MetalloClear Week 12

Today starts Week 12, Day 78 of my heavy metal detox.  I don't have anything new to report since last week. Things have been okay, no better and no worse. I still have a swollen, painful joint on one of my fingers but my doctor doesn't think it's related to the detox. I checked this morning and it seems I only have 47 more days to go.  Let the countdown begin!!

I'm debating when to start my supplements again. My doctor said to take 2-3 weeks off and tomorrow will make it 2 weeks since I stopped. I'll probably wait one more week and then touch base with her to see. 

MetalloClear Week 11

I started Week 11 of my heavy metal detox yesterday; today is Day 72.  I started getting really burned out last week again on everything and I wasn't sure if how I was feeling was caused by side effects from any one of the 10+ supplements I had to take everyday, the detox itself or just plain burnout on it all. I seemed to have a headache everyday, insomnia, depressed feelings and just wanting to cry, completely dreading the supplements and even my diet.  Most recently, I developed joint pain in my fingers/knuckles and a few of them are pretty swollen. I got really sick of eating a lot of high fat too and longed to sit down to a "normal" meal.  (Not that how I was eating wasn't normal, it was actually very healthy.  I guess I was just craving some comfort type food high in carbs!!)  I let my doctor know and she advised me to stop everything except the detox for 2-3 weeks and to see how I feel.  I can't even tell you what freedom it felt like to pack up all my supplements and put them out of sight for now.  I wish I could have stopped the detox too but I guess I made it this far, I may as well finish.  I also started eating a bit more carbs with my gluten free bread and cereal but surprise, that didn't make my body feel better just my mind! Now that I feel like I don't have to do something, it's been easier to get back on track with eating the way my doctor advised because I know I'm not bound to it.  That's a ridiculous way to live and I know it's not the way the Lord wants me to view food.  I'm really seeking Him on this matter and plan to eat according to how He guides me each day. I did seem to do really well with the high fats and protein, but there has to be a balance. 

My gallbladder test came back normal which kind of surprised me. I'm not sure what all those gallbladder like symptoms were that kept happening to me. I did make the connection between eating my homemade granola (with almonds, cashews, pumpkin & sunflower seeds with coconut oil & honey) with having the attacks so maybe for some reason I'm intolerant to that right now. 

There's a scripture that says: "Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31).  I came across it the other day and thought to myself that I was getting tired and weary and certainly didn't feel filled with strength.  It occurred to me that I must not be waiting "on the Lord" like I should.  Where has my focus been?  I think I've just been waiting for this detox to be over and focusing too much on what I see and not on what I can't (2 Cor 4:18). I'll admit it's a daily battle to keep my eyes on the Lord but I know that it's the only focus I can have to make it through all this!

MetalloClear Week 10

I'm starting Week 10, Day 64 of my heavy metal detox today. I hit a milestone yesterday and finally finished my first bottle of MetalloClear! I start the second bottle today and have 8 weeks left to go. I decided to stay at the dose of 2 in the morning and 1 at night since I'm doing alright at that dosage and my doctor confirmed that it hasn't seemed to matter if the detox is done faster or slower.  I'll take slower and avoid the risk of any further side effects. I also ditched the medical food shake I was drinking everyday to support the detox in favor of capsules called Xymogen DPO med caps. They serve the same purpose and I had reached my breaking point with drinking that shake.  For the past week I've felt like vomiting it up and you know when you know that you're just done with something.  I'm thankful there was an alternative.  My husband and I have this silly thing we do when we get rid of something we don't like.  You know that song "na na na hey hey (goodbye!)!"?  Yeah, well I sang the first bottle of MetalloClear and the medical shake all the way to the garbage!

On a separate note, I've been having some issues with my stomach that seem to be gallbladder related. I'm having an ultrasound today to check things out since my mother and sister both had theirs removed at my age. I'm not sure what's causing all the pain and related fun symptoms.  Could it be my new high fat diet?  I know that fat affects the gallbladder. I'm not sure, but I'm sure hoping it's not that and that I don't need surgery!!  If it's not my gallbladder though, I can't imagine what it could be.  

I started a magnesium supplement this week too at the suggestion of the nutritionist I met with who went over my 23andMe results with me. I'm not sure what it can add to my health, but I hear a lot about magnesium deficiencies and how it can affect a lot of bodily systems. I remember trying it once a while back to see if it would help with my dizziness, but I don't think I tried it long enough.  We shall see!

MetalloClear Week 9

Today I start Week 9, Day 57 of my heavy metal detox. I'm still taking 2 in the morning and 1 at night. I don't have anything new to report. I'm not really experiencing any new side effects and I'm not better yet either. If I stay at this dose, I still have 9 weeks to go with this detox so here's to hoping I start getting relief in the weeks to come!

On a separate note, I had genetic testing done from 23andMe and got the results of that last week. It's overwhelming and extremely detailed so I won't bother going into it here unless anyone is curious enough to ask. I have some genetic mutations that affect things like B12, Vitamin D, brain function (GABA) and things like toxicity to acetaminophen (good to know!), excess estrogen, histamine sensitivity and more.  Of course I already knew about my methylation issues and the full genetic testing revealed more issues in that cycle so now I know some more things to be cautious of, but nothing life changing.  I'm not about to walk around worrying about all these things when I know full well the Lord is in control of it all.  I can only take care of myself the best I can and trust in Him for the rest. 

Interesting enough, the woman I met with talked about how our genes are only a small part of the equation, and it's how we live our lives that actually determines our health. She wasn't just talking about what we eat, if we exercise, or smoke/drink and more, but also if we hold on to things like anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, what we think about and look at with our eye, etc.  Yup, the Bible talks all about this stuff.  Turns out, our Creator knows what He's talking about.  It's all in His word of truth to live by.  Not that I needed any convincing. 

MetalloClear Week 8

Today is week 8, day 50 of my heavy metal detox.  I have at least another 8 weeks to go since I'm not taking the full dose yet. I don't have anything new to report since last week. I'm still on the dose of 2 in the morning and 1 at night, but I do plan on increasing to 2 at night soon.  If anything new comes up, I'll post about it. Until then, I'll be plugging along!

MetalloClear Week 7

I'm starting Week 7, day 43 of my heavy metal detox today. Since my last post I can report no new symptoms (or, potential "side effects").  My blood sugar evened out within a day of me dropping back down to the dosage of 1 in the morning and 1 at night.  I increased back up to 2 in the morning and 1 at night this past Monday, 5/11, so that is my current dose. We'll see how it goes this time.  So far so good!  I wish I was on the full dose this whole time because if I were, I'd be done with all this in one more week!  Ah well, the Lord has His purpose and plan in it all.  

I'm feeling a lot less like quitting too. I think these emotions are normal, especially since they're coupled with my burning out on care-giving for my grandma.  That definitely adds to the stress of things most days. I can only continuously go before the Lord in prayer and bible study to carry me though. 

Focusing on the positive, I can honestly say I feel so much better this year than I did at this time last year. I was just discussing with my sister how much better I seem to be handling the tree pollen. Last year the pollen would have me down and own with horrible dizziness, ear pain/pressure and being off balance. That's not the case at all this year and the pollen is supposedly worse.  It does still affect me somewhat, but I'm nowhere near bedridden like I was. I credit a lot of that healing to fixing my gut bacteria and am praying this detox pushes me past the finish line!

MetalloClear Week 6

I starting Week 6, Day 36 of my heavy metal detox today. I've been on the dosage of 2 in the morning and 1 at night since 4/26.  I never increased any higher because I had another rough week of symptoms.  My hip pain and the anxiety I was experiencing are completely gone; however, I started having major blood sugar issues. It's not like me to get really shaky in the mornings or between meals, but that started happening every day.  I'm eating really healthy so I can't blame it on my diet. I checked in once again with my doctor and she advised me to decrease my dosage back down to 1 in the morning and 1 at night.  I start that today.  She believes the metals are shifting in my body and said she thinks my symptoms are actually a very good sign.  Here's to praying she's right!  

I'd like to be frank and whine for a bit about how I've grown completely weary of this whole process. I'm sick of being sick, sick of eating healthy, sick of all the water I have to drink, sick of taking MetalloClear and the fake peach shake that accompanies it and all my supplements.  All joking aside about whining, I'm actually being serious. Is it normal to hit some kind of wall with all this? I wish I had someone who went through this process to talk with.  The Bible tells us that tribulation brings about perseverance (Romans 5:4) and the Lord sure is working that out in me now!  I can't even tell you how I want to just quit it all but then I'm reminded of this cartoon:

Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow and maybe not.  This struggle keeps me close to the Lord and I have to trust that's exactly where He wants me to be at this moment in time.  I'm not even pretending it's easy because it's not.  Did I mention I'm on the edge of quitting??