My Name Is Not Barney

Last December, I hit a wall. Obviously because it's the last time I have blogged. Before that it was becoming less and less too because I've just had too much brain fog. Such thick brain fog that I have only read ONE book (maybe parts of others) in almost 2 years! The pic above of me is a few days ago, and the first one was at one of my worst. Feeling thankful I'm here right now, able to blog and share what's been happening. Why? Because there are people that care about me, there are people that I care about, and maybe what I'm going to share will help a few people, and that's all I can ask for. We aren't alone in our confusing and painful journeys and I think we need to know that!

About two years ago, I started to see a chiropractor here in Oakland, she also practices Functional Medicine, if you're interested in Functional Medicine and would like to know more about it, you can click here. When I first arrived at my chiro's office, I felt beyond defeated before I had even started. I was heavily grieving, I was bloated all the time, I was fatigued, (which was nothing new, I had been experiencing fatigue that kept me in bed for days, every week for a decade), I had major brain fog, (so foggy that cognitively I was having a lot of issues: couldn't read, focus, unmotivated etc), the fog was the most unclear head boulder you can imagine. I had not had it much before, but for the last 2 years, it has been steamrolling.  I had a lot of pain, was on narcotics and did know what to do for myself. I was totally, completely 100% MISERABLE. But I was looking for answers and was not giving up. I knew these symptoms were from SOMEthing. I wish it was going to be an easy fix.

One of the first things she suggested I do was stool testing to find out what the underlying "root cause" of my symptoms could be. I just figured it was grief (which it WAS but not only that), and the narcotic that had screwed me up (and it DID but not only that), or my diet, (which IT WAS but not only that). Her suggestion I ignored. It went right over my head and I'm like, 

"NEXT SUGGESTION. JUST FIX ME." I've been sick for so long, almost a decade with these symptoms, please help me!!! CAN'T YOU DO THAT??? HUH???

Sorry Gina, that's up to you. HAND TO FOREHEAD noooooooo I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S TOO HARD.

Quick background for those that don't know or are new here. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis when I was 22, that is 19 years ago! For the following decade, I had 43 surgeries due to cysts, tumors and Endo. For the decade to follow, I have had chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive issues, depression, muscle weakness, which all the OBGYN's contributed to all my surgeries (the chronic pain is from the surgeries). I haven't been able to work in 11 years. 

As I blogged about before, I did go off my narcotic but that didn't help (at least symptom wise). But it was not good to my liver. My liver was not detoxing well because of the synthetic. 

But because this last December I felt I had hit a wall, and was ready to take ANY test the chiropractor suggested this time. So in February, 6 months ago, I did extensive stool testing, and a urine test (like 4 pages long), and since have done blood work (14 tubes), and hormone testing. And all the results are in. I was pretty sick you guys. Very sick. 

Turns out I had Parasites. 4 different ones, including WORMS. Nope, not a typo, I wish. I could not believe it when she told me. It was all I could do to not throw up. I was disgusted, terrified and mad all at the same time. No! This could not be, and more bugs, not just worms??? Yep, 3 other parasites, and they were all living high off the hog....ME! The urine tests revealed very little to no traces of vitamin E, C OR B vitamins. Low all over body glutithione, which is the most powerful antioxidant that our body makes.  These animals were feeding off of all my nutrients. The worms showed CHRONIC and we are guessing I'd had them for at least a decade. 

I'm thinking when as a family we were in Puebla Mexico, at an Orphanage and we ate off the trays all week long. But there will be no way of knowing exactly and I have a good idea of how I got the other parasites, but that's neither here nor there. The problem is my immune system. Yes it can be common to have parasites. But I have immune suppression. Which means that my body was more vulnerable and is more vulnerable to "picking more up." I have a high ACE'S score (more about that another time, but it stands for ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES), and when someone has a high ACE'S score, they tend to have immune suppression and are chronically ill later in life. 

They also found 3 hidden virus', E.Coli, and way too much bad bacteria in my gut. Which we all, if not most, of us have. They also found that my estrogen was too low (which was my fault for not using my HRT properly because I was so afraid I would have TOO much estrogen), and that my Adrenal Glands, while they make cortisol, they are not giving me cortisol. It has flat lined. Which isn't my fault, it happens from a lot of trauma (stress, think PTSD to the max), hardship and loss). 

My adrenals have been on their way to this for many years. They have exhausted themselves. 

There were quite a few other results in all my tests, but this is already long enough and I hope you're still with me! Don't you want to know what I did to deal with these little buggers??

First thing I had to do was go on a new protocol. Food, medicinal herbs and teas and some supplements, and Infared Sauna. I had to cut all dairy, (insert big cry face here), wheat, (insert not fair face here), and sugar, (insert the maddest, big baby I don't want to face here). Parasites LOVE those things we love. But I couldn't keep giving them an eco system that they were thriving in.

I started all that on April 5! It was NOT easy. APRIL AND MAY were two of some of the hardest months of my life. At one point I was crawling on the floor, I couldn't walk! It was AWFUL. But I was getting rid of worms people. So much so that within a week, I could see them and they kept showing their ugly faces for the next 6 weeks!!! Wait, do they even have faces??! I could not believe I could EVER be that brave to poop worms. It was THE LAST thing I wanted to do, but I remember hearing God for real and He's like, "Yep, you're gonna. And one day you're gonna be speaking about it in front of a group of people. You can and will be pooping worms. It's part of what you need to do to be well." Say what God?

It was not pretty, so don't imagine it.

So for 10 weeks I did my protocol, and the worms stopped coming out. I did not see other bugs but I don't think they are visible. I just redid my stool test last week, so of course, prays up, fingers crossed!

Here is the unbelievable part, (yep haven't gotten to the unbelievable part yet), by early May I felt different. I noticed that one day while I was doing dishes, I could go do something else, and then something else, and then again. And I was like, "What is happening, I'm flying around here like a busy little bee!" I maybe feel that way once every other month if I ever do! I was like the energizer bunny, and it was SO ODDLY WONDERFUL!!! I wondered if that's how people feel who don't have chronic illness (chronic symptoms), because DDAAAAAAMMMNNNN you can really get a lot done when you're well!

It then carried into the next day, the next week and into the next MONTH!!! I don't have fatigue days in bed anymore!! I repeat, I don't have fatigue days in bed anymore! Ok, maybe a couple hours, here and there, but it was mainly when I was detoxing all those parasites. 

To me, it feels like a miracle and I claim it to be.

The brain fog is still around, but we are working on it and it's getting a tiny bit better. Because of all the parasites, my sleep has been really messed up. So for a few months now I wake every hour or every other hour and that really stinks. But that is starting to change a tiny bit too. It all takes time. 

I have had SO many symptoms to address, and one of my doctors said, 

"Gina, you have a good constitution. A few things in life just came at you, and they harmed you, and your system. But you're will is so strong."

I honestly don't know how I got so unfortunate to have all that has happened to me throughout my life, and I don't know how I got so fortunate to be able to start to come through it. 

Luckily I'm in a great place emotionally (worked through so much over the last decade while I was sick), mentally (work on my mind daily for the last decade, I have focus intentionally on what God believes and thinks about me), and spiritually, (thankful I know my true identity is being God's beloved, and that that is my lifeline). Now physically, I start peeling back layers, because that's what it is, layered. Just like all the other aspects in our life that make us holistic, how we peel back all the emotional layers, same thing with our physical bodies. And it takes TIME. It took years for me to start healing emotionally and to be in a healthy place! 

All I want is to BREAK OUT OF SICKNESS! And the fact that I have the resources to do so, I have to change my unworthiness thinking into, BEING GRATEFUL.

I'm still on protocols for the other issues: hormones, virus', low methylation, lack of glutithione, and some others, but I'm in a pretty good place, and my symptoms have improved greatly. It's how I am able to be here today, sharing with all of you. 

The journey with my health has been torturous. It has not been easy, it is depressing, and I've felt hopeless and helpless more times than I care to admit. And friends, if you find yourself in the same position, I encourage to not give up, seek and investigate answers! One of my new Dinosaur friends says, "Symptoms are a blessing!" And it's true. 

I'm thankful for this chance to be well, and hope as I keep breaking out of sickness that I am able to do more and more of what's been on my "to-do" list in life for more than a decade! For now, it feels good just to be able to do the normal "to-do's" around the house, or just as a chronically ill free person. Not sure I can get use to my "new normals" that keep coming.

The majority of my days, if I'm not counseling, or managing symptoms (still get fatigued, and muscle weakness, brain fog--but a lot less),  I'm cleaning, prepping, chopping and chomping! Lots of chomping! Like a cute little Dinosaur, I eat a lot of plants! But I promise you, my name is not Barney.