I have had a few more test results come in, and one of them that was quite shocking was that my gluten intolerance test came back at the highest this clinic has seen; the result lines went off the chart. They said that usually when the antibodies are this high the patient has celiac disease. One of my sisters has Celiac and it tends to run in families, so I'll be getting tested for this too. They are certain that with antibodies that high this change alone will make a difference in how I feel and how my digestive system functions!
I am spending full days in treatment now and it feels like a full-time job. In the morning I have the hyperbaric oxygen treatment and the rest of the day is filled with other therapies focused on stimulating the immune system, killing viruses, bacteria, parasites, and removing the toxins.
Unfortunately they had to slow things down for me this week after my body was showing signs of being too weak and overloaded with toxins due to my lymphatic system not functioning as it should. After the massage therapist performed the first lymphatic drainage massage on me she reported that my body is holding on to a lot of fluid and that many of my lymph nodes are swollen. Each time she reached a new area of lymph nodes my skin would grow hot to touch and flame red from the toxins being released. The following week I had a procedure done by a lymphatic system therapist who only felt comfortable doing half of a normal treatment due to not knowing how my body would respond. It was a good thing, as about an hour after the procedure I suddenly became so ill it became difficult to breathe and I felt I might throw up while simultaneously feeling like I was going to faint. I was given oxygen right away, upped my fluids, and was monitored until I was feeling stronger again and my blood pressure went back up. What they determined is that my lymph system is not healthy and is holding on to too many toxins rather than flushing them all out as it should, so once the procedure to drain it was done a whole ton of toxins were suddenly released and my body went into a sudden intense herxheimer reaction.
For this reason they've slowed things down and focused on helping my body open things up, so I haven't been able to do several of the planned therapies yet because you cannot do them if your body is too frail and your blood pressure is too low. Throughout my illness my blood pressure level has sat on the low end, so when it drops it becomes dangerous very quickly. I'm pretty disappointed because I want to make the most of my time here and give it my all. But I understand that my body needs to be strong enough to handle the more intense therapies. Hopefully this week we can safely add in a few more!
Hanna loves 'helping' me with my nebulizer treatments by pulling it off my face and then letting go;)
Brandon and Lydia think some of my 'strange' meals look delicious. This is a chia pudding with berries. It's really good, I don't blame them for wanting a taste!! I see a nutritionist weekly and she goes over everything I eat and provides me with nutrition advice that best supports my body through treatment and for the long recovery process once I return home. I thought that after all my years of researching nutrition and seeing several naturopaths that I knew all there was to know. I was very wrong! I have learned so much from this nutritionist already and I'm thankful for her knowledge, resources and recipes, especially as I transition to a completely gluten free diet.
All the kids:) We are all so happy Spring is here!
