new healing journey

[KM123]

Hello- This is my first time posting. I want to thank Jini and all for all of the wonderful information both in LTYG and website. I have a few questions about this. Let me give you a bit of my history--I am 44, diagnosed with Crohn's in late 2001 after a fistula--I was septic and needed emergency surgery. A colonoscopy confirmed Crohn's. I think there were 5-6 lesions near the illoececal valve. I was placed on 6-MP to close up the abscess. It took almost 3 years and increasing dosage to close it. I was up to 100 mg/day- but weaning myself off- now 50 mg. I am otherwise healthy. I really didn't know that there was an option to be medication free until I read Jini's book. I have felt fine over all these years--but-- I felt "symptoms" (gas bloating, more frequent bowel movements, slight diarrhea) would happen during my menstral cycle. I haven't gotten my period for 5-6 months and was still getting those symptoms. Then it hit me (very slow learner)-- oh yeah I have Crohn's. I have taken my med faithfully for the past 9 years- want to be off. My bloodwork show borderline immunosuppression, slightly low RBC, hct and hemoglobin are fine. I am tired all the time, feel I have hormonal issues, and general candida overgrowth.

I have started taking Absorb Plus 1-2x/day, recommended supplements-CoQ10, calcium citrate,grape seed oil, multivitamin, UDO's, Georges Aloe Vera, Emergen-C, mucosaheal-moderate support, all 3 probiotics-powder form-1/2 tsp 3x/day.

I feel that I have at least a good start-- I have stopped drinking my 3-shot medium mocha every day, 2-3 diet pops/day, am preservative-nitrate free, organic foods, lots of water. I used to eat out at least 7-8 times/week whether it be Subway- which I thought was ok before--to mexican, pizza, chinese whatever--I loved food!! Now having to change my entire lifestyle is proving difficult. I am trying to follow the gas/bloating diet- which isn't too bad(even switched to brown rice), but then I re-read the Candida section and there is even less on there that I am used to eating- It seems like mostly nonstarchy vegetables low carbs-- but I CRAVE bread, brownies, pizza- any of that stuff.

I have a few questions- First- how slowly do I need to go to safely wean myself from the 6-MP- my doctor just cut me back to half of the dose I was on in January.
Which is better to take before bed- the mucosaheal or probiotics. I just started taking the probiotics a few days ago with no real change. Last night was my first night of taking them before bed.
I would like to start the WOO protocol but I really don't know when to fit it in. I think its on an empty stomach but between that, and the mucosaheal on an empty stomach-when. And then the probiotics just before a meal- but how long after the WOO? Do I need to wait a few days more after starting the probiotics?
What about the other supplements?- I have been taking them with meals.

I feel that I have made tremendous progress in my lifestyle. But- now I am going to Florida for a week with my husband and kids and I'm afraid that I will starve-I can do this at home- but I hate cooking on vacation- and eat out most meals- What can I do? We'll be at the beach all day most of the days and my family will eat anything. I am planning to take my Absorb plus with me- but I know I will want to eat out. I can prob. eat plain chicken, fish, beef. But I love rice and pasta. How many carbs/ day is recommended to follow a good diet to clear of the candida? Can I occasionally have like pizza, or crackers, brown rice, grain cereal? I guess I really didn't know about candida overgrowth- and didn't realize that all of the foods that I used to normally eat fed into this. What about nut- almonds, pistachios, oatmeal?
Sorry for all the rambling .Any input would be greatly appreciated--Thanks Kim

[Nicole]

Hi, Kim.

Welcome!

You're right: changes can be hard to implement!

Here are a few things to support you:

First, check out page 199 of LTYG, particularly the part above "Shopping For Organic Food".

Only you can say where the balance point is for you and your body, between the stress of reaching for dietary perfection and the physical benefits of dietary perfection - and this will change as your health changes.

Jini's Wild Oregano Protocol would probably help with your cravings and another thing that can help is EFT. (One good EFT practitioner I can recommend is Annabel Fisher: www.theefthealingcentre.com)

You can take both the probiotics and the MucosaHeal before bedtime...just not at exactly the same time. Take the probiotics first, then take the MucosaHeal 15-20 minutes later. Both should be taken on an empty stomach (at least two hours after eating and/or 20 minutes before eating).

The other supplement you're taking which is best taken on an empty stomach is the George's aloe vera juice. It's fine to take the MucosaHeal and aloe vera juice together.

I'd follow your doctor's advice on how quickly or slowly to wean from the 6MP.

If you're on Jini's Wild Oregano Protocol, Phase One, you'd be taking wild oregano oil three to five times per day and probiotics once a day (at bedtime).

Complete instructions can be found on pages 152-155 of LTYG. Check that out, and then let me know if you have questions about how to implement it, okay?

Following a strict anti-candida diet will have you avoiding all starches and sugars, at least temporarily. If this feels too extreme, just minimize the amount you eat. Perhaps have one serving of starchy food per day, rather than three or four servings, for example.

If you do a search on 'travel', you'll find some threads with tips for traveling with IBD.

Hope that helps!

Nicole

[KM123]

Hi- Nichole- Thanks for all of the information. I have a new issue that just came up today. As I said previously- I am on 6-MP to close the fistula. I cut my dosage in half on 2/15. I don't know if you are familiar with that drug but it is an immunosuppresant. Just a bit ago I noticed that it was beginning to open up again. It makes me really scared. I just started the WOO protocol today- I will take the probiotic before bed. I was only at 1/2 tsp of each strain-My bowels seemed to be more formed but yet soft.

Should I go up to a teaspoon of each? I am assuming that I have a chronic type infection if that fistula is opening back up- and maybe it was just masked by my medication. Does that sound about right? Right now I need affirmations that I am doing this right. My husband is a physician and although he supports me whatever I do-- I can't really tell him that this fistula opened up again or he'll want me to go back up on my medication.

What about the WOO directly to the site? and What do I mix the WOO and olive oil together in--like a little cup?

One other question-- I'm not sure which dosage of the mucosaheal to take-- I really didn't think I had an infection--prob. wrong. So I really don't know about my degree of inflammation and how much to take. Should I take just the moderate dosage? Am I doing too much at once?
Thanks-Kim

[Nicole]

Hi, Kim.

What I'd suggest partly depends on when you're going to be taking that trip to Florida, simply because travelling tends to be physically stressful (and for some people, it's also stressful in other ways).

And it partly depends on your priorities around that trip, i.e., do you want to pursue natural healing as quickly as possible, even if it means that you have to postpone your trip? Or would you rather take baby steps in regard to natural healing now and keep the "safety net" of the drug to help get you through that trip - and then look to implement more natural healing protocols afterwards?

You can read the section on Fistulas from pages 77-84 of LTYG to get an idea of the natural healing protocols you'd be looking at, if you want to implement them full-throttle.

So let me know those things and then I'll share more of my thoughts with you.

Take care,
Nicole

P.S. It's so natural to be scared when you're weaning from a drug and you start to see the symptoms showing up which have been masked by the drug. EFT can be so helpful when you're dealing with any type of stress - you'll find articles by a terrific EFT practitioner, Annabel Fisher, in all of the Good Health is Real Wealth infoletters.

You may also find some comfort in reading or re-reading The Holistic Healing Journey on pages 34-37 of LTYG. That was one of the sections I read over and over again, and also "Symptoms Or Messages?" on page 297, whenever I was feeling discouraged.

[KM123]

Thanks Nicole- I will try the WOO on the fistula. Does this fistula begin to open up because my medication was masking an infection? I don't feel like I have an infection. and then how long should I be on phase I-- if I don't really know if I have an infection?
I will probably take baby steps until I get back. I leave Friday and can't wait to get out of the cold. I don't feel the need to postpone and its the kids spring break. I just keep wondering about the food issue. There are so many restrictions from what I'm used to-- with the anticandida diet and gas and bloating- I do fine without the processed stuff, pop, coffee and such but I was just wondering if there was a number of carbohydrates that I should limit to. I know there is some in Absorb plus, fruit and pasta/rice. I have 2 Van's waffles and an absorb plus for breakfast- the waffles are 36 grams- that seems a bit high.
With the WOO protocol-I am taking my probiotics before bed only- should I be taking the 1 teaspoon of each?
One more question- Do I have to pack my cold stuff-probiotics,Udos... in my checked luggage or if I carry them on will security think its something that I shouldn't be carrying on. I'm just worried about the bottles breaking in my suitcase even though they will be in a lunchbox with ice packs?
Thanks-Kim

[Nicole]

Hi, Kim.

Yes, fistulas are evidence of infection. And while I can't say definitively, of course, yes, it makes sense that as you wean from your medication, you can expect to see symptoms return and/or worsen while you start healing stuff at a foundational level (as opposed to just masking stuff).

If you can, in addition to being on Phase 1 orally, apply the WOO directly to the fistula.

I think you'll also benefit (and get your question about infection answered) from checking out the following thread. Particularly, see Jini's post from February 17th:

http://www.jptwellnesscircle.com/vbu...fection&page=2

Yes, as long as you can tolerate 1 tsp. each of the probiotics, take that much at bedtime on an empty stomach, with room-temp spring or filtered water. If you can't tolerate that many probiotics, proportionately reduce the dosage of wild oregano oil to correspond to the dose of probiotics you do tolerate.

You might check with the airlines ahead of time, as to which method they recommend. I agree, if possible, I'd prefer to bring them in carry-on, as well...no worries of lost luggage that way.

Take care,
Nicole

[KM123]

Hi Nicole- I have been back from my vacation for a while now. I did ok- ate out a lot but seemed to do fine. I was taking the WOO but ran out while in Florida. I'm still not sure about having Candida. I will be seeing a gal who can run a bunch of tests on me. I'm all about numbers so I am really just waiting to see. I did not do the retention enema when I got back, but still on probiotics-- full dose. Do I need to do the enema?
an you also tell me-- when forced to eat out, is it better to eat something like grilled chicken, or a salad with chicken or steak? I really don't understand the concept of not eating raw food. Is it just the roughage?
I have been only eating grass fed meat or organic chicken/turkey with steamed vegetables, anlong with my Absorb plus. I can tell you that I really don't know what to eat at home or eating out. I'm trying to follow Jini's gas/bloating diet but it seems like when I try to make dinner for my family- There aren't a lot of choices that either I can eat or that they WILL eat. Can you give me some ideas for picky eaters that may correspond with a gas/bloating diet?
Thanks-Kim

[KM123]

Oh I forgot- I don't think that the fistula I had is really opening back up. I think that I have some scar tissue down there . I am hopeful. Thanks-Kim

[Nicole]

Hi, Kim.

If you'd rather not to the probiotic retention enema, don't worry about it. Just take the full dose of probiotics orally. (Taking them orally just takes longer to achieve a good level of colonization.)

Raw food is simply a bit harder to digest...so if you already have compromised digestion, it's good to make things easier. That's not a sentence of forever, though. Keep testing raw veggies periodically.

Also, you don't have to stay away from raw veggies entirely on the Minimize Gas & Bloating Healing Diet. Just think soft. For example, go with Boston (butter) lettuce, rather than something tougher, like romaine. You might also try fermented veggies. There are some great recipes for this in the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, available at Amazon.com.

Regarding recipes, it's a bit difficult to say. Picky eaters aren't all picky about the same things.

What I'd try doing to adapting recipes you know that they like. For instance, if you have a recipe that calls for chopped onion, simply don't add that ingredient, which is likely to cause gas. Make sense?

You'll also find some recipes in back issues of Good Health is Real Wealth, in the Infoletter section of www.jptwellnesscircle.com. (Or, look for articles by Jini, by Debbie Sarfati, and by Lisa Marie Bhattacharya...those are the ones that'll have recipes, among other things.)

I'm glad to hear that your fistula hasn't opened back up and also that you had a great vacation, with no digestive issues!

[KM123]

Thanks for the info! I have another question. In taking the probiotics- is the Healthy Trinity capsule just as potent as the three separate powders. I have just run out and need to reorder but I have some Healthy Trinity to get me through until my order comes. I have read about the supernatant? Should I just keep ordering the powder?
I also wanted to ask you about the multivitamins- I have some of Dr. Mercolas multivitamins that I should probably use up. Is there a guideline for each vitamin/ mineral that Jini suggests. I know that she recommends the Natures Way multi or prenatal.
Thanks-Kim