Surviving Candida's Recruitment

A week after my birthday, I was recruited into the Candida club. Maybe I should say 'drafted', since I didn't get much of a choice?


ABOUT

I lead a sedentary lifestyle and am a notorious recluse. I also have social anxiety and depression. I was also overweight and was stuck no matter what I did. I only ever fluctuated 10lbs at best, vs my BF who could shed pounds like a winter coat. I had been perimenopausal since 26. If that wasn't enough, I also have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy running in my family, so heart palpitations were something I grew to accept as my new norm. I'm not going to discuss hair thinning/loss. That was the worst. (Funny, huh? Heart palpitations are ok, but don't take my hair! Ah, to be accepted in society.. so foolish a dream we all share.)



SITUATION

I don't have medical insurance or a lot of money. I haven't for the past 15 years. So I can't afford western medical treatment. Also, even if I could, I would rather opt for natural remedies first and use western medicine last. I am not looking for a magic pill that will 'cure' me and at the same time, set me up for loads of other problems. I want a natural remedy that rebalances my candida so I can live a normal healthy life.

At least, that's what I wanted to say. The truth is I haven't been healthy since I was 17, but I always wanted to be. I can elaborate more on my past another time. Right now, I want to say where I am.

Note: If you don't know what candida is, look it up.

RESEARCH and BUYING TIME

I wanted to find a cure, a bonafied cure, not some method of staving off candida overgrowth. So I had to research. Most of the time, the information was too much for me to assemble, but God bless those few who were trying to share their knowledge. Granted, some of it was incorrect, but I'm sure it meant a wealth of treasure to them when they shared it. So for that, thank you. I had to wade in through the net until finally I had enough and plainly pleaded and asked for help. My post went with no reply. Then, a small voice appeared who shared with me a protocol that they used to cure themselves. Bless this person. It led me to find a protocol; but when I saw "turpentine", I kind of set the entire thing aside for a bit. I wanted more options so I could choose the best one.

The more information I found, the further away I felt toward an answer. I needed to buy myself time, so I did the following:

• stopped consumption of all processed food (including baked goods). If God didn't make it, I didn't eat it. (Really difficult in today's modern age.)
  
• stopped consumption of ALL fruit, including melons, grapes, and tomatoes (Yeah. It's a fruit apparently.)
  
• stopped consumption of root vegetables like carrots, potatoes (even the sweet ones I love so much)
  
• stopped consumption of ALL grains (breads, rice, oatmeal etc)
  
• stopped the consumption of starches like beans and potatoes (also already mentioned)
  
• continued to consume meat, but left out processed meats (like deli meat, sausages and bacon)
  
• began consumption of kefir drinks and kefir yogurt
  (Purchased kefir from grocers usually boasts 12 strains of beneficial)
  
• ate sauerkraut 
  (some made me sick, but it actually depends on which method and ingredients they used to make it. Not all fermented foods are created equal!)
  
• purchased a probiotic with at least 14 different strains of bacteria
  I took this first thing in the morning, when stomach acids are at its weakest
  
• ate oat bran in the mornings
  I saw a video somewhere that said this and rice bran is a prebiotic which helped the good bacteria live in the gut longer. I know a lot of people avoided grains altogether, but I didn't see a bad reaction so I accepted this once or twice a week, and only in the mornings right after taking my probiotics. I knew this wasn't a path to curing myself. I was just trying to buy myself more time and the little probiotic soldiers in my gut were going to need nourishment for the long war. :)
  
• increased consumption of Virgin Coconut Oil
  I ate 1 tablespoon a day or more. I used it in cooking and sometimes used it to snack with. If I found myself having mid-day cravings, I ate more of this stuff because it meant I needed more fats.
  
• drank a LOT of water
  
• increased consumption of garlic and onions
  

SYMPTOM HELP WITH HOMEOPATHY

For my symptoms of bloating and stomach pain, I went to a homeopathic forum. The first homeopath didn't detect my sensitivity to a remedy, and they over-prescribed something to me, then tried to compensate by prescribing something else to counter it. Another homeopath said to stop all dosing and somehow took over my case. She was the one who figured out that I had candida overgrowth. Initially she helped me restore some balance so I was in less pain, but many things were still wrong with me and it had come to the point where I didn't find any of her recommendations useful. That and a poor beside manner left me to look for my own answers. I stayed with my above diet and kept looking for answers. This lasted 3-4 months.

First Step Forward

I Began Here

I posted help on a community, and someone on CureZone answered me. They told me they cured their candida and linked their protocol on their on-site blog. I had further questions, but they disappeared.

This is the article. I link the entire thing because the comments within it are a gold. The actual protocol is here, but I found many answers to unasked questions in the comments. The author, Bill Thompson, is so kind and generous with his advice. I have never been so grateful for a stranger. I am humbled by his willingness to share his knowledge freely. He is saving lives just by sharing. Bless him.

The book he wrote, "Killing So Sweetly", is something I am currently going through. It breaks down all the information I found on the internet in laymen terms. (Thank you.) I also recommend reading it before you judge the protocol. Please by the real book, vs picking up a pdf at a shady website. Your I.T. person will thank you. =)

 

First Step

I just started the iodine portion of the protocol tonight. I wanted to wait till the weekend, but the amount of brain fog and clumsiness I had to endure today forced my hand. I even mixed up the support supplements at one point and my boyfriend had to help me sort it out. I can't imagine people who do this all by themselves.

I took 1 drop to be safe (with companion nutrients). It has been 6 hours since, and I feel okay. Wait. That's strange because my lower back was aching and hot all day, and at one point had sharp pains a few hours prior to my taking the iodine. My day was full of achy lower back pain, and right now it feels ... a little stiff, less ache, but no real pain.  Last night was also painful and achy, So maybe my kidneys are hanging in there? 

I need to drink more water to help them and my liver out, but I'm already sick of water, and salad. "The cure is worse than the disease" - I have a feeling I'll come to understand that meaning through and through before this is over, but if it saves me, I'll be stronger for it.

My Symptom List

I started to keep a notebook on my symptoms and logged when I would take meals, as I often skipped them. I also recently added bowel movements and urination. The former is obviously important, but the latter is as well. Since the brain fog started, this will help me see where I am in the day and how I've been doing, because trying to remember will be fruitless.


( Click to show list )

9/18
⦁ red itchy bump on inner calf of left leg
⦁ red spot under right eye (hope this wont itch, too)
⦁ red spot 1 inch under right corner of mouth (colon area on Chinese face map)
⦁ blister on lower lip