The Rant:
Interesting, I lost two Twitter followers when I posted “The Unwanted Visitor”. It actually made me feel sad. Along with all the terrible illness, one get’s a bonus of dealing with depression and anxiety of being sick. Trying to maintain a “normal” lifestyle and battling this Super bug is the pits. Having 14 good days in a row, only to wake up at 2am and have it hit full force, keeps you on guard 24/7. It truly is not my kind picnic. My job is literally on the line due to lost time. Keeping things lower key and less stressful is one of the helpful hints to the way back to health. Sure… okay… definitely working on that. 🙂
I, like many people that have any illness, be it depression, chronic fatigue, the flu bug or Cancer are not looking for sympathy. We are looking for answers for a better way of living. You know what is needed? A friendly ear, a bit of moral support, no judgement, perhaps a touch of empathy and for God’s sake…let us maintain our dignity. We did nothing wrong! No bank was robbed, we weren’t out doing things we shouldn’t have… Shit happens!
Sure! I could hide in a corner and be embarrassed by all this. That is just not me. I want to help other people. If that means I have to lay myself out there, so be it. I refuse to hide, I don’t flaunt it, obviously this blog was started under a name other than my own. But most of the people in my life, know this is me. Heck, I share it with them! I didn’t even understand the ramifications of this illness when I started writing here. I needed an outlet and I sure wasn’t going to twiddle the ol’ thumbs all day.
Just the start of my research
Is what you will read below.
And if you start feeling better,
Please email to let me know.
Each and everyone of us,
Deserves a healthier day.
Let’s raise our glasses in toast,
And finding that better way.
The Start:
So I wrote in the “Unwanted Visitor”…”On to the homeopathic route I go…. Iodine, turmeric, ginger, daily avocados along with veggies and fruits that ferment naturally. Keeping my immune system up via seeping herbs such as; Echinacea, Green tea, Marshmallow root and Stevia. Just 3 days ago I started adding Kevita, a wonderful drink that contains 4 strains of live probiotics.”
Continuing on:
Having had two major bouts with C-diff I started down a more homeopathic and natural eating route. I spent 2 weeks and a gigantic number of hours researching pros and cons of various non traditional medical cures. To date, I have reached just over 4 weeks since taking my last dose of Vancomycin without recurrence of the nasty Super bug. The first time it took barely 2 weeks for me to be in the hospital again with a full blown episode. Vancomycin has about an **80% success rate.
**FDA success numbers: Clinical success rates were 87% for BI strain, 81% for non-BI strain, and 76% for unknown strain. In subjects with diarrhea resolution at end-of treatment with vancomycin hydrochloride, recurrence of CDAD during the following four weeks occurred in 7 of 26 subjects with BI strain, 12 of 56 subjects with non-BI strain, and 6 of 25 subjects with unknown strain. Those were original numbers… the new Super strain has lowered the success rate.
This post is going to be filled with links! There are so many people searching for answers!! And I continue to research. I have almost 30 years of an inventory control/cost accounting background. Being a relentless researcher is my favorite game! You have questions? I will find the answers!
So you are wondering, what HAVE I been doing? Here I go- (pardon the pun):
Activia Yogurt– 2 containers per day.
500 mg of a turmeric supplement every other day- It is an excellent anti-inflammatory. It is supposed to be taken daily, but, it is a suggested natural supplement for lowering blood pressure and mine runs about 90/60 naturally so bringing it down doesn’t seem like the best option for me. Web Md’s overview on benefits and side effects.
Note on turmeric: I have seen numerous people asking the question: “Can turmeric cause anxiety symptoms?” No one seems to want to answer that question. So I will, from experience, offer my two cents. Yes it can. I take a very small dose of an anti-depressant and when the dosage was higher I started getting, you guessed it, anxiety, extra nervous and uptight. I get the same from turmeric which is another reason why I am careful about my turmeric intake.
Opposite days I sprinkle the turmeric spice on my food or have it in my nightly chamomile tea.Wellness blog- Turmeric Herb Profile
A Fish oil supplement– daily
Kevita probiotic drink: which contains the live organisms-Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086 remains active through the expiration date and are added in sufficient quantities to provide the benefits of this live probiotic. While the Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei do not remain active through the end of shelf life, the inactive cells continue to be of functional value by providing numerous Lactobacilli cellular components and compounds. These include Lactobacilli intracellular elements such as the bacterial nucleic acids DNA and RNA, bacterial cell wall fractions such as glycoproteins, peptidoglycans, glycopeptides, muropeptides, as well as metabolic by-products such as polysaccharides (fiber). These components appear to interact with the intestinal membrane and might aid in digestion and other processes. Kevita.com
I dare you to say the above 3 times fast!!! Ha!
Bacillus coagulans (BC30) minimizes severity of Clostridium difficile-induced colitis
Standard Process Prolamine Iodine– 2-3 tablets per day End of antibiotics Rise of Iodine
Standard Process Okra Pepsin E3 -1 tablet per day Okra Pepsin E3 Review
Coconut Water (not from concentrate) added to my evening drinking water. Web md’s link to coconut water health benefits
Daily tea mix of- Green tea, natural roots of ECHINACEA , MARSHMELLOW ROOT, STEVIA and Ginkgo seeped and strained.
All natural herbs from herbalcom.com- Natural herbs can be purchased bulk here
Avocado– 1 a day
After searching for hours I finally found this AGAIN on an Amazon.com-excerpt from a Customer Review for Floraster .
beware: Florastor contains lactose, November 27, 2014Oatmeal bread– Stay away from Wheat bread. Trying to be mindful and lean towards a more gluten free eating lifestyle.
Naturally fermented vegetables and fruits – Sauerkraut, air ripened bananas. It is suggested that you stay away from vinegar, but I get cravings for dill pickles. And at this point I listen to what my body requests. Fermented food archives
Banana – At least one per day, ripened towards almost black.
Ginger– I refuse to give up my morning coffee. So I literally put ginger spice in my coffee filter when I make my daily brew. Benefits of Ginger
Curried foods – Crohn’s & Colitis Diet – second Edition
Fish!! Fish!!Fish!!
Quinoa – Benefits of Quinoa
Oatmeal – the “old fashioned” kind topped with Strawberries or blueberries. Excellent for breakfast!
My favorite “keeps you regular” smoothie– 1 fully ripened banana, 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, Coconut water, 1/2 c regular water and add a handful of blueberries for extra antioxidants. You can mix it up a bit by adding unsweetened apple juice, yogurt with live cultures and/or Almond milk.
Almond Milk -Staying away from dairy, I find that this is the closest to 2% milk I have found. I have substituted almond milk for regular milk in all my casseroles and no one has noticed. A Plus plus, is it comes in my favorite vanilla flavor, which I find delightful on a day I am craving something sweet.
Natural Health Advisory Institute- A Great resource
One final note: Saltines eaten on a daily basis will help control diarrhea.
Phew, that is where I am to date… I would love your input! Please send comments and anything you have found helpful to theblackwallblog@gmail.com. I and many others are really looking forward to hearing from you!!
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