dlp252

And re the TV thing...cancelled my cable years ago, finally got just the basic channels ($13/month) a couple of years ago, cuz I get lousy reception here without it.

Rinne - DVD player, lol. Get a portable DVD player, and buy the I Love Lucy TV shows on DVD...then you can watch them anytime you need to.

That's what I mean, I am skeptical that they are telling me they'll do whatever I want on the phone, then tell me they can't send it there once I get there on Thursday!! Hopefully, I'll be proven wrong!

Oooooohhhhh, I see what you mean, lol. Okay, I might be skeptical too!

You know what's funny about those crackers? I always Rachel them! Always! I don't normally Rachel things either...but there's something in those crackers....(I don't eat them anymore though, in honor of this thread... )

....

Oh - and Happy Halloween (Is it wrong to say I'm so glad I'm in a country that does not celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving? In that sense, it's such a celiac-friendly place...)

I was going to try finding those crackers at one time, but after this thread decided against it, lol.

I was just thinking I was wishing I was someplace where they don't celebrate Halloween, lol.

Hey everyone, I am now successfully finished with day 3 of my elimination diet...I've had NO chocolate, sugar, beef, soy...none of the bad stuff! And, what's even better is that I actually haven't WANTED any of it...well, except the beef, lol. I like me some steak. Just shocks me that I haven't craved sugar. I AM eating a small bit of fruit with each meal though, so maybe that's helping. If it comes back that I have candida, I'll cut the fruit down a little more...just wanted to make sure I could stick to this diet for as long as I needed to. Total fruit consumption isn't high though...half an apple for breakfast, a tiny container of applesauce at each of my work "lunches" (that's 2), and a half an apple for dinner.

Had an appointment with the nutritionist today, who wants me to start supplementation. They ordered me some stuff which is supposed to bind with the mercury (pectosol--something to do with the pectin--found a few things about it online after Friday's appointment)...she really wanted me to take it once I told her my next removal was next week. I probably won't get it in time though so I'm going to take vitamin C and that gluth.... stuff until then.

Yeah, we'll see what happens on Thursday ... I'm skeptical.

Okay, I'll be unskeptical, lol. At least they are willing to use the right lab! I hate to even mention it to ANY of my doctors yet...I mean I've just met these new ones, lol.

I dont know why but I'm not able to reply....except for the "fast reply"....I cant remember all that I wanna reply to so will have to come back later and see if its working.

Quick question:

Does anyone think that maybe after I've gotten adequate treatment for Lyme I might be able to drink alcohol again??

A normal halloween....when I was healthy would have meant I would get to wear a costume....go out to a club, have drinks and dance with my friends. Will I ever do this again??

Fast Reply means no emoticons...I'm actually quite emotional...dont let my "emoticonless" post fool ya.

Hum, I've not thought about this at all, but I can't drink at all...I get physically sick. Even if I only have 1 or 2 drinks, I'll wake up the next day with terrible D and head foggy, light-headed and nauseated...basically a hangover without the headache...and NOW I might even get one of those too. I used to do my fair share of dancing with drinks, but haven't been able to do it in YEARS. Now, that you've mentioned it...I'm wondering if once I find out all that's wrong, I'd be able to have one now and then. I really don't like the taste of alcohol, but like a belini once in a while.

I left upset, but at least we're getting somewhere!

Upset because it might be something serious? It sounds like he's running a lot of tests. I like your doctor too!

I am in need of all your prayers, have picked up a very bad problem. Possibly when I had a 36 hr. stay in the hospital early September I picked up c. diificile (very virulent diarrhea problem). Have been on a med for it for nearly 10 days with no improvement, now Dr. wants me to start phenergan and lomomotil. Sure hope something will help, am also using Pedialyte but getting quite weak and losing weight. I had done so well getting better from celiac, was so thankful for that. Thank you all so much for all your help and understandingi.

You got it Evie! Said a prayer and will continue!

Dang, it took me so long to catch up! Wishing you all a day of good health.....no more time to write, actually going to Fleming's today for lunch w/ my mom and nieces, am excited! My mom had to put her 14-y-old cat Bob down yesterday......they are a mess. Well, my stepfather is.....a grown man sobbing.....so sad. So we are honoring bob's long life today and having some laughs.

What a very cool thing to do! I was a blithering idiot after each time I had to put one of my dogs down. Complete blithering idiot!

I have a doctor's appt. on Thursday. They said they'd use whatever lab I wanted them to use.

Wow, that is really fantastic!!! I like your doctor!!!

I managed to gluten myself.

Nice to see everyone else--going back to lay down for a while. My husband took the day off today so we could hang out and get some things done here--and I'm absolutely useless. Stupid roasted nuts

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Sorry to hear that.

I'm in the San Jose area.

Ditto! I'm so sorry, and I too live in the San Jose area.

Just got off the phone with Dad about 1/2 hour ago.

He sounds much better than last time I talked to him. He doesn't want me to come down right now. He wants to find out more first. I told him I'd call this weekend.

Rachel, I'll probably call Sunday after pictures to let you know how they went and find out about your appointments.

Wow, that's good news that he's sounding better! Yay.

I am very emotional today, crying at the drop of a pin. Whenever I have reactions to anything I am eating and then try to go without this is what happens, it's like weepy withdrawal or somthing......does this happen to anyone else??

Sometimes...not often, but I have had that happen. Sugar is almost always a culprit for me in that way.

Question, I would like to get your perspective on this sice I value all of your opinions . Edward & Sons Rice Crackers, to eat or not to eat??

Pure evil those crackers.

Alison.....

Ok, for some seriousness. Just talked to my mom who got back from vacation this weekend. She talked to a friend down in Arizona who just happened to be over visiting my dad and his wife. My mom learned that dad has a tumor on his kidney. He's in a lot of pain, hence the meds. He's not coherant, sleeps a lot. His wife is upset that he hasn't told my brother and I what's going on. I'm upset too. I would really like to go see him if his time is going to be so short. Moms going to see if she can get any more info or not since he won't talk to us about it. I guess that answers my question as to why he said he wasn't going to be around long.

I'm sad now......Seth is over here laughing away......can't stay sad with a smiling, laughing baby can I?

I'm soooo sorry! Yes, just keep looking at that precious little baby of yours!

Oh yay!! I'm going in December, so am very excited to read your post!!!

So, in the red hat club, they were red/purple if they are over 50. under fifties wear like pink and light purple. So should we start color-coding our group....lyme-green...come on, what others should we do?

Holy heck, what color is mercury, lol...silver??? I like silver....I also like lime green, but may not be able to wear lyme green.

Rinne, you just have the most thought-provoking posts, thank you! Truly amazing about meeting your friend for the first time!

Now I know this will sound kind of out there but I think that we, those of us who are connecting in this thread are part of the Lyme Clan, as in there used to be a Bear or Eagle Clan but now we have Cancer or Lyme Clan.... and I think that means a lot of you have Lyme and just don't know it yet. Not to forget all the other potential clans as in the Celiac Clan. If you read the article that Rachel posted I think it says 1 in 15 people. I am seeing a picture of three distinct Lyme bodies: the pain body, the exhaustion body and the brain fogged body and then there are variations according to the the conditions that have tipped one into ill health such as mercury poisoning, stress, genetic vulnerabilities, etc.

That's interesting...I'm not completely ruling out Lyme, just haven't been able to convince myself that it is even possible. I had such a brief exposure to even the possibility of it, but I do have a mouth full of mercury so if Lyme loves mercury, who knows.

Donna-

if you can have lamb- have you ever tried a lamb burger its tnot the same as your beef patties but they are pretty good.

Miamia

Hi miamia! Yes, I have tried it, and actually tried to buy some ground lamb this week, but they didn't have it out yet and I didn't feel like waiting for them to get them from the other fridge. I bought some lamb chops instead, but am not going to eat them this week until after I do my stool test...have to be red meat free for 3 days before the test and while doing it.

Carla.....

xoxo,

Yep, if it weren't for people on this thread talking about the various issues and symptoms I don't know if I would have ever made a connection...not sure I've got the answer with the mercury, but I intend to figure it out, lol.

x?

Thanks!

I can have:

Meat: chicken, turkey, lamb, fish (but I'll be limiting this myself cuz of the mercury), unprocessed cold cuts/sausage (like from Whole Foods...found a turkey sausage that only has turkey as an ingredient)

All Vegetables and beans (except soy and corn)

All fruit except citrus and strawberries

Cold/expeller pressed unreined oils, ghee, some seeds, nut butters and nuts (no peanut), salt.

Beverages: water, caffeine-free herbal teas (no citrus), white tea.

Sweeteners: stevia or fruit juice.

I am AVOIDING: beef, pork, egs, shellfish, tofu/soy, creamed veggies, citrus, strawberries, dried fruit, margarine, shortening, butter, refined oils, peanuts, all vinegar (including stuff made with it), coffee, decaf coffee, tea, citrus, alcohol, soda pop, corn, all dairy and gluten obviously, including amaranth and quinoa, SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, lol.

Made it through day 1 just fine and day 2 going well so far.

Donna, I hope you don't have any more ill effects from your outing to Hometoen Buffet. Good luck with th elimination diet. I am right there with you trying to turn over a new leaf today and start on some variance of an elimination diet. Whoopy! (<--filled with sarcasm)

Yah, I've known I needed to do this for a while, I just couldn't make myself do it...I have a purpose now, lol...I have it in writing...from a doctor...telling me I have to, lol. For me, it's always easier if I have it in writing...a list of things I can and can't eat. I think I need that structure.

Donna,

No red meat. Whatever are you going to eat for 10 days? Hope this week goes quickly for you.

Me too, lol...I'm already going through beef withdrawal...I stared at the frozen beef patties in my freezer yesterday.

Donna - oh nooooooooooo!!! Not the buffet! Pray this passes (no pun intended) quickly...

Yup, appears to be passing quickly...pun included, lol.

x.

Wow, so sorry... auxigro...stupid auxigro...may have been what's on your grapes.

I don't know how many of you go to church, but there is something really comforting to me about singing hymns that I have grown up with (my WHOLE family is Lutheran, we even have a bunch of pastors in the bunch, all from the midwest---which is Lutheran territory compared to the East)...and today was a good "hymn day". I am just babbling at this point, but so rarely do I have moments where I just forget everything, even for a little while, that I had to post and share.

I do, and actually sing in the choir and in a smaller women's group...I'm having to sit our Christmas musical out though...the performance is on the weekend I come back from vacation and so won't be able to go to most of the heavy duty practices...and, in fact have been too tired and dizzy to even stay for our normal Thursday practices. The choir director is very nice though and has been trying to work around my health!

and he just got his 2nd degree balck belt in Tae Kwon Do yesterday (can you tell I'm bursting with pride?).

Congratulations!!!

Anyway, you don't need to explain anythign about the unplugged phone--a simple "Whoops, the phone was unplugged," is all you need to say!

Yep, I agree! In fact, I like that idea so much I may turn off my phone the next time I feel like that...messages left mean obligation, lol. Sometimes I just don't want to be obligated-not often, but sometimes it happens.

Good morning all! Wow, fairly quiet in here this weekend. I went to my mom's yesterday like I always do, and my cousin and her husband were there...they wanted to go out to eat...at Hometown buffet! Yikes, I didn't want to make everyone eat where I wanted to so I went along. (Talk about nice moms...my mom said she would go eat with me to our usual place, so I wouldn't be afraid of getting glutened! But I said no.) I tried to get what I thought was safe and what had the least likelyhood of having someone dip their gluteny spoons into, lol. Feel pretty good, but do have a touch more D than normal today and skin feels like I have the sunburn again, but no outward marks. I had ham, which didn't look like it had a coating on it, and it was carved, so it wasn't a processed thing, lol...had honeydew melon, a little bacon and a poached egg. Pretty sure it was the bacon...didn't look quite like real bacon, lol...it was very thin, almost paper thin...so my primary suspect is the bacon.

Today I am starting the modified elimination diet my doctor wants me to do...pretty strict, but only for 10 days. It's even a bit more strict than it would normally be cuz I'm also going to do the stool test this week and the instructions say no red meat...lamb fits into that category I think, so I can't eat that for this diet and normally would be able to.

I don't have a specific soy intolerance that I know of, hopefully someone will be along shortly who does. But, I'm replying because I just started a modified elimination diet today on the advice from my doctor...one of the foods I will need to avoid is soy and the reason is because my doctor said that people with gluten intolerance sometimes also react to things like soy, so my guess is that the reaction could be similar. I know there are lots of people here who are definitely intolerant to it...I'm just trying to find out, so I know you'll get some replies soon.

Donna, Sounds you already have your answer. Most people seem to have an instinct re their own health. Please do your research into Thyroid. Mary Shonan books, Broda Barnes,Jeffries. For a website - www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Join the forums and post questions. Those girls saved my life. You need Free T4, Free T3 and Antibodies tested. TSH is a useless test.

I've been over to that website but haven't posted yet...I have to read some more though. Thanks for the info.

Donna, that is a a pretty steep pricetag for the teeth stuff. But, as my parents remind me, what good is any of our money, our possessions, our nice cars and houses, ANYTHING that we own if we are sick. (When they say it, it makes me cry!) Your PT sounds great---just reading about your app't made me want one and made me want a massage! I hope, hope, hope he is good and you find relief from it. I think you are right on track.

This is so true, exactly...I think most people don't get this either, but I think we all do to some extent here. I read your entire post...I'm so sorry you have to go back to eating the foods that make you so sick...wow, we'll support you, whatever you need!

I am going to experiment on myself, I have entered Lyme Alive territory and girls do things like that here.

Hi Donna I'm glad that you got some rest--you sounded a little uncomfortable last night.

Yes it was a bit uncomfortable to be sure.

Oh and I forgot to say that Dave's puppies are sooooo cute!

Hi to Ryan who popped in!

Bev - that clinic looks great...very similar (it seems) to the one I'm going to!

Susan - you most definitely can stay here!

Hope you're comfortable enough to get some sleep tonight--after you spit, of course!

Spitting went well and got some nice rest, lol.

Patti you are NOT a weenie, now cut it out! (said in my best imitation of a motherly voice)

Phew, back from the doctors...what a marathon. I had my 2nd half of my evaluation with the internist...second half because my first half took soo long...as did this one. We had people knocking on the door telling us to get out, lol. She is very thorough though. I asked her if she thought I should take supplementation whilst de-amalgamming and she said yes, but suggested one...can't remember the name, but she said it binds with the heavy metals...she said to take it 4-5 days around the removal...she didn't want me to take that with Vit C or other supplements though, so I guess the Vit C and glut... the rest of the time. I still intend to ask the dentist too.

Then, after I finished with her I had the PT and Chiro appointments. The Chiro was able to make an adjustment in my back that my old chiro never could. I was amazed actually. The PT really worked me over, so as I type here I have an icepack on my neck held in place with a binder clip, lol.

Oh lordy, I have to stay up til 10:00 to spit for the last time, lol. Not sure how I'll do it...

Donna - 4 more!!!! Wow!

Guy - "So, what do you like to do in your spare time"

Donna - "Get amalgam's removed, you?" j/k

Hi everyone else!

Ouch! That sucks. Sorry to hear that

Hi everybody! I'm back, just coming in here where it's safe I just had a 2 hour phone conversation with my mother. I'm suddenly feeling anxious--I swear she still does not 'get it' and I don't think she ever will. I get the feeling that she is always trying to "match" what I go through by picking up on things that happened years ago and retelling them to make it sound like they were a terrible long standing problem that she had to deal with.

Not to sound petty, but just once, I'd like to feel taken care of (by her). There are things that she just won't hear--just glosses over. I used to go along with it, but now it really gets to me. It really helps to write all this out--I know you guys care, so don't feel you need to answer--I just had to vent.

Oh Patti, that's not petty at all! Sometimes we just need our moms! We just need them to be moms. I'm glad you feel like you can come here to let it out!

Hi Donna. I see you.

Just was talking to Mitch about yours and Rachel's dentist. Now he says I have 2 reasons to go down there to have my work done. Of course with Susan, that would be 3.

Could you see if he know of any dentists in the Washington/Northern Oregon area?

I'll come down there, if need be, whenever I have my work done. I don't want to push things with the other work that still needs to be done. I already got mercuried (new word, think glutened) with my other work.

Hi, I was so busy at work and had a few minutes that I thought I could get caught up, but ya'all were busy, lol. I'll ask him when I see him on the 8th.

I'm seeing my physiatrist on Tuesday. I cannot wait. Oh- a physiatrist is someone who works like a PT but is also am MD and can prescribe medications. The thing I like about mine is that he really wants to treat the whole person. Unlike an orthopedic who will diagnose you, prescribe meds and PT or opt for surgery, physiatrists will try to help you find the root cause of problems and rehabilitate it.

I've never heard of a physiatrist...sounds interesting and wonderful!