Archive - April 2016

CVS has an app that you can put on your phone, and in this app you can see your Rx history (assuming you fill your prescriptions there).  Well, since December of 2014 (when I found out I had the h.pylori), I have taken antibiotics 6 times!  One of those was the Pylera pack for the h.pylori – and that was a doozy!  It’s no wonder my stomach is a complete mess.  While I did take probiotics, I was taking a basic one that helped, but didn’t fix anything.  I actually read that if you remember to take your probiotic with the h.pylori treatment, you have a better chance of getting rid of it all together!  Worked for me!

In a few more days I’ll start my regimen from Dr. Noah.  I’ve been doing some reading, and it’s really lifting my spirits.  Overall, I think the fact that I just feel more normal in general again is positive.  It’s crazy how you can slip down into a depression with things like this.

I’m gearing up to do everything right this time.  I need to be good to my body.  I’m going to eat really, really, really good!  No more rice, but more bone broth (pass along any good recipes you have)!  I’m going to work on stress management!  I’m going to get back into a workout routine!  Also, Manuka honey.  I’m not sure if I wrote about the wonders of Manuka honey yet, but I promise I WILL!  🙂

Each day I’ve been feeling a little better – have a way to go – one step at a time.

“Don’t try to overhaul your life overnight.  Instead, focus on making one small change at a time.  Overtime, those small changes will add up to a big transformation.”

I wish I always stayed as strict to Paleo as I was in the beginning – because maybe then, none of this would be happening.  I’m in a better place now that I was a few months ago, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I stopped by to see Dr. Noah yesterday, and he gave me some different things to get my gut back to a good, healthy balance.  I’m going to start them once I go back for a follow up to my gastroenterologist on the 27th.  Either me, or Dr. Noah will blog about the supplements I will be taking and why.  I am really hopeful that this will get me back to where I want to be.  I feel that I will get my energy back, as well as my livelihood.  It’s been rough having this go on with my stomach.  Not many things were enjoyable for awhile.  I couldn’t even eat!

Looking forward to getting my gut healthy, and excited I get to share with you!  Perhaps my story will help others.

I also got my new book the other day!  Started reading it – so far, so good.  I know I have to work on my stress management!

Oh, before I forget…there’s a podcast you all need to check out.  It’s called “Beyond Your Wildest Genes”.  It’s on iTunes and Dr. Noah is part of it.  I got to listen to some of it yesterday (I was a little behind on the subscribing part…sorry, Noah!)  Okay, so that’s your homework…go SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and let me know what you think!!

“Every time you eat or drink,
you are either feeding disease or fighting it.”
– Heather Morgan, MS –

What you’re about to read is based solely on my own observations.

I think I may have cracked the code on menstrual cramps!

I suffer from very bad cramps – have most of my life.  I used to take Aleve like it was going out of style.  I would have to take it a day or two in advance, in order to try to prevent the cramps.  My doctor even prescribed me higher strength Aleve.  Looking back now, this probably has caused some of my adult stomach issues.  I haven’t taken Aleve since going Paleo almost 3 years ago.  Sometimes heat will lessen the pain, but not always.  My doctor also tried to put me on birth control – but I decided against it.

I was trying to figure out what were some good natural ways of eliminating cramps (or at the very least, just lessening them).  I know that when I was really strict Paleo I experienced no cramps.  While I was going through it, I attributed it to just shock.  I thought since I cut out all of the bad stuff and essentially stopped cold turkey on my emotional eating addiction, that my body went into shock and wasn’t sure what was going on.  Could it have been the gluten, or maybe the dairy? Couldn’t have been either because neither has been reintroduced into my diet.  Maybe caffeine?  Nope, definitely haven’t had any caffeine.  I read somewhere that low magnesium levels could cause more cramping, but before I start taking supplements, I want to do a little more digging.  So what could it be?  I eat rice occasionally (sushi or a little with some grilled chicken) – but how would that attribute to cramps?  So I did a little bit of research.  Rice is a high carb, high glycemic index food – so it spikes sugar levels.  Okay, so now we’re getting somewhere.  Aside from rice, sugar has been introduced back into my diet.  Not in a crazy way, but more than I should consume.  So I figured maybe it’s not the rice so much, as it is the sugar!

For 2 months I decided to cut down to pretty much zero sugar intake.  The first time my cramps came around I was going to make observations, but really, the true test would be the second month.  So the first time around the cramps were moderate, not severe.  They were still there, lasted the same amount of time.  The second time around was much different.  I anticipated that I would feel cramps leading up to it – I didn’t.  Okay, so that was a good thing.  Then I was waiting for the real cramps – there was NONE.  I was almost worried, but delightfully relieved.  I made it through with no cramps and no exhaustion!  I wanted to run to the top of the mountains and scream at the top of my lungs – I didn’t.  Ha Ha

So I enlisted my friend as my first test subject.  She is also a sufferer of some pretty incredibly painful cramps.  I told her for 2 months, cut out sugar, and after the second month, report back to me.  Guess what?  No cramps.  So maybe it’s just a fluke, but I would say that’s a pretty solid result.  Sugar causes menstrual cramps.  Therefore, cutting out sugar or lowering your intake altogether will help ease the pain.

I haven’t done much research as far as looking into sugar as an inflammatory ingredient, but I know it is.  I just can’t explain why at the moment.  I did a quick search and came up with this on experiencelife.com.  It says, “…a too frequent or too heavy supply of sugar pushes the pancreas into overdrive, causing it to release too much insulin, and an excessive release of insulin spells inflammatory trouble.”  ’nuff said…at least for now.

If any ladies out there with awful cramps are willing to try this experiment – 2 months zero sugar, and would like to talk about their discoveries, let me know.  Just leave a message in the comments!  I’m interested to see what other’s say.  This may not work for everyone, but it’s certainly worth a try.  Also, any Paleo ladies – what has happened with your cramps since going Paleo?

“Eat less sugar.  You’re sweet enough already.”

I read a lot about endoscopies and people’s experiences with them before I got mine done.  Mostly I read good things, but there were a few that had me like, “WHATTT?!”.  I know you’re probably saying not to believe things you read online, but I just wanted an idea.  I had never been put under anesthesia before, so I had to obviously Google it!

Just in case you were wondering…an endoscopy is a procedure that the doctor inserts a little camera with a light down your throat to check out your digestive tract (please Google that for the full, proper definition).  Some people said they felt nothing, other’s said they could tell when they inserted the camera and they heard the doctor ask them to swallow the scope!  I got nervous reading it, but quite the contrary when I arrived for the procedure.  Usually, in a situation such as this, I would probably be a ball of anxiety, but I wasn’t.  I was just relieved that we were getting to the bottom of my problem.  So the day of the procedure, I had my mom drive me.  You need someone to get you home, if you’re getting knocked out.

We get there, they asked me a few questions, and put 2 bracelets on me – one to identify me and the other to let everyone know I’m allergic to penicillin.  A few minutes later I go inside the prep room.  It’s a bunch of hospital beds behind curtains.  They put me behind one of the curtains and tell me to take off only my shirt and put on a gown.  I could take my shoes off if I wanted to, but it wasn’t necessary; I took them off.  I put all my stuff in a bag and climbed into bed.  Another nurse asked me a million questions about my health and history, and whether or not I had ever been under anesthesia before.  I said no, and made the mistake of asking her what it was that they would be using…propofol.  That’s the stuff the MJ really liked.  Ugh!  Now I had that in my head, but I got over it fast!

They put you into what’s called a twilight sedation.  So essentially you won’t feel a thing, but you’ll breathe on your own and you’re still kind of conscious (or so I was told – this is open to interpretation).  Okay, so ANOTHER nurse comes to give me my IV – well, get it ready.  She looks at my arm with my tattoos and decides she’s going to the other arm.  Her first attempt she “blows out” my vein!  This was not a pleasant feeling.  To my understanding, this is when they literally pop your vein, or something to that effect.  Instant bruise!  I learned later that it was blood leaking out – not as horrific as it sounds, but painful, nonetheless.  She has to poke my arm again, up by the elbow bend.  She gets it in, tapes it on, and starts a drip.  I think it was saline, but I think it had a sedative in it.  Because like I said before, by this point I would be completely anxious; I wasn’t.  I started to shiver uncontrollably, so a nice nurse gave me a blanket.  I couldn’t bend my arm because of where the nurse put the needle, but I might have just been in my own head about that.

So I waited there, listened to the music playing, listened to the woman behind the curtain next to me talk to everyone…tried to time out the procedure by who left and when they came back, but of course the guy right before me was going in for a colonoscopy AND endoscopy – so that wasn’t a good gauge.  Then I guess I figured it to be about 15 minutes for each person.  So a LONG time passed as I was waiting…like an hour and a half almost.  Then it was my turn…finally, I would be going in and finding out what was going on with me, and I would maybe be fixed…maybe.

Two nurses roll me into the room.  They hook me up to monitors – I had the cuff on my bicep, some sticky things on my chest/shoulders, an oxygen mask…and I noticed the anesthesiologist prepping my sleepy medicine.  Random fact about me – I never got NO2 gas at the dentist, because when I was little he told me I would go to “La-La Land”…um, nope.  Haha

Okay back to this long drawn out story…

So the anesthesiologist is asking me if I ever had the medicine before, and she asked how old I was.  I told her 32 (at the time)…she couldn’t believe it.  She said I looked so young.  Then the doctor came in, he’s a cool guy.  One of very few doctors that I actually trust.  I was trying not to focus on anything taking place, but I was getting a little anxious/uneasy.  He went over what was going to happen – I can’t really remember what he said exactly.  He told me to bite on this thing to keep my mouth open during the procedure.  I put it in, but of course, immediately, I had to swallow.  So I took it out quick, one of the nurses was like OMG YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN!  But another nurse came to my defense and said I was just swallowing.  Okay, so I get it back in, they tell me to lay on my left side, straighten my left leg, bend my right leg.  At this point I couldn’t see the lady who was going to put the stuff in my IV – she was behind me somewhere.  The doctor said, “Okay, you’ll be asleep in less than a minute.”  I’m a jerk and in my head I’m like there’s no way.  I tried to keep my eyes open, but suddenly it looked like I was looking through jell-o.  Boom!  15 seconds later (or so it seemed) I was in recovery.  I remember NOT ONE SINGLE MOMENT after the jell-o vision.  I don’t know if I was awake or talking for awhile in recovery, but I remember the nurse asking if I wanted a drink.  I asked for water, and she said no – cranberry or apple.  I asked for diluted cranberry.  That was all a blur to me, but then I do remember being sat up and drinking.  A few minutes later I got dressed, waited for the doctor, and I was out.

Just for the record, the papers I got from the doctor said the procedure started at 2:56PM and the doctor signed off at 3:13PM.  Then I don’t remember seeing the clock until almost 3:45PM – so I ended up getting a pretty decent nap in!  I wasn’t groggy when I got up, just really out of it.  I got in my mom’s car, opened a bottle of water, and spilled it all over myself.  Whoops!

I felt dopey for a day or two after, but then I was okay.  If I had to get it done again, I would.  It was really nothing – and I’m afraid of everything!

Hope you enjoyed this story!  Maybe you just wanted to know what endoscopies were like, or maybe getting anesthesia – either way, hope this gave you some peace of mind!  Would love to hear your stories!

Oh, P.S. I have also read stories about people who don’t get sedated for this…all I can say is, YOU’RE CRAZY!

“Your gut and your emotions are a two way street.  They both impact on each other.  So addressing the state of your gut health, not just the food you eat, is incredibly important to your mental health.”

So I recently found out I have a hiatal hernia with mild esophagitis due to GERD.  When I was VERY STRICT with my paleo, I didn’t suffer from any of these issues.  Just mild heartburn once in awhile, but nothing a few Tums wouldn’t take care of.  Then it got bad.  I was constantly feeling air coming up from my stomach and then it developed into trouble swallowing every so often.  Long story short, my endoscopy showed what was going on.  Now I’m on a mission to make myself feel better, and NEVER have this happen again.  Right now I’m on high doses of PPI’s (not my favorite thing), but they are allowing my esophagitis (irritation of the lower esophagus) to heal – and I’m all for that.  I only have about 2 weeks left of the medication.

Okay, so what is GERD?  According to WebMD, it is Gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach.  In most cases, GERD can be relieved through diet and lifestyle changes; however, some people may require medication or surgery.  My own personal definition – when it gets to the point where I’m at (which isn’t even that bad), it is worse than a constant migraine for 4 days.  Honestly.  I just don’t feel normal.  I don’t even want to go out and eat because it’s so bad…well it was so bad.  I feel almost 100% better at this point, so whatever was wrong is on the mend.

What is a hiatal hernia?  Again, quoting WebMD, hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the stomach moves up into the chest through a small opening in the diaphragm.

Most sites say that all of this can be contained/resolved by dietary changes.  So that got me thinking.  I felt amazing when I started paleo, but having introduced some things back into my diet – such as rice and gluten free bread occasionally, I may have messed with the balance of my belly.  I decided to see what people have written about GERD and paleo – and there were quite a few things written.  I started reading through most – and the conclusion – Paleo can almost eliminate GERD.  I believe it, now to just achieve it.  I ordered a book called, The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser.  I’m curious to read what he has to say.

My doctor told me he’d get me back to normal drinking coffee again!

Before I get into what I have read about GERD and how Paleo can make you feel a whole lot better, I first want to talk about PPI’s.  PPI – is a proton-pump inhibitor that your doctor can prescribe that cuts down acid production in your stomach.  By cutting down the acid production, it my case, helps the healing process of my esophagus.  It’s not the best thing having acid production stopped, because our stomach’s need the acid for a number of things, but at the moment – it’s working.  The doctor has me taking them for 4 weeks – then a visit with him.  I don’t think he’ll keep me on them, but we’ll see what he says.  They are safe for short term use, but some people who use them for a long time develop a lot of problems.  They don’t allow your body to absorb vitamins, they also don’t allow your body to fight off infection as well.  They weaken your bones because of the lack of calcium your body absorbs.  And if I remember correctly, I read that they cause an imbalance with good and bad bacteria (and being paleo, I know all about that).

So back to GERD and paleo.  I googled GERD and paleo – and so far all I’ve seen are good articles, but I’m sure there are a few out there with failed successes.  I’ll research those later – maybe.  Found on ChrisKresser.com – “If GERD is caused—or at least contributed to—by low stomach acid and bacterial overgrowth in the intestines, it follows that the best way to treat it is to improve stomach acid production and reduce bacterial overgrowth. This strategy actually addresses the underlying causes of the problem, whereas the conventional approach (acid-stopping drugs) merely suppresses the symptoms.”  Seems like it makes sense.  It’s the low-carb, no gluten or dairy, no processed food diet that can resolved GERD without the PPI’s.  I read somewhere that it can take up to 6 months to heal and for you to feel better.

I have to look a little more into it, and wait for my book to arrive.  I promise to keep you guys informed on what I find!

If anyone suffered from GERD, and has been helped by paleo, please post in the comments below!

“I really regret eating paleo. – said no one ever.”