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dixonpete

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Celiac.com - Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet Support Since 1995

Everything posted by dixonpete

  1. dixonpete
    I just had a last look at those two jars and this is what I came away with. The first jar's water probably had about 100 larvae total, the second had substantially more, in the order of 200-300. This estimate is based on how much water was in each jar and how much water I pipetted out of each into a petri dish and scanned. In the second jar that I launched...
  2. dixonpete
    Both were successful. I think I have incubation down pat now, though I can see how a few refinements of technique might lead to larger larvae yields, not that such increases are necessary if I'm only going to be using 10 larvae at a time. Once again, the technique is pretty simple. Just use a hermetically sealable jar with 1/4" of mineral water (not...
  3. dixonpete

    Health update

    dixonpete commented on dixonpete's blog entry in Pete Dixon

    I should have added, an every two month inoculation cycle isn't something I would have considered pre-being able to incubate as the cost would have been prohibitive. ~$200 a pop X 6 = $1200+ a year is a lot. But now that hookworm larvae are free, I can pick whatever inoculation cycle I think might suit me best. Monthly seems too much of a hassle. 5...
  4. dixonpete

    Health update

    dixonpete posted a blog entry in Pete Dixon

    For long time followers of this blog will remember my account of my time at the start of my GI-trouble journey, which largely started in 2005-2008 when I was hit with an abscess, multiple corrective surgeries, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. This was a particularly bad time in my life. After going gluten-free things got much better, I healed, but I...
  5. dixonpete
    I've ordered several el-cheapo, tiny microscopes off AliExpress that claim to be able to do 40X, as well as a couple of battery powered microscope LED light sources. I'm interested in seeing if they could work in a pinch when travelling and lugging along my microscope would be awkward.
  6. dixonpete
    It was pointed out on the HT Discord Server that hookworm larvae can live up to 4 months sitting in water after incubation. That would mean that a person inoculating monthly could potentially only need to incubate 4 times a year.
  7. dixonpete
    It's been a rapid few days of learning about hookworm incubation. Here's what more I've learned. Most importantly, any microscope that can do 40X will suffice. That's because it turns out the concern about the distance from the lens to the plate for pipetting was a red herring. All one needs to do is lay down a bunch of very small drops on the slide...
  8. dixonpete
    I should have added that the jar and anything else that might come in contact with the hookworm infested water needs to be disposed of with great care. It's recommended that the jar be frozen for 7+ days before its contents flushed. While hookworm eggs in stool are easily killed by the sanitation system and pose no threat, live hookworm larvae are an...
  9. dixonpete
    The incubation worked. The biggest expense was the microscope I bought off Amazon, an AmScope SE306. I picked it because it would give plenty of room for pipette work above the sample. I paid ~$370 Can. The other supplies needed were variously sized pipettes, petri dishes, mineral water, adhesive gauze bandages, bleach for cleanup, paper towels...
  10. dixonpete
    For those interested in a sneak peek of what I'm up to, the technique I'm trying is this one: https://www.facebook.com/groups/678894952216125/permalink/5400971020008471/ It's from the Helminthic Therapy Group on Facebook. You'll have to request to join the group to be able to see the post. No biggie, it's free, and if you have any intention on pursuing...
  11. dixonpete
    I now have all my supplies and my microscope. I ended up buying a better one than I had planned because after doing extensive reading I decided I wanted a dissecting scope, and I justified the extra money by considering it a lifetime investment since I'll be using it for probably the next 20 or so years. Incubation will begin tomorrow and harvesting...
  12. dixonpete
    That was my deal as well, celiac disease and ulcerative colitis. I also had an abscess. The order of appearance was abscess, ulcerative colitis, then celiac disease, all starting when I was 42. I'm convinced it was immunological hell my guts were going through that begat the abscess. As far as social life, I was so reactive to gluten and other foods...
  13. dixonpete
    It's been more than a month since my last inoculation of hookworm larvae. No issues to report. All told, I probably consume the gluten equivalent of 3 slices of bread+ in an average day. My stools are perfectly normal and there's no sign of any gastric distress. A few weeks ago though, I did find one cheap brand of yogurt that made me ill, something I chalked...
  14. dixonpete
    My relatives never understood much about my celiac disease or other food sensitivities, and whenever I visited, I was always offered foods or drinks that would make me ill. I learned to accept that was just par for the course. You have to come to terms with the fact that you can't rely on others, however well-meaning, when it comes to your health. Anything...
  15. dixonpete
    It's been a week since my latest hookworm inoculation with my usual 25 Necator americanus (NA) larvae. The skin reaction this time has been mild. As I look at it now I just see some redness and several marks, really nothing to look at. The site was mildly itchy for a few days and that was the extent of it. I was using a topical corticosteroid cream 3x a day...
  16. dixonpete
    About 10 days ago I was called away out of my city on a family emergency. I had to leave on a Sunday, just before the courier with my hookworms were to arrive. I was frantic because were they to be sent back or lost I might not be able to get more until the spring as larvae often are killed in the cold weather. If that happened, I would soon have to go gluten...
  17. dixonpete
    Back in 2008 when I figured out I was celiac, no mention was made by my doctor about antibody tests, so I never took one. After being prompted by the mods here on the site I did get a clear antibody test a year or two ago while on hookworms and consuming gluten. It was completely in the normal range. Getting a normal biopsy while on hookworms and gluten...
  18. dixonpete
    It's been suggested that I clarify my claim of being celiac. Something of some importance as I am making the claim that at least for myself using hookworms has improved my life as a celiac, and making that claim on a celiac-oriented site no less. I have never had a positive biopsy test for celiac disease. There, I've said it. That said, I maintain...
  19. dixonpete
    Like I said, a 90+ week study is silly because hookworms typically don't last near that long, not in people with active immune gut problems anyway. So yeah, even I know better than those researchers did in that respect. The Helminthic Therapy Support Group of which John Scott heads has for years coached thousands of people though the process of using helminths...
  20. dixonpete
    I have ulcerative colitis that's greatly, or was greatly, aggravated by food, in particular meat protein, and celiac disease. The colitis is totally gone for sure as shown by regular colonoscopies. I see the celiac disease as gone the same way. Gluten is regular part of my diet now as is meat. It is what it is. John can speak for himself but I don't...
  21. dixonpete
    You've seen my "A1" antibody test and I've told you my GP declined to do the biopsy. In my blog and elsewhere I've described what my life was like before hookworms and afterward. It's night and day. Some months ago I also sent you a link to a video where an expert in treating people with helminths described his celiac patients passing those tests after...
  22. dixonpete
    Not to belabor the point, but I exist. I read the forums and I'd put my former celiac symptoms up there with anyone here. Hookworms can work for celiac disease, my experience proves it. There is a working mechanism there. The only question is how broadly efficacious hookworms are when used with best practices. The only way to find that out is to have...
  23. dixonpete
    Those studies don't reflect real life experience of self-treaters. Some hookworm hosts experience full relief from celiac symptoms and pass all the tests, others not so much. You don't know what basket you fall into until you try. I used to blow up bathrooms on the smallest gluten exposure. Now? Nothing. Worse was the hour long scream fests from the...
  24. dixonpete
    I guess you could say hookworms would allow me to eat gluten-free bread! At issue though is you still believe gluten remains a threat while on hookworms. I don't believe it does, for me anyway, as there's no evidence for that. Others in my situation have taken all the tests including biopsies and passed. I consider celiac disease an unstable, vulnerable...
  25. dixonpete
    I used to buy gluten-free bread at a well known gluten-free bakery. It always still made me ill. I was reacting to the other proteins in the bread I guess. Without hookworms in me I have a very broad spectrum of food sensitivities.
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