Pixy's Quest for Regaining Health page 3

[Analog6]

Pixy, your backstory reads like a classic case of Celiac disease. Have you cut ALL gluten from your diet (there is lots of hidden gluten around)? You hair problem does sound as though it could be thyroid related though. Did the Dr do the second level tests?

I had similar symptoms, but not as severe, all my life and 2-3 migraines a week to boot. After 5-8 days on low carb they were all gone and I have not had a single migraine in 5 years. My hair and nails are strong and healthy.

Have a look at this thread on an Australian low carb forum, it has a great deal about diagnosis, testing etc that you may find useful.

[QuirkyPixy]

Hey Analog6, thanks for the help and input! I tried the gluten-free thing for about 7 weeks, though that was before I was savvy to the fact that gluten can be in things like tea and can cross-contaminate pans and such, so I may have accidentally ingested small amounts during that time. I'd like to try it again, but I work at a bakery and am in constant contact with glutenous substances- flour, breads, etc. I don't eat any gluten, but I'm sure I touch and inhale it. I'll give it a shot again as soon as I can get myself a new job! But I think it's more of a gut dysbiosis issue caused by antibiotics than true gluten intolerance.

Glad to hear that PB fixed your migraines/hair/nails! I'm sure you'll notice even more benefits as time goes on.

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I have to gush about my doctor right now, because he is seriously awesome. After dealing with so many useless docs, the fact that this one actually listens and has lots of ideas on what to do is amazing. I went to see him this morning to follow up on all of the tests I had done. He explained that my T3 was low, and that given my symptoms, my thyroid was probably not converting T4 to T3 very well. He said that sometimes the thyroid gets "stuck" in a depressed state due to stress or illness, and once the stress passes it doesn't switch back to normal; the depressed state becomes the new baseline for function. So what he does is give low dose Armour to give the thyroid a little boost, giving the body the support it needs to heal whatever is causing the issue in the first place, and once the patient is feeling better for a while, he weans them off the medication. I should have a prescription for Armour waiting to be picked up later today.

Also, he ordered a stool culture, stool o & p with GIardia, C. Diff, and Cryptosporidiosis tests before I try the CDSA, as these are covered by insurance while the CDSA would cost mucho dinero that I don't have-o. He also referred me to a GI doc to get a second opinion on the GI stuff, possibly an upper endoscopy to check for inflammation and other things, so I'm going to make an appointment with her as soon as the referral goes through. My doc agreed that the constant gurgling makes it seem like some sort of problem with gut flora, so I think we're on the right track.

[QuirkyPixy]

Took my first Armour pill this morning. Don't feel any different, but I'm sure it'll take a few weeks for my levels to rise. However, I've been reading a lot of disconcerting things on the interwebs about how Armour was recently reformulated and is not very effective anymore. I think I'm going to give it a few weeks to kick in and then if it doesn't work at all I'll ask my doc if he could switch me to Nature-Throid, which more people have had success with. But everyone is different, so Armour might work for me!

I also ordered an iron supp. because peeps on a thyroid help forum told me that my ferritin is actually about half of what it should be, and the fact that I eat red meat 2x/day most days yet still have ferritin so low in the range is weird.

Done with Retin-A. I got some more of those little scars above my eyebrows and in the center of my forehead. I can't keep track of them any more because of how many have formed, but I'm not gonna let them get to me. Right now, I'm just washing, using Aczone and moisturizing with Complex-15 2x/day until I think of a better option. I think coconut oil may have broken me out, unfortunately!

Thinking about signing up for a hunting education course in February (free, wooo!). Certainly would be an odd experience, as my classmates would probably be a bunch of grizzled middle-aged men and their sons. Think I'd get some interesting looks; why would a tiny, delicate little girl like me want to kill anything, after all?

[QuirkyPixy]

I need more variety in my diet! I don't have time to make something new tonight or tomorrow night because I'm going out, but on Friday, IT'S ON. Part of the problem is that I'm still stuck in that unhealthy mindset that OMG I MIGHT BREAK OUT if I try something different. Which is incredibly stupid, come to think of it, because I'm breaking out even on an entirely "safe" diet.

My acne has been very rash-like since stopping the Retin-A, especially on my forehead which was pretty much clear before. I'm wondering if it may be seborrheic dermatitis or something other than acne at this point. Whatevs.

On the thyroid front, I feel a bit...different. Placebo, maybe, but I feel less anxious and snippy, and my sense of humor seems to be making a slow return. Could be due to a bunch of things, though. I'm sure the meds take more time to work.

Going to a book club meeting to discuss The Omnivore's Dilemma tonight. About 40 people are going according to the Meetup site, and I'm not sure how it's gonna go down because it's in a vegetarian restaurant. I'm also only about 1/2 through the book, but I'm going anyway because I need to get out more and I like talking about food and agriculture with total strangers.

[QuirkyPixy]

Broke up with the (first!)boyfriend of 2.5 years. Things had been going downhill since I graduated college last September, and both of us weren't happy with the situation of basically living in two different worlds- him in the busy city going to bars and partying and working in a lab, and me at home in the burbs working at a bakery, going for walks, reading and volunteering. We tried to patch things up a few times, but he always felt like I was stepping on his freedom, and I felt neglected and ignored.

I can't help but wonder if the circumstances were different how things would have played out; if I'd gotten a better job, been more independent, lived in the city with everyone else, been more stable and had higher self-esteem, if we would have felt differently about each other. We certainly get along just fine and plan on trying to stay friends- we just...grew apart. But dwelling on what I could have done is unhelpful. I am where I am in life right now, and I'm doing the best I can. All things considered, we will eventually both be happier this way. It'll just take me longer to get over it entirely, I think; I'll keep most of my rambles about that to my paper journal.

After the realization that things are over finally settles in and I finish the process of moving on, I think I'll stay out of dating until I sort myself out health-wise and mentally. I need to focus on patching up old friendships and getting a job before I'll be in a place where I'm ready to date again; that'd be way too much extra stress when I'm trying to heal.

And on that note, I think I'm going to enjoy my day off by sleeping some more then watching some movies, eating some yummy grass-fed beef stir-fry and probably going to a ukulele players meetup tonight if I feel like commuting into Boston in the bitter cold.

[QuirkyPixy]

Began iron supplementation- I'm trying 27 mg of elemental iron 4x daily with Vit. C until my bottle runs out (90 caps); if things get better I'll keep it up, and will probably get my levels tested again in a few months.

Thyroid symptoms still the same, though my anxiety really seems to have been taken down a notch. My hands and feet have been really cold lately, though. Brrrr!

Also, I think I'll be needing to buy new jeans and bras soon, because mine are all getting uncomfortably tight. I almost feel like I'm going through a second puberty.

[QuirkyPixy]

I seem to have developed a weird aversion to egg whites; the thought of eating them grosses me out now. I'm going to try hard-boiling instead of frying them and see if that helps me get them down.

Skin is understandably crazy and wicked dry, but I'm not too upset about it. In general, I feel pretty calm, which, all things considered, is incredibly odd.

The iron supps are constipating me, despite using a good quality brand/form and taking Vit. C and Magnesium. Joy.

Lamb chops and asparagus for dinner tonight, om nom nom!

[QuirkyPixy]

I've had a constant headache for the past few days. It could be the thyroid hormone, or it could be ketosis. I'm gonna make a coconut milk smoothie with berries to see if it helps.

Running low on food; didn't get enough meat or veggies this week, so I'm digging deep into the freezer. Looks like I'm finally gonna have to cook up that beef liver and the skate wing. Thinking of frying the liver in bacon to try to make it palatable, an epic task considering the taste and texture normally make me want to puke.

Also, period seems to be regular again, w00t.

[Balance]

Hi Pixy I have been following your journal for the last couple of days. I had similar issues with acne mostly in my teenage years. I feel like the best thing I ever did to improve my skin was exercising to get a good sweat. And to drink plenty of water. When I incorporated those two things my acne went away. I also stopped using benzoil peroxide, retin-A, erythromycin and all the other topical creams my dermatologist gave me. I stopped heavy soaps and went with the most gentle cleansing bar I could find. Also, don't pick and touch your face or blemishes, every time I did that was when I would have scarring.

I too had a really terrible diet growing up. I had some major digestive issues and acid reflux. I avoided veggies like it was the plague. I tried to make improvements in my diet by taking a nutrition class and reading a lot of books. But all of it was CW nutrition. I was eating a lot of low fat, high fiber foods. My day would always start with oatmeal and lowfat milk. Once I eliminated the dairy and gluten I had vast improvements with my digestive system. But the gut does take time to heal especially if its leaky. So I treated it with a GFCF diet approved by Dr. Natasha Campbell Mcbride. She wrote a great book on gut health and restoring it naturally. It was a lot of bone broth, coconut milk and veggies that really restored my digestive health. Give it some time and stick with it and I am sure your health will improve. When your gut heals your body will start absorbing a lot of the good nutrients and vitamins that you were missing because of your leaky gut. You will notice your energy levels rise as well. Just remember your health didn't get the way it is overnight so hang in there! Keep updating us.

[QuirkyPixy]

Hey Balance, love your username Exercise is definitely a good idea- can't say that I've been doing much of it! Same with drinking lots of water. I don't pick but I scar anyway, but I definitely touch my face too often.

Ahhh oatmeal and lowfat milk for breakfast...I used to have oatmeal every day too, thinking it was super healthy! Oh dear. Same with sprouted wheat toast; pretty sure that tore up my gut significantly. Was the GFCF diet similar to the GAPS diet? I've been looking into that but it seems unnecessarily complicated. If eating a lot of bone broth, coconut milk and veggies can help then I'll definitely boost my consumption of those. It definitely seems like I'm not absorbing some key nutrients (zinc, beta carotene, etc.), so I'm sure patching up my gut issues will help everything else.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!

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Cold hands are collllld. Anxiety is still much improved. Skin is dry but ok; been washing my face 2x daily with emu oil, including a tiny bit of castor oil at night, spot-treating with Aczone. I know emu oil doesn't break me out.

Gonna pick up some veggies for soup tonight. I already have 2.5 lbs of beef knuckle bones sitting in the fridge waiting to be made into broth. I hope it's ok that they're from a CAFO cow because that was all I could afford. Mmmm, hormones and antibiotics!

Looks like it's sardines and spinach for breakfast today, blargh. Can't wait to go food shopping tonight! The guy at the meat counter knows my order by heart now because I get pretty much the same thing every week; 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef and 1lb lamb chop. I gotta spice it up, but there are only a few different animals to choose from and I happen to like eating those two the best.