Eureka Zika!

With the new panic over the Zika virus, I thought it appropriate timing to share my knowledge (and experience) with Lyme Disease and West Nile, other organisms that can cause neurological and late-term illness, very similar to the mysterious Zika Virus.

One problem with these sneaky viruses and bacteria is that you can get infected unknowingly, have no or few symptoms, and go through life unaffected until the natural aging process starts to lower immunity, or a long-term stress event occurs. Once the immune system is compromised, symptoms may start to appear, but they will be masked as any number of other issues.

 Most often, chronic Lyme Disease symptoms will be subtle, like fatigue (who doesn't suffer from that?), headaches, joint and muscle pain, inability to concentrate or remember simple things, anxiety and anger, mood swings.

Because most doctors don't think about checking blood serum for Lyme, (and even if they do it may not show up), symptoms get chalked up to normal aging, menopause, stress, and get diagnosed as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, Parkinson's disease, and a myriad of other auto-immune diseases. The problem is, especially with Lyme, it will slowly destroy your nervous system until it does irreversible damage. It is a neurological bacterium, affecting the brain and nervous system. It can be diagnosed through clinical information (like Parkinson's Disease, which it mimics) and muscle testing.

 West Nile Virus, which is carried by over sixty species of mosquitoes, according to the CDC, acts very similar, with headache being a major symptom since it can cause encephalitis. So little is known about West Nile that it is rarely reported and it seems there's very little being done about it. There is no treatment and antivirals do not work (webmd.com). If struck with WNV, it is unlikely that you would know that West Nile is the culprit. It presents as a common bug, but many holistic doctors have found that it stays in the body forever, inhabiting its host, potentially causing neurological and immune system problems later.

 In my case, I knew something was very wrong when I had a serious, rapid change in my eyesight, constant headaches and facial twitching. I found a specialist who determined it was, in fact, Lyme and West Nile. I had observed numerous Lyme patients at clinics over the years and many were wheelchair-bound, with facial paralysis; most were misdiagnosed with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and Parkinson's Disease. Lyme can cause strokes, bell's palsy and many other tragic, permanent ailments if left untreated.  I witnessed a proper diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease change those lives completely. Most of them were out of their wheelchairs and living again, crying tears of joy at the miracle they'd experienced.

I feel I dodged a bullet -- had my diagnosis come any later, I may have suffered irreparable damage. I tried intravenous pharmaceutical antibiotics and antivirals for two weeks at my doctor's suggestion (and against my instincts), to no avail. Once I started natural treatments of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation, http://drsubi.com, interchanged with intravenous silver, vitamin C, glutathione, and ozone therapy; homeopathies and supplements, I recovered and both went dormant, http://www.FLIMC.com. I endured four months of nearly daily IVs, but it worked. Lyme and West Nile will never leave their host now -- they are a part of my DNA and RNA, but as long as I stay healthy, they cannot take over -- I won't let them!

 There are approximately 300,000 people newly affected with Lyme annually, http://lymedisease.org. This doesn't count the chronic life-long suffers that get diagnosed many years later. And it is not simply limited to certain states -- it is now throughout the U.S. and eighty countries http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org.  It usually comes from a nymph tic, about the size of a poppy seed, so one can see how it goes unnoticed. Scientists are also linking the spread of Lyme with mosquitos, and West Nile to tics.

About 42,000 people are on record as having been infected with West Nile (reported cases, mine will go unreported due to the late diagnosis) in the US since 1999, nearly half of them had or have infections to the brain and spinal cord, and 1700 have died, http://cdc.gov.

 Zika symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, fatigue and a general sense of having the flu. It's very easy to think nothing of it and never receive a diagnosis. There is no treatment or vaccine. It is associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and paralysis, and is sexually transmitted. I fear this virus, which was discovered in 1947, will continue to evolve and the fallout will be years in the making. And, just like Lyme Disease and West Nile, the virus may lay dormant in the system and create havoc at a later date.

 Because I already host two lovely bug-borne illnesses, I will be extra diligent about being outside this season when the mosquitoes are at their worst and will slather on layer after layer of natural repellent -- those who spend time with me will smell me before they see me. I will be a walking potpourri of lemon, mint, eucalyptus, oregano, clove, rosemary, tea tree, cedar, lavender and witch hazel. So much for the expensive eau de parfum in the cabinet!

If you suspect for one tiny second that you may have one of these insect-borne diseases, get tested right away while it will still show up. Though there is not much that can be done, it will be useful information if exaggerated yet seemingly normal symptoms, crop up later. If you do get a diagnosis, try to find a holistic clinic and heed the doctor's advice for the best course of treatment. Thanks to UBI, other IVs, and NIS/NET, I am healthy today and know how to stay that way if I get the slightest inkling that one of them is trying to invade my inner sanctuary.

"You are your only advocate. If you think something is going wrong within you, it probably is. Do not be brushed off and sent away as another case of 'normal aging.'" K.D. Sadler

• Resoucres:
• webmd.com
• http://drsubi.com
• http://www.FLIMC.com
• http://lymedisease.org
• http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org
• http://cdc.gov
• lifeworkswellnesscenter.com
• Book: Viral Immunity J.E. Williams, OMD (One of the BEST books EVER written about viruses, bacteria, immunity, and holistic treatments, see book section)

A Letter to Myself

I was trying to open a file from my documents earlier today and the letter below, that I composed to myself October 31, 2013, opened. I do not know how as I did not click on it, but I am pretty sure I know why.

My freelance business has gotten very, very slow again and panic has started setting in. When I daydream worst-case-scenario (a bad habit) and think about having to support myself for the rest of my life, I start scouring the internet for a sales job. Sales is my comfort zone and I know I can make money doing it, but my writing would become obsolete. At the end of a long work day, there is very little capacity for creativity.

This letter popping up on my screen, instead of my resume, has reconfirmed that I need to stay the course as a writer, no matter how scary it can be at times. And, since I don't believe in coincidence, thank  you my guardian angel for sending me a critically needed message.

A Letter to Myself

There is no room in life for the phrase “if it weren’t impossible,” although sometimes it may be “improbable.” Accomplishing your goals will happen if you’re dedicated and you make the most of each opportunity. That is the key to unlocking dreams.

You know it’s pointless to dwell on the “what ifs.” Recall the numerous lessons and challenges along the way. Being a sales rep for over fifteen years in a man’s market gave you a serious backbone. Quitting your favorite job in 2000 and moving to paradise to start over was brave. You didn’t think it was scary or crazy – you followed your heart. Always shrug off rejection (though once in a while it may still sting) and keep trying.

You have such a diverse list of interests and each one loops back to writing. You wish you were a marine biologist to explore the serenity and intricacies of the sea and its creatures and then share it with others. You’ve explored the field of natural medicine as a profession and upon deeper reflection, realized it was because you wanted to impart amazing, sometimes life-saving tips to those searching for a more natural way. Traveling the world to experience gorgeous scenery, different cultures and noteworthy history is still on the agenda with great anticipation as it will enhance your historical fiction.

Never stop believing in your abilities and evolving as a writer, and when times are tough, remember this is where you’re meant to be on your journey.

auhtorkristindeann1.wordpress.com

A Christmas Light

Happy December! I love this time of year…it fills me with peace, joy and a sense of gratitude. I know many people dread the holidays and find it sad and lonely: drudgery. I recognize that it is a challenge for many and my heart goes out to them. I am blessed to have faith, to believe in the birth of Christ, and find myself reflecting on the enormity of being alive to witness the beauty of soft white lights while listening to old Christmas songs, making sure I focus on noticing (despite all the commercialism) that there are still gracious givers spreading joy and good deeds to those less fortunate.

As a child, Christmas was always full of wonder. I loved going to church Christmas Eve; listening to the bell choir and singing Silent Night in a candle lit sanctuary. Even as a small child, I felt the reverence of the night and understood its meaning. Mom and dad did a great job keeping Santa alive for me, despite my older sister insisting that he wasn’t real. After I’d climb into bed, dad would go outside and make “hoof” marks in the snow so that when I woke up and threw open the curtains at 6:00 AM, I would know that Santa had come (we didn’t have a chimney so he was allowed to come through the front door while we slept). I would have to wait until 6:30 AM, no matter what, to call Grandma and Grandpa to come over. I would practically burst with excitement waiting for them to throw on mismatched clothes and drive the mile and a half to our house. Mom, Dad and my sister would look at me like they wanted to strangle me for getting them up so early, but I didn’t really notice. I was in a bubble of pure joy.

As an adult, I have spent Christmas many different ways. I’ve been away at college, struggling to pay the bills let alone buy gifts, and at times not able to get home due to the weather. I spent nearly twelve years over a thousand miles away from family while I resided in Florida. My first year there, I hardly knew anyone and spent it with a few new friends. That became the norm – we called it the Orphan Christmas. So many people in Florida are away from family, so our orphan dinners grew into larger and larger events, usually outside in the sunshine. Though less than traditional, they were always full of laughter, games and plenty of egg nog. In 2009, I spent it as a new Mrs. and had a Christmas full of firsts at a not-so-young age.

In 2013, shortly after my husband Ken and I moved into our dream house, our “forever home” in Missouri, I spent the holiday season reflecting on his sudden death that July. That was the year the meaning of life really hit me – like a wrecking ball. I remember crying and thinking, ‘it’s all so final. He’s just GONE.’ I was heartbroken that he couldn’t see the beautiful decorations or walk with me through the streets of downtown historical St. Charles in the light snow; that he wouldn’t witness the serenity and joy of the season. I remember an exaggerated feeling of being present in each moment, as if I were trying to absorb it for both of us. With every fiber of my being, I breathed in the fresh, cool air and played in the first snowfall with our dog, Barney. I listened and absorbed the words of songs and cried while watching a Charlie Brown Christmas (his favorite).

Then, a few weeks before Christmas, there was a distinct moment when peace washed over me, sitting by the fireplace, watching the sky turn from periwinkle to navy as night fell. I felt his spirit near me and my heart open with hope. Where there was once a big, black empty hole, there was now a blank blackboard with which to draw my future. I missed him but felt I could move forward with his blessing, and allow the grieving process to unfold along the way (still unfolding…it never truly ends, it evolves). It dawned on me that each and every moment of being alive is the biggest gift of all, and genuine gratitude for my blessed life filled my soul.

This year, I find myself overwhelmed with appreciation for the love of a wonderful man, Allan, who makes me laugh every day and feel cherished; for my improving health, for getting writing work just when I need it most, and for living in a place that makes no sense to anybody but me – a fly over state that is beautiful and full of genuine, caring people, and friends and family who share their love openly, wrapping me in a blanket of warmth.

I know everyone has struggles that vary greatly, but despite the challenges of health or financial issues, the commercialism of the season and the stress, the money involved, the long-ago hurt, sadness or disappointment, there can be joy and peace at Christmas time. Look for it in the quiet of the midnight hour or first thing in the morning over coffee, and even if it’s fleeting, give thanks for being able to be here and bear witness. Studies show our thoughts control our actions, our moods and our overall health.

To quote an excerpt from the book, The Healing Code, by Dr. Alexander Lloyd and Dr. Ben Johnson, “A 911 signal from your hypothalamus [in your brain] is what puts your cells into stress mode; it’s what shifts your blood flow away from your internal organs, your higher intellectual functioning, and your immune system.” The book further explains that if you stop sending negative signals to your brain, you use your body’s own positive energy frequencies to overcome the negative frequencies and stop the destruction. “Like turning on a light in a dark room. The light always overcomes the darkness.” Concentrating on just one thing that we’re grateful for daily can change negative emotions on a cellular level, and the spiritual lift is immediate. Saying thank you out loud to the universe, God or your deity brings a truth to it that will change your thought pattern. Once you try it, you’ll notice that you’ll say thank you for more than one thing…it becomes a list and WOW! Life gets put in perspective very quickly.

My wish is for you to find peace, even for a few moments each day, and reflect on the joy of the Christmas season. Merry Christmas.

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright….

The Intricate Web of Healing

After my alternative health doctor in Florida discovered that my sciatic pain was from a dental implant and I had it removed, I experienced instant relief. The nerve pain in my legs, hips and lower back subsided almost immediately. However, the road to total recovery was much longer than I had anticipated.

The dental implant came out in May, 2012, and in July I fainted again from the relentless spasms, ending up back in the emergency room. The nerve pain was nearly gone, but my body was still in “protect mode,” trying to shield the weakened surgery sight. I had started living a more normal life, able to do light chores and take short walks with Barney, yet I still suffered from random spasms and fainting spells. I had to carry a small pillow with me (even to restaurants!) in order to sit with a fraction of comfort. My back muscles, tendons and ligaments were simultaneously spasmodic and stretched like licorice ropes from eighteen months of minimal activity.

Anyone who has had muscle spasms knows the first thing we do is try to stretch it out…bad idea! The muscle is contracting to protect what it perceives as a weak spot or an injury. The more you stretch or try to dig it out, the harder it “protects.” Best to lay low, use warm moist heat to loosen it, then administer short bouts of ice to decrease inflammation. When it’s not in spasm-mode, that’s when it’s okay to gently stretch or try to strengthen.

Part of my healing included weekly Prolozone injections in my low back (a mixture of B vitamins, Prilocain and ozone). The combination lowers inflammation and speeds up healing ten-fold. I even had to have one in my pubic area (major OUCH!) in order for the ligaments that held my pelvis together to tighten back up (same ligaments that stretch during childbirth). The loose ligaments supporting my hips were making it impossible for me to sit without knife-stabbing pain. I would watch TV draped over an ottoman! Luckily, the shot worked instantly and I soon moved on to the next phase: minor exercise.

I began exercising with a DVD called Egoscue Pain Free Workout Series. For those of you experiencing any kind of pain that’s inhibiting normal exercise, I highly recommend it. Not only does it make you feel stronger, it helps with mood too. I remember feeling like a wimp at first because it was so easy, but it was the only way for me to get stronger without overdoing it at the gym. It is my tendency to go full-speed ahead and want fast results. This program kept me from hurting myself and I was able to move up to intermediate within about six months. I know – slooooow!! But I had a few set-backs. I was so weak I felt like a newborn, therefore gradual was necessary.

All year, Ken had been waiting for me to get better so we could move to Virginia for his new promotion. Finally in September, I felt I could manage the short flight. Just as we secured plane tickets to start house hunting, he got a call from a company in St. Louis with a job offer he couldn’t refuse. I was shocked and remember thinking, “St. Louis, really?” But, I am a big believer in things happening for a reason.

As we rode in the car for seventeen long hours on the way to St. Charles, Missouri, I reflected back on the progress I had made since being bed-ridden just a few months prior. I was exuberant about the chance to start over in a new place, to witness the seasons again, and make new friends. If you had asked me in February what my future would look like, I would’ve said “wheelchair.”

Though I was optimistic, I was still nervous about each hurdle before me. Would I be able to walk Barney while we lived in our little townhouse? What if it was slippery and I fell? I didn’t have a doctor in Missouri, so what if something happened and I couldn’t walk again? I had to set my fears aside, learn to trust that God would be with me on the journey, and embrace the gift of each day.

Turns out, having to walk Barney several times a day and go up and down the stairs in our rented townhouse strengthened me. I found a chiropractor that also practiced acupuncture and I relied on him heavily. By the time we moved into our house in March, I had returned to my favorite form of exercise and meditation – yoga. I was taking daily Barney-walks, and flew back to Florida a few times for IVs to keep my adrenal system healthy. I was really starting to feel relaxed about my health and then something changed. In May, my system began reacting to everything I was eating again. Fatigue kicked in and brought along my old buddy Fear, and I had to find resources around St. Louis. I suspected the move was to blame; once we were settled my body gave in to the stress of it all.

Thanks to a chance encounter and a referral from the nutritionist at my gym, I made appointments with a few different holistic practitioners and found a new-to-me medical paradigm –– quantum mechanics in medicine. Energy work. What an immediate, life-altering difference it made, and still does to this very day. I can’t imagine my future without it.

I also found a place nearby to get those IVs I relied on so heavily, but I couldn’t get in for six months so the energy therapies had a chance to prove their effectiveness, and did they ever! By November, I was sustaining stable physical and emotional health. Turns out, the practitioners that I see have unique techniques that I wouldn’t have been blessed to find in Florida or anywhere else. An intricate web of divine intervention.

I have always been open-minded about holistic healing, as traditional Western medicine has rarely worked well for me. I’ve discovered many valid forms of treatment, and just as Chinese medicine, herbs and “medicine women” have existed since the beginning of time, there is real science behind our energetic universe (thank you Albert Einstein). For example, Stress. What is it? It’s negative energy. What does it do? Contributes to and causes major illness and cancer. Then there’s the healing power of Prayer/Meditation/Optimism…positive energy and faith, all proven to miraculously heal. Energy.

In future blogs, I will share some of my energy-healing experiences, backed by science and faith, and let you form your own opinions.

“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” Albert Einstein

Vitamin D3 & K2: Essential for Health

In other blogs, I’ve mentioned nutrients, supplements and vitamins that are critical to our well-being and I will touch on many of them in future posts, but right now let’s talk about a wonderful and necessary vitamin (that is actually a neuroregulatory hormone) that we are all deficient in –– vitamin D3.

I am sure you have heard the news about how we are desperately lacking this vitamin and in order to get enough, we need sunshine and fortified foods. But do you know how critical it is to your overall health? And did you know that even if you are taking it, if you aren’t taking it with vitamin K2, it’s not optimal and may even be harmful?

Vitamin D3 influences 3,000 of our 25,000 genes, according to research from Dr. Mercola and a 2008 genome study by Carl Zimmer. Vitamin D literally turns on and off genes that can make you well or harm you. Vitamin D3 can influence many issues, including but not limited to the following:

• Cancer (notably skin, breast, prostate)
• Hypertension
• Inflammation
• Heart Disease
• Vein Issues
• Autism
• Diabetes 1&2
• Cold & Flu
• Autoimmune Deficiency & Diseases
• Depression
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Crohn’s Disease
• Asthma
• Insomnia
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Eye, Teeth and Ear Health
• Mental Illness

Vitamin D, along with being an immune system power-house and mood booster, assists our bodies with absorbing calcium. If it’s not taken in conjunction with vitamin K2 at least once a day, it is less effective and can actually cause calcium buildup and arterial plaque! Mounting evidence proves that they depend on each other to work. I found this out years ago and have struggled with the mystery of why most vitamin D supplements don’t have vitamin K2 in them.

If you get a lot of calcium in your diet or you take a calcium supplement, without the balancing effects of vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin K2, all the calcium will not be absorbed. This may lead to a build-up in your organs and joints and cause major heart issues. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, and K2 helps bind and deliver it into the bone, keeping it from being deposited to other areas. Vitamin D also decreases inflammation, wards off infection, and lowers cancer risk.

How much vitamin D is necessary for optimal health? That depends on who you ask. The Institute of Medicine has recommended no more than 600 International Units (IUs) a day for infants to seventy-year olds. Ask any alternative health practitioner or scientist who studies chronic illnesses and they will tell you vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic, and our intake needs to be much higher. All of my alternative health doctors, as well as more well-known doctors, have sanctioned 1000 IUs as being safe without doctor monitoring, though most people need many thousands more.

When checking your blood or saliva for vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D), you want your number between 60-80 nanograms/ml, no higher than 100. The first time I had mine checked it was 18. I started taking supplements right away and my levels have stayed up around 50-60. Per each of my doctors’ recommendations, I take 10,000 sublingual IUs a day (with vitamin K2) and if I don’t, my number falls. There just isn’t a way to get enough without supplementing, and I lived in sunny Florida for fifteen years! I take morning walks without sunscreen (shhh - don’t tell my dermatologist) when the sun isn’t as intense, hoping to get a smidgen of D the way nature intended. Our skin absorbs and converts vitamin D quickly, providing a little mood and energy boost.

Since most of us wear sunscreen and live where it is often cloudy, it is hard to get enough from the sun and there is not much vitamin D in food. In doing research, I have found the food source containing the highest IUs is fatty fish, like salmon, which has 400-450 IUs in a 3oz. piece. Not enough for the entire day, though it is good to get it naturally when possible. Vitamin K2 is found in cruciferous and leafy veggies, green tea, turnips, tomatoes, fermented foods and olive oil. You can take D by itself throughout the day or all at once, just make sure you get some K2 mixed in (75-100 mcg daily with food, per Dr. Uzzi Reiss).

One of the only sublingual vitamin D supplements with vitamin K2 that I have found is Michael’s D3 (amazon.com). There are a couple of other brands but they contain lactose, which is no good for me. To get started feeling better with vitamin D, it’s best to ask your doctor for the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test and check your vitamin K levels, then decide how to proceed from there. Also, check with your doc if you are on blood thinners when it comes to vitamin K2, as it can be associated with slight blood thinning, though it varies greatly from K1 in blood clotting capabilities.*

“Our complicated bodies fight the daily battle of striking a balance between producing what we need to stay alive and counter-acting our lack of knowing how to treat ourselves.” Kristin Deann

There is increasing evidence about K2 and how crucial it is to our bodies and brains; if you want greater detail go to mercola.com and search “articles” about vitamin D and K. There is also in-depth information at westonprice.org.

*There is a difference between K2 and K1. Vitamin K1 is involved with blood clotting, and most of us get enough in our diets from leafy greens and other sources. The K2 that goes hand-in-hand with D3 is from MK7, which is long-acting and has very little blood clotting significance. For more on the difference and importance of K1 and K2, visit westonprice.org.

Sources:

Mercola.com/articles

Westonprice.org

Uzzi Reiss, MD, uzzireissmd.com

chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2-the-missing-nutrient

Are Your Teeth Making You Ill?

Dental related nerve pain and illness are more common than anyone realizes. I was fortunate to have a doctor who had witnessed many nerve-pain, dental-related cases before and thought to ask the question that changed my life, “Have you ever had a root canal?” If he had not stepped in, I may be in a wheelchair today.

Recently, I solved another mystery relating to a tooth and chronic nerve pain in my left shoulder-blade region. For two years, I've been dealing with an injury from my dog, Barney, pulling on the leash. Since the fall of 2013, taking a deep breath or using my left arm has been extremely painful.  No more yoga, or lifting even the lightest weight. I've had to switch to the other arm to carry my purse and groceries, and at times, the pain drove me to distraction and resulted in many nights of lost sleep. My adrenal glands took a beating again and illness crept in. 

Throughout that time, I had my regular dental cleanings and kept muscle testing my teeth to rule out any connection, and all seemed okay. I had an MRI of my shoulder (inconclusive), my neck (inconclusive), and had every theory thrown at me -- it's a rib injury, it's in the neck, it's a tear in the shoulder area, it's in the thoracic spine, and so on. Chiropractic helped, but not for more than a day. I tried physical therapy -- which I couldn't tolerate, laser therapy, massage therapy, ultrasound, traction and acupuncture. I started suspecting it might be a tooth earlier this year, but when I went for my cleaning again in May, all was well. 

However, after that cleaning, the left-side facial twitching I had begun having earlier in the year worsened and my left ear was killing me; then I started having nagging pain in my face, and I knew. I muscle tested myself and it showed the pain and twitching was from my only remaining wisdom tooth, upper left side. I consulted the tooth chart and confirmed that the wisdom tooth correlates to that shoulder, neck, thoracic and rib area. I went to my alternative doctor and had her check it using NIS, NET (see below) and muscle testing. She narrowed it even further by finding it was a "root problem" with that tooth. 

I went to my dentist two days later, told him what we had found and he proceeded with a panoramic X-ray. It showed nothing suspicious. He is an holistic dentist, so he muscle tested and came  to the same finding we did, but he was perplexed by the clean pano X-ray, so he took a bitewing X-ray. It showed a slight "reabsorption" of the root. My body was trying to reabsorb the tooth. (Gross!) He pulled it and guess what? The nerve pain in my shoulder stopped! 

That was July first, so now I'm working on fixing the muscle imbalances, the intramuscular pain, and realigning the vertebrae that changed positions as a result of trying to protect the area from the constant nerve irritation. There's no doubt it all started with an injury and then the bacteria from the tooth settled in the nerve and wreaked havoc.

Two years of suffering, once again, because of a tooth. I'm not certain why it didn't show up as weak until now -- I suspect it is due to the fact that it correlated with my husband dying, and our bodies will only show us what it most prominent. 

My grieving process over Ken, then our dog Barney several months later, overshadowed the mechanics of what was going on back then. I'll explain in more detail the way muscle testing and quantum medicine works, but suffice it to say, it is like the onion I referred to earlier, layered, with emotions overruling mechanics. Once I moved back to Missouri this past May, I grieved all over again. I let it out and processed; I cried and cried, and knew that I was cleansing my soul. Once I processed the emotions I had been holding in, the mechanics of the dying tooth showed up. I was amazed - though I should be used to how all this works with my sensitive wiring.

Dr. George Meinig, D.D.S., root-canal specialist and author, published twenty-five years of research from Dr. Weston Price about the dangers of root canals and the delicate nature of dental issues, in his book Root Canal Cover-Up. He wrote about Dr. Price’s first case (around the year 1900), when he removed a root canal (tooth) from a woman with severe arthritis and immediately implanted it under the skin of a rabbit. Within two days, the rabbit was crippled with arthritis and the woman found relief. He continued for years with smaller bits of teeth and many diseases until he was injecting tooth powder, always with the same results. One-hundred-percent of the time, heart disease was transferred from infected patients to rabbits. Other diseases were about eighty percent -- kidney disease, ALS/MS, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Crones, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Dr. Price found that people with strong immune systems were able to stay healthy, despite having root canals. He also found that those healthy individuals, when faced with anything that overly-stressed their immune systems, such as an accident, the death of a loved-one, a severe illness or anything severely taxing, allowed the bacteria trapped in the root-canalled teeth to escape into the body and cause any number of diseases, or a "failure of the body defense system."

When a root canal is performed (41,000 in the United States daily as of 2012), the dentist will drill through the enamel and dentin in order to clean out the root pulp, which is all blood vessels and nerves hooked to your jawbone by the periodontal ligaments. When the hollow root is filled, all the germs and bacteria get packed in and have nowhere to go but out into the body through miles of inaccessible, untreated tubules in which germs and toxins can hide, grow stronger, then mutate into super-bugs. These super-bugs can travel to your heart, lungs, eyes, stomach, mouth, brain, nervous system and now, the latest research shows a link to cancer.

Dr. Robert Jones, in a five-year study of three-hundred breast cancer cases, found ninety-three percent had root canals, seven percent had other dental issues, and tumors always occurred on the same side of the body as the root canal or dental issue. Another physician, Dr. Josef Issels, treated terminal cancer patients for forty years and found ninety-seven percent had root canals.

Doctors and dentists who are knowledgeable about this topic recommend never having a root canal. Even if you’re well after the procedure, as the aging process happens, immune systems become weaker and trouble can start. If you’ve already had a root canal, have the tooth removed, even if it looks and feels fine, and replace it with a non-invasive option (bridge, partial, spider). If you have it removed, make sure your dentist removes the tooth AND the dental ligament along with 1mm of the bony socket to reduce risk of bacteria from infected tissue being left behind. 

If you have infected teeth that need to be extracted, get them out of your body and opt for false teeth (no implants) and watch chronic illness, and aches and pains dissipate or even disappear, and watch your health improve.

To find a biological dentist who will be aware of this procedure, visit toxicteeth.org, or search the internet for an holistic dentist in your area. True natural dentists tend to lay low in order to avoid backlash from the American Dental Association, and may only be found through word-of-mouth.

If you’re living with chronic pain or auto-immune disease, a wise step would be to start checking your teeth. Even if you’ve never had a root canal, subtle dental issues can cause a myriad of life-altering symptoms and diseases. I am living proof that something as simple as a botched filling or a dying tooth can change a life forever.

                                                                                                                                                  

If you suspect your teeth are making you ill:

Find a practitioner who performs any version of muscle testing or energy healing such as:

Applied Kinesiology (AK)

Total Body Modification (TBM)

Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)

Applied Psycho Neurology (APN)

Autonomic Response Testing (ART)

Neurolink (NIS)

Touch for Health

These practitioners can help you discover if it is dental, then you can go on to more testing for confirmation and fix the issue. Generally, you will not find these people on the internet. Chiropractors commonly use AK, but the rest of the list usually practices quietly, so you’ll often find these amazing healers through networking. Once you witness your body showing you what’s wrong in ways that blood work will not, the healing will begin.

To print out a tooth-organ chart visit:

http://www.preventionandhealing.com/articles/ToothOrganChart8.5x11.pdf

Other References:

Root Canal Cover Up, Dr. George Meinig, DDS, FACD

Price-Pottenger Foundation, www.ppnf.org

Cancer Free, Bill Henderson, www.beating-cancer-gently.com

Rescued by my Dentist, (E-Book), Dr. Douglas L. Cook, DDS, SC, www.dentistryhealth.com

www.mercola.com

www.foodmatters.com

www.westonprice.org

The Mysterious Link

If you read my last blog, you know how I struggled with a dental infection, chronic hip pain and immune reactions for almost two years.  The story ended when the dental implant was finished in early September and I had a beautiful molar that cost as much as a diamond ring. I was hopeful that my issues were behind me and my immune system would begin healing.

However, by late autumn, my body couldn’t take the ever-increasing hip pain any longer and responded by repeatedly fainting -- always in public, much to my embarrassment. I visited my regular doctor thinking I was having blood sugar or blood pressure issues, only to find out, once again, my blood work was perfect and maybe I should "take an anti-depressant," (though my blood sugar hovered around 59 and had spikes down into the low 50's). I walked out wondering why I wasted my time and energy, yet again, for zero results. Instinctively, I felt my problem was adrenal related, and the hip pain had something to do with it.

After a few more weeks of suffering, I relented and met with an orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed a tiny rupture in my L-5/ S-1 disc. It was pushing on the sciatic nerve, radiating pain across my pelvis, into my groin and down my right leg. "A laminectomy would fix it," he said with complete confidence, so I scheduled surgery five days before Christmas. I wanted to trust him but my gut was doubtful as I wondered, is that teeny-tiny rupture really the cause of such deep pain or was it the result of fainting in full-stride a couple of weeks prior? 

Throughout the two-year ordeal, I had continued with Vitamin C IVs and as many immune strengthening procedures as I could afford, but it wasn't enough. My practitioner at the time recognized that my problems were too layered for her level of knowledge, and recommended another clinic with two alternative doctors that had been practicing for decades, and specialized in severe immune deficiency cases. 

I got an appointment at the new clinic right away. At the initial consultation, I was tested and diagnosed with twenty-three viruses and illnesses, and had follow-up blood work and other tests to confirm the results. The doctor commented that he didn't know how I was upright and functioning, and that he hadn't seen anyone that ill at my age (41), ever. We created a plan to get me through the impending surgery while repairing my immune system. Hope was restored and I went forward with a positive attitude.

The day of surgery, the surgeon assured me I would have immediate relief, yet four days post-surgery, the pain had increased and I could barely walk. He said to give it more time, “Sometimes nerves take a while to heal.” Recovery didn’t happen and my pain worsened.

Feb 6, 2012, I had a second laminectomy and four other procedures. The surgeon was baffled and tried everything to offer some relief. To no avail -- the pain intensified until I was bed-ridden in agony. My blood pressure kept dropping and I kept fainting. One morning it fell to 60/40 and I had to be taken by ambulance to the ER. After a week in the hospital and test after inconclusive test, they started to act like I was faking it. Yet my legs would fold from underneath me upon standing, and I would crumple to the floor from back spasms and electric shocks that would paralyze my entire body. The doctor started talking about fusing my spine. I refused to have any more surgery, and left the hospital with a heavy heart and no solution.

Weeks passed while I lay in bed depressed and hurting, not eating until three in the afternoon some days because I couldn't get to the kitchen. By then, I was only able to walk with assistance, and wondered how this would all end. The nerve pain was so excruciating, the sheets touching the tips of my toes felt like nails being driven into them. Involuntary screams ripped from my mouth when back spasms wracked my entire body. I toyed with giving up but my faith kept me going, and I believed there was an answer out there somewhere.

I dug deep and used my Type A personality and German stubbornness to make sure I did not quit exploring every option -- I was hell-bent on getting better. I continued to drive myself to the clinic (an hour away) to stay with the immune-repairing program, knowing that strengthening my system was only going to help. 

After several months, my allergies to food and nickel improved, I stopped fainting, and the viruses had been knocked down to twelve, then five. But, the nerve pain remained and I began coming to terms with the potential of living in a wheelchair...and then a miracle happened.

Friday, April 13, 2012, was the day my life changed forever. The doctor I had been seeing was off that day; I was at the clinic for allergy desensitization. The practitioner conducting the procedure noticed the tears gently streaming out of the corners of my eyes as I lay on the exam table, and asked if he could get the other doctor (Dr. M) involved. Why not? I was open to anything. 

He listened carefully to my story, and when I finished he pondered for a moment, then asked me if I had ever had a root canal. "Huh?" was all I could think. He explained that he had seen dental-related nerve pain often, and shared a story about a man in his thirties who hadn't walked in seven years. He came to see Dr. M and discovered it was a dental infection that went undetected by X-rays. After removing the tooth and treating the infection, the man climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro a year later. When I shared my dental nightmare with the doctor, he thought he may have a solution.

He muscle tested the dental implant and found a weakness, so he injected it with Novocain to numb the area and see if there would be any relief. My pain slowly ebbed like a wave rolling out to sea; I got off the exam table easily and walked around the clinic like a normal person. Everyone working there watched. Our eyes got as big as the full moon and we were all silent for a moment. Disbelief....relief...a miracle! I cried tears of joy. I think Dr. M did too. 

Three additional times, a week apart, he numbed it, the spasms released, and the pain washed away. During that time, we tried healing it with ozone and a laser, and my periodontist removed the crown and screw, to no avail. The implant had to come out. 

May 15, 2012, immediately upon its removal, I walked out of the periodontist's office on my own. I could walk! I live a very normal life now. I'm back to exercising and though I see a chiropractor about once a week to keep my lower back healthy, I am grateful every day that I am able to walk and never take for granted my ability to be in this world without a cane, or worse.

From my horrible life-altering experience, I grew in ways that I never would've understood before. I still feel blessed every single day that I can do normal activities; things I thought were over for me. I have patience with people who are hurting, or those who may walk "too slow" in front of me. My compassion for others has grown and I try to take life as it comes -- in moments. If I have an uncomfortable day, I allow myself rest and remember what a bad day truly consists of. 

The strength and knowledge that I gained throughout this ordeal, as well as deeper faith, have helped me deal physically and emotionally with even bigger life-altering events that have happened since. I hope by sharing this information, it continues to shine the light on thinking outside the Western Medicine box and may help one person solve their own health mystery.

In the next blog -- how to determine if your teeth are making you ill. The science behind it and resources to explore. 

"To know truly is to know by causes." Bacon 

[from the book Root Canal Cover-Up, George E. Meinig]