Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[rinne]

Rachel, I read something today about the importance of having a colon capable of flushing the mercury. I'm sorry I don't remember more, I was distracted by my latest go around with doctors.

[lindalee]

Rachel, I had an older friend with liver problems- hepititis from a tranfusion- and I kept asking her why she didn't ever go to the bathroom. I would take her to the doctor, dentist, etc. and she never went to the bathroom). I was concerned about her but she wasn't into the "health" thing. She was always drinking milk and eating bread. Just concerned about you and the urinating issue.

[miamia]

I have alot of anxiety about my appt. on Monday. I'm really stressing myself out. Doing alot of research on mercury so I can be well informed. I'm very confused about the chelators. I've read alot of bad stuff about DMPS....I found a website in which many people tell stories of how they were negatively affected by the DMPS...some even suffered permanant damage! They say the other chelator (DMSA) is much safer.

Then I find another site that claims just the opposite. One site says DMPS is not approved and experimental...the other site claims this is false and that the drug is approved.

One site says the people promoting DMPS are doing so for finacial gain and that the chelator is very dangerous. I just dont know what to believe but right now I'm thinking I do NOT want to try DMPS. I tend to believe "the people".....the ones who are sick like me and sharing their experience....not so much the doctors who *aren't* sick but are profiting from these treatments.

This site advocates the use of DMPS and also provides some info about mercury toxicity from amalgams.

Open Original Shared Link

On a lighter note.....I'm eating some really yummy homemade ice cream right now.

Don't worry Andrea...I'm not gonna go crazy.

rachel

have you had amino acid testing or metal testing done?

Miamia

[Rachel--24]

Rachel, I had an older friend with liver problems- hepititis from a tranfusion- and I kept asking her why she didn't ever go to the bathroom. I would take her to the doctor, dentist, etc. and she never went to the bathroom). I was concerned about her but she wasn't into the "health" thing. She was always drinking milk and eating bread. Just concerned about you and the urinating issue.

It could be that I just dont drink enough water...I've been really bad about this. I drink maybe one 16 oz. bolttle a day lately. There were times when I was urinating very frequently and then times like now when I'm not. Could it be because I'm not drinking anything?

My liver has been tested sooo many times...I've had about a gazillion tests it seems like. My kidneys and liver tests always come back normal. There was one time that I had elevated liver enzymes but I was on antibiotics at the time so they retested and then it was normal again.

[Rachel--24]

rachel

have you had amino acid testing or metal testing done?

Miamia

I dont know about amino acids. If thats something that can be tested by a mainstream doc then I've probably had it done more than once...I had so many tests run by them and half of them I was clueless as to what the tests were for. If its something done by an N.D. then no....I havent had that tested. I've had lots of tests for metal. A few urine tests, a few blood tests and hair analysis. Nothing showed high mercury but with mercury....it doesnt come out this way. It wouldnt necessarily show up in these tests because its stored in tissue. Only people with acute mercury poisoning can have mercury showing up in a bloodtest. Poisoning from amalgams is chronic...not acute...its a different type of poisoning so very hard to diagnose. If it were more easily detected and confirmed I believe we wouldnt still be having it put into our mouths. The ADA still claims its safe although they now acknowledge that the fillings do leak mercury. Mercury fillings have been banned in other countries for awhile now.

Has anyone else noticed that in other countries they seem to be more health consious and more strict when it comes to toxic elements in food and elsewhere. I used to think this country was more advanced but in actuality it seems that this country is just alot more greedy and they really dont give a damn about long term effects on our health or environment.

[CarlaB]

It could be that I just dont drink enough water...I've been really bad about this. I drink maybe one 16 oz. bolttle a day lately. There were times when I was urinating very frequently and then times like now when I'm not. Could it be because I'm not drinking anything?

My liver has been tested sooo many times...I've had about a gazillion tests it seems like. My kidneys and liver tests always come back normal. There was one time that I had elevated liver enzymes but I was on antibiotics at the time so they retested and then it was normal again.

I would definately start drinking more water!! If you're eating a lot of raw foods like fruits and veggies, you may not need as much water as they are high in water content. But if your not urinating very frequently, I would take that as a sign you're not getting as much as you need.

Hubby ordered my new infared sauna -- it'll be here next week!!!

[Rachel--24]

Heres what it says about diagnosing mercury toxicity

The diagnosis of heavy metal toxicity must take into account the exposure history, clinical signs and symptoms, and laboratory tests. While the Centers for Disease Control has steadily dropped the "allowable level" of lead in the blood over the last fifteen years, there remains a problem with using blood levels in the first place. Blood levels may not accurately reflect the total body burden of toxic metals. High blood levels are usually only found in acute toxic metal exposure, or in people exposed to high levels of toxins over a long period of time. In chronic low level exposure, however, the blood levels may actually be low due to redistribution of the toxins throughout the body, while bone and other tissue levels remain high.

Hair analysis is another method of determining toxin exposure that is popular with many clinicians. The amount of mercury in the hair is determined by flow injection analysis-cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry and amalgamation, one of several tests available to determine mercury content. Hair can be a good indicator of exposure because it grows slowly and incorporates toxic metals into its structure over a long period of time, and therefore may be a better measure of actual tissue levels. There are arguments over the accuracy of hair analysis due to the possibility of contamination from hair dyes, shampoo, and other factors. Nevertheless, hair analysis can be a valuable screening tool if the proper questions are asked and the proper steps are taken prior to its use.

A more accurate method for evaluating toxic metal burden is to do a urine challenge test with a "chelating" agent. Chelating agents bind to heavy metals throughout the body, and then are excreted in the urine, taking the heavy metals with them. In the urine challenge test, a chelating agent is administered and then urine is collected and analyzed to determine the amount and type of toxic metals that are excreted.

Hubby ordered my new infared sauna -- it'll be here next week!!!

Awesome!! Please let me know how it works and the cost...I might want one .

I found this interesting with regards to my "ovary pain". I've always said the pain is way down low...its in my pelvic area I guess.

As a heavy metal (which means heavier than water), mercury tends to accumulate in the lowest parts of the body, such as the floor of the mouth, the pelvic floor, and the feet. Pelvic symptoms, in both men and women, are very commonly caused by metal toxicity of the Frankenhauser's ganglion. This can account for premature ejaculaton and an enlarged prostate in men, and endometriosis, pelvic pain, and hormonal dysfunction in women.

[AndreaB]

Has anyone else noticed that in other countries they seem to be more health consious and more strict when it comes to toxic elements in food and elsewhere. I used to think this country was more advanced but in actuality it seems that this country is just alot more greedy and they really dont give a damn about long term effects on our health or environment.

I've learned that more recently. The people in power positions are very greedy.

Mitch---Remember this is America and America is a leading instigator of fast food restaurants. A business that cares for it's bottom line of making money rather than caring for an individuals health. They are irresponsible to the effect that people that run fast food businesses and restaurants either lack the knowledge and/or the initiative to research the foods that they promote.

An example would be restaurants that are pulling gluten free items and menus so as to avoid a cc lawsuit.

Rachel that last quote about the "ovary pain" is interesting.

You've been learning lots again.

[Rachel--24]

An example would be restaurants that are pulling gluten free items and menus so as to avoid a cc lawsuit.

Rachel that last quote about the "ovary pain" is interesting.

Yeah...thats because here in America its not only those in power who are greedy. I remember the day that McDonalds came under fire about having gluten in their fries. There were people on this board ready to sue. I stated back then that those who had dollar signs in their eyes would in the end be contributing to taking away what some Celiacs have worked hard to acheive. They would scare the other businesses out of offering gluten-free menus and the ones that currently had them would in effect pull them. I'm not at all surprised this is happening. Its another example of greed in this country and how it benefits noone except those who wanna have fat pockets and show little regard for others.

I wish I could say that those lawsuit happy people only hurt themselves but no.....they hurt ALL Celiacs....making it damn near impossible to go out to eat safely anymore. AND the McDonalds fries didnt even test positive for gluten!!

[CarlaB]

We got our sauna from www.sunlightsauna.com. We got a largish 2 person one because we were talking about getting one anyway because there's this closet in the master bedroom that was screaming to be a sauna! When we moved to Cincinnati, we moved into a house we already owned that was rented out and is smaller than our old house, so we downsized and had some cash from our old house to remodel, so we splurged!!

It will be difficult to tell if the progress is from the sauna, from the acupuncture, diet, sleep/rest, change in lifestyle, etc. I'm doing everything that's recommended to get better.

This book I'm reading is making lots of sense and the ironic thing about it is this is the same doctor who wrote the book I read four years ago that made me discover my problem with wheat!!

[Rachel--24]

Thanks for the info Carla.

I tried to check out the site but couldnt access it....it said it was under construction??

More stuff about chelation Open Original Shared Link

I firmly believe at this point in time that there are no alternatives to the DMPS treatment. I have not seen any clear evidence that any of the other proposed detox programs result in the same clinical improvements including the use of DMSA, BAL, and D-penicillamine2. Chlorella speeds up the cleaning-up process, but can temporarily lead to detox-related unpleasant symptoms. Chlorella seems to be the ideal agent to stay current with a low toxic metal burden and helps to survive these times of toxic overexposure from so many different sources.

[CarlaB]

Thanks for the info Carla.

I tried to check out the site but couldnt access it....it said it was under construction??

More stuff about chelation Open Original Shared Link

Hmm, I went to the site a couple days ago. Maybe they're working on it over the weekend or something. You could google the company name and see if there's another site with info.

[Rachel--24]

Well I guess I probably wont be getting a sauna.

I was on the mercury toxicity forum and came across a thread about saunas. Theres a guy named Andy Cutler whos an expert on mercury poisoning...I actually have his book...bought it when I first got sick and suspected mercury. Someone had provided a link to what Cutler said about infrared saunas and mercury detox...

Nobody who wants to get better should ever purchase or use an infrared

sauna. Any other kind of sauna is fine. Infrared saunas make a lot

of people terribly and permanently worse

.

Well that was enough right there to scare me out of getting one.

It was also mentioned that anyone with chemical sensitivities (which I have) should not use portable saunas because of the synthetics in the materials....the heat brings the chemicals out even more and can make someone whos sensitive to chemicals sick. I never thought of this but it makes sense.

[lindalee]

It could be that I just dont drink enough water...I've been really bad about this. I drink maybe one 16 oz. bolttle a day lately. There were times when I was urinating very frequently and then times like now when I'm not. Could it be because I'm not drinking anything?

My liver has been tested sooo many times...I've had about a gazillion tests it seems like. My kidneys and liver tests always come back normal. There was one time that I had elevated liver enzymes but I was on antibiotics at the time so they retested and then it was normal again.

Drinking water and exercise helps get rid of toxins and altered bile flora can lead to abnormal blood tests and elevated liver enzimes according to Dr. Becker -"Your Health" show.

[Daxin]

I seem to recall there was a discussion a while back about fingernail lines as well.

Hair and fingernails can be tested to give an indication of heavy metals in the body. (CSI does come in handy I guess)

might be something to look into.

[CarlaB]

Well I guess I probably wont be getting a sauna.

I was on the mercury toxicity forum and came across a thread about saunas. Theres a guy named Andy Cutler whos an expert on mercury poisoning...I actually have his book...bought it when I first got sick and suspected mercury. Someone had provided a link to what Cutler said about infrared saunas and mercury detox...

.

Well that was enough right there to scare me out of getting one.

It was also mentioned that anyone with chemical sensitivities (which I have) should not use portable saunas because of the synthetics in the materials....the heat brings the chemicals out even more and can make someone whos sensitive to chemicals sick. I never thought of this but it makes sense.

Maybe he doesn't know about the saunas that are out there now? Mine is not portable and is 100% cedar ... It's funny because what I've read says they're good for mercury and other detoxes ... there are so many opinions out there, it's hard to know who is right.

[Rachel--24]

there are so many opinions out there, it's hard to know who is right.

Yeah....you're not kidding. My head is so confused with everything I read....nothing is black and white....its all gray areas and contradicting info.

I dont think I would be afraid to use an infrared sauna that wasnt made of synthetics. The regular sauna at the gym was made of wood and I didnt have any problems. I'm mainly scared of reactions from chemicals. There seems to be alot of people on the mercury forum using both types of saunas.....and liking them.

[Rachel--24]

I seem to recall there was a discussion a while back about fingernail lines as well.

Hair and fingernails can be tested to give an indication of heavy metals in the body. (CSI does come in handy I guess)

might be something to look into.

There are some type of moving white lines called "mees lines" which can indicate either mercury or lead I think. I dont have lines like that. I had some other type of bizzarre lines awhile back....the doctors couldnt figure it out. They were there when I was feeling real sick and taking supplements. Once I stopped taking supplements and started feeling better...the lines went away. I think they may have been fungal. When I was real sick and couldnt work I had deep ridges in my nails...I think that was from malabsorption....I havent had ridges for over a year now.

I did have hair analysis...It didnt really tell me anything though. I was high in a few things cadmium, bismuth and antimony. Mercury was real low. I found out the cadmium (or was it bismuth?) comes from cigarretes...I used to smoke and my body wasnt detoxing well at all once I got sick. I figured thats why I was high with those elements. Since I got sick I cant even smoke a single cigarette w/out feeling really bad.

My hair analysis was taken a long time ago...summer of 2004. It was before I had all the metals removed from my mouth.

Even though my hair test had low mercury it was my understanding (and still is) that this doesnt mean there arent toxic amounts of mercury stored in tissue. A person can be seriously poisoned and still have normal hair analysis.

The hair analysis shows effectiveness usually when the client is in the process of detoxifying the mercury. A high mercury level often indicates the unloading process, so it can indicate that the mercury is there and the body is trying to unload it. The hair test may not show the hidden layers of mercury toxicity so that a low mercury level in the hair may not indicate the true state of the body that has a load of mercury in deeper layers of tissues and organs.

[AndreaB]

Rachel,

Correct me if I'm wrong....but I thought my allergy doctor told me that if the hair analysis for mercury was low that it could mean the body wasn't getting rid of it. At least for me since I have so many fillings.

Do you think this new doctor will want to do another hair analysis?

[Rachel--24]

I mentioned in another post about a video I had seen a couple years ago where scientists had put amalgams into farm animals to see what affect they might have. I came across some info about that study.

It basically said that they conducted the studies on sheep. They removed the amalgams from the sheep 6 months after having put them in. The amalgams only contained one fifth of the mercury that was present when they were first put into the teeth. The rest of the mercury had leeched into the system and was found in significant concentrations in the brain and small intestines. The liver kidney and lungs were also impacted.

I've been reading alot about how the presence of mercury will cause enzyme dysfunction. I'm wondering if this why I have so much trouble with food???

I'm thinking that I may have always had a gluten intolerance but with no Celiac genes or evidence of flattened villi despite high malabsorption levels....I probably could have lived my whole life with absolutely no reprecussions from consuming gluten. I think a large part of the population has intolerance genes and we all that gluten is very hard to digest. I was in perfect health prior to the dental work and I believe that *if* the gluten intolerance was already present...my body was dealing with it and it was not causing me any problems. If I began leaking large amounts of mercury into my system with the addition of the gold crowns I suspect that would have caused my body to no longer be able to cope with gluten consumption....along with a whole long list of other foods, additives, preservatives, etc.

I'm thinking my high malabsorption score may have come from other factors...possibly the damage mercury had caused to intestines and enzyme function. It was definately not Celiac...I was having malabsorption long after I'd went gluten-free and experiencing bizarre symptoms and abrupt weight loss when taking supplements or eating foods high in sulfur content. My biopsy came back "textbook perfect" in the words of the GI. These symptoms will not resolve themselves on a gluten-free diet...thats something I've known for awhile now. Something else caused this whole cascade of events.

I'm glad I learned all about the dangers of gluten but had it not been for this I truelly believe I could have continued eating it w/out ill effects providing I remained in good health otherwise. I think this is why so many people find they are symptomatic only *after* something else has occurred. Our bodies just cant handle all the assaults from things like mercury, msg, chemicals everywhere, etc.

I believe that there are alot more cases of gluten intolerance than say....50 years ago. I think its because our world is simply alot less pure. I'm sure just as many people carried these genes back then but alot less of them were having the genes "activated". Not to mention the fact that gluten is now in nearly *everything* in the supermarket. Exposure to gluten grains is much higher and the exposure to other toxic elements is far greater.

In the 70's they started using fillings that contained even more mercury. These would be the fillings that were placed in my mouth as a child. It is illegal for a dentist to throw a filling into the trash and yet its considered safe for it to be placed into my mouth!!

[Rachel--24]

Rachel,

Correct me if I'm wrong....but I thought my allergy doctor told me that if the hair analysis for mercury was low that it could mean the body wasn't getting rid of it. At least for me since I have so many fillings.

Do you think this new doctor will want to do another hair analysis?

Thats my understanding as well. When I had my hair analysis I was VERY sick. I dont believe at that time my body would have been detoxing...I believe the mercury would have been storing itself into my tissues during that time. I still had fillings in my mouth. When I saw the mercury free dentist he said I was in bad shape. He was the first to mention my diet. He told me I would never feel any better unless I completely changed my eating habits to only organic fruits and veggies and the purest water I could find. I was to drink or eat nothing else. I was still eating normal food at the time....in fact I had in my lap a bag of chex mix and an Odwalla drink. He looked at the ingredients and told me anything that came in a bag, box, jar, or any type of packaging was unnacceptable. I thought he was a complete lunatic....as I held onto my bag of chex mix really tight.

It was about 7 months later when I thought I was dying that I took his words to heart and changed my diet.

He also told me I had a candida problem because my tongue was sporting a thick white coating.

I had some sores on the back of my neck and shoulders too...they were almost like huge pimples but they would never pop. It was like sometimes they would swell up very big and be painful like a pimple but then they would shrink again and then go away all together. They would always come back in the exact same spots. He looked at all these things and told me it appeared that my body was trying to detox from something. He looked at the bumps closely....they werent pimples.

He also asked me about sweating and nightsweats. I told him that at that time I seemed to have lost my ability to sweat but that occassionally at night I would have bouts of very intense night sweats. It was like buckets of water were poured on me. My bedding, clothes and hair would be soaked. He told me whenever this happened I should get up and shower and get into clean clothes because toxins would be reabsorbed into my skin otherwise. I did this a few times but it wasnt easy to jump into the shower in the middle of the night. Now I dont get those kind of sweats anymore.

[dlp252]

Hi everyone...I hate not being able to keep current over the weekend, lol. I've ordered a new computer so in a couple of weeks I should be back to my old posting pattern.

Wow, lots of good scientificness this weekend!

I have ridges on my fingernails...they are vertical and I have a lot of them! I also have the little white marks that look like clouds--not as many as I used to have, but like around 5 small ones today.

Rachel - it was interesting what you quoted about the stuff settling to the lowest points.

I'm getting tested for food allergies today, although I am really not expecting to find out much as I suspect I have no true food allergies...although I may have a slight one to sugars...I definitely notice my legs itch less with less sugars and as soon as I up the sugars (whether natural or not) I itch more. I don't think they test for sugars though, lol.

I did some cleaning and reorganizing this weekend to make room for my new computer and to set up a little work area for my new jewelry making obsession, lol. Whilst doing so I came across my old painting supplies...I had paint thinner, mediums, etc. in a drawer--some of it was LEAKING!!! YIKES!!! I bet some of those "fumes" were wafting into my environment at home...that can't have helped my health situation any. Anyway, they are in a box now, in my trunk and I'm calling a hazardous waste disposal place today to get rid of them.

I also have to call my regular dentist this week to set up an appointment for the crown. I will insist on porcelain.

[Rachel--24]

I have read that detoxification and chelation of mercury halts autoimmunity....since it is thought to be a major contributer to AI diseases to begin with. I am reading stories of thyroid disease, Myasthenia Gravis and other AI diseases in mercury poisoned individuals but after chelation autoimmunity ceased and health was restored. I'm wondering if this would also be true with gluten intolerance?? For those of us w/out Celiac genes or flattened villi....isnt it possible the autoimmune response could go into remission as it does with other autoimmune disease??

Just a thought.

[Rachel--24]

Well...I had my appt. today. It didnt go anything like I had planned it out in my head...I dont know why I'm surprised.

I really liked the doctor and the nurses...everyone was warm and friendly. The thing is he seemed to think I could have Lymes disease which is really scaring the crap out of me right now.

There was a time that I suspected Lyme....its hard to know because I happened to go camping the same week they did all the dental work so it really could be either one of these things. I saw an infectious disease specialist a year and a half ago trying to get tested for Lyme...this was at Kaiser. The Dr. laughed me out of the building...he was so arrogant and full of himself. He never listened to my symptoms and just told me I was making everything up and needed to see a shrink. Just one of the many reasons I'm not too keen on traditional doctors.

The Dr. I saw today talked to me for quite some time about the dental stuff, chemical and food sensitivities and all other symptoms. He spent alot of time on my chemical sensitivities and pointed out more than once that this is a classic presentation of Lyme Disease....apparantly lots of Lyme patients have chemical sensitivities. He said that other causes could be exposure to mold, toxic chemical exposure or heavy metal toxicity. He definately wanted to test for Lyme and they took blood for it today.

My bloodwork is going to Igenix Lab. Western Blot....is the test he ordered. I'm well aware from past research and also posts from members on this board that Igenix is considered the best lab for diagnosing Lyme. This is what the Dr. stated as well. Lyme and mercury were the two I most wanted to rule out in testing but just never had the opportuntity due to disbelieving and arrogant doctors.

In some aspects I'm relieved to finally be tested but at the same time...I'm terrified of coming back positive for Lyme. Believe it or not mercury poisoning is looking much better to me right now. I actually asked him which of the two would be better to have...he hesitated to answer and then said "mercury"....although he wouldnt wish either one on me.

Hes also tested me (bloodwork) for nutrients and other stuff that I may be lacking. He said recovery is going to depend heavily on me....its going to be alot of work on my part....especially in regards to diet. He didnt pump me up to believe I was gonna get all better and it was gonna be easy....I guess he gave it to me straight. He said some people like me do fully recover but others are still struggling. He said whatever the cause is....it *can* be treated and I *can* heal.

He told me I need to eat totally organic, nothing refined or packaged, no sugar. I'm already doing this about 99%. ...I'm definately aware of the role diet plays in all of this....I could easily be bedridden if I didnt play by the rules.

I think there was some discussion about Lyme on another thread that I just read earlier today...I believe it was mentioned that Dr.'s arent willing to look into this for alot of people. I had a deja vu today when my Dr. said pretty much the same thing. When I told him of my experience with the infectious disease "specialist" he said that most of those guys act in the same manner and they DONT take Lyme seriously and they DONT order the test. He wasnt at all surprised that the guy had ridiculed me...he said once you mention Lymes Disease they dont take you serious. I told him that not only had I mentioned Lyme but also Candida.

He said "Oh yeah...then you definately got laughed out of there." I never even stood a chance.

I had with me my hair analysis results from 2004. The results show low mercury. Because of this he doesnt seem focused on mercury yet. He said the results give him reason to doubt it but at the same time he said that amalgam poisoning doesnt always show up in hair analysis. I think besides the Lyme test his priority is to help my body start detoxing and working on the allergies. He doesnt want me taking supplements or anything like that right now. He gave me some homeopathic drops that will help me start detoxing but I have to go slow with them to see if I can tolerate it.

He's thinking he might want to send me to Bioset?? I guess its something like NAET?? I think maybe Julie had this type of treatment?? Anyways, he wants to try to work on the allergies this way.

As far as my diet....he wants me really focusing on chewing. He said this is very important as far as reducing allergic reactions. He wants me chewing the food until its liquid almost. This will help my body get more nutrients out of the food as it wont have to work so hard. He said the harder I make it for my food to digest the more I'm gonna get allergic reactions.

Also he said NO dairy. There goes my ice cream.

He said dairy would be worsening my allergic reactions. Of course he said no gluten but that goes w/out saying....also the sugar.

He asked questions about exposure to mold or chemicals. I'm really certain that neither of these things are the cause of all this. I know I was never exposed to large amounts of chemicals for sure. My home was brand new when I moved in...I watched it being built...there is definately no mold. Also my moms home was brand new when she moved in. My condition doesnt change when I'm in different locations....I would assume if it was a building making me sick I would improve when I left but thats not the case. My illness follows me wherever I go.

He asked about my town too....is there still alot of farming? Are other people in the area sick? Stuff like that. Noone else in my neighborhood is getting sick though.

I'm thinking its gonna come down to mercury or Lyme....the 2 things I had worried about from the beginning. I had called around a couple years ago trying to find out if any ticks ever tested positive for Lyme in the area I had camped at but by the time someone finally returned my call we ended up playing phone tag and I never spoke to him. I never found out the answer to my question. I have a feeling I'm gonna be experiencing alot of anxiety until I get those results back.

I feel like the Dr. is competent. I wish I hadnt wasted so much time with mainstream doctors because it could have saved me alot of pain and suffering. For example...why did I have to wait 4 years to find a Dr. who will test for Lyme....and without my even asking??!! Why dont the doctors want to order tests for us....why are they so against this? They were willing to prescribe antidepressants and send me to the shrink but they cant order a simple test??? Kaiser told me they could not order a Lyme test unless the infectious disease specialist suspects it and orders it himself. Well I already told you what happened when I saw the idiot specialist.

I think I would have broken down today at my appt.....just from the stress of all this had it not been for my friend going with me and offerring support.

That really made my day. Dave went with me and it really helped alot. Just having someone else there to help absorb the info. is a big help. I tend to forget some of the things the Dr. says....you know brainfog and all.

Having a hand to squeeze during the blooddraw is not bad either.

The Dr. put Dave in charge of making sure I chew my food thoroughly.

So now I just wait to find out if I have Lyme Disease or not...I pray I can rule it out and move on. If I do have it at least I will know and can start treating it.

EDIT:

One more thing....he said I need to ROTATE...as best I can. He said he has patients that can only eat 3 things and this can easily happen to me if I keep eating the same stuff.

Dave really jumped in here....telling the Dr. how when I find something I can eat I totally overdo it. He wanted to tell him that I "Rachel" everything... but he refrained from using the Rachelville lingo this time.

[AndreaB]

Wow Rachel!

I'm glad that Dave went with you today for moral support and additional ears.

On the one hand I'm glad you finally found a doctor to listen to you. That's got to be a relief.

I know nothing about Lyme disease. How long til you get results....is it as long as allergy tests....a couple weeks?

I'm sure you will continue educating us along with all the research you usually do.

You are a fighter, and a strong person. I believe that you will heal as much as possible and the doctor did say it is possible.

EDIT:

One more thing....he said I need to ROTATE...as best I can. He said he has patients that can only eat 3 things and this can easily happen to me if I keep eating the same stuff.

Dave really jumped in here....telling the Dr. how when I find something I can eat I totally overdo it. He wanted to tell him that I "Rachel" everything... but he refrained from using the Rachelville lingo this time.

Yeah for Dave refraining from using our Rachelville language.

I hope you will be able to do that. How long does a rotation work? Is it eating something different every day, every few days?