7 months progress update

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Hi IC ladies,

I've been absent again due to a busy work schedule but never due to not thinking of how you all are progressing.  I see a few new names to this site.  Welcome!  I am into 7 months of starting the protocol and I am so pleased with the progress.  You see, a year ago I was in so much pain and lost.  I didnt even know what these symptoms were let alone it had an actual name.  Oct 7, I went to see Matia.  I made myself a promise that I would commit to this 110%.  I had been seeing an accupuncturist a month prior but my husband was leary about Dr. B.  I took that leap of faith and never have looked back.  The first 4 months were horrible.  Something I just dont want to ever experience again.  This illness brings knocks you down, makes you realize what is important.  Perhaps I needed a kick in the butt to set my priorities straight.  I feel like I'm in the bottom of a long and dark water hole with a tiny light shining.  As the days passed into months, I have been getting closer to that light.  I promised myself that by the time I turned 40, I wanted to be better.  I wasnt ready to give up on life yet the thought had been there from last May until last September.  As a Christian, I never thought that I would consider that.  But pain takes you to the most deepest thoughts.  By prayer, the support of other wonderful ladies here, I have been slowly getting better!  This has been no easy task and I have been consistently getting better.  My IBS only comes back via anxiety or stress.  Those two remain like the devil on my shoulder, telling me not to listen or think positive.  Its very hard sometimes but by turning to prayer or reading the posts here when I can spare a few moments during work, I start to turn things around.  I am now sleeping up to 6 hours without having to get up to pee.  I have experienced TMJ, major migraines for about 6 weeks straight.  Boy, that just was horrible and it finally left.  I pray its gone forever.

My cold feet have started to amazingly get warmer.  This is HUGE!  I can go on and on but I will not as I hope to continue this path of improvement slowly but surely.

Anyhow, I hope that those that are new here, begin to experience healing.  I thank God each day for leading me to her.  I am thankful that my dream of getting better slowly by 40 happened.  I am slowly regaining my confidence and have decided to finally pursue my life long goal of becoming a professional photographer.  With the love and support of my husband, I am committed to live again and make this dream a reality, slowly but surely.  I've been given a 2nd chance in life and I want to live to the fullest.  I still have yet alot more to get through to improve and although I was told only a year to get better, realistically, I've given my self more time to heal at my pace.  I am proud that each month, I am closer to 1 year of being sugar free.  I dont crave it, I dont ever want it. 

I hope that for those that are new here, this gives you some inspiration.  Matia is extremely knowledgeable, compassionate and caring.  Trust that you will get better, slowly and one day at a time,

 

MinnieMouse's picture
MinnieMouse

Thank you so much for posting this Tommygurl, I crave the positive posts from people who are doing well.  I'm going to start treatment in a months time after I deliver my baby and Im looking forward to healing my body

calieve's picture
calieve

 
Hi Tommygurl,
 How wonderful! I have also made it to my 7 months of treatment. I will be at my 8 months on 05/15. I can relate to what you are saying. Prayer has helped me so much as well, and helped me to stay positive. I also thank God for Matia. She is truly a blessing to me.
Yay for becoming a Photographer!
Thank you for sharing your progress, everyone should be doing this.
 

natalie86's picture
natalie86

Thank you so much for posting this!
I'm a newbie here - only 1 month into treatment.. When you say the first 4 months were horrible, are you talking about your bladder or other symptoms?
Every day I have a new die off symptom and I just feel generally unwell and not like my self. My bladder discomfort has actually reduced quite abit, but the other symptoms are so horrible it makes me feel so depressed. I try to avoid going out as I would much rather feel sorry for myself at home in bed.. I know this isn't going to go on forever, but when your feeling so unwell everyday it's so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel :(

Christine222's picture
Christine222

Hey Adriane, glad to hear you are feeling better! I am in the process of becoming a professional photographer too! I am still working on my website. Do you have one yet? I'd love to see some of your work. If you want send me an email!
Christine

soniafa's picture
soniafa

Hi Adriane,
 
Thats great news!! I was wondering how you were doing... So glad you are feeling better. I am into my 7th month as well and have had lots of improvements. Still confused with diet but I'm very grateful because I'm moving forward. Is amazing when you see this dis-ease/imbalance as a positive turning point. Is important to have goals and be happy about life again, photography sounds like a good creative exercise to allow further healing to happen. Well done!
 
Adriane can I ask you how are your pain levels right now? What are your remaining symptoms?
 
Send you hug

flygirlsam's picture
flygirlsam

Thank you for this lovely post. How wamazing that you are one year sugar free. I still can't manage that 100%, even if it is inadvertent at times. Good job! You are reaping the benefits of your commitment and it shows. Thank you again! 

Mrs. A's picture
Mrs. A

I am so glad to read your wonderful progress! I was worried about you, which is why I contacted you yesterday. I have been praying for you since we talked. Soooo glad to hear you are doing so well! Especially when you turned 40. :) My first three months were sure rough, too, so I can so relate. But it is wonderful to read your incredible progress. Yeah about your feet, too! That is just amazing. I am eating potatoes after not being able to for 10 years. Woo hoo! It still amazes me. Thank God for Matia!

Tommygurl's picture
Tommygurl

It is so good to hear from you and that you are healing. = )
You and a few others are the reason why I was convinced to see DR. B in October, so I am happy to hear you are starting to feel better and look forward to hearing from you.  Keep your posts coming.  This just made me smile = )
 

Tommygurl's picture
Tommygurl

Hi ladies,
Sorry its taken me a day to reply back so I'm going to reply to all and hopefully I dont forget anyone. 
By the first 4 months, I mean that they were very hard for me to deal with die off.  I started off great with the diet and about 2 weeks later, major pain/die off/disharge, burning, frequency, you name it.  I went off The Pill right before I saw Matia which I was worried that I would bleed heavily (the reason why the doc put me on the darn thing).  Fortunately, I went back to normal cycles!  The main symptoms I started with were burning, excess vaginal and post BM discharge, IBS (that was the worst with the burning as it was a constant cycle day and night).  The anxiety and depression have been difficult but that is slowly starting to taper.  Major aches in legs when I don’t sleep much (this has tapered off and only reappears when I don’t sleep and/or have very long work days which unfortunately are the norm).  As my husband has told me, he has seen a difference in my moods, however.  He and our son have also been the brunt of it all, unfortunately, with massive mood swings.  He explained it to me that its like you are on a drug for so long that I’m going through massive withdrawals.  They seem to hit starting Saturday morning and last all weekend when I have time to think and not preoccupied by work.
I don’t know if that could be true but I will ask Dr. B since I’m curious.  I was keeping a daily log of symptoms for the 1st three months and have now gotten rid of them.  They are too painful memories but do lookup my prior posts as I posted a lot in the beginning.
 What symptoms are left?  Anxiety and stress are my key #1 factors that make the symptoms re-appear (but not to the level of intensity as before).  But it still scares me!  How do I get rid of it?  I still don’t know how to deal with this stress.  I started seeing a therapist but have been inconsistent due to long work hours.  Also, some vaginal itchiness and some minor burning but hardly any.  I would say level I'm currently at level 1 pain when I was at level 7-8 at my worst in the past.  My pain level tolerance has always been very low but this small pain here and there I can deal with.  For example, I tried asparagus about two months ago, major burning and frequency.  I tried again today and there is less pain and some burning with slow urination and every 15 minutes.  I’m still not quite ready for it.  I need to be more patient.  Argh….  I hate wasting food so I will see what to do…
 Insomnia comes and goes but she added back the cod liver oil and I have been sleeping for 6 hours straight.  The psoriasis remains and is aggravated by stress.  Lack of sex drive, pain with sex remains.  I am not ready mentally to deal with the post pain.  I’m afraid of the pain which has been a major issue for me for years after our son was born.  I often wonder if it has to do with having had a c-section?  Anyone happen to know?  I think I will need to google that again and ask Dr. B.
Christine,
That is great to hear!  no website yet, I need to make time but I do have an account on SmugMug with some of my work.  How about you?  Iwould love to see what you are doing.  Let me know if you can share I think I have my email address on my name/account.  Are you shooting weddings, families, kids?  I shot a wedding before IC started and families/kids/engagements then had to stop a few months later when the IC began.  Unfortunately, its only when I have time since I have been searching for a less demanding/less stressful job for months so that I can off set income with the photography.  You'd think that would be easy to find a job but San Diego was hit hard with the recession and just having a job is a blessing.  So I will have to take my time and fit it in but I'm made some progress this week with
In terms of sugar free, I'm almost at a year (will be sugar free in July) so each month at the beginning, I set my goal to make it to the next month. 
Anyhow, sorry it took me awhile to post reply. 
Adriane

Christine222's picture
Christine222

You don't have an email address with your account. I am pretty sure I have one. Send me an email and I can send you a link to my Flickr account. Are you on Flickr?

Tommygurl's picture
Tommygurl

My email address is listed if you double click my name on the account.  But none for you... Please send me yours.. thanks!

Tommygurl's picture
Tommygurl

My email address is listed if you double click my name on the account.  But none for you... Please send me yours.. thanks!

Christine222's picture
Christine222

Well you don't have one listed and I have no idea why mine doesn't show since I've gotten numerous emails from people on here.... hmmmmm. Anyway, you can reach me here, ishootwithacanon at gmail.com

deir's picture
deir

Adriane- I am so thrilled to see you are making progress. As for the stress/anxiety- I really think it is progress nnot perfection.  I know you have a strong faith so maybe turn to God at those times? When I feel some stress or anxiety creeping in I say a small prayer to ask God to take some of the burden. I don't need to have a fulltime job worrying! It doesnn't make me feel better. I feel like I am handling stress so much better now that I have ceded some control.
 
best wishes as you continue on this hard but wonderful path!!!!