Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Appointment

I finally had the appointment with the naturopath today for the progress in the bacteria overgrowths, including the photos of the (bacteria) masses which came out a few weeks ago after the flu shot triggered the immune system to fight and expel them, except only some, not all of them.

As a result, I'm on the standard 10-day course of two common antibiotics, tetracycline and metonidazole, which are more targeted antibiotics than universal ones. Sadly the two have totally different criteria for taking them, the former no food for 1-2 hours before or after, the latter with food.

Go figure how to fit into a diet I eat small meals and snacks every 2-3 hours instead of large reguarly scheduled meals, but I will reschedule the eating habit. Near the end of the period I'll be on an ultra high dose of a family of clinician-standard probiotics (not OTC's) to rebuild the digestive biota.

We don't know if this will work since we don't know what the masses are (have presevative lab jar to take one for lab analysis if/when one comes out again) but at least we'll focus on the known bacteria overgrowthn and know if the masses are bacterial or not.

It took some discussion to convince the naturopath of this course, she wanted to wait for the analysis which I said only happens when the immune system is triggered to fight and expel them, such as the flu shot did then for those masses, but not for colds, flu, etc.

She agreed the course of antibiotics will help for the overgrowths, and if it helps against the masses, then we'll know, and if not, we'll know that too. Either way we win, and then can decide, if it's not bacterial, what course to follow, since all the tests for known parasiste, worms, etc. (non-bacterial) have come back negative.

Anyway, that's where I'm at today and for the next 10 days.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

But First

But first some good news for a change. I can eat wheat again. I've tried samples of wheat, a croissant here and a roll there, always with adverse reactions, but last weekI tried a sour dough Ficelle and nothing happened, nothing.

So I've been buying locally made bread, local meaning Seattle bakeries (Macrina, Essential Baking, and Grand Central bakery) delivered a few times a week to the Tacoma Metropolitan Market in Proctor neighborhood, and the it's working. No adverse reactions or effects yet after 3 different brands and breads.

Yippee! Wheat again, but in controlled small amounts so far. Not to get carried away just yet, not until I solve the bacteria problem, then who knows what I can eat again because the reactions will be based on the normal bacteria and not the overgrowths.

It's why some days I have hope.

Anemia

Looking at the latest blood test results, several things pop out which, along with the bacteria problem, might explain why I feel tired almost all the time, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, or it feels like as I can take hour-plus naps almost anytime during the day.

First, the hemoglobin A1c test results show I'm pre-diatbetic (6.1%). My Dad had late onset type 2 diabetes they never caught until it was obvious, and with me there's been clues, like always higher than normal glucose level (never had the A1c test until now).

The problem is I don't fit the criteria for type 2 diabetes. I'm probably slightly underweight (140-145 lbs), generally fit (walk 100-150 miles a month), low end of BMI for my age and weight, and don't overeat or eat wrong or junk foods, except occasional potato chips.

The second is they discovered my ferritin levels just at the low end of normal, but my iron is in the middle of the normal range. I don't take iron supplements and avoid foods with iron additives because my Dad had Hemochromotosis.

I haven't had the genetic test yet (to be scheduled) for the predisposition but they say I have a 50% chance of having it but I've always tested negative for the disease. It's also why I stopped drinking alcohol except a beer a few times a year, besides I fall asleep when I drink it.

The stool test also discovered my pancreas doesn't produce enough pancreatic enzyme (at the low end of normal), so I'm on a pancreatic enzyme supplement, which is working, probably for the rest of my life.

The symptoms from the above conditions, which I've explained to a variety of doctors, was feeling tired, sometimes during my walks and always after my walks, was always dismissed as not eating enough or getting enough sleep, blah, blah, blah. You now the tune and tone.

So this is where I'm at now. The bacteria problem has a solution so far doctors have refused to prescribe, even as it worsened, but hopefully now with the photos, they'll act this time in the face of the obvious.

As for the rest of the problems, which add up to some sort of anemia, but I'm not sure what they can do. My glucose and hemoglobin aren't treatable with drugs, and I wouldn't take them anyway, but I'm not sure what I can change since I don't fit the profile.

Anyway, just venting frustration about medical professionals who need things to be obvious and then identifiable to be treatable, which my case doesn't fit, but it doesn't change the reality of things slowly getting worse, or at least feels like it some days.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Interesting



Anyone who reads this blog knows I've been struggling with a bacteria problem in my digestive system since November 2014 which went through bouts of getting better or worse, including the last two month is that order, better then worse.

The gist of this problem came to a head this week, which explains what's happening. Last week I got a flu shot, being over 65 it was the Fluzone quad shot which, as they've reported, I got sick for 3 days, including a very sore left shoulder.

At the end of the 3 days, during which time the shot triggered the immune system and attacked the bacteria in the digestive system, which then expelled 3 beetle-like bacteria masses plus a near golf ball-size ball of bacteria mass over the course of two days.

That's a tongue depresser and the mass is 1 1/4" long by 1/2" wide and 1/2" high. Really, three of them over 24 hours plus the ball mass. This is what is causing the inflamation with the bloating, gas and severe constipation. And there's more in there still.

I have an appointment in two weeks, the earliest I can see the naturopath and 2 month, the earliest I can see my Primary Care Physician (PCP). Yeah, sucks the medical system is not geared for immediate help besides urgent care clinic or emergency rooms, both not cheap even with insurance.

But alas I have the proof what's been wrong all along. And here's the flip side of these things. Your guess is a good as the professionals what it is because a very large mass of bacteria.