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  • Mamabug
    replied
    Appt. #20

    Dr. G, Jan. 7
    - He asked about my toenail fungus. It's in bad shape again. I reported that I continue to soak it in warm water with Epsom salt and treat it with tea tree oil daily.
    - I continue to exercise and eat well.
    - My MIL is getting rid of "clutter" and has a FIR Infrared sauna dome that she wants to get rid of. She offered it to me (or have my husband help her sell it, if I don't want it). They are expensive machines, and she offered it to us at a very reduced price. I shared the product information with Dr. G and asked him whether that would be something good for me to use. He was very encouraging and believes that it can help my MS.

    Since my last Dr. G appt, I've also continued to use acupuncture and kinesiology, as well as go to my In.Form maintenance meetings and my peer counselor. I've found a couple of apps that I am beginning to use more regularly for meditation.

    I also found a Facebook (Wahls Who Read, I think it's called) group that is studying The Wahls Protocol chapter by chapter. I'd skimmed it before, but I'm reading it thoroughly now, and evaluating whether I want to add strategies to what I'm already doing. It does mention infrared dome, and I'm using mine daily. It's too early to tell if it has an impact on my health.

    The I'm focusing more on vegetables and trying to get my nine vegetables daily, not just sometimes. I don't plan to eat as much meat as Dr. Wahl prescribes. I consider myself sort of a flexitarian. I eat meat and fish sometimes, but probably not daily, and certainly not as much as Dr. Wahls suggests. I try to get much of my protein from plant sources. Her diet says no eggs, but the only reason I can discern for that is that she, personally, has a sensitivity to eggs, so the research she did included no eggs with her patients and she has developed the diet that way. I won't restrict eggs in my diet.

    I may try to add more fermented foods as Dr. Wahls suggests (I rarely do that and I should -- Dr. G suggests that too), and I've heard that supplements are available for liver or organ meat. Dr. Wahls suggests adding those meats to my diet, and I don't plan to do that, but maybe there's a supplement available. Maybe also supplements for kelp and algae.

    I didn't talk with Dr. G about re-reading this book. I'd read some, and skimmed some, before, at his suggestion. There's a lot of overlap between his protocol and hers. But, his reason for suggesting it was mostly to help me to develop a stronger belief that I could become symptom free.

    I think I'm starting to believe that; it just isn't happening as quickly as he expected. I'm OK with that. My MS is stable, and it didn't used to be. I've also experienced small, incremental changes in some areas. I don't need to set a timetable to get to a certain point. If my health is improving, I'm content for that to happen at its own pace. I definitely believe that his protocol is helping, even if the changes are not as dramatic as predicted. I remain extremely committed to GF / DF, I'm glad that my home and my products have been purged of so many toxins, and I'm doing so many other things that he suggested.

    7212

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  • Mamabug
    replied
    Quote from Wahls' Protocol

    ..........

    When chronic disease is the result of a deficiency, drugs aren’t going to solve the problem. As I’m sure you realize, multiple sclerosis is not a deficiency of the latest multiple-sclerosis-disease-modifying drug like Copaxone, just as fatigue is not a deficiency of wakefulness-promoting drugs like Provigil or even caffeine, and depression is not a deficiency of antidepressants like Prozac.

    No, these problems are not deficiencies of drugs, but they are triggered by deficiencies in your cells that lead to broken biochemistry and impaired signaling between your cells.

    When you look at chronic disease in this way, it’s obvious that you should treat the cellular deficiencies that cause diseases to develop in the first place instead of just treating the symptoms, which is what most conventional pharmaceutical treatments do.

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  • Mamabug
    replied
    Originally posted by Temagami View Post
    Our bodies really are quite sensitive.
    Yes; they are!

    Thanks for the update.

    Leave a comment:


  • Temagami
    replied
    Update on two factors:

    Went two weeks sans supplements and found myself napping from 5-6 PM and then going to bed by 8. Went back on supplements and that stopped- no nap, make it to 9-10. I´m thinking it may have been the ALA, ubiquinol or PQQ or combo.

    Decided to see if I really have a reaction to gluten. Went to grocery, bought two whole grain rolls, stuffed myself. That night when I went to brush my teeth, I noticed a line of tiny pimples on each side of my chin as if following a blood vessel and my chin was blotchy. Gone the next morning. So, I am convinced that my body and gluten do not mix. This was after going gluten free since 2011 and the reaction happened within hours. Our bodies really are quite sensitive.

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  • Mamabug
    replied
    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
    Dr. G -- functional medicine, Nov. 10 (Appt. #18)
    ...
    - Recommended seeing a chiropractor to see if a few adjustments could improve my hip flexor muscles.
    I had an appointment with Dr. J, chiropractor, last week. He discovered some big problems with alignment in my hips -- right hip too far forward, left hip too far back. He adjusted my hips and some other things. There is significant improvement in strength, particularly in my right hip that was so weak.

    Leave a comment:


  • Mamabug
    replied
    Part I was here: https://www.msworld.org/forum/forum/...ree-sugar-free

    Originally posted by Temagami View Post
    I believe food matters because what you eat determines which bacteria thrive in your gut and the gut-brain axis is key to how your brain is doing. Feed the good bacteria and starve the bad. Your immune system has a grand role in your gut so it´s all connected. Then there´s the molecular mimicry and leaky gut so if you eat gluten and your GI tract cells have loose junctions, then proteins enter the bloodstream and cause a reaction from your immune system.

    I´ve started on a grain bowl kick- quinoa, kale, a protein, maybe mango or beets or sweet peppers. Change up the dressing and you´ve got something new every day. Don´t forget to massage the kale!
    How is your diet going? Have you noticed any changes in your health?

    Originally posted by Golgotha View Post
    I'm curious: Have you read Dr. Gundry's thoughts/theories as he explains in the Plant Paradox book?
    I still haven't read the book, but I looked at Dr. Gundry's Food Pyramid. I follow some of his suggestions but not all of them. Some of the foods that Dr. Gundry recommends that we avoid are the very same foods that my functional medicine encourages me to eat.

    I eat healthy fats and lots of vegetables, including cruciferous ones.
    I don't do 24 hour fasts, but, fairly often, I try to do intermittent fasts of 14-16 hours. That's really not very difficult. I just don't eat after supper and I have a late breakfast. Even that is supposed to offer health benefits.
    I eat lots of nuts. I don't eat wheat. I don't eat peanuts or cashews, but I don't avoid pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or chia seeds.
    At home, I stick to wild-caught, free-range and grass-fed fish, poultry, eggs and meat. I do eat them in moderation, a few times per week. When I eat out, it's not available at restaurants. I don't eat dairy.
    I actually eat a lot of fruit, which he doesn't recommend. And, I don't stick to in-season fruits, or to green unripe fruits.
    I don't drink alcohol at all. My husband is a total abstainer, and that just would have been a deal-breaker for him, so I decided that he was more important. I sometimes try to include red grapes instead. I'd like to start eating them daily, instead of red wine.
    I avoid bread, cereal and flour, aspartame and usually sugar. I eat rice (brown rice at home, but white rice occasionally when I eat out). I consume honey and maple syrup occasionally. I don't avoid the forbidden vegetables.
    I avoid the forbidden oils and I don't eat many grains.

    Originally posted by sarabeach123 View Post
    I love reading your posts! I think there is not nearly enough emphasis on functional medicine. The whole body works together and it makes no sense to me that we are so focused on isolation of issues when treating a person.
    Thanks, Sara. Please share what alternative strategies you're using and your successes. :-)
    Last edited by Mamabug; 01-11-2021, 09:55 AM. Reason: I added a link to Part I

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  • Mamabug
    replied
    Appt. #19

    Dr. G -- functional medicine, Nov. 10 (Appt. #18)

    - We talked some about some supplements recommended to me by my daughter, an RN, after she attended a workshop on alternative meds. I may consider adding one of two of them. Lately, I've been taking mostly a combination of what Dr. G and kinesiologist have suggested. I want to be careful not to let my supplement list get so long again, like it was a few years ago.
    - Recommended seeing a chiropractor to see if a few adjustments could improve my hip flexor muscles. (See Dr. L notes below.)
    - I received results from my 3rd IgG Food Sensitivity Test (June 2018, Feb 2019, Oct 2019). Improvements between the first two tests were small. Improvements on this test were significant. I have many more foods that I can eat, and much fewer sensitivities. This indicates that, even though I haven't seen a remarkable improvement in MS symptoms, I'm healthier now than I was 18 months ago.

    Dr. L-- MS Specialist, Nov. 7

    - I had an appointment this week with her. I admitted that, the past 4-6 months, I've cut back on my fx of my Copaxone. I'd previously had her OK to take it 2-3x per week, rather than 3x every week. But, I'd gone down to 1-2x, and lately often just once. She recommended that I either "fish or cut bait" (ie: stop vacillating and just do it, or discontinue). We both agree that, likely, my most recent MS flare and the newest MS lesions occurred in 2014. It's possible that Copaxone is no longer needed or effective. I'll think on it for the next 6-12 months. If I stop, Dr. L wants to 2 two MRI's, 6 months apart, followed by an annual MRI for the next four years.
    - My MS has been mostly stable; I've seen small, incremental improvements in some things (balance, exercise stamina). I think that my strength in my leg (Dr. L determined that it was my hip flexor muscles, on both sides but quite a bit weaker on my right side) has decreased some. I talked with Dr. G about that.

    Other
    - My In.Form health consultant -- once every 6-8 weeks appointment, plus every two weeks In.Form Maintenance group
    - My kinesiology / acupuncturist -- alternating 6-8 weeks. I might go occasionally to community acupuncture as well.
    - My peer counselor -- once a month
    I'll continue with these.
    I'm still doing these. These are some of my "right tribe" activities. They make me feel good.

    5986

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  • Mamabug
    replied
    We all have to weigh costs against perceived benefits. I've decided that this is self-care. I believe that these practitioners help me to keep my MS stable.

    My costs are significantly lower than the costs you cite.

    - Dr. G charges $80 for a one-hour visit. There was no additional fee for the initial consultation. The charges include access by text between visits.
    The IgG Food Sensitivity tests have an extra charge.

    - My In.Form consultant, my kinesiologist/ acupuncturrist and my peer counselor are all very reasonably priced. Kinesiology and ZYTO scans probably save me money because they narrow down the number of supplements I take to those my body needs at the time.
    Dr. G recommends a few supplements but he doesn't push them a lot. He mostly believes that food is medicine.

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  • Marco
    replied
    By chance are you tracking the costs of all these appointments?

    When I looked at functional medicine providers here the initial consultation was between $2500 and $6500 with additional appointments running $100s of per hour.

    I could look again, but at the time I called half a dozen providers and they were all cost prohibitive. I also knew each of them would like on a variety of supplements that would further increase the costs. Sad...

    Leave a comment:


  • Mamabug
    replied
    Appt. #18, I think

    Dr. G reviewed what I was still working on and how I was doing.

    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
    Dr. G

    I'm doing a lot right:
    - no wheat, no dairy, almost no sugar
    - organic produce at home
    - avoid food sensitivities at home
    - grass-fed / free-range / wild-caught meats
    - got rid of known toxins in home
    I'm still doing these things well. I'm also continuing on his Vitamin D protocol.
    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
    I need to:
    - eat more greens
    - drink more water
    - be more intentional about resiliency strategies
    - figure out a way to get rid of the "no-cebo" effect (opposite of placebo). I need to believe this is going to work.
    - talk to Dr. G about all of this stuff
    We talked about most of this. I'd like to start tracking some of this again. It seems to help me to write things down on a chart; it keeps me more accountable to myself. However, I'm as busy as I want to be right now, and it requires time and self-discipline. However, I have printed out a tracking chart and look at it occasionally; that seems to help me remain focused on my goals.

    Since I wrote these down:
    • - I am (often, but not every day) concentrating on drinking more water. My goal is 60 oz per day; I'm often getting more like 40 oz.

    • - I have added more greens. My goal is 3 servings per day. I'm doing more okra. Okra is highly recommended by THM (Trim Healthy Mama). I'm not on that diet and I don't aspire to be. But, they do eat fairly healthy, so I tend to "borrow" some of their ideas. Some days, I add a scoop of greens powder to a smoothie or water. I'm still not eating 3 servings daily.

    • - I could work more on adding resiliency strategies daily. I am doing more yoga and I use some of the strategies at night to help me fall asleep quickly (mindfulness, "happy place", etc.). And I do activities with "right tribe" people. But, I should add more music (listening, playing piano, etc), more outdoor/sunshine time and I should start up my monthly movie nights with friends again.

    • - I decided that I'm not going to worry about whether the "no-cebo" effect is an issue for me. My attitude is positive. I think that I believe this can work. Sometimes I'm frustrated that it's not following the time line that Dr. G predicated. But, mostly I'm grateful that I'm going in the right direction -- stability and occasional small improvements.

    • - I'm getting more exercise than I used to. Some Silver Sneakers Classic, some chair yoga, some strength training, occasional recumbent bike.


    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
    Other
    - My In.Form health consultant
    - My kinesiology / acupuncturist
    - My peer counselor
    I'll continue with these.
    I'm still doing these. These are some of my "right tribe" activities. They make me feel good.
    • - My In.Form consultant holds maintenance meetings once every two weeks. Usually 3-5 of us attend. We weigh in on a bio-tracker scale. We discuss our progress with our goals (diet, exercise, etc) and we are going through a book. We finished The Daniel Plan; now we're doing The Blue Zone Solution. I showed Dr. G my bio-tracker results. They were mostly OK, but he was impressed with my "metabolic age". My real age is 57; my metabolic age is 41. He says most people have a higher, not lower, metabolic age.

    • - I also have a consultation with my consultant about once every 6-8 weeks. She does some kinesiology and a ZYTO scan. I place my hand on a hand cradle and the scanner reads what my body needs within its different systems and organ functions.

    • - Alternating, also once every 6-8 weeks, I go to my kinesiologist. She also does kinesiology and does acupuncture too. They have very different methods. So, I like to alternate because I assume that maybe they each have their strengths and come up with things that I need that the other person may have missed.

    • - I have a standing monthly appointment with my peer counselor. She's not a therapist. She's certified in peer support and is just a good listener; someone awesome to talk to.

    • - As I mentioned earlier, I also have other "right tribe" people that I get together with.


    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
    Complications
    - toenail injury and long list of related problems.
    Resolved.

    4760
    Last edited by Mamabug; 10-10-2019, 02:40 PM. Reason: Added spacing to make reading easier.

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  • Mamabug
    replied
    Dr. G
    I'm stable, but not a miracle patient. Some of his kind of are. That's who I want to be.
    Perhaps I need to track more and be more intentional about doing more.

    I'm doing a lot right:
    - no wheat, no dairy, almost no sugar
    - organic produce at home
    - avoid food sensitivities at home
    - grass-fed / free-range / wild-caught meats
    - got rid of known toxins in home

    I need to:
    - eat more greens
    - drink more water
    - be more intentional about resiliency strategies
    - figure out a way to get rid of the "no-cebo" effect (opposite of placebo). I need to believe this is going to work.
    - talk to Dr. G about all of this stuff

    Other
    - My In.Form health consultant
    - My kinesiology / acupuncturist
    - My peer counselor
    I'll continue with these.

    Complications
    - toenail injury and long list of related problems. Lots of pain, multiple appointments wit PCP and podiatrist, unable to wear shoes for awhile, multiple rounds of anti-biotics (after natural methods failed), two outpatient surgeries. On the mend, but it affected my ability to exercise for months.

    It had all been worth it. Stability with my MS is worth a lot; I'd been declining regularly before. I'm healthier, in general -- I've lost weight, my notoriously high cholesterol is significantly down, etc. But, I want more. I want to believe, and become "symptom-free". Dr. G says it is possible.

    Next appointment: October 7

    Leave a comment:


  • Mamabug
    replied
    Thanks, Sara.

    I haven't been diligent at keeping up with recording recent appointments. My next appointment is scheduled for October. Maybe I'll try to post an update before that.

    Leave a comment:


  • sarabeach123
    replied
    I love reading your posts! I think there is not nearly enough emphasis on functional medicine. The whole body works together and it makes no sense to me that we are so focused on isolation of issues when treating a person.

    Leave a comment:


  • Mamabug
    replied
    Golgotha --

    I just saw this today, so I guess I dropped the ball too.

    Thanks for your detailed description of the book. I'm still, slowly, working on reading my two books.

    I've also not updated this thread for awhile, even though I've had an appointment with Dr. G and multiple other appointments.

    I'm not sure how much interest there continues to be from our members, so I don't want to belabor my experience with functional medicine.

    Leave a comment:


  • Golgotha
    replied
    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
    What are your thoughts on the book, Golgotha?
    Sorry for dropping this; I just caught your question so a delayed answer.

    He's got some skill as a writer. He deals with enough of the science to hit that angle and does a good job putting things in layman's terms. He does a very good job explaining why he's making the recommendations he does. The Plant Paradox is an easy read.

    As someone who grew up on a farm his explanations of fruit and why it's bad the way we eat it now, and the links into the letin ideas ties things together to make that recommendation (eating only local/in-season fruit) "logical." To me that's the most "radical" part of the diet.

    He dedicates some space near the end of the book noting that he sells supplements which raises sort of red flag in me. Is it a money-grab type of thing? It's not over-the-top, and he notes lots of local recommendations for the same supplements.

    The overall theory appeals to me on the one hand, but the wide scope of lectins being behind lots of auto-immune diseases (all?) and many other health problems both makes sense and is also over-the-top at the same time; if you know what I mean.

    If he's a snakeoil-salesman he's a good one.

    In one video I saw of him he said he first wanted to tackle "curing" MS. Obviously that didn't pan out.

    But to me, a "cure" for MS is difficult because it would have to encompass 2 separate things:

    (1) Stopping/ending the immune system attacking the brain/spinal cord.
    (2) Re-mylinating the damaged brain and nerves. (My guess is that would be a slow process.)

    Frankly, I'll be happy if the diet accomplishes #1.

    I'm still moving in the direction of doing the diet. I've started avoiding lots of things, wrapping my head around what I'll need to do, started pressure cooking some things -- stuff like that.

    Leave a comment:

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