New Diagnosis New Life?

When someone has told me that they had an experience that "literally changed their life", i always found that hard to believe. I find that most events in my life that could have been considered that were always made into memories that occupied shelf space in the library of my brain while i putted through life. Occasionally looking back and reflecting. 

This past Friday was surely an exception and an experience that completely changed the way i look at the world and life in general. Its in my professional opinion that having the feeling of dying will do that to you.

I was admitted into Mass General Hospital after being out at a show and having heart complications. 

I was with one of my best friends and her two friends seeing Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis at the TD Garden. That day was no different than any other. I worked in the morning, took a nap, ate food and then was off to get ready to pick up my friend and head into boston to get our tickets for the show. 

When i got there i was relaxed, excited and relieved. I had a really rough work week and it was nice to finally catch up with a good friend and be at a show. I have always found my happy place to be at a show or in nature and usually a show is more accessible. 

We saw the two opening acts and then halfway through Mackelmore's set (right after he played Thrift Shop) my friend noticed i wasn't moving around. The whole night i was dancing and wiggling (i swear i can't NOT dance when i hear music). Now this is where my memories get really fuzzy so this is my knowledge of what happened hearing it from my friend. 

I stopped moving around and stood there really taken back and she said that if she didn't know me better i would have looked overwhelmed by the crowds and claustrophobic. She kept asking me if i was alright and i responded multiple times saying "i feel weird, i feel sick, something isn't right". She said "okay do you want to sit down" and i said yes and bolted out of the general admission area, through the bleachers into the hallway. A little back drop here... i am almost 5'10" and my friend is 5 foot nothing so when i walk fast or run this poor girl is booking it to keep up with me.. and when i panic i run REAL fast. Anyways so i get to the hallway and sit down and my body is shaking pretty violently. Not to the point where i think it was a seizure but something for sure was not right. I wasn't really responding to any questions they were asking and i don't even remember anyone asking me anything. The EMTs arrived and starting poking and prodding asking my friend questions, asking me questions and i start to come out of whatever it was. I felt like my heart was going to explode. It was beating so fast and hard that i literally thought it was going to jump straight out of my chest. 

A week prior to this i consulted with a cardiologist because i was having episodes of heart fluttering or feeling as if it had completely stopped. Now anyone who has had any issues with their heart can understand what i mean by i was scared for my life. Now having body aches and pains, stomach problems, orthopedic issues i can all handle but when there is something wrong with an organ that determines whether you live or die by its normal function.. thats a whole other story right there. 

Once again this part is pretty fuzzy but they gave me aspirin to take after taking some vitals and i couldn't even fully control my arm and the pills flung off the wall behind me. We tried again and finally got them in my mouth. I was taken by the stretcher to the ambulance and off to MGH we went. 

Side note: Why are ER nurses either the nicest people you have ever met or condescending bitches? I mean yes i am aware i got a heart monitor to watch for these episodes and NO i didn't use it. Oh i don't know when you're not fully conscious would you have been able to reach into your bag and do that? I don't think so either.

After seeing three doctors a slue of nurses and attendants i was taken for EKGs, chest x-rays, blood work and more blood work (they mixed up the tubes the first time around and conveniently forgot to mention this to me until i asked to leave three hours later...). They gave me a blood thinner and did another EKG and then put me on an IV drip. I sat there waiting for answers for hours. After a while i felt fine and wanted to go home. And if you have ever had to tell a nurse that you wont wait for them.. well thats a whole other level of sass right there. So my friend and i had left now it being the following morning. TO HAVE MY KEYS LOCKED IN MY CAR. My friends friend drove my car from TD Garden to MGH so we could pick it up after (which i am very appreciative of) but he didn't know my car is from the dinosaur ages and doesn't work normally. So after calling security to come open my car and several failed attempts later, it was finally unlocked and we were on the way home.

Later on that day i woke up at 3 or so after that shitty night i had and my chest was beyond sore. I was calling my cardiologist and primary care HOPING they weren't closed for Veterans day so i could see them ASAP to get some sort of answers from these tests. Nothing.. noting nothing nothing. 

Test after test didn't catch anything and i felt like shit and i was scared out of my mind. 

My primary took some blood and i pushed him to test me for Lymes disease because one of my friends has it and has simular issues and they were already going to run some other tests since the blood thinner and IV fluids would have messed up my previous results. 

and on Thursday i got the news. I have borrellia burgdoeferi (Lyme Disease), ehrlichiosis and babesia microti. 

So now to play the game good news bad news. 

Good: This may be a possible answer to all of my health issues

Bad: This may just be another empty diagnosis and treatment that leads to nothing changing.

Good: This may be the cause to the heart problems and after being treated it could all go away.

Bad: The medication is known to be super aggressive and make people very ill before seeing any improvement. (If you want to read about the special sort of hell i am going to put my body through over the next few weeks/months/year(s) please read this  )

Good:This is treatable and curable but it will take years for all side effects to go away.

Bad: Caught this years after i would have been infected so the complications and treatment are significantly higher.

Bad: Treatments by Lyme specialists are extremely expensive and not covered by insurance past the prescribed medication.

Well it seems i have more bad things to say about this diagnosis than good but i am pretty optimistic that this will make a change in the way i feel and the way my body behaves. 

For the time being i am taking it one day at a time and seeing how it goes. 

I start my first day of medication today (Saturday, November 16th, 2013) so i will be sure to keep everyone updated on that.

"Resetting your system"

Hello hello!


I was speaking with a friend about doing another "reset" of my diet since things have been declining recently. So i usually do a one of these following diets to help my system take a break.

GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome)- This diet is primarily  used to help tame the symptoms of such psychological disorders like ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, Autism, Depression, Anxiety and Schizophrenia.  As we all know because of the link between the neurological auto immune responses this diet in turn can help calm a lot of aggravation in your system.
GAPS diet is more than just a dietary change. In GAPS it is recommended to make certain lifestyle changes and add certain vitamins and supplements into your system (most of which is you have candidia or Leaky Gut you are already on).

GAPS requires that you DO NOT CONSUME the follow foods:

NO-NO FOODS:

• Added Sugars (agave, aspartame, corn syrup, nutra-sweet, dextrose or any sugar/sucrose of any kind)
• Dairy Products (cheese (goat or cow), Acidophilus milk, cottage cheese, cream or whey/casein/lactose)
• Junk foods (hot dogs, ice cream, soda, tapioca etc.)
• Grains (cereals, bulgur, couscous, buckwheat, wheatgerm, pasta, rye, rice, etc.)
• Beans (chick peas, black eyed beans etc.)
• Randoms (white potatoes, okra, pectin, sago, sherry, starch, turkey loaf etc.)

Click here for a full list of GAPS foods

For the most part those foods are common sense to avoid. I find that i no matter what always stay away from gluten and all dairy products because i have such a severe reaction. 

For the approved GAPS foods the basic rule it to get it as fresh and organic as possible to be able to get the most nutrients from your foods. 

YES FOODS:

• Berries (all kinds)
• Almonds
• Butter/Ghee
• Coconut (fresh, Shredded, dry no additives)
• Herbal Teas
• Lentils
• Gin, vodka (occasionally) 
• Lamb, Goose, Duck
• Fresh homemade yogurt

(See link above for full list)

Dr. Feingold's Diet-  So this elimination diet was designed specifically for children with ADHD. He believes that having synthetic additives in the diet that it can cause serious learning, behavioral and health effects for those who are sensitive. This diet specifically eliminates salicylates, added food dyes/colorings, aspartame and preservatives from the diet. (AKA. if it comes in a box more than likely you can't have it).

So Simple if it isn't fresh or have a ton of ingredients on the back of the box DON'T EAT IT.

FODMAPS (Fermentable Oligo-, Di and Mono-Saccharides, and Polyols)- Is an abbreviation for a collection of short chain carbohydrates found in many common foods. This diet is used to treat those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS/IBD) but has been found useful with those with conditions that leave their stomach sensitive. The idea is to eliminate these carbohydrates from the diet to relieve the amount of gas and liquid that collects in the small and large intestine which then leads to distention. 

This diet does not encourage eliminating major groups of food but rather the foods that can cause the most upset. Click here for a printable for the list of FODMAPS.

AIP (Auto Immune Protocol)- This diet is designed specifically to deal with Leaky Gut. This diet in my opinion is spot on for treating the aggravating factors for my stomach. I although (like a bad girl) do not follow AIP along with Paleo 100% of the time. I personally love my eggs in the morning and my tequila to end my week. I do however not do this every week and i refer to the AIP when my stomach needs a "reset". Now keep in mind that this is in conjunction with the Paleo diet so that means ghee= good (gluten/dairy/grains/added sugars are all a no as well). My favorite book Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo goes into great detail in the auto immune section about why these are to be avoided. 

NO NO FOODS:

• Eggs
• Nuts
• Seeds (cocoa, coffee, seed-based spices as well)
• Nightshades (Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet and hot peppers & spices derived from peppers.
• Alcohol
• NSAIDS (like aspirin or ibuprofen)

I find that unfortunately for the most part this is all a guessing game in figuring out what works best for you and your body.

As always email me with any questions or comment below if you have any experience with any of these diets! 

Medicine Galore!

So i have been asked by many people about the specifics of my medications on a daily basis so i figured i would write you all a post!

So this is my current medication routine. I have previously been on other antibiotics, l-glutamine, and other enzymes and juices that are suppose to sooth my stomach. I just found this to be the best combination for me.

FIRST

So first thing in the morning when i wake up i take a probiotic. 

This medicine needs to stay refrigerated (as you can see in the picture i keep it in my guacamole drawer.. and yes i have a whole drawer of guacamole.) I take 1/4  teaspoon per day and it is in a powder form (i'll do this twice a day if i am feeling sick to boost my immune system). I have a starbucks cup i got for christmas that i use to drink it all out of since its a larger glass. I have found that sometimes the taste can be a tad weird so you just have to grin and bear it and add more water if you need to. Although this comes out more like little granules and doesn't really mix too well and DO NOT MIX WITH HOT WATER. The Ultraflora was made to break down in your warm belly so it gets really gross in your cup when you do that. If you can wait like 30mins before eating anything after taking this. Although in all reality i don't follow that because i wake up way too late all the time.. I take this and then get started on making breakfast which usually gives me about 15/20 minutes. 

Buy here

NEXT

I take digestive enzymes WITH my food. 

I take two of these pills every time i eat. I find that for me if i stop taking them or lower the dosage then i don't find it to be as effective. Now when i first started taking these i was advised to take 1/2 a capsule per meal (3x a day) to start then up them by 1/2 a capsule until i get to 2 per meal a day. I've heard from other people who tried diving right in that it bothered their stomachs especially if you already have a sensitive stomach. This i do like to mix with warm water because i find that the powder mixes easier. Now you can always swallow the capsules as well but i personally like drinking them better because i feel it working faster. Now if i was smart i would take it like 15 minutes before eating but again time management isn't really my strong suite. 

Buy here

LASTLY

I take apple cider vinegar WITH my meal. 

Sometimes i don't have the stomach to finish it before i eat so it does the same thing if you sip and eat. I do 2 tsp with about 16 oz of water before every time i eat. Now i personally like Bragg's vinegar because i'm all about it being organic and gfree and cheap. Just makes sure you mix well before putting this in your drink. Now i like to mix this in my big cup with my straw and just suck the whole thing down. I'm going to warn you.. This is for sure a taste you need to get use to. Because well.. its vinegar and not so tasty at first. I feel a huge difference when i skip the vinegar when i eat though so its 100% worth the temporary yuckness. I have heard from other people that cutting it with some organic apple juice or pineapple juice can help with the taste and make it more bearable but i would rather just water it down a ton. 

Buy here

TIPS

So i like to drink from a cup with a big straw for these (especially the probiotics) because #1 when you're chugging it down there is nothing splashing on your face and i find hat you get more of the probiotics when you use the straw instead of chugging it because it won't stick all over the walls of the glass. 

Gfree people- ALL OF THESE ARE VEGAN AND GFREE. I personally forget that certain medications have gluten in them and i love these ones

I do NOT recommend buying any medications from third party sites. Metagenics i purchase straight through my doctor's office but you can purchase it straight off their website. Digest Basic i buy from amazon and they have super fast shipping usually 2 days and i would only buy from amazon directly not another dealer through the site. 

And as always if you have any questions or post ideas send them to my email :)

Phillips.katie@live.com

7.1.13

HAPPY JULY!

Hello Everyone! 

So we are now officially in the summer and with only a few days before the 4th of July its pretty cool to see the progress over the past weeks. So above is a photo i took of myself the other day when i was bored on the train. I realized that this whole process has made me completely obsessed with taking selfies. Obnoxious i know.. but it is all for a purpose! Like i mentioned earlier my face shows my weight a ton so its cool to see how that among other things in and on my body are changing! So i know lately i've been in a little bit of a slump and i'm not really sure what to attribute that to but i'm feeling a little bit more optimistic now and excited to be able to look back on this from the end of the summer and just be happy.

So officially 172 now WHICH IS CRAZZAAYYY. That's only one pound off of being 25 pounds down and two pounds away from my goal of being 170 for the 4th of July. 

So with the summer months upon us i find that my hankering for ice cream has sadly not gotten any easier BUT i did find a pretty cool alternative! So i read from some paleo sites that they like to make "ice cream" from pulverizing frozen bananas and putting in add ins like walnuts, dairy free chocolate chips, peanut butter or shredded coconut! Yumm. I am yet to take a picture of when i make it because it eat it so darn fast but i will soon.

In the mean time check out this blog for yummy paleo recipes to keep your tummy and body happy and healthy!

Obnoxious selfie for you to enjoy until my next post :)

Progress Photos!

So its now June and after hitting my 15 pound weight loss mark i thought it would be a good time to make some photos showing my progress.

So this top one was cool for me to see because i can remember how i felt before and after that picture at the beach was taken. I was close to being at my heaviest weight and i was feeling pretty confident in myself until i saw the photo after it was taken. I just remember feeling shamed about how i looked and hoped that no photos would end up online. Now the difference in attitude between then and now is incredible. Although i am still not where i would ideally like to be, i do think that the change is pretty cool to see. So below are a few more pictures with the weight and dates from the past couple months to see the changes.

And yes i did YOYO in my weight between these two pictures. I went to a graduation party and i got GLUTENED! And yes i gained like three pounds the day after i ate (even after double checking with catering that it was GF and wheat free) its sort of neat to see what physical things happen after. 

And Lastly the below photos are my most current. 

 To be honest i was hoping to be a lot skinnier and back to my "normal" weight by now before summer hit. But i know its unrealistic. I have Leaky Gut and the weightloss is just showing me that i'm getting healthier. Its not like other people loosing weight and i know i shouldn't compare myself to anyone else but its hard sometimes. I just hope that i can say by this time next year that i am happy, healthy and that i accept my body however it looks as long as i'm no longer sick!