Gradual Detox

It's been three weeks since the first half of the mercury amalgams have been removed.  Although I'm doing 'pretty' well on my detox program, I'm beginning to show some symptoms associated with detoxing.

I have a couple of skin conditions that seem to be worsening.  One is a rash on my chest and neck area that looks similar to a heat rash.  The other is a rash that I've had since the onset of my hypothyroidism.  It looks like little blisters, around my wrists and now has now extended to my hands and up my forearms.

What I've added to my detox regimen is (additional) intestinal detox and skin detox.

Jill (right) and Cristy (right) of All's Well That Ends Well

First is colon hydrotherapy, also known as colonics.  I had my first back-to-back sessions last week.  I'm not going to lie, it was a little strange, but I'm willing to experience a bit of discomfort to get the mercury out of my body.  I worked with Jill Simons and Cristy Warren at All's Well That Ends Well.  Both were very informative, helpful, and supportive to my mission and I highly recommend them.

I plan to go in every other week until the second half of mercury is removed and I can start full-on chelation with a naturopath, during which time I plan to have colonics done weekly.  After the mercury is gone I'll likely continue with the colonics on a monthly basis, due to the 'malformations' in my intestines that make them more susceptible to diverticulitis, which is NOT FUN!  Also the primary reason I started this journey....

Slightly less embarrassing and invasive and is the skin detox, which is comprised of infrared sauna and skin brushing.

First, the infrared sauna I visited was R3 Health located in Anisha: A Center for Holistic Health.  I met with Michael Alexander and he was also very helpful.   I liked the facility and the sauna was brand new and very nice.  The infrared sauna isn't like traditional saunas, where you sweat right away.  These heat you up from the inside, like a fever.  As a result I found the experience very comfortable and meditative.  I will definitely be going back.

Finally, skin brushing is a practice that was explained to me by Elisabeth Dunham, nutritionist extraordinaire.
I have a brush and have used it a few times, but not for 10 minutes as recommended.  I'll have to work on that.  If you want to read more about it, check it out here: http://www.whole-body-detox-diet.com/dry-skin-brushing.html

The Inbetween

Hope to have a full smile soon!

Finally I have the first of the seven mercury amalgams removed from my mouth!   Three down, four to go.   I wish I could have them all out at once.  Unfortunately, six of the seven require crowns so I need to do one half of the mouth first, then give it some time to heal before doing the other crowns.  I am planning to have the other half removed the first week of March.

My dentist removed three huge mercury amalgams on Thursday.   His name is Dr. Jeffery Williamson and his office is the Centerpointe Dental.  He is awesome and so is Julie, his assistant.    In fact, Julie has been through the mercury removal process, too.   I wanted to ask her more questions about her experience, but I was not very coherent.  When I go back for my permanent crown fittings, I'll interview her.

Before leaving home, the dentist requested I take the ativan he prescribed for the appointment.  I arrived at the dentist's office at 8AM and was VERY loopy, but relaxed.  Once in the chair, Julie set up the nitrous and I don't remember anything until noon when the work was finished.  I'm very glad I opted for the extra sedation.  A four hour dental appointment would otherwise leave me in one huge knot of tension.   My face is still sore, a little swollen, and I'm not ready to chew on that side.  I'm so glad to finally have some of the mercury out.

Dr. Bridghid McMonagle

I've also visited an infrared sauna twice in the last week.  I'll be writing more about that in an upcoming blog.

As for the detox process, I have added quite a few supplements since my last blog post.   I now take Selenium, spirulina, a B complex, and a probiotic.  This last week my naturopath, Dr. Bridghid McMonagle, gave me a supplement called Detoxification Factors.  I'm taking this two or three times as day.

Also during my last visit with Dr. McMonagle, she gave me an IV of glutithione which is one method to "jump start" my metabolism and help me recover from mercury "amalgam illness" (which includes hypothyroidism).

It's my vision that as a result of this mercury detox that I will restore my thyroid to normal function and no longer need medication.  Wouldn't that be excellent?

My current supplement schedule is listed below.  If you are starting a similar detox journey, I encourage you to write a journal and to create a chart.  For me,  I've added in each supplement one at a time and monitored its effect before adding a new one.  Since my regimen has grow gradually, it was surprising even to me to realize I am taking so many!  I'm glad I developed a chart to keep track of what supplements I take and when, as well as any perceived effect.

Morning:   (along with a green smoothie)

• armor thyroid (2)
• Digest Gold enzyme (2)
• Garden of Life probiotic (1)
• Spirulina (500 mg)
• Omega 3 fish oil (1000 mg)
• 400 IU Vitamin E
• 10,000 IU Vitamin D
• B-Complex (50 mg)

Mid-Morning:   (on an empty stomach)

• Detoxification Factors (1)
• Vitamin C (500 mg)

Before Eating lunch or dinner:

• Digest Gold enzyme (2)
• Vitamin C

Bedtime:

• Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc complex (1)*
• Selenium 
• Detoxification Factors (1)

Good, solid sleep!

I'm happy to report that the first change I made in the pre-detox protocol was to replace my generic magnesium supplement with an elemental magnesium tablet that also contains calcium and zinc.

2001 ice-skating with my daughter

On a whim, I decided NOT to take a sleep aid that night.  I haven't taken one since and I'm sleeping soundly.  This makes me very happy since, like many others,  I have had difficulty with sleep as I've gotten older.

As we age, sleep can become more and more elusive.  Although I could place the blame entirely on my thyroid it's not the only culprit.  My sleep problems were likely a team effort of hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalance, lack of exercise, poor sleep hygiene, too much caffeine, back pain, and stress.

2007 At my son's wedding.

Maybe my lack of sleep caused me to get fat.  I've included a couple pictures of me - one before the thyroid issues started and a picture of me in September 2007 when thyroid and stress were impacting me most.

I attempted to improve my sleep hygiene, cut back on caffeine and bought a new temperpedic bed.   My sleep improved quite a bit until the last couple years, when my thyroid and racing heart would wake me.  Not an easy thing to go back to sleep afterward!

A couple of months ago, my insomnia got so bad I even resorted to taking the sleep aid ambien.   I was finally able to get a good night of sleep, even though I felt a bit groggy in the morning.   The idea of being dependent on a drug to get to sleep just didn't feel right but good sleep was important and nothing else seemed to work.

With the new magnesium supplement I am sleeping soundly and waking refreshed.  Tonight I will add the selenium and see if anything changes.

The new supplement is made by Bluebonnet and contains elemental sources of the following:
Calcium (1000 mg)
Magnesium (400 mg)
Zinc (15 mg)
Copper (1 mg)
Boron (100 mcg)

There isn't too much else going on yet, since I'm adding new supplements in one at a time.  Being able to get a good nights sleep is an unexpected and very welcome change!  24 days to go!

29 Days to go

29 days until the first of my mercury removal appointments.  So far I'm feeling mostly excited and hopeful.  It helps to know that I'll be using the conscious sedation, too.   Like most, just the sound of a dental drill sends me through the roof.  Bring on the nitrous and an ipod!

Me and Melanie last spring.

Today my daughter, Melanie, and I ate lunch at an excellent spot in NW Portland called Prasad  (thanks for telling me about this spot, Megan!).  They have excellent, healthy rice bowls and juice.  Melanie had the zucchini pesto, I had the dragon bowl, and we shared a fresh squeezed carrot juice - delicious!

Afterward, we went to Whole Foods to pick up some supplements for my detoxing.  Today I bought a B-complex, sirulina, selenium, and a Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc combo.   I will only add one at a time so I can better chart any changes or side-effects.  Tonight I will replace my current bedtime magnesium supplement with the new combo.    After 4-5 days, I'll add the B-complex, then the Spirulina and finally the Selenuim.  This way I can better determine if any new supplement has any positive or negative impact.

I'm still looking for a chart or schedule of some sort that I can use to keep track of my daily supplements and any changes or side-effects I might notice during this process.  If you know of anything like that, please leave a comment with a link, if you would be so kind.

Blessings!

T-minus 30 days

Thirty days until my first mercury amalgam removal session. 

Did you know "silver" amalgam fillings are actually 50% mercury?  Did you know that mercury is incredibly toxic?  Did you know it's more toxic than lead, arsenic, or cadmium?  Isn't it surprising that so many dentists have used mercury in our mouths, of all places?  

Fortunately not all dentists use mercury.  By the way, I have the best dentist in the Portland area for mercury removal.  Dr. Jeffrey Williamson, DDS of Centerpointe Dental.  I met with Dr. Williamson and his staff in October to begin scheduling the removal of my mercury fillings.   Everyone at the clinic was very professional, knowledgeable, and supportive.  

Due to the age of these fillings and my less than ideal remaining enamel, six out of seven of the teeth with amalgam fillings will need crowns.  This makes my project much more expensive, which is why I am waiting until the first of February to start the work.  The second half of my mercury fillings will be removed and teeth crowned 30 days later.

Today I had my final session with my nutritional counselor, Elisabeth Dunham Gerding.  She helping me compile my list of pre-detox supplements and recommendations.  Tomorrow I visit my family doctor.

Blog launch - T minus 31 days

I am preparing to detox from mercury and recover from heavy metal poisoning.  This blog is to document my detoxing process before, during and after the removal.  I can only hope that this will help someone else who is suffering from mercury poisoning.

Last year I got sick.   Sicker, I should say.

In August,  I ended up in the emergency room with extreme intestinal pain.   I was diagnosed with diverticulitis, a condition where intestinal pockets become infected.   The doctor told me some people have recurring diverticulitis, and might need to have sections of the colon removed.    I had nightmares of colonoscopy bags, etc.  (which turns out to be an unsubstantiated fear, since many of procedures do not require colonoscopy bags).

Anyway, I started watching my diet.  But not carefully enough.  One month later, while on the other side of the US visiting my daughter at University of Richmond, I ended up in the emergency room again, with a diverticulitis relapse.  Now I'm really scared!

I returned home to Portland and finally called a nutritionist.  Enter health counselor Elisabeth Dunham Gerding.    If you need nutritional help - check her out NOW!  I know she helps many people and will work with you online or over the phone.

Elisabeth echoed a suggestion my naturopath, Dr. Bridghid McMonogle, made earlier in the year.  I started seeing Dr. McMonogle two years ago when I was feeling particularly disheartened with the lack of improvement in my thyroid.  She recommended a gluten-free diet and mercury removal, which seemed extreme to me at that time.  Who knew dental fillings would cause such a problem?  You'd think the American Dental Association would know!

In the early 1970s, our family dentist used mercury amalgams for fillings.  Forty years later, I still have seven of these mercury fillings in my mouth.  For me the symptoms didn't really start until around 2003, when I was detected as having hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid under performs.  My case of hypothyroidism was diagnosed with a 30 pound weight gain over a one year period.  Ugh.  I was also exhausted and often needed a nap in the afternoon.

All of my life, I've been in great shape, not skinny, but fit.  That's me in the photo swinging the bat at a softball game in 2000.  I participated in sports, danced, and hiked regularly.  My ideal weight is 140 pounds.

Over the next eight years, my weight has fluctuated between 165 and 190, primarily between 170 and 180.   I was prescribed a variety of thyroid medications which seemed to make my bloodwork better, but I was still exhausted.  In 2010 I got up to 199 and decided to try the HCG diet.  I was able to lose 25 pounds relatively quickly, but still didn't get my health or energy back.

When I explained all of these symptoms and my history to Elisabeth, she just nodded.  Then she shared her experience, strength, and hope with me.  Elisabeth is a primary catalyst in me changing my diet and starting my mercury removal process.  Please visit her website at www.elisabethdunham.com to read more about her miraculous recovery from mercury poisoning and lyme disease.

I plan to use many methods for detoxing, including chelation with my naturopath, infrared saunas, hot yoga, diet and supplements.   I certainly want to hear from you if you have experience or questions about the mercury removal process.