healing lifestyle continues . . .

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by Cynthia

I live a daily life-giving set of disciplines: Eating alive, healthy food in reasonable amounts; physical, mental, and spiritual exercise. When I cooperate the result is that I experience how God made our bodies to heal in extraordinary ways. 

It has been three years since my gut bacteria was restored after engaging a diet based on the book, Breaking The Vicious Cycle (may no longer be in print, but is worth looking for). My body has been growing increasingly healthy, especially the normalization of my bowel functions. For three years now I have experienced a normal, functioning colon. No more gut pain, which is a huge relief after years of pain every time I ate and often for hours after. Eating has once again become a celebration to share in joy, which includes the menu planning, gathering, preparation, sharing of delicious meals of whole, organic, broad ranged foods. And yes, I do eat red meat (favorite is lamb), lots of chicken, some seafood, a huge variety of vegetables, mostly raw, and some fruit, also mostly raw. I don’t do drugs, alcohol, pop, or energy drinks. I take a few supplements and have 2 minor prescription drugs (liothyronine for my thyroid, and hormone creams). But hey, I am human and know how to binge. I occasionally pig out on potato chips, bread, ice-cream, chips and salsa. My healthy choices allows me some room. 

I attribute my healthy changes to being the keys as to how I survived, then recovered from, COVID in January, 2020. My steady increase in healing from the severe fevers, incoherence and inability to breath allowed me to begin to participate in daily life within 3 weeks after the initial onset and continues. 

When reading my previous posts (in this section) you will know that I have had life-long struggles with illnesses including fibromyalgia, Epstein Barr syndrome, osteoporosis, multiple chemical sensitivities, and more. I spent years searching for answers to my gradual loss of functioning. When I shared my anxiety I often heard myself labeled a hypochondriac. I also heard I just wanted attention or had an over-active imagination. I had a few years of struggle with anorexia and though a few people noticed I was terribly thin, again, trying to talk about it, or ask for help gave people permission to label, accuse, or dismiss me. 

Because I believed that God’s intention was for healing I worked to co-labor in the process. That led to more specific personal encounters in events that only God could arrange, such as finding a book of healing in my mailbox (Back To Eden), which led me to follow some instructions to have immediate relief. As I studied through the years and trying various remedies, I continued to make healthy gains. There were significant breakthroughs, like when I bought my first Champion juicer and learned to supplement my diet with fresh vegetable juices that increased my energy and built more immunity. But mostly there were steady steps, such as: quitting processed foods, such as sugar; reading labels and eating things that only had one or two recognizable additions like salt, or vinegar; eating as many raw foods daily as possible – I ate a lot of salads, still do; growing sprouts as a significant daily food. I do not take antibiotics or medications in general, instead, I studied how to help my body heal naturally. 

After all these years I am more certain God made our bodies to heal in extraordinary ways, but it requires our cooperation. When I eat alive, healthy food in reasonable amounts in concurrence with daily physical, mental, spiritual exercise my overall health improves. 

COVID 19???

Every day I study updates on the COVID 19 (Covid) pandemic, regarding such things as: numbers of infections/deaths; supply numbers/availability; economic influences including jobs; and more. I have been waiting to hear more from those who fell ill and have survived. With each story I realize I must share my story. Now I am waiting to be tested for Covid antibodies. I want to know if I had it. If I did, and since I have recovered, I want to give blood to help others recover. 

My Story: On Sunday, January 26, 2020 I felt odd, like a part of me was missing. I had been looking forward to this particular Sunday as our church leadership would be sharing the vision for the year. 

Weeks earlier I experienced odd sensations with my heart while working out in a community exercise class. My heart rate jumped to 192, I became breathless and sat down (I felt like I was going to collapse). It took 5 minutes before I could rejoin the workout. A week later I did a treadmill stress test, stopped when my heart rate went to about 172. I just didn't bounce back from that test and I began having difficulty getting my breath. Though I practiced the various deep breathing exercises I have learned (and teach others), I couldn't get a breath. My lungs felt like something was in the way. A week later, January 16th, I called our local nurse who told me to go to the ER. I called a couple friends and told them I was driving myself to the ER, though they protested, one said she would meet me there (my husband Noel, had other commitments and was not home at the time). 

The ER was a good experience in that I felt genuinely cared for. However, there were clues, such as an X-Ray that showed a white cloud in my lungs. A doctor noted but said it was so opaque he wasn't sure he should even mention it. Because my blood oxygen level was at 95% my concern that I couldn't get a breath was not noted on my chart (I know because the notes were published online in my records where I was able to see them a week or so later). 

On Monday, January 27th, I woke up feeling like I had been run over. Every breath was painful and difficult. My fever was only 100, Noel took me to Urgent Care. My exam included: stethoscope-breathing; a blood oxygen test; and anecdotal; where I again said I couldn't get enough air and I wanted to make sure I didn't have pneumonia. The Dr. said I didn't have pneumonia, probably had influenza, that treatment would only take 1 day off the two-week process of the illness to recovery. He said nothing about my report that I felt I couldn't breath. 

That evening my temperature soared to 103 and hovered between 103 to 104+ for the next 5 days. The course of this illness was like a ravaging fire that quickly incapacitated me. I felt freezing cold with a temperature so high I was soaking wet. Delirium was my state for at least 4 days. I cried, shouted, felt terror, couldn't process reality, couldn't breath and felt like I was drowning, rolled around continuously, trying desperately to breath. Pain was in every part of my body, muscles, bones. My lungs and brain felt like they were on fire. Hunger disappeared, yet Noel fed me, made sure I was hydrated. I lost 5 lbs. in 5 days. 

On the 4th day of my fever I thought I was lucid enough to take a shower so my husband could change our sheets. The warm water felt great, but when I tried to wash my hair I began to collapse. The next half hour is a confusing memory as I was mostly incoherent and incapacitated, while my husband struggled to physically handle my body, which I was unable to control. Specific moments stand out: realizing I am sitting up (on a shower chair), but I couldn't move; watching sweat run down my body as if it were the shower (the shower was off); realizing I might die and having a conversation with God where I accepted my death, then letting go. Noel got me into bed where I fitfully slept in delirium for a couple more days as my fever broke. 

Flowers from my sweetheart.

Flowers from my sweetheart.

Coughing began, wracking my body with new and painful symptoms: the cough that produced a thick, glue-like clear phlegm that felt like it cut off swallowing, causing a new interference in breathing; a severe stabbing headache; lungs that hurt and felt like they were filled with huge wet sponges so I wheezed when I tried to breath. Lying on my left side was the only way I could breathe when I started to go to sleep. While sleeping I had to roll constantly to catch a breath. If I stayed too long on my right side a spasmodic coughing episode would start that wracked me so hard I feared I might choke to death. I slept about 2 hours at a time sitting partially upright in an electric bed. I was grateful I slept.

By the 2nd week of February, Noel had started my regular recovery routine (from chronic bronchitis and pneumonia in my younger years), which included: a special concoction of herbals in a tea that eased breathing, coughing, infections; humidifier with distilled water running constantly; high intake of Vitamin C; Fresh vegetable juice (I have been juicing with my Champion juicer over 30 years)mid-February. And, though this second stage of infection was in full swing, I had slightly more energy and lucid moments. 

1st meal I could taste, Penne pasta with      garlic shrimp by chef Noel.

1st meal I could taste, Penne pasta with garlic shrimp by chef Noel.

By the end of February, I had been getting up an hour or two a couple times a day. I had started walking, first a few blocks, beginning the goal of working my way up to 2 miles every other day that was my habit before I got sick. 

As I recovered I realized what illness I had just lived through was different than anything I had ever experienced before. In thinking about returning to previous activities, and in hearing more information about this new Corona virus, COVID 19, I made the decision to stop all events where I came in close contact with people. I am a connective, social person with the passion of this stage of my life about people and connecting to one another in community. So, the decision to stop being in close contact was a painful choice. Listening to, reading the reports from, the scientists revealed how much we did not know about this C-19. I couldn't take the chance that I might carry a bug that could threaten the life of anyone who contracted it. 

Summation: I believe I had contracted COVID 19. There were two people I came in contact with that could have been carriers at that time: one was traveling internationally; the other came in contact with people who travel internationally. As soon as an antibody test is available I will get it and post what the results are. Meantime, please stay home, do not make contact with anyone if you can help it. Wear a mask every time you go out and wear disposable rubber gloves every time you go out as well. Whatever it was that I had, you do not want it, it can kill you. 

Specific Carbohydrate Diet ~ Update . . .

After a lifetime of searching for the answer to my life-time of ill health I decided to be quiet, to rest, trusting this particular path was the turning point. Nearly 1-1/2 years have passed since I discovered, then began, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and I am glad to continue a good report.

About 6 months ago I began cutting back on my supplementation, albeit a bit later than was probably advisable. It took an irritating affliction of hemorrhoids to inspire me to cut off my multivitamins, which cleared them up within a couple weeks. At that success I realized I was too irritable and edgy. I was likely taking too much of everything, which indicated my body was doing what it was made to do: digest and process nutritional food! Wow! Yay! Today the only supplements I am taking are: Vitamin K-2; D3, and a little HCL with each meal (hydrochloric acid-to aid digestion).

With hope rising I noticed my interest in life had also increased. Curiosity grew me a bit more each week with questions filling my mind and overflowing into my conversations. I found myself searching through drawers, looking into closets, dragging out boxes just to see what was in them. This treasure hunting began to reawaken interests that I realized I had laid down years ago. As I found beautiful fabrics that I had ‘saved’ for a special garment, or photographs I had forgotten I had taken, I began remembering . . . I had forgotten . . . I had not remembered for a long time. It was like the story of Rip Van Winkle, I was waking up!

The more I ‘woke up’ the more I pursued activities I used to love, such as working in my studio in graphics and sound production; reading a number of new books-on a variety of subjects, while reading through some old favorites; moving my sewing room back into our main house and re-organizing it in the process; updating software programs, installing them and cleaning out old files; reconnecting with special people that just seemed to have dropped out of my life. All the while my brain began functioning more quickly and creatively, yet I noticed I was more calm and able to make my time count, function more efficiently. My capacity for appreciation and joy increased as well with my days more full of satisfaction and less stress, thus I slept increasingly better.

For the first 6 months my weight dropped off another 10 lbs, which caused a little concern. I hadn’t been down to 113 lbs since I was anorexic just after graduation from high school. But, around the 8th month my weight started creeping back up and has been holding between 117 & 120, which I think is about the right weight for someone slim and 5’ 2-1/2” tall. Through all this I have continued with the Silver Sneakers workout program, which is quite a thorough workout with the skilled trainer/instructor here in Olympia. My balance is very good with a strong core, great flexibility, good muscle tone and great community at the work-outs. Nice!

What am I eating? Check out the last post: “Discovery: “The Specific Carbohydrate Diet,” as I am eating the same diet. Elaine Gotschall, the author of “Breaking The Vicious Cycle,” suggests staying on this diet for 2 years, but other testimonies have stated being cured in 6 months. So, when I have recently been faced with ingesting a bit of organic rice in a dish specially prepared for us, I ate it, enjoying it very much and had no negative results. I suspect that I am cured of the upper-gut bacterial overgrowth and probably can eat some bread and grains and perhaps even a bit of sugar. However, I feel better than at any other time of my life, so as of today I will continue on this limited but delicious, whole food, non-processed way of eating.

Enjoy!