Time to Wake Up!

For starters, I have to make a correction to a previous post-(and I've already edited that particular post). Apparently I had a misunderstanding about one of the products I take. The GTA with porcine glandular stuff in it is actually to support my low thyroid function...not for the hypochlorhydria as I had thought he said. Duh. You'd have thought I'd have figured that one out on my own. I've heard of pig hormones being the source for thyroid help but I didn't put 2 and 2 together. Anyway, now that I know this, I feel comforted in the fact that my high TSH is being aided in some additional way aside from me taking my 100 mcg of levothyroxine daily.

At my appointment yesterday I told him how sleepy I had been. He said it was time to get my adrenals back under control. He added 2 things, but he was out of one product. The office will call me when it comes in so I can go pick it up. I think it is a capsule. The one I did get to bring home is another cream called AdrenaCalm. It is yellow and smells like B vitamins. (It is a distinct smell, and you'd recognize it if you ever took a B vitamin). What's in it? Well, if it looks like a duck... you guessed it. There are lots of B Vitamins, among MANY other herbs. I will be rubbing this on vascular areas 3 times a day. It's lovely that I'll be so lotioned up in the cooler dry weather when I usually have had dry skin... But there is a downside. When it's cold and my hands and feet are cold, it's not such a comfortable thing. It's almost the last thing I want to do. Who wants to take off their socks and expose their cold tootsies? (And then have to rub cool lotion on them to boot?) Now, if I had all sorts of extra time, I could warm some washcloths, or warm my hands...but I don't. Cooking 3 meals a day, homeschooling, nursing, and household chores are my time fillers. (Oh yeah, you got me...and Facebook- Curses!) Ok- I will be using the vitamin smell one on my lower body (behind the knees and such) so I don't have to smell like a vitamin all day long. Plus, I just looked at my white socks, and there is some yellow tint on them. Hopefully it's not going to stain my clothes- but now I'll plan to be extra careful. I'll continue to use the OxiCell Glutathione cream on my arms (inside the elbow area) because it's scent is fine.

I am almost sad to say I have one more day of the Clearvite left. I have grown to really like having this particular shake before I eat. It was easy to shake up, a yummy vanilla/blueberry flavor, and part of my routine for 20 days so far. They say 21 days makes a habit....so I suppose it's ok to feel a little sad it's going away for now. However...Hot diggity! I sense a dinner out on Friday!! Sushi? Chipotle? Popcorn? I may just wake up and have me some Trader Joe's Gluten Free Ginger Snaps with butter and a pot of coffee for breakfast. Yeah, I know. It's no IHOP, but it's yummy to me.
Interestingly, he stated because of the likelihood of my TH1 dominance, I may feel better with my coffee again. (We will soon do a challenge to see which TH pathway is dominant in my body.)

Aside from never being able to have gluten again, I still won't be able to have dairy yet at this point either. Unfortunately that means no pizza. (Can you see me frown and poke out my lower lip? -Because that's what I'm doing.) Next Tuesday I'll ask when I can have cheese again...or if once a week is ok. It's getting really old having to turn down gluten free pizza at work.

Thanksgiving is coming up next week already. We are beginning to plan our new and exciting Thanksgiving dinner, gluten and dairy free. I, probably along with most of you, love traditions. Since we can't have the old stand-by with stuffing, my famous cream cheese mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie, we will be converting some of them into paleo-esque recipes. Others, we will just ditch all together and come up with something new and completely different. I attempted a new recipe last night as a side dish- as a trial to see if it's Thanksgiving worthy. It was awesome!

I just steamed sweet potatoes, granny smith apples, and cranberries...then added butter, of course. No extra sugar or sweeteners added and it was still YUM! The kids say it is a GO for Turkey day.

I saw a woman in Dr. Matthews office who was just getting started on her program. I feel a bit bad that she'll probably be on her strict diet right smack dab in the middle of the holidays. But on the other hand, who knows? Maybe she is already gluten free, and just as determined as I am to win this battle. I hope so, because it will definitely take some discipline. I know how hard it is going to be for me to watch everyone eating all the cookies and treats and pies and candy... OH. And White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks. Mmmmm. I'm a-gonna have to figure out a way to conconct that with some allowed ingredients. 

Lastly, I will say I had an awesome wod (Workout of the Day) on Monday. It was a metcon of back squats, shoulder presses, deadlifts, and rowing. I hadn't gone to workout for 1 1/2 weeks for a couple of reasons, one of which was that I was tired. I was tired on Monday as well...but going really helped! Funny how that works sometimes. You think you can't do something, and then what you think will just put over the edge going the wrong way...actually is what helps you take a step in the right direction. Well...it did in this case for now. I am going to CrossFit today as well...but my legs are so super sore from Monday, it should be interesting. Even walking looks strange, so I imagine box jumps, slam balls, and kettlebell swings will be hilarious.

So...Let's Talk Feelings

One thing I didn't discuss in the last post was how I've been feeling. For the most part, I don't feel much different than before. I'm unsure if that's because my diet was similar to this detox diet (minus the daily sweet treats), or if I'm not supposed to feel different. There is one thing, though. I'm sleepy in the middle/end of the day. Honest to goodness Sleeeeeepy, with a capital S. I work 3p-3a 2 days in a row, then have off 5 in which I homeschool my two 4th graders. I have been doing this for 4 years now. Recently in the past month or two, I have noticed a greater inability to recover and return to a regular schedule during the week. However, in the past week, I am literally falling asleep at the chiropractors office waiting for my appointment, eyes are heavy at the dinner table at 5pm, and kids are saying, "Mommy, are you sleeping?" when we're watching a movie. If per chance, I fall asleep and take a 30 minute catnap, I'll be up the rest of the night, and into the morning... say until around 4AM. I am frustrated with that whole scenario. So I fight to stay awake, and even then sometimes I get a second wind and am up the rest of the night. When I wake up in the morning (usually around 8-9) I'm o-so-tired....whether I fell asleep at a normal hour or not. It's definitely a struggle, because I am aware of how good sleep impacts our health.

And of course, now I'm going to brainstorm reasons why I feel so tired:
1) Well...my TSH is high.- But then I'd still be tired in the middle of the night...and not get that second wind where I feel like "This is what I wished I felt like all day today!"
2) I'm detox-ing. My body is trying to reset. My liver is probably releasing something into my bloodstream. - But really, I'm just making that up. Sounds good though, right?
3) I haven't had sweets. -But I was already eating rather well. Sweets were here, but come on...a ginger snap cookie or 2 from Trader Joes at night, or 3/4 cup of coconut milk ice cream a few nights a week? - Was that really too much? Seriously...do you know where I've come from? I used to eat the equivalent of that amount of sweets with my breakfast!! Can't be the lack of sweets...well, maybe.
4) I have significantly decreased my coffee/caffeine intake. This is potentially my winner right here. However, I can say that my tiredness has not correlated directly with my caffeine intake. For instance, I had coffee today, but my eyes also shut at 3:45 at the chiropractor's office too.

*Yawn*

It's not even 7PM. I am ready for beddy-bye-bye time. But, I'll munch on leftovers, eat a piece of fruit with almond butter, drink some tea, etc...just to stay awake. This is not a good thing. My next appointment is on Tuesday the 16th. I hope to not sleep through it...

Unwanted Guests

Tonight was tough. I was <this> close to reaching up to that top shelf to grab down those ginger snaps. Instead I bit into a chunk of butter, made myself some decaf green tea, and sat down to watch a movie with the family. Yup, butter. It satisfies. However...it would be so much nicer if I could put a giant pat of butter on top of a ginger snap. ...Aragh!! Ok. Ok. Calm down, sister. Let me think about Christmas shopping... That'll get my mind off the sweets. *sigh*

I've done pretty darn good this past 1.8 weeks. (So has the rest of Team Montoya- GO TEAM!!). Two more days of the 3x/day Clearvite- then it's weaning off time. I don't think about sweets until night-time, for the most part...and I haven't had a single sweet treat. Kerrygold butter and almond butter have taken 1st and 2nd place, respectively, of the open-the-fridge (or pantry), grab-out-a-treat game that most of us play in the evening. I've had coffee probably 1/2 of the total days, and only one small cup on those days. We made a new soup tonight from a recipe given to me by my doctor. New Mexican Stew. Yummy- and perfect for the weather! I'm going to lookup more paleo-type soups, because they seem to make everyone feel all warm inside- physically and emotionally.

A side benefit from this blatant tourture of no sweets is my decreasing hip/thigh chub. I'm not overweight, but I still held onto this padding around my hips despite the workouts and paleo-esque eating. It's not gone...but I notice a difference. And that makes any girl smile, I think.

The lemon fish juice (aka Ultra-D Complex) is still no fun, but I must say it doesn't taste exactly as it did in the beginning. The glutathione cream has now become a chore at times...partially because it's chilly- and I don't want to take off my socks. *brrrrr* So, I put it on my wrists or behind my knees.

I have found that I do not eat 3 meals a day. I have come to this conclusion because I am supposed to drink my shake and take my GTA 3x/day before meals. Well sometimes my snacks are large enough to be a meal...and I get confused, "Should I take it NOW?" I mean, "What if I'm not hungry LATER? This could be my last shot until dinner." Yeah, I graze, and I'm probably not supposed to.

Dr Matthews just saw Dr. Kharrazian's seminar in Charlotte this past week, and came back with lots of new autoimmune info and updated/new product info. As a result, I got some new products. The 1st is called Glutathione Recycler. It's a capsule I take 3x/day. He showed me a picture of the glutathione cycle in the body, and the conversions that take place, but I can't recap it for you beyond telling you it's going to boost the glutathione cream's usefulness somehow. My brain didn't capture enough to do it justice.

Another new product he added is called Nitric Balance, "An Amino Acid and Herbal Supplement." Remember how he wanted my protein and amino acid levels to be higher? Well... lucky me. It's got ATP (adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium), Xanthinol Nicotinate, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Alpha GPC, Alpha Ketoglutaric Acid, and Vinpocetine listed as the "Blend." It is a liquid. A peppermint flavored liquid. A very strong peppermint flavored liquid. Like mouthwash that you swallow instead of swish and spit. It coats my esophagus with mint. And not good-like, like my decaf mint green tea. That's a good mint. This one is like...well...like mouthwash. I am very pleased it's just 1 teaspoon once in the morning.

Well...I suppose it's only a matter of time before I divulge something to you. The poo culture has come back. Aside from a little ...ok, alot of initial mortification, I'm slowly becoming ok with the fact that parasites have decided to make their happy little home inside of my GI tract. I'm not sure how or when they moved in. I don't recall swallowing a U-haul packed with furniture and toys for the little guys. Where did they come from? Sheesh. I'm just like you. I could've picked them up anywhere. I'm a pediatric nurse and I eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit- maybe that makes me higher risk, I don't know. What I do know is I am the super sanitary one (ask my family, friends, and co-workers) -so this little news just "figures." I'm honored and all, but they should've called first. Now their days are numbered. ~insert evil laugh here~ The good news is I don't have any bothersome symptoms. That's really good news, actually. See, there is a new natural treatment that will eradicate the unwelcome tenants...but it's a total course of 60 days. What hangs in the balance between this lengthy new natural treatment and going to my PMD for a quick antiparasitic- is all of my good gut flora. See, the culture also tested my healthy gut flora. I've got some...but not a great amount. It's on the low side of normal for almost each specific type except one. I'd like to protect that as much as possible. Taking a script would be like setting a bomb off inside my not-so-healthy gut, killing the good guys and the bad guys. I'd need to take more probiotics and such to rebuild, and it could prolong my journey to health. Yes, it's a quick fix, and it wouldn't be super terrible to start from scratch... In fact, if I had nagging symptoms, I'd be on it. But the truth is, I don't have any symptoms to date. (Praise God!) I don't know what the name of it is yet, but this new product has been used for 2 years in Dr. K's patients with positive results. Not too many of the good guys get blown up. Minor casualties, yes...but we're not talking genocide. At this point, I'd rather be more of a sniper.
Dr. Matthews ordered the treatment, and when I'm finished with the Clearvite, I shall begin the eviction process. So, little buggers- too bad, so sad.

I've Got Happy Feet

The 3 week Detox plan....drum roll please...

To start off my mornings I get to drink a Clearvite shake- 8 oz. It's sort of a ramp up, wean off type of program with this stuff. The first 4 days I drank it just before breakfast, days 5-7 it's before breakfast and dinner; days 8-14 before all 3 meals; days 15-17 before breakfast and dinner; days 18-21 back to one before breakfast. Today is day 5. Clearvite is an enzyme based, multi vitamin, mineral & herbal dietary supplement powder. I've just mixed it with water, because we've run out of almond milk. I chose the Vanilla flavor this time, but it tastes like a blueberry muffin. I suppose that's because there is dried blueberry powder in the ingredients. The kids and Anthony are also taking part in this detox shake...because it certainly isn't going to hurt them. The kids are getting a half dose. I'm gonna take this opportunity to give them all some props. <<Props>>
Of course it wouldn't be a good detox program without a wonderful diet to follow, now would it? It's pretty paleo-esque, so not too different from what we've been doing. However- it doesn't allow my indulgences of gluten free ginger snap cookies, popcorn with a movie, a pot of coffee a day (hey...some days are worse than others...and our pot is small.), or coconut milk ice cream. That's right. No sweets. On the paper it says no caffeine, but he told me I could have a small cup of coffee occasionally. Primarily because of the TH 1 vs. TH 2 dominance. I know I didn't go into all of that yet, but that will have to be another post. Suffice it to say, it's very possible that caffeine may help my autoimmunity, if I'm TH 1 dominant (which most Hashi's patients are). Hot diggity!
Back to the diet. What to have: Lots of water, water, water, herbal teas and decaf green tea. Fresh fruits, veggies, and beans are allowed, but we don't eat beans (Unless it's Chipotle time!!) because of the lectins in them. Here's a post to read about that. The only oils allowed are olive, coconut, and flaxseed. As far as protein, it's mostly fish (no shellfish), chicken, turkey, and lamb. What NOT to have: Eggs- but since my test was negative, I am allowed to eat them. (Can I get a shout out?!?) Normally beef is nixed, but once I said we only eat beef from 100% grass fed sources, he crossed that out. The same about dairy. Normally ALL dairy is out, even butter...but he crossed butter out too when I said it was from grass fed cows. The same went for meat with nitrates. We can't have those- but we buy nitrate free meats. He seemed surprised and happy with the diet we were already on. Does that mean we get a gold star? So- no dairy, grains, legumes (including peanuts), soy and soy products, sugar and artificial sweeteners, sodas, fruit juices, tomatoes, white potatoes, meat with nitrates (bacon, hotdogs, canned meat, sausage, cold cuts, etc...), and anything prepared with gluten.

With my meals, 3 times a day, I'm taking this stuff called GTA. It's got selenium, porcine gladular concentrate, superoxide dismutase and catalase. This product is for the high TSH. It's sort of like a natural Levothyroxine product (supporting my thyroid).

*Ugh* and *Sigh*~ Twice a day, because of my poor vitamin D level I am subject to ingest this yellow liquid Vitamin D called Ultra-D Complex. Don't be jealous or anything, but it tastes like fish with a hint of lemon. I'll just say -it throws me and I make a face each time I down the 2 teaspoons (4000 IUs) like a shot. (Daily total is 8000 IUs) So much so, that I just looked at the bottle now to read the label...and it says "Orange Flavor." Who could tell?!? It's cod liver oil, some other stuff, and some more "fish body oil." The stories are true about cod liver oil. But- I am an adult. I can hack it. Want some ironic observations? #1-The vitamin D drops the rest of the fam gets taste like nothing. They drop the drops directly into their mouths. (It's from Carlson) #2- The Omega 3 Fish oil liquid from http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/ actually has zero fish oil taste- and many flavors to choose from. Right now they are on chocolate flavor. If my kids remind me it's time for the fish oil- you know it's not bad at all. #3- My Ultra-D complex has very little omega 3s, and the SFH kind has bunches and bunches. It's just not right. I suppose that the D Complex is necessary because it has the other things like Vitamin A, Biotin, B6, etc... but when this program is over...I hope I can join my family once again.

Then comes the fun. I get to use this super duper cream ON MY FEET 3 times a day! I know it's a side benefit, but I'm telling you after 5 days, my feet just may be softer than yours! (I mean, when's the last time you rubbed your feet with lotion even just once a day for 5 days in a row?) It's called OxiCell. It has a powerful antioxidant in it called Glutathione. You can actually get this stuff in IV form. The next best way it's absorbed is through vascular areas- one popular place is the bottom of your feet! I sense at least few foot massages in my future...

This plan is hard....and it's not hard. It's hard when I'm at work this past weekend, starving as usual, and a fellow gluten free buddy offers a piece of his gluten free pizza to me. I instinctly reach down into the box, pull a piece up close to my nose to smell the yumminess, then remember..."I can't have those tomatoes!" I pick off the tomatoes quickly so I can sink my teeth into the cheese pizza. Wait... cheese! I can't have dairy! So I stand there...looking longingly at the already folded in half, small triangle goodness. Luckily my friend knows me and what I'm doing, and didn't hold it against me or roll his eyes (too much, anyways). Never even thinking that the crust probably had some sort of grain in it, I put it down. I have witnesses.
Another co-worker brought in this too good to be true pumpkin/whipped cream/cool whip dip thing that I swear I wanted to grab my spoon and the bowl and take it and hide in the med room and eat it all. But it had dairy and sugar- so I didn't even taste it- I just smelled it. I was sad for a little, but I'm ok now. I just thought of my kids and their chant, "Gluten is bad, protein is good, don't be sad, eat what you should."...and just subbed "sugar" for "gluten." Cute. Work is the hardest. Nurses' stations and sweet treats just go-together, and I sometimes feel like the oddball. However- one doctor brought in carrot sticks and celery this weekend and specifically said it was because he knew I was eating healthy. It definitely made me smile.

It's not really that hard to eat like I'm supposed to though, say, in my home. Everything here is fair game. Except the GF ginger snaps I put on the tip top shelf in the pantry... I better be able to have one in 2.2 weeks. We have meat, veggies, fats, and nuts. We ran out of fruit, and I'm not so sure we should buy as much as before -until these 3 weeks are up. As a friend of mine stated about herself, "Even a piece of dried fruit sends me on a wild sugar safari." I am the same. Caffeine: I have gone for 3 days without coffee (by choice) to just see. Probably not a great idea, since it was also the first few days without sweets. What a combo!! Yes, I am quite moody, ask the kids. Tomorrow when I wake up, I will have a small cup and attempt to save what's left of my reputation.

The great thing is the feeling I get when I make the right choice. These "hard" choices get so much easier with each choice. It's past midnight as I write this, so when I wake up, it'll be day 6. Day 6 will be easier than day 5 (PLUS- I'll have some coffee!). Day 2 was easier than day 1. In fact, I had GF pizza on day 1 at a friend's house during a birthday party. <And I wish that one could get a pass- it was homemade, and it was gooood.> Once since then, I had ground beef with tomato sauce. It was cooked, and we ate it. But now I'm on a roll, as they say. Once I was successful with a little, it gave rise to go further and be better. Who knows- maybe by the end of this, that Ultra-D Complex won't make me make a face.

Things Are Not Always What They Seem

My labs are back, and I've started on my 3 week cleansing and detoxification program. It has been an interesting few days! This little regimen is a bit tough for me. But, before I go into detail about the discipline I am conjuring up, I'm going to attempt to explain the results of my bloodwork first. I say that because even though most of my labs appear to be within "normal" limits, a much more narrow control of them is necessary for my health. I was surprised to find out that there are many (not all) lab reference ranges out there that change with the "averages" of the most recent patients that had that blood test done. Although not an accurate analogy, it still reminds me of how women's jeans have appeared to change their sizing over the years.

Glucose, glucose, glucose...how you confuse me. Two weeks ago I bought a glucometer to check my sugars at home. Except for twice at 96 and 99, they were always over 100. The highest was 154. It didn't matter if it was 1st thing in the morning, or 2 hours after I ate- it was over 100. I was VERY surprised to see 83 listed on my lab results. Even though the reference range for this says 65-99, Dr. Matthews said that he would almost consider me borderline hypoglycemic. Now...how can I be sure that wasn't a fluke? Well, let's look at the Hemoglobin A1c. This value shows your glucose control over the past 3 months. My result was 5.4%. That looks fine according to the reference range (4.8-5.6) and according to Dr. Matthews, however, less than 5 is optimal according to some other sources. So, all that said, I'm not really sure where I fit in with my glucose levels- but I'm willing to bet in the end, hindsight will be 20/20.

On to my protein and albumin. Again, both appear to be wonderfully perfect. Total serum protein is 6.7 (6.0-8.5)- but he would like that to be >7; and my serum albumin is 4.5 (3.5-5.5) and he would like that to be >5. He says the numbers in my blood suggest hypochlorhydria (not enough acid in my stomach). Another lab value that suggests this is my neutrophil count. My result was 70 (40-74%) and he would like it to be <60. Being that 70 is on the higher side of normal, he suspects I may have a bacterial infection in my gut...which can be due to the hypochlorhydria. We do not have that result yet, but it would be cool if he guessed correctly! (Well...sort of.) For a well written article (that doesn't take forever to read) on the thyroid-gut connection, look here.

How 'bout my iron?!? Whoot whoot!! My iron has come from 13 (45-145) in April 2010 to a whopping 98 (35-155)!! (See how those reference ranges are different?) And that's with only taking an iron supplement for about 30 days straight back in April, then probably twice a week for another month, to then maybe once a week. (Keep in mind I had removed gluten so I'm absorbing much better these days!)

Let's talk lipids. Many people hear that I'm eating butter, bacon, coconut oil and the like, and assume my triglycerides and cholesterol are going to skyrocket. However, since I've removed gluten, decreased grains to almost non-existent (I indulge in rice with sushi and a rare piece of gluten free pizza), and artificial or processed junk foods (aka too many carbs), quite the opposite is happening. It is high insulin levels that lead to high triglycerides and such, and you can read about it all in Robb Wolf's Book.

Let's Compare:
In 2004:
Total Cholesterol- 178 (0-200)
Triglycerides-  96 (<150)
HDL Cholesterol- 71 (>39)
VLDL Cholesterol- 19 (0-40)
LDL Cholesterol- 88 (0-99)
Total Chol/HDL ratio- 2.5

Now:
Total Cholesterol- 142 (100-199)
Triglycerides- 46 (0-149)
HDL Cholesterol- 65 (>39)
VLDL Cholesterol- 9 (5-40)
LDL Cholesterol- 68 (0-99)
Total Chol/HDL ratio- 2.2 (0.0-4.4)
LDL/HDL ratio- 1.0 (0.0-3.2)
C-Reactive Protein, Cardiac- 0.20 (0.00-3.00)

Sha-bang! Well, almost. He would like to see my Total Cholesterol >150 and my HDL <60. He mentioned that my HDL result suggests inflammation.
Another lab that suggests I'm inflamed is my Homocystine Plasma level. While also appearing normal (I sense a theme here) at 6.2 (0.0-15.0), Dr. Matthews wants it less than 5. I don't know much about that specific lab value yet.

Then comes the thyroid. I am baffled. I thought for sure it would be low, low, low. After all, am I not Mrs. Absorption now?! Plus, my autoimmunity has improved, too. Alas, my TSH is 6.16 (0.450-4.5...but the Endocrine Society agrees that anything over 3.5 should be considered hypothyroid). Just in April it was 1.76 (0.350-4.5). And yes, I have taken my 100 mcg Levothyroxine daily. I'm not sure what gives here, but it sure is fishy to me. Is it because Hashi's goes back and forth, waxes and wanes? Dr. Matthews said not to worry. As we go through this process, it will improve. I am maintaining on my usual 100 mcg at this point. The comforting fact is that I'm not such a weenie after all. My CrossFit WODs were becoming extra-special taxing, and I was manytimes wanting to quit in the middle. I always pushed through, however ugly it got, and finished...because I couldn't be THAT GIRL. Believe me when I say I can't wait for my TSH to improve.

Vitamin D. For shame. I am low in this prohormone as well. A mere 27.1 (32-100). The goal is >40. I questioned this goal because I thought people with Hashi's or autoimmunity want a nice high level. We unfortunately didn't have enough time to dive into that one...(I ended up meeting with him for an entire hour) but I'm sure it will be brought up again in the future. I'd like to know how long sun exposure lasts in the body. I mean- How long can your body maintain Vit D levels after Summer turns to Fall, and you are no longer at the pool everyday? In April it was 36 (30-89). -And that's before pool season. It would have been cool to know what my Vit D level was in the summer months. Nonetheless, I truly wish my Vit D level was spot on, because, well...uh, hold on...I'll tell you that one later.

On to the saliva tests. According to my Adrenal Stress Index, my cortisol load is 56 (23-42). Only once throughout the day was I within range...and that was around noon. Otherwise, I'm all jacked up. My DHEA Pooled value is 3 (3-10 mcg/ml) so I'm in the Maladapted Phase I. My Total Salivary SIgA is <5 (25-60) which is obviously depressed. To take the totality of all that...and to put it in layman's terms, I'm stressed, and my stress coping abilities are lacking. Potentially another reason my workouts were suffering. ...um...or maybe I should say I was suffering during my workouts...
All of the tests for antibodies to egg, soy, and dairy are NEGATIVE! YeeHaw! Now, to be fair, I haven't had much soy or dairy at all in the last few months, so they could be falsely negative. Honestly, as much as I eat those things, it wouldn't be missed too much anyway. But the eggs! I ate plenty of eggs, pretty much on a daily basis- so if it was negative...it was negative! Bring on the eggs!!!
My antibodies to gliadin (gluten) were 3 (<13). That's considered negative, but again, I haven't had it in months. He said that sometimes he has people eat gluten prior to testing to show a positive antibody on paper, but personally I didn't need proof. I very much get-it. Gluten is bad for human consumption, plus I have Hashi's. I won't eat it anymore.
Lastly, the hormone tests. All were fine, except for the Free Testosterone. Wha...? It's 43 (10-38). My MD checked my blood Testosterone level way back in 2007 and it was fine at 29.5 (10-70). I was now having images of a mustache and a hairy chest...but he said it was probably related to my blood sugars. Really? Well...let's fix that, then.

So, that's it. Those are my labs minus the stool test as it's not resulted yet. I was going to continue this post to include my 1st treatment supplements and diet plan, but it's gotten a bit lengthy. I'll do us all a favor and write about that hopefully tomorrow as I drink my new, temporary, morning fix.