Category Archives: Day 22 to 6 Months

Week 21 – Balancing Immune System

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What I Learned in Week 21

Overall:  Made some new recipes and learn more about balancing your immune system (Th1 / Th2).

Bun-less Hamburger

Bun-less Hamburger

Ingredients

  • Hamburger grilled:  Grass-fed Organic beef with rosemary, fresh garlic and pepper.  Topped with tomato and basil.  Underneath is a romaine lettuce leaf topped with salsa and whole grain mustard.
  • Side of cut tomatoes with (here comes the fancy) cranberry balsamic aged 18 years and Himalayan sea salt.
  • Goat cheese
  • Katamala Greek olives
Raw Donut Holes

Raw Donut Holes | Recipe Source

Balancing the Immune System

Before I begin, most of my research comes from this site explaining things in much better detail.  In fact, I suggest you read about balancing the Th1 (T cell) and Th2 (B cell) immune system on the site.  Below I will explain what I’m going through in balancing my immune system (Th1 / Th2).

As the article states, virtually all autoimmune diseases have a Th1 or Th2 dominance.  For me, my test came back with a Th2 dominance on only ONE marker, IL-6…and it’s 2X more than it should be.  IL-6 has everything to do with inflammation and the immune response.  This joins my other high test results (SED rate, C-Reactive protein).  According to the article, Th1 & Th2 dominance disorders could be:

TH1 dominance disorders:
Multiple sclerosis
IBD/Crohn’s disease
Type 1 diabetes
Hashimoto’s disease, Graves disease (thyroiditis)
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Heliobacter pylori induced peptic ulcer

TH2 dominance disorders:
Allergies
Asthma
Chronic sinusitis
Many cancers
Hepatitis B and C (mixed Th1 and Th2)
Ulcerative colitis
Viral infections
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Helminth infections

How could I be Th2 dominant?  My disorder matches the Th1 disorders but the test shows I had a high marker in the Th2 area.  If you read the whole article, you may have picked up on this:

While there’s a basic list of common autoimmune conditions as a general guideline below, please be aware that this doesn’t always pan out in practice. I’ve found this along with some other practitioners.  When we run lymphocyte panels on people, we find some that differ from the clinical literature that categorizes people by Th dominance status. (In other words, the research says they should be one thing; but we find in fact that they’re the other.)

There is a lot we still don’t know about autoimmune conditions. If you see yourself on this list, don’t jump to any conclusions or self-diagnose, take the wrong supplement and make yourself worse (i.e. a Th2 dominant MS patient who demyelinates themselves by taking green tea). Always check with a qualified practitioner.Because of this, I might not be the right candidate for balancing my system.  

Although I am no doctor, I am betting that these high markers of inflammation / auto-immune (getting off Enbrel) are skewed and I am an uncommon candidate.  Regardless, I’ll try to stay away from Th2 supplements / high amounts of food until my auto-immune system calms down.

I’d like to hear your viewpoint on this subject in the comment window below.  If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

UPDATE 6/24 – My ND suggested that I am high in IL-6 because of Mercury I have in my system.  It states:

Other factors that increase Th2 include:

    • asbestos, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, pesticides,
    • morphine, tobacco, alcohol, steroids,
    • pathogens (including HIV, Hepatitis C, and candida), streptococcus thermophilus,
    • continuous stress, negative attitudes and suppressed emotions,
    • sedentary lifestyle, lack of water, low body temperature, and chronic insomnia.
UPDATE 8/21 – After an updated test, my ND has recommended that I do not need to be concerned with the Th1/Th2 test for the concerns I explain above (along with my condition consistently improving).  The results are as follows:
  • Initial Th1/Th2 Test (4/18/12) – IL-6 abnormally high at 19.98.  SED rate 101 (normal 0-15) & C-Reactive Protein 142.8 (normal 0-4.9).
  • Th1/Th2 Test (8/21/12) – IL-6 reduced to 12.10, SED rate 37 (normal 0-15).  As for IL-4 (8.34), the ND states “Increased production of IL-4 can indicate allergies or some sort.  With an increase over this period of time it may indicate something seasonal.  IL-4 also has roles in maturation of T-cells and B-cells.”

For those interested, here are the list of Th1 / Th2 foods.

Th1 Foods/Substances (Increases Th1)

  • Echinacea
  • astragalus
  • licorice root
  • beta-sitosterol (found in avocado and pumpkin seeds)
  • ashwaganda
  • panex ginseng
  • mushrooms
  • chlorella
  • grape seed extract
Th2 Foods/Substances (Increases Th2)
  • Green Tea/Black tea
  • resveratrol – red wine (can’t have due to yeast), red grapes, cocoa powder, dark chocolate
  • pycnogenol – Only buy as a supplement.  A natural plant extract from the bark of the maritime pine tree which grows exclusively along the coast of southwest France in Les Landes de Gascogne.
  • genistein (fava beans and soy beans)
  • quercetin (found in capers, apples, red onions)
  • curcumin (found in Indian Spice Turmeric)

My Health in Week 21

  • Overall:  Hips continue to improve & was able to walk around all of the mall 6/9, anointed at church on 6/10, chiropractor finally able to unlock my neck 6/11, started wearing my Sole Support orthotics on 6/13, and sleep continues to be the same.
  • Mobility: On 6/9, I was able to walk around the entire mall with one major break (had some dinner at Ruby Tuesday) and my hips allowed me to walk faster than normal.  I’m about 2X slower than others now compared to 3X slower the previous week.  Starting 6/11 I am going to the chiropractor 3X this week.  On 6/11 Dr. T was able to unlock my neck after easing into it for the past month.  The next day I was definitely in pain and slept 11 hours, but I’ve been better and more mobile since.
  • Anointing:  For awhile now, I had wanted to be anointed by the church elders up at Sarasota Baptist.  Divine connection allowed me to see the pastor right before service for a few minutes uninterrupted (which is extremely rare) and to be anointed right after service.  Pastor Mike and 5 elders / deacons surrounded me, asked me of any sins I had and then laid hands on me (after the oil was put on my forehead) and prayed for healing and removal of any blocks spiritually.  
  • Sleep:  As with many other previous weeks, I am still waking up twice a night.  I go to bed at 10pm, get up around 1am (take 1 ibuprofen), then around 4am (take 1 ibuprofen, 1 probiotic, and fish oil), then finally get up at 6:30-7:30am.
  • Next Week:  I get my results from the X-Rays I took at Jubilee chiropractic and tests (Metametrix & Heavy Metals) are back from Dr. Joseph Chiropractic.
  • Current Areas of Concern:  Neck and shoulders are still sore from adjustments and inflammation.  Nighttime is still the “achiest” time of day as I’m writing this blog at 9pm and feeling the brunt of it.  Ankles still swollen and probably won’t improve until I get really used to the orthotics.  Lower left back, hips, and knees stiff and sore but improving.  Developed a Canker Sore on my lower-left lip area but pain wasn’t half as bad as in Week 9.
  • Areas of Improvement:  Continuing ibuprofen regiment to reduce inflammation & pain.  Hips, overall mobility and energy better.  In fact I didn’t need to take a morning nap like I’ve needed too today (6/14).
  • Enbrel:  It has been 16 1/2 weeks since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 131 lbs. and a BMI of 18.33.

Day 22 to 6 Months – Week 20

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What I Learned in Week 20

Overall:

  • Reduce Computer Eye Strain & Fatigue
  • What are Custom Orthotics?

My Health in Week 20

  • Overall:  Refitted with Sole Support orthotics on 6/4 (will get them next week), ibuprofen regiment change, travelling to Venice / Sarasota, and more mobility at night (some nights are better than others).
  • Sleep:  As with many other previous weeks, I am still waking up twice a night.  I go to bed at 10pm, get up around 1am (take 1 ibuprofen), then around 4am (take 1 ibuprofen, 1 probiotic, and fish oil), then finally get up at 6:30-7:30am.
  •  Ibuprofen regiment change:  I normally take as needed, but have been suggested to take at specific times per day (started this on 6/5).  My times are: 2 throughout the night (read above), one when I wake up / 8am, one at noon, one before dinner / 4-5pm, and one before I go to bed.  Taking 6 ibuprofen a day has worked for others in the NSD forums and should cut down on the slowness / tiredness / body aches I get every day.  Keep in mind that the exact times & (sometimes) dosage increases depending on the day’s activities.
  • More Mobility at Night:  During my “good days” of the week, I am able (with ibuprofen) to stay more mobile than I was last week.  I still don’t walk as fast as everyone else + I still limp some, but there is progression.  An example was Friday night (6/1), I went to dinner, walked around a 1/2 mile and then watched a movie at the nearby theater.  After the movie was done around 10pm, I was able to walk faster than I ever have at night.  This was a much needed “win” on my battles as my patience is tested everyday with this this auto-immune disease.
  • Travelling to Sarasota:  Long day on 6/6.  Driving from Naples to Venice to Sarasota & back started around 3pm and got back around 11pm – 3 hours of which were driving.  I was surprised the next morning that I felt pretty good (usually all that driving wipes me out the next day).  Again, another “win” on my many battles.
    This is Why I Went to Sarasota on 6/6

    Little Brayan Graduates the 5th Grade

    Little Brayan Graduates the 5th Grade (2nd kid, right side)

  • Current Areas of Concern:  Right side of neck (still improving but not there yet), still limping and getting out of the chair to walk is the hardest, feeling lethargic in the mornings / nighttime, I still cannot get a full night of sleep, and get body aches all over (the pain areas change all the time), need to gain more weight, but my body doesn’t feel good enough yet to risk a major flare-up.
  • Areas of Improvement:  Ibuprofen regiment to reduce inflammation & pain helping, overall mobility improving.
  • Enbrel:  It has been 15 1/2 weeks since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 131 lbs. and a BMI of 18.36.

Day 22 to 6 Months – Week 19

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What I Learned in Week 19

Overall:  The 1st week where I stopped using eggs among the many other foods that I cannot eat.  At the same time battling with my left hip for over a week, limping every day.  Days were spent mainly at home by myself and just existing, except on my birthday.  A very good friend came by and helped me out, spent quality time and made my birthday special.

  • Food Intolerance Tests – If you don’t know already, food intolerance tests tell you whether a food works with or against your body.  Some tests cover a small, but thorough, range of food intolerance while others cover a vast amount.  Food allergies can be triggered by even a small amount of the food and occur every time the food is consumed. People with food allergies are generally advised to avoid the offending foods completely. On the other hand, food intolerances often are dose related (SOURCE).  Listed below are some of the tests you can choose from:

    • Cyrex Test (Array 4)       – Recommended by Dr. Joseph (my ND / Chiropractor up in Venice), I took this test and found out I was allergic to eggs, milk, milk-based products, and most of the grains listed.  The video above explains why the Cyrex test is much more comprehensive than other food intolerance tests.  It took almost a month to get the results back, but has since really helped increase my energy levels.  I personally recommend this test.
    • Mediator Release Test (MRT) – A much wider spectrum of food intolerance testing that claims 94% accuracy.  It tests 150 different foods and food additives and is able to detect specific food chemicals which the ELISA IgG test is not able to do.
    • Do It Yourself / Anti-Intolerance Lab Tests:  As stated on their site:  The correct way to assess a suspected food allergy or intolerance is to begin with a careful record of food intake and symptoms over a period of several weeks. Symptoms such as swollen lips or eyes, hives, or skin rash may be allergy-related, particularly if they occur within a few minutes (up to two hours) after eating.  Although nearly any food can cause an allergic reaction, a few foods account for about 90% of reactions. Among adults these foods are peanuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish. Among children, they are egg, milk, peanuts, soy, and wheat.

My Health in Week 19

  • Overall:  From 5/20 and on I’ve been fighting (what I think is) a pinched nerve with inflammation in my left hip.  It’s made me limp every day, it’s quite painful (shooting pains) and it makes me very tired.  The removal of eggs has helped somewhat, but nothing noticeable since the hip pain is so bad.  The pain was so bad that on Friday 5/25 I went for an X-Ray on both my hips.  Thank God there are no fractures.  On 5/30 I was fitted for Orthotics in hopes that will help relieve the pain long-term and received a “mirror image” adjustment from the chiropractor.  On 5/31 that was followed-up by another adjustment and I’m happy to say that it’s really helped me out.  I don’t limp nearly as much, but still have to deal with pain & fatigue (especially at night).  Plus the removal of eggs has given me more energy and mobility.  I’m still not there, but gained ground after this difficult week.
  • Tests:  On 5/29 I’ve re-submitted my Metametrix test and added a hair analysis test for heavy metals that could be in my body.
  • Current Areas of Concern:  Right side of neck (still improving but not there yet), left hip has been really bad this week (but quickly improving after 5/30),  swollen ankles are still there and my feet feel like lead sometimes, I still cannot get a full night of sleep and get exhausted after 7pm.
  • Areas of Improvement:  I’m starting to remove the ibuprofen during the day and use it from 7pm throughout the night.  As stated above, I’ve seen gains this week and hopefully throughout the weekend I can exercise some more to build up strength.
  • Supplements:  My supplements now only consist of Probiotics, Vitamin D3, Magnesium (Gluconate), HCL (1-2 times per week), digestive enzymes, and Maine Omega-3 fish oil.
  • Enbrel:  It has been 14 1/2 weeks since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 132 lbs. and a BMI of 18.49.