, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, asthma, food allergies and more. Gelatin, a major component of meat stock, also assists in the proper digestion of proteins ensuring optimal growth in infants and children. Gelatin improves the integrity of collagen, which is reflected in the improved appearance of the skin as well as in the lessening of digestive tract inflammation...

When to Introduce Bone Broth

Broth or bone stock is introduced after the Introduction Diet as gut healing has advanced. Some with longstanding gut issues find that if they introduce broth (bone stock) early prior to the sealing of the gut, they have reactions to the free glutamates that result from the longer cooked gelatin. Those who are sensitive to MSG will generally be sensitive to these free glutamates until their guts are healed.

The timing on when a GAPS person is ready to progress from meat stock to bone broth is individual. Those children who are autistic or ADD/ADHD and who are suffering from seizures or tics are among the people who should avoid free glutamates until their guts are healed. Free glutamates include not only MSG but glutamine and glutamic acid. These are excitoxins and can have a damaging effect on neurons. This is why I do not recommend using nutritional formulas containing glutamine in cases of the above mentioned conditions as well as Crohn's or Leaky Gut Syndrome. Excitotoxins encourage inflammation in the gut and brain, the exact situations we are trying to heal.

Uncomfortable die off reactions, as well as symptoms of nervous system agitation, are signs that your digestive tract is best served staying with the meat stock. Die off reactions can include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, constipation and skin eruptions or rashes. Making the transition gradually from stock (meat stock) to broth (bone stock) is advisable. Cooking broth at a very low temperature (slow simmer) will minimize the formation of free glutamates.
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Recipes available in the article. I'm actually doing stock despite all this time, as I do notice getting a little bit frantic with the broth.

The other thing about thyroid problems is that it is often a sign of adrenal fatigue, and if you don't address adrenal fatigue first, there is no thyroid replacement therapy that will likely be useful without healing and supporting the adrenals first. Vitamin C is a powerful adrenal supporter, so is a good restorative sleep.
 
Hi Lisa,

Have you had the opportunity to see an acupuncturist?

My grandson is at the hospital right now for a gastroenteritis. He is been there since the 8Th of February and up to Wednesday of this week, the doctors were not able to cure the gastro. So my wife suggested to her daughter that maybe she could ask an acupuncturist to come to the hospital to give a treatment to Liam.

So Julie asked the doctors if it was ok and the docs said that it would not cure the child since for them acupuncture is a fraud. She insisted that she wanted to give it a try and they accepted inasmuch as it would not interfere with the nurses.

So Liam received the treatment Thursday morning and at the end of the day, the diarrhea was finished. May I tell you that the doctors were speechless. He is still at the hospital because of his main disease but normally he should return home at the beginning of next week.

So maybe acupuncture would worth a try.
 
Sorry I'm just now catching up with this thread and I'm so sorry Lisa that you have to ride the merry go round of the medical community. I have to agree with Laura about them treating you like a ATM because you have good insurance. Sad world we live in, but ya'll already know that! You've got a lot of good suggestion here so maybe you can reverse this, although it is a very slow process and it sounds like you are running out of time with the doctors. I just want to add that I too hope you get some relief soon because it sounds like you've had to endure so much already. Hang in there and know we are here for you! :hug2:

angelburst, I am so sorry you had to lose your mom in that manner and things like that happen all to often lately. My roommates mom went to the hospital for a rash on her leg and she never left the hospital. She died 2 months later from "complications". No other explanations were given and to me that was another reason to avoid the doctors unless it's a life threatening emergency.
 
As I was reading through this thread about hydrogen peroxide and this paragraph reminded me of your situation...

http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,5679.msg250571.html#msg250571

"Only very diluted amounts of H202 are ever introduced into the body. The small amount of oxygen present couldn't be solely responsible for the dramatic changes that take place. Dr. Charles Farr, a strong proponent of intravenous use, has discovered another possible answer. Dr. Farr has shown that hydrogen peroxide stimulates enzyme systems throughout the body. This triggers an increase in the metabolic rate, causes small arteries to dilate and increase blood flow, enhances the body's distribution and consumption of oxygen and raises body temperature (Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-Oxidative Medicine 1989, 1990, 1991)."
 
Psyche said:
Recipes available in the article. I'm actually doing stock despite all this time, as I do notice getting a little bit frantic with the broth.
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I also do meat broth for now, though bone marrow also gets into it sometimes. Pig's shin and foreshack (definitely including the skin) seems like the best option. It produces rich and fatty broth that becomes gelatinous after a night in the fridge. It is actually one of the traditional Russian appetizers (aspic).
 
Laura said:
I think Lisa is being looked at as a "billable commodity". The more they can find wrong with her, the more tests they can run, the more drugs they can prescribe, the more money they can get from the insurance/gov. Her health is totally NOT on their minds. Getting her well hasn't occurred to them.

It really is sick. No pun intended.
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I work at Hospital and you are absolutely right, Laura. This is exactly the purpose of Hospitals. Not healing people but making money. It is a business. I have to continually keep my mouth shut at work. The Chemo Doctor gets kickbacks for each patient he signs up for chemo. Of course it is not called a kickback outright but it is a kickback nonetheless.
 
Also, I have heard that Lugol's iodine is good for thyroid issues. Not sure if it is good for hypo or hyper though.
 
Another Update: Hi Everyone! I hope you're all doing well. Just want to let you know what's going on with my health issues.

Since I last posted here, I've undergone a series of blood tests, urinalyses, and x-rays.
Last week, I was notified that I now have some kind of infection, as my white blood cell count increased from 11 - 14.
The doctor prescribed me a combination of amoxicillin and augmentin, which I have been taking for the last couple of days with yogurt.

My thyroid level somehow decreased from 7.14 to 5 as of last week also, but I don't know what caused that decrease. I am still considered hypothyroid. My skin has become very dry, my energy level is still very low and I am constantly tired. The slightest amount of walking or exertion exhausts me. Still experiencing what I call some 'brain fog' for lack of a better term right now.

Today I went to see my primary care doctor, who is an internal medicine doctor. She says there is nothig else she can do for me right now. She said there have been no significant changes with regard to my feet - meaning they are still essentially in the same condition ( purple/blue/ cherry red). The colors of my feet and toes vary, but they are never a normal coloration. They continue to be ice cold most of the time and the coldness extends up to my shins the last few weeks. I still have the skin ulcers on my toes and I have gained three pounds. I suspect the weight gain is from the hypothyroidism. I'm pretty disturbed about it.

The internal medicine doctor scheduled me an appointment with the vascular doctor for March 21. I canceled my last appointment with him because all he wanted to do was stick me in the hospital and kept talking about cutting off my legs.

So, as it stands now, I have been diagnosed with the following: Hypothyroid, Vasculitis, Reynaud's Disease in both my hands and feet and with some unspecified infection.

I am now also experiencing increasing pain in what I believe is my sacro-iliac joint and this pain radiates to the outside of my right hip and down along my groin. Whatever is going on is affecting my right leg as well. It makes sleeping on both the left and right sides impossible. There is no comfortable position I can put myself in. Sitting up doesn't seem to help, moist heat doesn't seem to help, ice doesn't seem to help. I think this is something with my S-I joint because I've had this pain once before, years ago. At that time, I was also having a problem with my right foot and limping badly for a long time.
So, I'm wondering if this issue with my lumbar and hip is possibly related to the fact that I've been walking with a pronounced limp for the last two months. The doctor seems to think it may be related, and she ordered a series of x-rays to be taken today. I had 8 x-rays in total today, which I'm not happy about at all.
The chest x-rays I had about a week ago came back as normal, by the way.

The internal medicine doctor is now of the mindset that my health issues are going to take longer to resolve than we had been hoping. She released me from work until July 10th and has told me I should probably apply for social security disability.
I looked in the mirror today. I look like death ( my opinion).

I have been taking the Tramadol for pain, but not the full dosage prescribed, as I don't want to become dependent upon it. I'm doing very well as far as that goes. One of my concerns with taking any pain meds is the possibility of developing an addiction, but it seems to me that I have this aspect of my treatment well under control. I take about half of the prescribed dosage per day. It's not a very strong pain killer, and mostly just helps me to sleep. It doesn't get rid of the pain in my feet or in my lower back and hip, but i really don't want to take anything stronger or to eat more of these pills a day. It's important to me not to compound the already existent problems by creating some new problem with a chemical dependency issue.

I'm just going to say this, and I know it sounds like I'm being a weenie, but I'm scared to go to the vascular doctor. I am almost certain this guy is gonna tell me he wants to admit me into the hospital.
Maybe this is an irrational fear, but during my previous consult with him, his only offering to me was hospitalization and potential amputation.
So, the thought of seeing him again doesn't make my heart sing. But I have to go because he is allegedly going to be the one that 'saves' the situation, according to the internal med doc. ( Notice, saving the 'situation doesn't necessarily translate as saving my toes, feet or legs - just some vague 'situation'.)

I am still experiencing intermittent twinges of pain in my chest, and am still eating a baby aspirin every day, as well as continuing with all my supplements, applying DMSO cream on my feet and legs, and the saunas.

I am eating mostly meat and some vegetables ( green beans/salads).

And that's about it for now. I should know some more info in the next few days, when my hip and lumbar x-ray results come back.
They may be referring me back to the rheumatologist again, I was told.

Seriously, sometimes I think it would be way cheaper and a lot less dizzying just to die.
This whole thing has become pretty depressing, but I'm trying to keep my thoughts in a good place.
Will keep you all posted when I learn more.

Thank you all so much for your support, suggestions, advice and well wishes.
It means so much to me that you're all out there.
 
Lisa Guliani said:
Thank you all so much for your support, suggestions, advice and well wishes.
It means so much to me that you're all out there.
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A short note to express my sympathies for your ongoing nightmare with mainstream medicine.

The sacro-iliac joint pain is peculiar as it is a common feature of autoimmune reactions, sacroiliitis (inflammation of that joint).

Also, yogurt is pure poison! Please stay away from it, that alone can make your condition deteriorate. If you want some healthy bacteria in your gut, I would try with some probiotics.

{{{Hugs}}}
 
Laura - I'm using the settings suggested in the manual with the sauna: 38 C for my upper body and arms, 44 C for my torso and 42 C for my lower limbs and feet. But I stay in there now until my feet start to sweat. My upper body begins to sweat sooner than my lower legs and feet. That can take over an hour for my feet to sweat and they burn at the same time ( toes and bottoms of feet). I know I'm in there to induce sweating, so i can put up with the burning part. I only eat the yogurt because the nurses told me to eat that with the antibiotic or I'd be dealing with diarrhea. Ok, probiotics it is then. I thought there are probiotics in the yogurt. No?
 
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