My blood work came back this week. I also got copies of the blood work and other tests I have had done in previous years. Yesterday, I sat down with it all and I began looking for patterns and answers.
I’m not a happy camper. A test from a few years ago showed a definite issue with oxalates but the doctor didn’t inform me of that at the time. If I had known then what I know now…. We knew already that my adrenal issues are in the final stages of healing and my liver is sluggish and not functioning optimally. We’ve been working on those for a few years now and seeing steady improvement, even though it has been slow. Any improvement is good, considering I was close to adrenal failure at one point in 2007.
My new tests show I’m looking at thyroid problems and iron issues along with confirming the liver issues. I need more testing to get a full picture, but preliminarily it looks like we can rule out Hashimotos, which was my major concern. But it does look like I’m hypothyroid. And we haven’t even gotten to the female hormone issues yet.
Tailspin
I am very much in a tailspin. The thought of trying to combine low-oxalate with a low goitergen diet and the paleo auto-immune protocol leaves me wondering what to eat, because the lists don’t have a great amount of cross-over. What is generally allowed on one isn’t allowed on the other.
Trying to figure out what to eat is stressful. It’s easier not to eat, but I know that is absolutely the last thing I should do. It would be a major mistake to drop or skip meals, so I am going to focus on finding what is safe for all three and focusing on cooking three meals a day with those foods.
Where do I go from here? I honestly don’t know other than needing more blood work and a few more tests. And that’s going to take time since I will need to save up for them. Tests aren’t cheap and qualified help is very expensive, and all at a time where Jeff is under-employed and we’re having a hard time just making ends meet. So I’ll order the tests as I can, see what they say, then find a local practitioner to help me once I have all the puzzle pieces.
So I’m taking a little time to try to get on my feet while reading everything I can find to know where to go from here. I’ll share more as I learn and find my path.
In Other News
We also found out this week that Jasper’s tests did confirm that he died from Feline Infectious Peritonitis. That means the Chloe is at risk of dying from it. The vet believes she has about a 60% chance of it. We’re holding our breath that she can beat those odds, as most cats carrying FIP die before they are two. Chloe is four-and-a-half months old.
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KerryAnn,
So sorry … know that I am sending you love and light and you are in my daily prayers for improved health and reduced financial worry!
Thank you, Julie!
Have you read “The Diet Cure” by Julia Ross? It covers hormonal/ adrenal / thyroid issues and much more and tells what tests to get and supplements/ amino acids to take to recover. The author is an MD and the head of an outpatient clinic. Incredible stuff with very high success rates with treating these types of problems. I found the book at a thrift store when someone mentioned it to me and have found the recommended supplements at my local Sprouts store. Best wishes to you!
Thank you, Stacy. I’ll have to add it to my list of books to read.
Order dr brownsteins book on thyroid and the one on iodine. I take iodoral (25-12.5mg/day) and it has changed my life! Best wishes to you on your quest.
Thank you, Annette. I read some articles by Dr. Brownstein a few years ago and he is local to me. I’ve considered going to see him if I can’t get the thyroid issues under control pretty soon.
Discovered your site in a search on Technorati of “auto-immune diseases.” At 85, I’m beginning to experience those and am looking for dietary alternatives to improve the symptoms or progress.
The blood tests you talk about seem way beyond the range of tests my physicians prescribe — or that my Medicare plan would cover. How do you determine the tets that you need? Are you discovering them yourself, and just going to a laboratory?
The cost of diagnoses and treatment — beyond the range of our usual resources, especially as we age — is a subject of much interest to me, one I blog about.
Meanwhile, you’re mention of a low-oxylate diet led me to “hyperoxaluria” and a whole discussion of oxylate toxicity in the body — all new to me, as was the paleo auto-immune diet.
Would you post a little more about these issues?
John, my doctor who is an MD who uses natural means ordered the test. However, you can order the test without a doctor from Great Plains if you believe it is needed.
I will be posting more about oxalate issues as I progress on the diet.