Happy 6 Years To Me

Today marks my 6 years of coming off steroid creams.  I no longer have the horrible TSW symptoms, but I still have eczema flare ups and itching.  When my TSW started to fade in year 2, I started having a lot of hives - they were chronic and persistent.  My asthma also came back in a bad way.  My initial saving grace of TSW was at 8 months when I saw a naturopathic doctor who tested me for the MTHFR mutation.  I was consumed with the information and thought that was my ticket out - yes it helped alleviate the majority of my symptoms and made TSW a fizzling aspect of my life.  BUT, it became more and more complex regarding all the new and upcoming research done on that mutation plus others I had.  Some information was so conflicting, I turned my back on it and just tried to eat better and live my life.  With 3 kids, a new farm, a new house build, and working full time, I did not have the time or energy for a few years to devote to healing.  I just dealt with the eczema and asthma.

Then this past year things settled down for us here on our homestead.  Problems were fixed and things started working in our favor.  I took dome time and did 2 three day water fasts and saw some progress.  But not enough to really be gung ho on the topic.  With my second water fast a few months ago, I wanted to push through and do a 10-20 day fast.  I was going to see how it went.  By day 4, I was so ill, I had to break the fast.  As a nurse, I saw signs that were very bad and I knew I could not continue safely.  That's when I realized just how truly toxic I was.  I had nearly fixed my asthma and my eczema was not that bad at all - I had started TRS spray (for toxins) last May or June and saw things really clear up for me.  But then the flare started in late October - just some small patches of eczema.  Now it is 40% of my body - no redness or oozing - just dry, super itchy eczema.  And it won't go away.  I've tried special diets and whatnot.  But this is my yearly flare - looking back on my blog I flare from October to about March/April.

While I definitely can work and live with this dry eczema, it still bothers me - I still itch all the time and I just want it gone.  I've been a big advocate of healthy eating.  The big controversy in the TSW world is DOES DIET HELP?  Some people are truly hot and bothered by this topic.  I don't get it.  We are what we eat so how can diet NOT be a factor?  The thing is I never could find a good explanation as to why I still have eczema even though I eat clean.  My liver enzymes are also back to normal (for those unaware - 12 years ago my liver was so toxic I was told I had only a few months to live unless I got a liver transplant - did NOT get the transplant and immersed myself into healthy eating and cleaning my liver).  But now I have some answers from a guy who speaks with angels.  The Medical Medium sounds pretty far fetched in how this author got his information. I am not going to debate though his methods.  Because for once his information rings too true to my ears - more so than any of the MTHFR mutation did.

I have read most of the Medical Medium and his other book Liver Rescue.  It is hard to summarize but I will give it my best shot.  Basically eczema is due to toxins in the liver and viruses feeding off those toxins.  Those toxins can be aluminum, copper, etc.  The most common virus is the epstein barr virus, or EBV.  When the EBV eats, the byproducts are called dermatoxins and they flood the liver - when the liver turns sluggish and becomes overwhelmed, the dermatoxins then are released into the bloodstream and are then forced out through the skin in order to protect our vital organs. This causes severe rashes.  The EBV feeds off more than just toxins - they love certain foods like eggs and dairy.  The resulting toxins released can mimic allergic reactions.  For those with severe EBV load in their body and lots of toxins, it can take up to a year of perfect eating to rid the body of EBV and stop the dermatoxins from being released from the liver.  So when someone tries to eat clean - there are 2 factors stopping one from healing.  The first being the wrong foods are still being eaten.  I thought eggs were good for me - but with EBV, I can't have them because EBV LOVES eggs.  There is a long list of "healthy" foods one must avoid for 6 months to a year.  The second factor is time - every one wants a quick fix, so after 1, 2, or even 3 months of clean eating, they shrug off the diet saying it didn't work.

For me, I am taking the plunge.  I have started the supplements.  Costly, but in my opinion so very worth it.  I have seen more changes in the last 3-4 weeks just on the supplements alone.  My skin is still broken out BUT my asthma is 100% gone.  No occasional need for my inhaler.  My average use lately has been 1-2 times a week - but nothing the last 3 weeks.  And my skin goes through a lot of different cycles DAILY.  I shed, I bleed, I itch differently, and my sores are healing in some areas super fast and busting open in other areas.  I have never seen so many changes in my skin in such a short time.  This week I am starting the diet changes.  NOT happy about this but I need to do it.  I am also purchasing my own colloidal silver maker to make it at home.  It will be the one biggest factor in killing the EBV.

But that is all for now.  I have no recent pictures but here are some from the last 6 months or so.

Hubby and I this December - I did have a flare going on but just basic dry eczema and not noticeable

Our guinea hens knocking on our front door asking for a treat.  LOVE our farm life!

Our daughter and Ivanhoe the barn cat (whom I'm allergic to).  Emma has had horrible hand eczema but it has since been clearing up with diet and TRS spray

Just a puppy and a kitten playing in our yard - this is Thor, our Pyrenees

Vacation in October to VA Beach

Me in October when my skin was perfectly clear

Puppy training

All our chickens have names and therefore cannot be eaten.  So much for having all natural organic home chicken for dinner! :)

Me and my girls in NY by the lake last summer

Happy New Flare To Me!

Over the last few weeks I have been starting to flare.  A little discouraging but it coincides with my other flares I get this time of year. My Anniversary of TSW is Valentine's day so it makes sense.  This year though, no ice packs needed and nothing too horrible. No ooze and no red skin except some redness on my face and neck which also seems swollen but thankfully no ooze. Just super dry, itchy, flaky, eczema it seems with a few sores.  I don't classify this as a true TSW flare as it seems like my old eczema.  But who knows. I'm just happy it is not keeping me from doing anything. 

Other news....I start my long water only fast tomorrow....going to try to aim for 15 to 20 days but honestly I'll be happy to just get 10 days of a fast in.  After January I will be traveling for work so I need to be in my best physical shape I can be. 

Hope all you skin warriors have a better 2019!!

Some pictures:

Still doing really REALLY good!!

From my last update 4 months ago, I want to write and say how well things are going.  I'm free of any eczema or even dry skin. I barely itch... just once in a great while.  And my energy is super high!!  I've been working 48 hours a week back in the ER and still getting a ton done on my days off from cleaning to baking to managing a life with 3 teens I home school. I'm super busy but also super happy!

Since the last update, I talked about the TRS spray I was taking.  It has zeolites that attach to heavy metals and remove them from your body.  I believe in this type of detox that I have begun to sell it myself (it is called Pure). I also added in a clay product for further help with heavy metal detox. And lastly, I added in some smart coffee!  This stuff is giving me a ton of energy and motivation. My PMS is nearly gone and my typical bad attitude at work is also gone. I have never sold anything before...not essential oils (even though I love them), not vitamins or any other supplements.  But this company truly has some amazing products. Not only do they have the smart coffee and a keto coffee creamer, and the zeolite product, but they also have CBD oil which a lot of people with TSW use with great relief.

I will leave you with the link to view any of the products. And if you are looking for another avenue to make money, let me know and I can give you a direct link to sign up.  So many people drink coffee.... it is the best coffee though because of what's added.  And below are also a few pics of me the last week or so where my skin is clear followed by some old pics of me during TSW.

https://elevacity.com/tracys

Best update EVER!

It's been awhile.... I've been busy working and getting our homestead established.  I've had the hives way less...maybe once a week at the most but still was having itching after every meal no matter what. My asthma is still just about non existent... used my inhaler a few times a month of that. The itching with every meal was really getting to me.  I tried the GAPS diet and eating paleo and all organic. I even did that 3 day fast.  But the itching was relentless.  I tried at least 6 different probiotics knowing all these issues were related to poor gut function. We won't even discuss the supplements I've tried.  Some would help for a bit and then seem to stop helping. My seasonal allergies were also out of control.  And the worse thing has been the ongoing almost crippling fatigue. 

I just want to add that I am completely free from TSW and have been for a few years. But the after issues were still bothersome on a daily basis.  I am however very grateful to be free of the pain and the ooze and the constant shedding of skin. I am so thankful to have my life back.  But I'm still not anywhere near where I want to be health wise and getting healthy kept eluding me.  I knew there was something more than my genetic mutations that were holding me back.  And I believe I found MY answer. This is what has helped me in as little as one month. I waited a month to write this as I wanted to make sure the changes were sticking and I have done nothing but get better. 

I now no longer itch after meals including dairy. I had tacos tonight and no itching. I'm about to have ice cream with no fear of itching. I still have some dry patches on my arms but they are almost gone. I have more energy than I've had in over 10 years.  My seasonal allergies are completely gone. We see pollen flying through the air and I have not had an allergy attack in 3 weeks. No more benadryl or claritin.  And I'm finally starting to lose weight without even trying. 

I'm clearing my body of heavy metals using TRS.  It helps rid the body of heavy metals safely so the body can actually function properly. A lot of heavy metals destroy the gut function and having the genetic mutations, my body cannot rid itself of these toxins. I couldn't figure out why I was getting worse since the new year... then it hit me... new house, new car and required to get the flu shot for my new job in January. My body just couldn't handle it all.  But after 4 weeks... I'm already transformed. I'm already working outside for HOURS not minutes. It's been my own personal miracle.   Now here is the catch... some with TSW who were no longer flaring would flare with this product. I personally believe it was due to the body just reacting to getting rid of all the extra yeast and viruses the toxins were attached to in the body.  I did not flare at all but did have headaches and foot pain.  But those have passed. I will continue this for the full 6 months and then take it on a maintenance basis. Even my kids are seeing changes.  My 2 daughters who both had hand eczema for years now have completely clear hands... and no their hands have not cleared up during the last few summers.

So here are some pictures:

My arm today

My neck a few days ago

My other arm today

My neck 4 months ago

My left arm 4 months ago

5 Years TSW (2/14/2018)

This past Valentine's Day was my 5 year anniversary of TSW.  I thought I was completely healed of TSW definitely by the 3 year mark and only suffered chronic hives and asthma.  I have since cured the asthma I believe as no inhaler use in 2 months - no asthma attacks or shortness of breath - even when I go into the barn full of hay.  My chronic hives were on and off - more off lately since fixing the asthma.  My whole premise behind curing the asthma was getting my gut healthy again - which I have accomplished to a point - still think I have a lot of work to do in that area given I get the occasional hives about once or twice a week.  I really re-booted my gut recently with a 3 day water fast.  It seemed to make my skin worse, but after eating for a few days, my skin calmed down - but then flared again.  I can only assume this is an anniversary flare?  Of course this is still nothing close to the flares I had the first 2 years of TSW - still no oozing or surrounding redness (just redness at the sites of irritation).  I also have no significant swelling - maybe a little but nothing noticeable to anyone.  For the past week I've had burning itching skin on my neck, arms, and most of my back.  A little on my upper chest too.  I'm still on top of my supplements for leaky gut - l-glutamine, collagen, vitamin A and D, and slowly increasing my amount of probiotics I take each day.  I am also taking natural iodine as well as caprylic acid, magnesium, calcium, and milk thistle.  I had taken milk thistle years before I learned about TSW and it helped dramatically with the itching - but the one I was using (bought at the grocery store) wasn't doing a thing for my itching.  So I switched to Gaia herbs brand and WOW - my skin may still feel like it's burning, but seriously down 90% on the itch!  I can now sleep all night the last few nights compared to last week.  And the flare is still strong - my skin on my back can't be touched or it really hurts.  I can still shower but experience slight burning with the water. 

Overall, I think I'm getting somewhere finally with my health!  I have lost 10 lbs since the water fast and surprisingly have kept it off.  I stay away from corn and most gluten - although I do have some natural homemade einkorn bread from time to time which does not cause me to itch.  Before, eating anything caused me to itch!  But as of the last 3-4 days, I can eat without any itching.  I also do not think the milk thistle alone is responsible for the decrease in itching.  Last week I was doing some reading about leaky gut - the premise of the article was that due to vitamin A and D deficiency, we as a people eating poor foods in general lack a proper mucousal lining - the mucous lining of the gut specifically causing bad viruses and bacteria and yeast to create holes in the gut lining.  I started the high doses of vitamin A and D a week ago and everyone at home thought I was sick - the congestion and runny nose I had suggested I had a cold - but funny thing is I felt completely fine.  The increase in mucous lasted for the first 5-6 days but has gone down since.  I'll stay on the high doses for another week and then take them 2 or 3 times a week only.  I am also planning to add humic fulvic minerals that will help with mineral deficiency and also are known to help the gut lining.  They should be arriving tomorrow or Tuesday. 

And the best thing of getting healthier - THE ENERGY! Since my fast, I seem to have at least 50% more energy than normal.  I still have an occasional low energy day like Friday -all I wanted to do was sit around and do nothing - felt so drained - but the other days since last week have been full and I have felt great.  I plan to do a 3 day water fast at least once a month for this year - I truly believe it has kicked off some major gut healing for me.  In the meantime I will continue to eat as healthy as possible - no sugar, corn, and limited gluten.  And I have learned that eating healthy and TSW are not always directly linked - eating a pure diet will not fix TSW - BUT I do believe it has helped my body to heal other major areas making this recent flare very easy to deal with. 

For all those still struggling - please continue to seek out things that will work for you - fixing my gene mutations with proper supplements truly healed me way faster than expected and kept my flares to a bare minimum since starting the treatments.  Finding the root cause of the initial skin problem that started us on steroids is also crucial - in my case I believe it was leaky gut and poor diet since I was born.  That is not going to take overnight to fix, but so far I am seeing the most improvement in that area thanks to the fast and starting on the proper supplements.  Hang in there warriors!  The other side is SO AWESOME!  It is nice to be living life, working, and having fun with my family.  I've had more than TSW to contend with, but fixing these issues one at a time has been crucial to me living life at its fullest now. 

Gut vacation Day 2

So my fast is going very well.  Have not been hungry surprisingly. I'm still itchy on my neck and arms but no hives today.  Last night before bed I got a bad itch attack on my back and it felt like hives but hard to tell.  My headache is gone and I feel more mentally clear. I'm still tired but able to get things done.  I was able to go into the kitchen and work with food without mental anguish. I guess for me, knowing I'm just going to itch if I eat really helps me not want to eat.  There was only one time I started craving food... my daughter made pasta and homemade meatballs which smelled amazing!! I wasn't tempted to break my fast, but the smell got some cravings going!!

All in all this fast is going well.  My goal was 3 days but after all the reading I've been doing, I'm very tempted to make this a long fast... anywhere from 10 days to 3 weeks depending on how I feel.  My only concern is work. Working a 12 hour shift will be tough during a fast but thankfully I'm no longer working in the emergency room.  I'm now working in a small community hospital labor and delivery. It is significantly less stressful and I have more time to sit and chart.  So doing a fast now and working may not be too bad.  Going to increase my activity tomorrow and Monday and see how I do.  If I get too dizzy or foggy brained then I know I won't be able to work during a fast and will have to plan a week off this spring for a longer fast.

The good news is I am already in ketosis.  So any major hunger problems are hopefully behind me.  However some say the 3rd day is the toughest while others say the 2nd day is the worst.  I guess we'll see how tomorrow goes for me!  Oh by the way I'm also doing oil pulling with coconut oil as my mouth feels gross.  The oil pulling and then brushing made my mouth feel very clean opposed to just brushing alone.

Fasting for healing -POST TSW!

At nearly 5 years TSW, I feel the need to fast.  I wanted to fast my first few years of TSW but knew it would be too dangerous as our bodies are in bad shape.  Fasting is known to cure health problems but being ill when doing a fast can be fatal.  I have lingering hives and itching that comes and goes.  Some things and certain diets helped but only short term. I feel my gut needs a break from work in order to heal itself.  I see this as anyone taking a vacation from work to rest their soul and mind. 

My gut's vacation started last evening.  My last food was around 7 pm.  Today I feel awful. I'm a coffee drinker so I got the caffeine withdrawal headache going on and I feel drained.  No issue with hunger today which means tomorrow will be pretty rough. They say the first 2 days are the worst.  My itching is down by over 50% and no hives today.   I'm flared on my neck and face and arms from recent probiotics and kefir.  Thought I had a dairy problem but I'm learning it's an intolerance to probiotics which is bad because probiotics is supposed to help with healing not make things worse.  Oh well... I will see how I do tomorrow.

Healing Takes Time BUT....

I have been seeing quite a few posts on people suffering terribly 2, 3, and even 4 years out after starting TSW.  This makes me upset and sad as I truly believe there is a way to lessen the suffering and aid the body in healing.  I still believe most people with TSW suffer from a genetic mutation that inhibits glutathione production.  Glutathione is ESSENTIAL for cellular healing.  Without enough of it, we cannot possibly heal from the years of damage topical steroids caused us.  I used topical steroids for 30 years in all strengths and all over the body.  My TSW the first 8 months was agonizing, painful, and caused me to not be able to work and most days not get out of bed.  I went to a naturopath that discovered I had serious genetic mutations like MTHFR.  He immediately started me on intravenous glutathione.  Within 2 weeks I was able to return to work and I had my life back!  At the same time, I also started moisturizer withdrawal as some of the mutations I had prevented my body from properly breaking down chemicals - so I was reacting badly to all the chemicals in the lotions and creams.  Even the natural ones, my body still had a hard time processing.  So the combo of moisturizer withdrawal and glutathione I believe was a lifesaver.  I also took large doses (15-20 grams daily) of MSM powder which I noticed was crucial in drying up the ooze. 

I just came off a month long flare after almost 5 years TSW.  I started on oral glutathione (1000 mg twice daily) and 4-5 half mouthfuls of colloidal silver daily which was crucial for me to not itch so bad and reduce the flare's intensity.  If I skipped a few days, the itching got worse and so did the burning.  But it is now on its way out the door and I never missed a day of work during this flare as it was no where near as bad as my original flaring. 

As for the colloidal silver- it is a natural antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal product.  There are enough studies out there that show steroids cause an increase in fungal infections in people.  I do not think this is any different for people who apply steroids.  After 30 years of use, I suspected I had a fungal (or candida) overgrowth throughout my body.  I take colloidal silver about once or twice a year for at least a month long in order to help fight the candida.  This is also a crucial step in helping a lot of people with fungal or viral infections that people with TSW get.  Everyone should definitely do their own research on taking colloidal silver internally.  I did at least 6 months of research on this years ago before I ever took it - I felt it was safe for me and have never experienced any side effects from it.  In fact my most recent use of it seems to have cured my asthma and chronic hives.  I have always used Sovereign Silver brand - but recently tried another brand and my asthma returned.  So I do believe the brands make a difference. 

While I used other supplements during my healing, I believe that if anyone with ongoing bad TSW would try the following, I believe they have a decent chance of getting some relief during their flares.  So many people have already found relief with supplements for their genetic mutations - but I'm a realist and know that the testing and seeing a naturopath are super expensive and we have all tried so many products. 

1.  Moisturizer withdrawal - this is painful the first week - I know because I went through it - but the benefits are worth it.  Try one area at a time if needed.  But keeping the skin clogged with products (natural or not) does not give it a chance to heal and breathe.
2.  Glutathione - research this first.  It should not be taken for longer than a month without a break (1- 2 weeks) so your body does not become dependent on it and stop producing its own.  I took 1000 mg twice a day for my recent flare and that seemed enough.  Make sure to research safe doses.
3.  Sovereign Silver - again research this before trying.  I found taking half a mouthful 4-5 times a day for a month was super beneficial. 
4.  MSM powder - I started at 3 grams a day and worked up to the max of 20 grams a day divided into 2 or 3 doses to stop the oozing during my initial flares.  Did not ooze with this recent flare so have not taken it in last 3 years. 

These products were easily found on Amazon for decent prices.  The most expensive was the silver, but since it has fixed my asthma, I find it well worth it.  I know we should not be giving out advice for TSW as so many have tried so many things only to be disappointed.  However I have done so much extensive research on TSW and these products.  I feel as if we have  a way to at least get a little bit of a break from the more painful symptoms by aiding the body in what it is missing. 

Almost 5 Years AND..... A FLARE!

Hello all fellow TSW folks!  It has been over 5 months since I last wrote... it has been quite a last half of 2017! We moved into our new house on our 68 acres in Kentucky beginning of August.  It was a rough few months after that as one thing after another seemed to fall apart... all NEW things mind you!  We had a septic pipe burst, a cistern that leaked, a well that was producing both water and gas, and numerous other failures in the house (like air conditioning during 90 degree weather).  To top it all off, I ended up in the hospital for severe female bleeding that required me getting 3 blood transfusions back to back.  All of this went on while my husband was working in NY to pay for all this.  He kept insisting on coming home after everything kept going wrong, but I told him I had this!  And I did - even the over night stay in the hospital - the kids were fine as they were used to me working 3 nights a week so they are self sufficient at this point.  All through this stress, not a single flare!  Skin stayed good and I even figured out how to fix my asthma and chronic hives (healing the gut by starting off with months long use of colloidal silver and then high dose probiotics).  

So where does the flare fit in to all this? Right after Thanksgiving, when all was finally settling into place and things stopped breaking....I was at work one night and felt this sudden heat on my face with a prickly, itchy sensation.  And I just knew right then and there I was starting a flare - don't know how I knew as I don't recall other flares starting in the same fashion.  However, my face was very red and everyone at worked kept asking me if I was OK.  It went away within a few hours.  But then I started with some on and off itching on my face, neck, and arms.  It was small at first and the itching episodes would last about 1- 5 minutes at a time.  But it was the CRAZY all consuming itch of TSW!  I was a bit nervous and a whole lot pissed off!  I have not had any major flares since 8 months into TSW when I started the glutathione IV injections and other supplements for my gene mutations.  I had had what I called mini flares - flaring in one area of my body only - one arm, the neck, the hands, etc.  But here I was nearly 5 years TSW (anniversary is Valentine's Day), and I was flaring on my face, neck and arms all at once.  BUT, and here's the big but....it was not a repeat of my initial flares by any means!  Here is what my initial flares comprised of: Itching, Burning, Swelling, Redness, Oozing, and Macerated skin.  This flare is limited to: Itching, Burning, and (slight) Swelling. Not a drop of ooze, no further redness past that initial facial redness, and no macerated skin.  When I scratch, my skin does not just fall apart - I end up with sores all over, but the skin in between the sores is very much intact and not even red.  This is a far cry from what my initial flaring was like and is in no way shape or form unmanageable.  I have had about 6 or 7 nights of having to sleep with an ice pack on my neck for comfort.  Otherwise, I tolerate the itching episodes just fine and the small amount of swelling I have is not an issue.  The burning is also tolerable and goes away completely if I take some ibuprofen.  

This flare is still ongoing and has ever so slowly moved on down to my chest, abdomen, back, and now legs.  My neck still has slight itching here and there with a few scabs, but no longer any burning.  My arms are the same and need to heal still.  Most of my itching is now on my back and legs.  But I do believe the itching would be way worse if I had not started back on my glutathione pills.  I skipped a few days in December when things got crazy for the holidays, and my itching was way more intense.  Glutathione and probiotics are the only supplements I am currently taking.  I have just started my new year's healthy eating diet this past week and plan to throw in some diatomaceous earth just to help knock out the candida I know I've been fighting all these years (due to 30 years of topical steroid use - steroids weaken the immune system and candida is an opportunistic yeast that will take over - which was probably the main cause of my asthma and chronic hives).  

I haven't taken any pictures for lack of time.  Plus there really is not much to see... just a bunch of sores in various stages of healing.  Life continues to go on and I have not slowed down too much because of this flare.  Maybe a few days I was more tired than normal from itching during the night, but I no longer wake up to itching as long as I keep on my supplements.  Also I have had a 24 hour stomach bug right before Christmas, and now am getting over the flu.  So being tired is more likely from being ill than from this flare. Also my flare was not worsened by being ill which is a good thing I might add!

The rest of my life is truly amazing!  My hubby came to Kentucky right before Christmas and found a full time job 40 minutes away at the same place I will be working!  I have left ER nursing as of last week and starting Monday I start orientation as a labor and delivery nurse - I feel after 20 years of nursing, I need some positives in my work day!  Our farm is coming along... we have 18 guinea hens free ranging all over our property, 18 chickens that will be ready to lay eggs in another month or 2, and garlic planted.  FYI - the chickens are free range as well.  We finally have the gas leak fixed in our well and now have fresh well water!  I truly feel blessed in life - TSW was a horrible thing to go through, but being on the other side (even with a minor flare), I feel like I have my whole life ahead of me.  I no longer have to suffer and wonder why my skin was always falling apart.  I have the reason and the tools necessary to fight this and get rid of it.  It no longer controls me - life is moving on and upwards!

If you have any interest in seeing what homesteading is like for beginners (us), you can check out our FB page that has lots of pictures and videos.  We are having so much fun, we needed to share with our family and friends and of course, the rest of the world!  

https://www.facebook.com/scarpullafamily/?view_public_for=867519259981333

Everyone still going through the harsh times of TSW - keep at it - it does get better!  Do not lose hope as the future is bright indeed!

A NEW CHAPTER HAS BEGUN!

So I posted yesterday about us moving and life being crazy busy and my skin is doing awesome!  But I wanted to share this next new chapter in my life because we have had to put it off due to my TSW which I started over 4 years ago.  About 6 years ago we bought 68 acres in Kentucky and wanted to build a home and start a homestead - we wanted to live more naturally.  Well we had plans t o move there in 2013 - but that Valentine's Day is when I learned about TSW and immediately (without hesitation at all) threw away every last tube of cortisone cream I owned.  My husband was behind me 100% even though we both knew we were putting our dreams on hold.  We knew I would not be able to work for an extended period of time and he would be stuck working over time just to make ends meet so I could heal.  We had to forget building our home and moving.  But here we are now.... ready to move into our new house on our 68 acres!!!! We move in 2 days!!!!  Of course we may be without electricity for a few days as the power company has been tied up with recent storm damage.  But this new chapter is beginning for us!  And it really hit home when I got the 8 am phone call that our keets were in (baby guinea hens).  I had wanted us to already be moved into our new place, but delays kept happening and the keets were already ordered months ago.  I will post pictures and videos of them soon.  But for now, here is the link to our very first video introducing us and our new homestead.

https://youtu.be/VvRak9rcx1M

You will see in the video that my skin is clear.  I look tired as I'm currently working nights and that has taken a toll on me.  But I am so happy that we are finally here!!!!

Healing Continues and MOVING!!

My healing journey continues - I have been free from TSW for quite some time.... about 2 years.  But dealing with the extra weight, the asthma, and itty bitty patches of eczema are on my to do list when it comes to full healing.  I have had to put off my healthy eating and such for some time given we are moving (finally) to our 68 acres here in Kentucky.  Our house is just about done.  All we have left to wait for is getting the electricity in.  The power company has had to deal with emergencies from recent storms which has delayed us.  BUT electricity or not, we are moving our stuff in this weekend. We will stay here at our rental house until the power is all in.  So there has been a lot of stress dealing with putting a house on a piece of land out in the middle of nowhere.  But we persevered and here we are getting ready to move!  So excited!!!  My skin has been wonderful and have had very little asthma - in fact it bothers me once every 3-7 days, depending on what I'm eating.  For the most part, I think I have it nearly cured....but need to be on a strict diet for 3-6 months and find the appropriate probiotic that won't cause hives.  Otherwise....I have a tiny patch on my right wrist and a dime size patch on my chest.  Personally I think it's yeast related as almost all my eczema cleared up when I started the caprylic acid.  But going sugar and carb free for a short time should do the trick.

In order to eat right and whatnot, I need not to be under so much stress.  I'm a realist so I knew my diet was not going to be the best during this time.  Hopefully once we move and get somewhat settled, I'll be able to focus on eating better.  In the meantime, I took off next week from work so I can get the house somewhat settled.  We can't afford the new furniture we want right this minute, so we plan to buy one or 2 pieces at a time.  Unfortunately we have a ton of things to buy out of pocket right now, so furniture comes last.  Our garage won't be put up until end of August and our front deck in the fall.  We also have to put up fencing for the dogs, and homes for the future chickens and guinea hens.  Actually our guinea hens are coming in tomorrow so we will have to deal with them while also moving - bad timing but such is life.  They weren't expected to ship until first week of August, but coming in early.

Just so everyone knows, I will from time to time update here on this blog, but planning on starting a homesteading blog and video series (on starting up a homestead).

That's it for now...hope you all are having a decent skin day!!

Hubby and I out to dinner a few weeks ago

Our house in some stage of being set up.

Me and my youngest a few months ago 

The sunset from our property

The kids enjoying some nice weather this past spring on our land.

Relief at last!!!!

It's been a while since I've written.  Things have been busy as always!  Almost ready to move onto our 68 acres with a new house.... probably in about a month.  I'm working full time back in the ER and absolutely NO skin break outs on my hands since last year!! My biggest thing in the last 2 years have been the hives and asthma.  I couldn't shake them. Even with the l-glutamine which helped over 80% with my asthma, it was still there.  I had been taking custom probiotics but still having hives here and there.  So I finally decided to attack the Candida I felt was responsible for my inability to heal all the way.  For the last month, I took colloidal silver 4 times a day and caprylic acid 2 to 3 times a day.  And within 2 weeks my asthma and hives disappeared.  I've literally used my inhaler once in the last 2 weeks.  And no hives. I have only minor dry skin and I might itch slightly after eating dairy and gluten. Mind you, I did not alter my diet and have been eating horribly.  Working nights in the ER brings on a lot of stress and I eat when I'm stressed.  Trying to change that but not having luck.  Think I'm just going to have to wait until after we move to focus on a more strict all natural diet. I'm just too busy to make that a focus.

But here are some pictures of my arms and hands... where I was having problems with normal eczema from dairy and gluten. The skin is still dry and old looking.  But no eczema or itching.  In order to truly clear everything in terms of dry skin, itching, and the occasional breathing problem, I need to go completely sugar free for 3 months and take the caprylic acid during that time.  This will be my final goal to getting rid of the slight itch and the extra weight I still carry on me.

I am 4 years TSW.  I've had to take oral steroids once for my asthma about 1.5 years ago.  Otherwise no steroids.  I am so thankful to be where I am now.  With 30 years of TS use, I don't think I should be this well off if I just let time be the only way to heal.  Steroids in general will cause yeast to overgrow.  This is well documented in the medical world.  So it behooves those of us subjected to years of steroid use to address a yeast overgrowth in our bodies.  I wish I had addressed this sooner in my journey but my mind was not working right with all the pain I was in during the first year.

So here are some pictures of my dry but mostly clear skin.

Everything is Coming Together

First off, all is well....very well!  No more asthma, skin is almost 100% clear, and I only get hives about once a week or so.  Itching is WAY down...I now sleep without any benadryl or any antihistamine for that matter.  I itch maybe twice a day if that and it's very minor and sporadic.

Here is what I am doing...I did a 40 gram a day trial of l-glutamine for a week and then tapered down to my current maintenance of 10 grams a day.  I take this for gut healing.  Within 4-5 days my asthma symptoms improved dramatically.  And I am currently not taking anything for asthma - haven't needed my albuterol in over a week.  I then started a new probiotic that got rave reviews for people with histamine issues like many of us have.  It's called Custom Probiotics and I take the 6 strain one.  It supposedly has the probiotics that highly benefit the gut but are lower in histamine than many others.  It's VERY expensive.  $100 for one bottle.  I'm not joking and would have cried snake oil had I not tried it and saw a difference that very same day.  My first reaction after taking one adult scoop was to almost vomit and have diarrhea for a few hours.  I then cut back to 2-3 pediatric doses and then worked up to the adult dose.  With taking this, my skin has become almost 100% itch free.  I would put my itching at about 1-2 % right now.  I get a few twinges a day but no frantic itching.  Oh and the BIG kicker...I can now have dairy and gluten with no asthma or itching!  And the hives are almost gone.  Had a few yesterday and that was the first time in over a week.  They lasted all of 30 minutes and went away on their own.

So why are probiotics so important?  Here's the thing.  As a nurse, I know that steroids when taken on a long term basis (orally) can lead to a depressed immune system and fungal/yeast infections.  Why couldn't topical steroids do the same?  Especially when slathered on daily for 30 years?  So when the fungal/yeast count goes up in the body, one is prone to skin problems, especially itching.  And if one also is placed on multiple courses of antibiotics over many years, that kills the good bacteria as well in the gut, allowing the yeasts to grow and multiply rapidly.  See the problem?  Now taking probiotics alone will not fix this.  Maybe taking excessive amounts might do something but there are more healthy ways to balance everything out.

This has led me to where things started coming together in my head.  You see, many years ago when I first started trying to eat healthy and researching eczema, I came across the hype of candida overgrowth...I had all the symptoms and went on a mission to naturally kill the candida.  I took caprylic acid, ate lots of garlic, and tried to curb the carbs and sugar.  But I never succeeded.  I kept right on itching...and I felt worse than ever.  I did this for over a year.  Then I stumbled upon the Maker's Diet and went on that (no sugars or carbs for 1-2 months) and started back on my milk thistle.  I lost over 50 lbs in 2 months, stopped itching, and looked and felt great.  I was applying scant amounts of TS I believe to my arms now and then, but basically had not been using them very much as they never seemed to help.  I spent 2 years feeling good and getting great sleep.  Then I returned to work and started eating bad again and started amping up my use of TS again and lo and behold gained 50 lbs back and kept getting worse.  Then I found out about TSW and went off all steroids (4 years ago now).

My TSW got better with the gene mutation treatment but I still had chronic hives and itching.  And my asthma kept getting worse.  It felt like I wasn't getting anywhere.  I went back on the Maker's Diet to no avail.  Tried the GAPS diet and again no significant changes except in my asthma as my asthma seemed directly linked to what I ate.  Took milk thistle to no avail.  Still itched and itched (although thankfully no longer TSW skin so wasn't tearing my skin apart - just normal eczema).  Then I read that fermented foods and drinks (important part of the GAPS diet) can actually make candida worse. And that candida overgrowth will cause generalized itching and eczema.  And here's the kicker... I read that when one takes anti-fungals, the candida that die release horrible toxins that need to be processed through the liver.  If the liver is not functioning properly, then itching can be a symptom of an overburdened liver.  Hence, milk thistle or other liver cleansers are critical to take when taking anti-fungals.  And that's how it all came to me the last few days...when I was taking the anti-fungals years ago, I was not taking a liver cleanser.  When I started the Maker's Diet and milk thistle after I had already taken a year of anti-fungals, I cleared up miraculously and just attributed it to the diet and milk thistle (and probiotics I was taken at the time).

So while gut health I believe is critical in getting the immune system to function properly, one has to approach this carefully or disappointment will ensue.  I know many people who tried GAPS while in TSW.  A few did very well while many did awful and got only worse.  Makes perfect sense... the ones who did well probably only had a small candida problem from the TS.  While the ones where it made them worse probably had horrible candida - the more ferments they ate, the more they were feeding the candida.

I personally would recommend a good naturopath or functional doctor.  Yeast in the blood stream is rare so a stool sample is the best way to measure the levels of candida in the body.  Since I have seen my share of alternative practitioners and have tried so many things, I think I have finally come to the near end of my chronic health problems and can go it alone on this.  I have started back on caprylic acid and garlic while increasing my milk thistle.  I also wanted to try large doses of vitamin C but broke out in horrible hives with the vitamin C powder.  So now I just juice my own grapefruit and oranges at home daily for fresh vitamin C - not going to get the large doses I wanted but should get enough to boost my immune system.  I take the l-glutamine daily with the 200 billion probiotics daily.  I also take my hydroxy B12 and folinic acid for my MTHFR mutations.  I also take a few drops of sea-adine in my water for my thyroid which is on the low end of normal functioning.  And I take a few other supplements like magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, and B vitamins that have B12 and folic acid missing. Currently I'm very tired...killing yeast is taxing on the body and causes fatigue.  But I know it is only temporary.  I figure I should have my good energy back within a week or two.  I'll keep you all posted!  I do have pictures - but they are on my phone and I'm feeling lazy tonight - so I will post this blog post in the Facebook TSW page with my current pictures of a nice clear face and neck!  

PICTURES & Starting GAPS Diet

Things are going about the same - asthma is still better but not completely better.  Using my nebulizer or inhaler about 3-4 times a day.  Skin is irritated in small areas - neck, arms, and tiny sections of face.  Hives are better since starting the Chinese herbs but again, not completely better.  I have known in my heart for a long time that clean eating is the one step I MUST take in order to fix these issues permanently.  But it can't be haphazard clean eating like I do - 70-80% clean and 20-30% crap.  It's an all or nothing approach in order to turn the tide of my gut and immune system healing.  That has led me to the GAPS diet - the one diet that has shown to reverse autoimmune health problems.  I didn't try GAPS when in TSW - GAPS will cause massive detoxification of the body and since the skin is the main detoxifier, it was not a good idea to aggravate my skin even further.  So now that my skin is strong and has been able to handle me working full time, it is time to attempt GAPS.  I have started a new blog for this journey alone, just like my TSW journey.  I will continue to update things here but not as often.  You can follow me here:

http://thegapsdietjourney.blogspot.com/

Here are pictures from the last 2 days....as you can see my skin is strong and relatively healthy.  My patches of eczema and irritation seem to stem from my diet as it gets better or worse depending on my dairy and gluten intake.  Hopefully GAPS will fix this issue once and for all.  

As you can see, my forehead and chin both have small patches or irritation as well as my cheek.  They are small and not bothersome.

The other side of my face is about the same.  No obvious swelling or redness.

My neck is probably the worst area - instead of patches, I have lines of irritation.  Very weird.  Other than the area around the lines, no other redness or swelling.  It feels like regular eczema to me and nothing at all like TSW.

My right arm is the worst out of both arms.  But still nothing horrible - just scabs from where I scratch the hives - no red arm/sleeve.  

My hands are dry and have very tiny cracks from the weather I'm guessing.  You can see where I scratched at the dryness of my hand.  

Left hand same as the right.  

And the only area on my legs that is irritated - one small tiny spot.  

Changes....and more changes....ALL GOOD!

I know it has been a month since I last blogged.  Shame on me!  I had a draft from 2 weeks ago but I deleted it because things have changed dramatically since then.  A few weeks ago my flare was already gone.  But the hives and itching continued after every single meal.  I have tried so many things in regards to my histamine problem.  All anti-histamines do nothing for me.  So I have been at my wit's end given I know there is a "cure" for all of this.  In my opinion I believe it is a system wide approach that begins with healing the gut.  But many of the healing gut foods are also high histamine. It's a vicious circle I've been on the last 2 years.  But I'm getting ahead here.

I'll take it back about 3-4 weeks ago.  My flare was subsiding....it really only lasted maybe 2 weeks. It only stayed on my face, neck, upper chest, and upper arms.  And I can't say it was a full TSW flare.  I didn't have an ounce of ooze anywhere.  It was just really irritable flaky skin that tore easily when I scratched.  I changed up my supplements at that point as I felt everything I was on obviously wasn't doing the whole job.  I added in milk thistle and my go to MSM powder and glutathione.  I still stayed on my active B's, but put everything else to the side.  It seemed to do the trick.  But my asthma was getting worse as well.  It all started with the change in weather.  I broke down and started taking Singulair.  It worked wonders!  Within 2 days I was no longer needing my albuterol.  It was wonderful.  Until a week later.  (At this point all men and children should stop reading....it gets personal and very female from here).  So I started spotting which was so odd.  My periods have been like a steady rock for me....always on time with a day here or there thrown off by something minor. Spotting was rare.  So here I am spotting a week before my period was due.  Then no period. I had my tubes tied years ago but took a pregnancy test anyway...completely negative.  So 3 weeks later I started with what I thought was my period.  Except it wasn't normal.  I thought I was going to bleed to death.  It was awful.  A big box of super tampons and bag of super pads gone in 3 days. Something was obviously very wrong.  So I put 2 and 2 together and realized the problems started after beginning the Singulair.  Yep....a rare but serious side effect are nose bleeds and vaginal bleeding. OY!  I stopped the Singulair that day.  In 2 days all bleeding had stopped.  It was obvious to me that Singulair was not going to work for me.  So I called my doctor and asked if I could try the Chromlyn (sp?) inhaler....it's an old preventative inhaler for asthma that is not a steroid.  Know what mu doc said?  Singulair would not cause bleeding so you need to stay on it and go see an OB/GYN.  Not even joking.  I literally almost lost my shit.

So here I was a few days ago with my asthma getting worse by the day and knowing my doctor was not on my side.  I then remember reading on the FB page about Beth White doing a lot of research on mast cells and so much more (please read up on her findings as they are remarkable!).  She had been reading up on Dr. Li's work out of NYC.  So I did some research as well and read about the Chinese herbs that Dr. Li is having amazing success with regarding asthma and allergies.  I was so amazed at her findings and how much success she is having, that I ordered my own concoction of herbs to help with my asthma and allergies.  Beth just went to NYC to see Dr. Li and I am looking forward to her results.  For me I am only taking 4 herbs that I found would be best to target my specific problems.  I only started them today and already less itching and hardly any need for albuterol.  I'm really excited about this given this is a more natural way to heal the body.  The amazing thing is Dr. Li has discovered that certain herbs will calm the immune system down to the point that some people can now eat things they were once severely allergic to.  Very excited about this!  And she is doing her research at Mt. Sinai so we may end up with some hope for all people with allergies and asthma!

Well, I need to run.  There are more changes to talk about like my new job that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!  I will also have to get some pictures up here soon!  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Flaring?? After almost a full year TSW free...

Yeppers....that would be right....I believe I am flaring again after being flare free for well over a year or more.  About a week ago I noticed my face and neck became swollen and red.  Then a few days later the itch started and my skin just sloughed off as if there was no strong bond between the cells.  I have dealt with hives on and off the last 2 years.  I have itched and scratched with nothing more than a few dry patches developing in normal eczema areas.  But my skin never sloughed off - I could scratch to satisfaction and never tear open my skin.  Until this week.  My skin is in shreds and oh the burn!  I forgot just how painful the burning was.

The only good news I have is the flare is localized to my face, neck and a small spot on my upper arms.  It has not spread out and there is not one bit of ooze.  So is it a TSW flare??  Not quite sure.  It seems to have coincided with the weather change perfectly. And my skin has always been worse in spring and fall when mold levels are at their highest.  I do know we have mold in the house we currently live in (rental).  Only time will tell when we finally move out into a brand new home with no mold whatsoever.

For now I will classify this as an isolated flare - not a system wide or a bad flare compared to what I had suffered with in the past.  However it is definitely worse than a normal eczema flare up as it involves my whole face and whole neck.  I continue to take my supplements and have added back in the MSM powder the last 2 days.  Since I added in the MSM, my facial swelling has gone down dramatically.  So I will update more in a week or 2.  I will try to take pictures but my selfie camera on my phone is broken and I can't find my regular camera.

I do know that I can still work which I am thankful for as my hands continue to be flare free and eczema free,  It's a bit uncomfortable at work when things get super busy and I sweat a bit - then it burns more but not to the point I can't deal with it.  Also I still come home and hit the shower.  My neck burns slightly more in the shower, but surprisingly not as bad as I remember showers being during my TSW days.  It's more like the first 2 seconds are "oooh that stings", then it's over.  So again, not sure what this is - whether TSW related or just plain bad eczema/

Long term effect of TSW

The one long term effect of TSW that many do not think too much about is the effect long term stagnation has on the body.   I spent a solid 8 months on the couch or in bed.  My husband did most of the errands.  I did go out maybe once a month if that. I remember after I started feeling better around the 9 month mark, I wanted to start exercising. I remember going for a walk outside and barely making it half a mile.  Fast forward 2 years and my TSW is long gone but I am still very weak.  I work 36 hours a week as an ER nurse and that just about kills me.  For the last year I have felt that I could do no more, but dying to get back into shape.   I tried so many times but what would happen is I would have a few good days and then go Gung ho thinking I was ready to get back into shape.  Each time I would overdue it and then feel even weaker.  But I found I was over doing things in all aspects of my life....always trying to do too much because I felt my energy would only last a small amount of time and I NEEDED to get as much done with that energy as possible.  I finally decided about 6 months ago that I needed to slow down and start off very slowly in all things. I set a schedule for myself per se and have stuck to it for the most part.

This month I realized I have accomplished a lot in the last 6 months by going slowly.  I got my kids situated with all their schooling.  I home school them and it gets tough when I work full time but this time I prepared ahead and now we are on a good course.  I got our house in shape and I have started the process of building on our property.  I have all our papers in order and have everything ready to go once we start the closing process.

Now I am back into my healthy eating.  I put our diet on the back burner with so much going on.  But now it's time to focus on that.  So far one week down of clean eating. The kids are on board and there have been no complaints.

And now I come to the exercise thing.  I have been putting this off given how weak I've been. But I know it's time.  So I am canceling my Planet Fitness membership as I've barely used it and I feel that would only hinder me.  You see when I go in I feel like I'm going to be judged for only exercising for 10 minutes. And I end up pushing myself.   But I know I can't push myself.  It's too much for me to do more than I should at this point. My muscles are truly very weak.  So now I am going to walk outside for only 10 to 15 minutes to start.  And today I added in some weight bearing exercises. But only a few where I use big muscle groups.  I do push ups against the wall, squats with no extra weight, and bicep/tricep lifts using cans in my cupboard. It may not seem like a lot but after so many starts and failures from doing too much I figured I stand a better chance of success by going slow.

So for all of you starting to feel better, just give yourself a break if you end up like me where the energy is ever so slow to return. And don't have high hopes that things will go back to "normal" like you were pre TSW.  Some might and many will not.  You have to give your body time to heal everywhere,  not just your skin.  And you may end up having to define a new normal for yourself and your family.  Not trying to be down, but as always,  just keeping it real.

On the go and Eczema in all the normal places...

Wow....life sure is busy!  Working full time and even quite a bit of overtime. We are now full blown into the process of building a house from the ground up.  We are no longer going for the simple manufactured home.  We are building the home of our dreams. And that means a lot of time being spent....collecting papers, scanning and emailing said papers, making a ton of phone calls, and going to the property to meet with people for bids and all sorts of matters. While all this is very exciting, it is also very stressful.  With all the new stress, I'm no longer eating as healthy as I should. Eating a ton of carbs, sugars, and even dairy.   And that means eczema!  Not TSW, but regular run of the mill eczema.  Dry itchy skin around the ears, at my elbows,  and now back of my neck. Same places I always got it as a kid.  Every so often I take benadryl for the itching.  And of course the hives are back.... not bad like before as I'm still taking my DAO histamine pills but I seem to get hives from all the stress like when I'm at work.

Overall I'm still doing exceptionally well and no sign of TSW whatsoever.  It seems I need to REALLY focus on healthy eating irregardless of my stress or working conditions. It needs to be a priority. Unfortunately I am booked solid for the next few weeks with short term but important projects on top of work.  Then during the last week of September I will be taking a much needed break. It will be then that I take up focusing back on my health.  Back to healthy eating and exercising more that 2 or 3 times a week.  My goals are to lower my cholesterol (just found out it's 230), lower my resting heart rate (hanging in the 70s and should be 60 or below), get rid of my asthma for good (using inhaler or nebulizer only 10 to 15 % of what I was before), and lose this extra weight on me.  I would love to meet these goals by next Valentines Day.  That will be my 4 year anniversary of TSW.   Wouldn't it be wonderful to be back to what I deem as my old normal self but so much healthier without a sign of eczema, TSW, asthma, or being overweight?  I think this is obtainable even with the stress of working full time AND building a house.

To all the TSW warriors still suffering... keep fighting the good fight. Hang onto hope and never give up trying to find relief. It's worth it in the end. Believe me.

Turning a corner

A little over a week on my new regimen and I have to say that I'm turning a corner in the right direction.  Brain fog is slowly lifting, no hives, less itching,  almost 100% clear skin, and energy to exercise. And I'm eating dairy and gluten. But instead of my skin getting irritated in the typical areas of eczema, all I get is some minor itching.   I've gone to the gym twice in the last few days and am slowly going to get back into shape.  I still get tired easily and seem to need more rest lately but I attribute that to healing given our bodies heal best when at rest.

So the bottom line is for now I'm doing very very good.  Everything is looking up and life is moving along well.  I'm no longer feeling blah or whiny.  I'm working full time and putting in overtime without any consequences to my skin.  And my asthma is fizzling out....no longer carry my rescue inhaler with me everywhere. I might use a puff or 2 a day but that's it.  I've only used my nebulizer once in the last 3 days.  I can't wait to go back to my family doctor for an update and let her know how good I'm doing!  My only physical thing I now need to work on is getting back into shape.  70 lbs to lose or thereabouts.  I won't be weighing myself though except maybe once a month or every other month.  Going to focus on more important numbers like my resting heart rate and BP.  Currently my BP is 127/74 and my resting heart rate is 76.  My goal is to get my HR down to 55 and my BP to 105/65.  I'm turning 44 in a week so I need to keep my heart in good shape.  Many people start blood pressure medicine in their 40s. That's not going to be me if I have anything to say about it!  :)

Praying for all of you still suffering. Keep fighting and keep looking for answers.

Day 5 of Supplement Protocol

Hmmmm....not sure I wanted to blog since 5 days is not sufficient time to report back on any effectiveness.  But I'm currently in a different "state" and thought I'd just write down some observations and thoughts.

Physically....let's just say I'm not myself.  Within an hour of taking my first dose of the new supplements on Saturday, I felt like my body was purging.  I swear I peed out at least 2 liters in about 2 hours time.  Yet I'm pretty sure I only drank about 300 ml to take all the supplements to begin with and had nothing else to drink that morning.  And let's just say my intestines were well empty within a few hours as well.  No cramps or pain nor any nausea.  So I attributed all the purging to the supplements and not a GI bug.  Every day since I have gone through the same thing after taking the supplements.  Now another thing I noticed is I have been getting car sick going to work and on my way home.  I have developed car sickness with long drives (over 4 hours) in the last 5 years or so. My ride to work is only 45 minutes so not sure why this is happening this week, but it seems related to my supplements. Also I'm feeling more and more fatigued each day.  I know we can go through healing crises as our bodies receive nutrients they are sorely lacking.  Not sure if this is a healing crisis or a bad reaction to the supplements.  I will review in another week.  Writing this down like this not only keeps all my readers up to date on how things are progressing, but it allows me to keep tabs on any and all changes.

Mentally....I thought I was doing OK - but then received a late notice on the electric bill I apparently forgot to have paid by Monday.  Me forget paying a bill???  Never!!  Even during the worst of my TSW, I made sure all bills were paid on time.  It's weird because earlier this week I was filling out the refinancing paperwork for our rental house and thought I was on top of everything because I got all the proper forms in within 2 days.  And then I get the late notice today in the mail and I was truly shocked because it's not like me to miss paying a bill.  Turns out I missed one other bill (the water bill).  So that will be a few days late as well.  I do feel like my brain fog is back but in a different way.  Can't explain it.  I just feel off and sort of mentally tired.

Skin....I know this should be up in the physical department, but with us TSWers, I feel it deserves its own category.  While my skin has been TSW free for about a year, it has still been dry with eczema patches on my arms.  This past week, people at work have commented on how clear my skin is.  And today I woke up feeling like my skin was baby smooth - no dryness!  In fact my eczema spots on my arms are just tiny scabs with no surrounding dryness.  AND I've not followed my diet.  In fact I'm pretty sure I've had dairy almost daily for over a week. (I attribute that to the brain fog and the mental anguish it was causing me to try to stay on a strict diet).  I'm still drinking bone broth daily and eating pretty well - my dairy consists of raw milk from grass fed cows free from antibiotics and hormones. So I am not eating horribly, just not staying away from the foods that normally aggravate my eczema.

Asthma....2 puffs on the inhaler yesterday - 1 puff today.  I am way past due to being able to order more nebs and another inhaler but haven't needed to get those refilled yet.  Still have 1/2 my inhaler left and 1/2 the nebs.  So I would say my asthma is just continuing to get better and better!

Well that's it for now.  It was exhausting writing this....and if I sound whiny, that's because I am.  I feel VERY whiny and that is not like me at all.  So something is going on in my body - going to take a few more weeks I think to get a good idea of whether what is going on is bad or good.  I truly believe it will turn out all good, but feeling this blah feeling is just annoying.  And I just realize I should just stop and apologize - I'm sure many of you suffering horrible TSW right now are like "I wish all I had to worry about is brain fog and fatigue"....and you would be right to feel that way and I apologize!  I like to keep things real here on my blog and me whining over petty symptoms is both insensitive yet real.  There WILL come a point when the same thing happens to you!  And THAT will be a GOOD thing!