December's Results

So much for getting these results out quickly...

To recap- I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in Dec '04, then Hashi's in March '05. To simplify, I just put those antibody numbers in the 2004 column. (I am so detail oriented that this actually bothered me...) In April 2010, I had a regular physical/lab eval with my PMD, and those labs were PRE- gluten, legume, and (mostly) dairy free. I last knowingly ate gluten July 31, 2010. October 2010 is when I started my 6 month quest to send my Hashi's into dormancy.

I've got my old and new lab results in front of me, so I'm going to just document anything significant to my care.

Click here for my test results.

So, now to explain my situation a little...in order of the lab appearance.

My doctor believes my hgb A1c may be dropping to low and headed to close to hypoglycemia, however I am happy with my result this go-round. My fasting glucoses have remained completely stable, even though my fingerstick glucoses were high several times in the beginning of these past several weeks.

The total protein and albumin did not change in the right direction. To recap, he wanted my protein >7, and the albumin >5. He did not address the globulin in the beginning, so I am not sure where he wants it- but he did say that 2.6 is an improvement.

My Iron has been a roller coaster all these years! I am still happy with the 60. I haven't been taking any iron supplements- except for maybe 1 tab, maybe every 2-3 weeks. (I know...why even bother, right?!) I am anticipating that because of the lack of phytate containing grains in my diet (they steal minerals from you by binding strongly to them...and you don't get to keep them. So if you are osteoporotic, anemic, zinc deficient, etc...grains are a giant culprit.) my body will actually start absorbing all my iron (and other minerals) from food.

TSH result is so much better since he started me on the GTA product. And for the record, I am not as sleepy as I was a few short weeks ago. (I could've slept standing up!!) I no longer feel like taking a nap at 10 AM, 3PM, or 7PM. Another bonus is less and less hair is falling out. I still continue to take my 100mcg of Levothyroxine everyday. That hasn't changed since 2005.

He said that since my neutrophils dropped, he believes my gut infection is improving. If you remember he wanted it less that 60. That's wonderful, you know? ;) Tomorrow is actually the day I start the 2nd phase of the parasite killing action called GI Synergy, and I will continue it for the next 45 days. I just opened the container. *sniff sniff*... Garlic-y.

My Vitamin D is good! Yay!! He now has changed my yellow fish-juice supplement to a much more palatable Vitamin D dropper that is almost tasteless.

My Cholesterol panel is proof that eating fat and cholesterol doesn't equal a bad result in your body. I eat more bacon, coconut oil, butter, nuts, fatty pork chops than I ever have, and look at those results. My triglycerides actually have a notation under the result: "Verified by repeat analysis." The concern is my total cholesterol is too low. See, cholesterol is the building block of hormones. We want mine above 150. Not sure how I'm gonna accomplish this feat.

Then my Thyroid antibodies. The definitive marker that my autoimmunity is lessening and on it's way to dormancy. One down by 50, the other down by almost 200 pts. I was hoping they both would be in the 300s, but I also had no idea what to expect. My doc is pretty pleased.

Overall, many positives, a couple ho-hums. He has sent my labs to some people at Dr Kharrazian's office to see if they can give any advice.

About my TH-1 and TH-2 challenge...
I was to take 2 different sets of capsules on 2 different days. On the 1st day I took 2 caps of X-Viromin 3 times (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner). This product is supposed to help if I am TH-2 dominant. It has Vit A, C, Zinc, astragalus root extract, echinacea, licorice, thymus and spleen from porcine source, parotid from bovine source, lemon balm, pomegranate, maitake mushroom. So, if my TH-2 pathway is the dominant one, this blend is supposed to activate the TH-1 pathway to balance it out...like a see saw. (I hope you read the link in the last post that gives a great explanation of the whole process.) I was instructed to pay attention to my feelings throughout the day. Did I get sick? Moody? Tired? Any unusual symptom of an autoimmune flare up? Anything?!? If I knew it was the caps making me feel bad, I was to stop taking them the rest of the day. Well only one thing happened...and I'm not so sure if it has anything to do with this at all. There were rare times in the past where my heart would beat so hard that I would feel it in my neck. It would be during sleep, or just resting while laying on the couch. It would last a few seconds and quit. I always chalked it up to an adrenaline rush...like when you are dreaming and you suddenly startle and wake up, or jerk your body. That being said, I haven't had this happen since going gluten free...until the day I took these capsules. Once again, I was lying on the couch and drifted off  into a dream...and BAM. Heart beat city for about 5-8 beats. Coincedence? Possibly.

Day 2: I did the same exact process with a product called X-FLM. This contains pine bark extract, green tea, grape seed extract, resveratrol, and pycnogenol. This would support me if I was dominant in the TH-1 response...again to balance it out- like a see saw.
Sigh. Ok. I woke up in a foul mood, and began arguing with my hubby just an hour or 2 into my day. (I know that never happens to any of you...) ;) . I even thought to myself...maybe I shouldn't take these today, as this argument could really skew the result. I shoulda listened to my own wonderful wisdom...but alas, I was too focused on completing the test. I was grumpy most of the day...but who knows if it had anything to do with the X-FLM...because I was grumpy before I even started taking them. Other things were I felt like I just had an energy drink and my throat was warm a couple times after swallowing the capsules.

So, to conclude...it was inconclusive. And for what it's worth, I can't recall what the argument was about. Typical.

Dr. Matthews wanted to try this again in the near future, and said not everyone can tell the 1st time. However...I'm not so sure I want to. When I signed up for this, he said we would find out by a blood test. It was only recently that he attended a Dr. Kharrazian seminar in which they offered this option to test a patient's symptoms. Apparantly, the labs can be wrong sometimes...and I'm sure it's more expensive than 12 little capsules. The gluten labs are sometimes wrong too, and we still do them. It's right tons more than it's wrong...and challenging myself with a known problematic substance is just wrong to me. I don't know. I just hate knowingly putting something in my body that is activating my dominant pathway, and essentially activating my autoimmune response. At my appointment tomorrow, I think I'm going to talk to him about it. I'm supposed to be doing everything possible now during these 6 months to dampen the response...right?

I believe Dr. Matthews did say that this week he was going to give me another saliva test to do. Good. I've decided to build a WOD around it. Spitting...for time.

Do any of you have any stories to share? Successes? Failures?

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!! God bless!

A Mini Lesson on TH-1 and TH-2

My doctor appointment is today! I should be getting my bloodwork results from last Wednesday. I am hopeful and anticipating good things. The holiday hustle has been keeping me from updating this blog routinely, however I will get my results posted quickly!

This past week I was challenged with some herbal capsules to see if I was TH-1 vs. TH-2 dominant. Prior to my post about how I felt during this process, I wanted to post a link to a great mini explanation about the T-Helper cells. See, it is critical to know their role for you is in this whole autoimmune process.

Please take some time to read this little post to get familiar with such an important tidbit.
Are you TH1 or TH2 dominant?

The Wagon- It's a Love-Hate Thing

I can hardly understand how 2 weeks can disappear just like *that*. Time flies when you can "cheat" with your meals...

The first day off of my Clearvite regimen, this was my breakfast:

 As you can see, I wasted no time at all to eat a Trader Joe's Gluten-free Gingersnap with a pat of butter on top...or 2. I made these paleo pumpkin pancakes with pecans on top with raw honey... and with more butta! The sausage is also from TJ's. The oily look to the black coffee is coconut oil. Enjoyable? Sure!

-->Sidebar- My coffee 1 year ago would not recognize the coffee I drink today. I used to use 1/4 (or more) International Delight Flavored Creamer, 3/4 coffee, plus a splenda. (I thought that was so much better than sugar). I gradually went to the Sugar free ID Flavored Creamer. Then dropped the splenda. Then I went to NO splenda. Then I went to half and half or heavy cream. Then black. Now I add coconut oil for the health benefits. I used to drink it for the sugary sweetness- now I drink it (and love it) for another reason apparently, because it does not even resemble the coffee of days of old.. <-- end sidebar.

However, the sugary goodness of my 1st meal? It was dangerous. By the end of the 2nd day, I was gobbling down 20 or so dark chocolate almonds in a single bound...Well, in like 10 minutes or so. ("No one can eat just one!") The justification was that I was "off" my strict diet. What a sucker. You really have no idea how much your body wants that junk until you go without it for awhile, and then let your guard down.

Backup a sec.

In the beginning of my 3rd week with the Clearvite, I asked my doc if I could drink my sweet "Afterglow" recovery shake after a workout, because I hadn't been. He said after a workout was fine, no problem. Well- I'm telling you no lie. I had finished that shake at the gym, hopped in the van, called my husband, and I was W-I-R-E-D. I hardly remember what I said, but it felt like my eyes were as big as baseballs, and I could see EVERYTHING so clear. I had drank that shake 3-4 times a week since May with no such effect. Zero. Our bodies must just become numb under our noses. But, essentially, just because we don't feel the buzz that cupcake or candybar gives us, doesn't mean our bodies aren't being sent for a ride each time. And for the record, I felt that high feeling from the shake only when I was not eating any other forms of sugar.

Since my breakout session with sweets, I am now back on the wagon. But it took several days. Thanksgiving wasn't hard like I thought it might be. Our 1st Paleo Turkey Day was actually a hit. The only questionable ingredients or menu items had were: There was raw honey in the salad dressing; Anthony made gluten free cornbread (corn is a grain); and I did make the dessert (Butternut Squash Creme Brulee) with muscavado (a type of organic pure sugar). All in all- Not too shabby for newbies! During this time, I was still eating gingersnaps at will...at least a couple everyday. Plus those dark chocolate covered almonds... What is it about biting into the chocolate, and taking the chocolate shell apart in your mouth?!?

Here's what our Thanksgiving Day Meal looked like:

Appetizers- Pecan stuffed dates (think pecan pie!), Strawberry salad, Red beets with Pistachio butter

14 lb Turkey and cranberry sauce (looks so small on that huge platter!), Brussels sprouts and bacon slaw, Steamed sweet potatoes/apples/cranberries, gluten free cornbread, carrot souffle, mashed cauliflower, ground beef stuffing (no grains used).

-Most recipies were obtained from websites listed as my favorite sites on the right sidebar-

The sugar consumption came to a hault the night my husband's car broke down on me...on a work night. I was worrying a bit about the repairs and such...and fretting how I was going to get home at the end of my shift in the middle of the night. A Public Safety Officer had gone to the gas station to pick up some coolant for my car, and came back with three gas-station hot chocolates for the nurses. "Oh, come on, you're having a rough night!", was what I heard. I drank that whole thing. Bottoms up, and tapped on the base. It was killer. nom nom nom. And afterwards I felt weak. I didn't really need that chocolate flavoring, HFCS, sugar, and other things I couldn't pronounce. It certainly wasn't helping me- especially in these 6 months. It actually probably set me back mentally and physically (After you taste that, it's harder to resist next time). Despite what they say about having "cheat" days every now and then...Sometimes it's just easier NOT to cheat. Especially if you have a goal in mind.- And I do. So I stopped with the treats.

These are my new buddies. The 1st is that yellow AdrenaCalm cream that smells like vitamins. That and the Adaptocrine capsules are helping my adrenal glands work appropriately again. I do both of those 3 times a day. (I will say- for the cream- the middle time each day is a challenge, and I do miss it too often.
Interfase. >evil smirk< I started this almost 2 weeks ago. It is basically breaking down the outer membrane of the parasites that have made my intestine their home. I will take this twice a day on an empty stomach for 30 days. After which, I will take the capsules that kill the parasites all together. So far, so good. No problems with my gut as far as I can tell. Taking the Interfase at night on an empty stomach is helping me stay conscious of the need to not eat before bed. Helpful... and aggravating too.

I will be getting my labs drawn next week! The numbers I am most curious about are my Thyroid antibody levels. I want to know if they've gotten lower that the 500s they were before. Having labs to look forward to is also helping me stay focused with my food choices. And, of course...it also helps that I ate the last chocolate almond yesterday.

Cheers!

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.