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Hi guys! So after months of doing so well and feeling like I was almost at the peak of being healed again I got over confident and started being naughty with my diet again (mostly sweet treats) and I've hit a relapse flare. UGH. I was pretty much symptom free 99% of the time for the last 3-4 months... I guess it was way too early for me to get so cheaty on my diet and... well... lesson learnt!
I also have a feeling I wasn't drinking enough water recently which may have contributed to this...
I'm just wondering whether anyone else here has had the same thing happen? Relapsing after doing so well for a while? I'm trying to get in for an appointment with Matia but any advice from anyone for how best to handle would be much appreciated. I was on all 3 strains of probiotics by the end of it with no other supplements... At the start I was on RP, Vitamin D3 and just superdophilus and slowly worked my way up to the bifido and digestalac.... I'm now wondering whether I go back to the earliest protocol she put me on and just go back on the diet to list 2 or 3 perhaps?
Also a question to anyone who has relapsed after being a bit naughty on their diet for a couple of months - did you go back to healing faster than you did at the start? As in - am I back to square one and going to have to go through months before these symptoms ease up like I did when I started or will this hopefully work a little faster as I already put in the treatment time before hand?
Hope everyone is doing well!! Whilst this relapse is a bit sh*t I did get to a symptom free place so hope that encourages you all to keep on sticking with the protocol... Don't be naughty like me and get over confident and cheat on your diet! :)
I don't think you should
I don't think you should change anything on your protocol until you speak to DR M but going back onto list 2 might help. Are you still in treatment with her or did you feel better and stop seeing her?
I think when you feel better that is probably the hardest time to stick to a healthy diet. After reading about people relapsing by reverting to eating sugar has made me determing not to go back to that. We all work to hard to have to go through this again. I hope you start feeling better again soon. Knowing you were 99% better will help you keep going and get there again
So sorry Miss CC! When you
So sorry Miss CC! When you say you were being naughty what does that mean? Eating sugar every day, or eating an agave treat every day? Eating sugar 2 x per week?? I am just wondering what specifically you were doing and it is so helpful for those of us that are still in treatment to know any specifics you would not mind sharing!! Dr. B says "limit" sweets when done with treatment and I never quite know what that means. Also I know quite well from others that have had setbacks or relapsed that being symptom free in your bladder is VERY different than being done with treatment. I know you said you were on only probiotics. Were you on list 5? Did Dr. Brizman say you could eat list 5 and beyond, that is, eat in restaurants which might mean you are exposed to added sugar? Just trying to figure out where you were in treatment. I know that people cant get away with eating sugar if their core is not really strong, that is they are really balanced and have no symptoms (beyond bladder sx). My bladder sx are low and I have many symptom-free days but I also have bloating so I know i am not even close to being done with treatment.
I think Cathy gave good advice of going back on the diet and then getting an apointment. I thought after treatment that we should still check in about 3 times per year at minimum. This is no different than anyone would do if they were seeing a Chinese Medicine doctor. That is what I hope to do. So did you have any appointments at all on the calendar? If so maybe it can get moved up?? Keep us posted? Are the sx severe? Sorry for all the questions!!
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
Miss CC here is a dumb
Miss CC here is a dumb question. Why can't you just email Dr. Brizman and tell her so she can start to get you back on track before your appt?
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
Hi Mimi! I think I have your
Hi Mimi! I think I have your email from previous correspondence so will shoot you a more detailed email in the next day or so when I get a moment but to briefly answer a couple of your questions that might help others on here - I was pretty naughty with my diet in the last month leading up to this... like sneaking in the full sugared treats once or twice a week (eg a scoop of icecream or some cookies). I had been symptom free for about 3 months and stupidly thought I was done. I hadn't had an appointment with Dr M for about 5 months at that point as I figured I would just keep going with the protocol and probiotics and was feeling fine anyway.
I did email the urgent bomamed email address last night and got a very very short response just saying to cut back to only the superdophilus until I speak to her. I haven't yet heard back from her receptionist re an appointment though (I emailed as I'm overseas). I'm hoping that there is not too long a wait!
Hi Miss CC
Hi Miss CC
I hate to be the bearer of news that you may not like - but it is my understanding that if you have a three month gap in appt.'s that you will be seeing Boaz. Who, it is my understanding, is pretty incredible.
I'm sorry that you're going through this. I would imagine that it won't take much to get you back on track.
Take Care
Hey Denise,
Hey Denise,
Thanks for the words of encouragement! I'm more than happy to chat to Boaz if not Matia so that's totally fine :)
I've hit the protocol hard again the last few days and am already starting to feel much better again thankfully! At least I've learned a lesson from this I guess :)
Thanks for the kind words
Thanks for the kind words Cathy! Yes my lesson has definitely been learnt now! No sugar! I guess sometimes you need to learn lessons the hard way. I've started back on the diet back to list 3 and am back on the probiotics now and am already feeling tons better thankfully.
I am so glad that you are
I am so glad that you are starting to feel better again
Miss CC I think you need to
Miss CC I think you need to have a discussion with the ICAMA doc that you have appt with about when it is safe to have a bite of sugar or a glass of whatever. My guess is about 3 years in when you have been symptom free for a year or two and you are very balanced again. Ask them to be more specific. Do you have any other issues that you are working on such as hair, nails, skin, your menstral cycle, you bowel movements, disrupted sleep, joint pain, any emotional ups or downs or ANYthing that would be a sign that you still need to re-balance? Obviously the bladder is a huge sign that you have a ways to go, but since that starting to feel better I wonder if there are any other symptoms you can track to help you know you are not there yet.
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
Hope you are feeling better
Hope you are feeling better Miss CC! Please update when you can. So helpful for the rest of us. I was thinking a bit more about the wording you chose in your header, which reminded me of some of the blog posts Dr. Brizman has made in the past. She does not use the word "healed" and I think this is important because in chinese medicine you are either in or out of balance, which implies that the body is dynamic and responds to all of the inputs you give it (food, water, air, skin products, chlorine pools) good or bad. The good news is if we give it the right things or very carefully manage any inputs that may be challenging, we are going to stand a better chance of staying in balance. I don't think we ever heal from auto-immune, but a lot of the health issues that were brought on by this imbalance do heal, and we can live a symptom-free life. This would be true for someone with asthma or psoriasis. If we live out of balance, the symptoms of imbalance return.
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
Well said, Mimi! This is
Well said, Mimi! This is right on.
Hi MissCC:
Hi MissCC:
I am so sorry you are having a relapse. Being Matia's very old and completely dedicated patient, who's being trough hell and back, over the years dealt with myriads of health horrors, and now considered myself 99 percent "healed", I can offer only one advise: please don't EVER think that eating conventional sweets will ever be OK again. I know some people are tolerating small anounts but I think most of us don't. Having an occasional agave sweetened treat, or other stuff approved by Matia, once in a while, on very special ocasions, will be totally ok, but that is it.
I had the same relapse after a few months of feeling great, I relaxed and went back to some of my old eating habits, not even sweets, but tons of fruit, and still relapsed shortly. Matia brought me back to balance again, but I learned my lesson. Dont blame yourself, it is only human nature to forget the suffering and sometimes it takes a few "falls" to learn.
It has been 10 years for me since I touched refined sugar or alcohol, I dont miss it and I never will. I bake with agave or sometimes just with sweet apples and blueberries and eat only 2 sevings of low sugar fruit per day.
All the best and speedy recovery to al of you!!!
Natasha thanks so much for
Natasha thanks so much for your post and encouragement . It means a lot. Were you a regular drinker before treatment? I am feeling better and better about my non-drinking status but still struggle with social settings around drinking and my husband and family drink a lot and that can be hard for me. Sometimes I feel a bit sorry for them, but honestly sometimes I miss it and wonder when i will fully embrace my non-drinking life. For some reason, sugar has no draw for me. I used to eat it every day and I don't miss it.
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
I am right there with you
I am right there with you Mimi- I never craved sweets and I have no issue with that ,but man- I miss the glass of Pinot Grigio on a summer evening with my husband!!! it has gotten so much easier and of course, I know all the benefits/risks etc. I am just surprised that this one aspect still pulls me! I really think it is the social aspect of it way more than the actual drink so I have faith that eventually that will totally shift and I won't think twice.
Thanks Deir. Other former
Thanks Deir. Other former drinkers have said the same thing to me-that it is social and a habit I was very used to. I was such a social drinker. i have a hard time getting past it, even after a year and a half. So wierd how I could care less about sugar. Well, to be honest, have given more than a passing glance and thought about chocolate, especially right before my period LOL.
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
Yes, I was a a social drinker
Yes, I was a a social drinker and a total sugar junkie since I remember myself. So not a drop of alcohol or refined sugar in 10 years, and I never even think about it any more. This is my choice and I am sticking with it. It is just not worth it! There is nothing more precious than newly acquired health and I am cherishing every moment of it after suffering for years.
Natasha,
Natasha,
Your posts in this thread give me so much hope. I've been in treatment for three years and still in pain and very limited. Just hearing that you made it through and got well after struggling for so long is really encouraging!
I was was addicted to sugar too! I still get a craving if I smell chocolate cake because I absolutely loved chocolate, but I haven't eaten so much as a blueberry for three years and I'm okay. I want to get well so very much.
I think being one the the
I think being one the the ones who has responded so slowly to this treatment can be a blessing too. If I can get myself to a pain-free life, I would never mess that up just for a bite or sip of something! I can only imagine but maybe if I had gotten symptom free in a year or less, I might have taken it a little more for granted. Can't be sure of course but all I know is like Lisa, I want to get well so much!!
ps- yes, when I am hungry, a piece of chocolate is tempting to me too. On my birthday in May this year, I ate 6 grain sweetened chocolate chips- they were too good so I won't be doing that again for a very long time. I'd rather not have the temptation at all until I am given the total green light to include some naturally sweetened things.
We are some mighty strong willed people!
Natasha your posting and
Natasha your posting and perspective is MUCH appreciated. Thank you for checking in!
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.