the update

Carl and I went back to the nutritionist this morning for my 1 week follow up. He is a clinical nutritionist with a background in pharmacology and is currently a candidate for his N.D.. I will be calling him Keith. I've had a really good experience with him so far and feel that he has been the most helpful and realistic in unraveling the web of health issues I seem to be having. I will start with last week and then fill you in on today.

Last Wednesday, I went to have a consultation with Keith. We met for about 45 minutes to talk and go over some "homework" I had done before my appointment; mostly questionnaires. I had a Natural Wellness Screening done and was sent home with more homework and some other tests to complete before coming back. The NWS consisted of getting my vitals, height, weight, etc. I also completed an electrode test which measures how quickly electrical current moves through the body. It also measures your cell walls and water retention. Lastly, I had an iodine test done to see how quickly/slowly my body absorbs it. Turns out, my body is within normal range. I scored well with my blood pressure! Unfortunately, that's about all. I'm retaining water at a fairly high amount, my cell walls are thin and cells move fairly slowly. I have 21 pounds of body fat and am lacking 5 lbs of muscle. I also have an extreme magnesium deficiency. I scored in the age range of a 55 year old woman! Oops! Keith was very shocked at my results. He said he's never had anyone as young as me score so poorly. I was put on 2 supplements and a multivitamin. I was also given a restricted food list to follow for the next week. He is very interested in my food allergies and how that may correlate to my seizures. No wheat/gluten. No dairy. No grains. No sugar. No citrus fruits or tomatoes. Needless to say, it was a VERY hard week! I cheated a few times (wheat was VERY hard to eliminate completely) but gave myself an overall grade of 75%. Going cold turkey was definitely a challenge. My homework was to fill out more questionnaires, have a complete blood panel done, and a urine test to look for metal toxicity.

I was in shock and mourning for about a day over the loss of cheese, butter, tomatoes, bread, ranch and granola. I had an attitude adjustment Thursday night after talking with Holly and realizing that this wasn't the end of the world. Since, I have also talked with a couple of other friends who have either been on a vegan diet or have gone gluten free. I feel very encouraged and hopeful that I can make the best of the new foods I have to eat.

Today:
Carl and I met with Keith to go over my test results and put together a plan for the next few months.

Bad News:
-I am "dangerously low" in Vitamin D. (There is a lot of research showing links between low Vit D levels and seizures as well as other issues.)
-My Homocysteine level was high which could indicate a deficiency in B vitamins. (I had found to be a HUGE link to seizures through a book I just finished reading about treating Epilepsy naturally)
-My hsCRP level is very high which indicates there is some type of inflammation occurring in my body. hsCRP usually correlates to the blood vessels and heart. While he is not ruling this out, it can also be a sign of it in other areas of the body.
-My Free T3 (the non-bound carrier protein associated with the thyroid function) was a little more elevated than he would like.
-My BUN and Creatinine levels are low. This shows I am low in protein and could have malabsorption which means my body is not absorbing the appropriate proteins/minerals. It also shows that I could have muscle atrophy and/or nerve/muscle degeneration. (This is linked to my lack of muscle.)
-Potassium is low. This is linked to the adrenal gland. This could be connected to blood pressure and hypertension.
-Chloride is high. This is also linked to the adrenal gland. This is linked to your metabolism.
-I am possibly not absorbing fats and proteins correctly. My digestive tract is officially under construction.

Good News:
-Thyroid panel came back within normal limits
-I get to eat cheese and tomatoes again!!!


The Plan:
-Continue with Gluten-free diet. This means no wheat. I will be foraging for gluten-free bread, crackers, and other options. I need to be eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.
-Up my protein intake. I am supposed to eat 1 palm sized portion of protein, 3 times a day (at least.)
-Have Dr. Waggoner (chiropractor) evaluate me for fibromyalgia.
-Conduct stomach acid and pH tests.
-Conduct blood work and NWS in 3 months to see if levels are within normal range.



I'm sure after reading all that it sounds really bad. It is a lot of information. I felt very encouraged to have some answers and a plan to move forward. I am confident that Keith is committed to getting me better and getting my seizures under control.


Now? We're heading to LA for a week! At least it's the epicenter of the gluten-free revolution!