Food Intolerance Questions

I finally got the full report in the mail from my doctor regarding my food sensitivity results, and I'm turning to you, my reliable internet source, to help me out with questions I have.  I know some of you have had this testing done or are meeting with nutritionists, so I'm hoping you can help!  I asked my Napro doctor some of these questions, but I'm not sure he'll know.

First of all, just to recap: I had IgE and IgG serum testing done on 96 general foods.  I had no IgE (allergy, immediate reaction) responses, but several IgG (delayed reaction) responses.  The lab, US Biotek, uses a scoring reaction class as follows (maybe this is the same for all IgG testing?):

• 0- no Reaction
• 1- very low reaction  
• 2- low reaction
• 3- moderate reaction
• 4- high reaction
• 5- very high reaction
• 6- extremely high reaction

Anything a 4 IgG/IgA or higher or a 1 IgE or higher they recommend omitting from your diet.  A 3 IgG/IgA is left up to your practitioner whether or not it should be excluded (my dr said to exclude the 3s as well).  I did not have IgA testing done, so I don't know what it is, but I'm wondering if I should have also had it done as well?

Out of the 96 items tested, I have 19 that I should omit!!  Here's my intolerance list according to the highest reaction number first:

• 6: chicken egg white and chicken egg yolk
• 5: almond, gliadin wheat, spelt, whole wheat, milk
• 4: casein, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, goat's milk, whey, yogurt, kidney bean, wheat gluten, rye
• 3: sugar cane, barley

So what do all those intolerances mean?  Will I ever be able to eat those foods again? I've been reading Sew's blog about her need to heal her gut, and I'm wondering what that means in connection with food intolerances.  Do I have a problem with my gut/digestive system, which is causing all of these intolerances?  How do you get food intolerances anyways?  Can you eat a lot of one particular food on a regular basis and then develop an intolerance?  (I used to eat wheat almost every day because I was trying to be healthy and stay away from white bread because of my PCOS).

The lab recommended I follow a 4-day rotation diet, where you are only eating the same food every 4th day.  The point is to not develop new intolerances, but I'm wondering how important it is to follow a rotation schedule.  I'm going to have a hard enough time finding enough things to eat and keep me full, do I also have to keep track of what and when I eat, so I don't double up on back to back days?

Here are some more of my questions:
-Since wheat gluten is on the list, does that mean I'm gluten intolerant?
-Since all of the dairy items are on my list, am I lactose intolerant?
-What is the difference between the three wheats tested- gliaden, gluten, and whole?
-What do you do with the lower reaction numbers of 1 and 2?  I have corn, peanut, and crab as number 2s, and I'm wondering what that means for intolerance level.
-What effects your test results?  Could me being on 1,000 mg of Metformin effect the results?
-Do I need to take a digestive enzyme and/or a probiotic to heal my digestive system?  If so, any recommendations for good ones?

I'm glad I know all of this information because I do think there is a correlation with my overall health and fertility and all of these intolerances, but sometimes I feel like the more information I learn about my body, the more questions I end up having.  Still, I'm glad I had the test done.  It was less than $200 (insurance didn't cover exploratory testing like this) and I do feel like I'm on my way to a healthier, happier me.  I just wish the process wasn't so long sometimes.  Feel free to email me if you don't want to leave a long comment.  My email address can be found in my profile.  Thanks in advance, my internet "experts."

Reflecting on What Might Have Been

Any journalers out there? I've gone through spurts where I've journaled daily and then there have been spans of months or years where I haven't written down reflections.  Lately, I'm on a journaling kick again and have been going strong for the past 3 years or more.  I think I really picked up daily journaling again when we started trying to conceive and I was diagnosed with PCOS.  Keeping a daily journal helps me to process what I'm thinking and feeling as well as lets me record how I see God working.  And I love having the written record to look back on and see how God answered prayers or remind myself of how God was working in my life when I don't feel that He is currently working.

For whatever reason, I went back to read through some of my journal yesterday.  Perhaps it's because I'm feeling hopeful again that God has good things coming and I'm seeing His hand in my life.  I'm feeling positive about the changes I'm making regarding my diet now that I'm aware of all of the food intolerances that have been wreaking havoc in my body.  I was really last filled with that same hope in September, and so I started there and read through those months from last fall.

September was also the time we found out we were pregnant with our 2nd child, and while that pregnancy ended so quickly, it brought me hope.  I re-read those hope-filled words I had written and was reminded of why and how God had filled me with hope.  I was also reminded of another fact that I had completely forgotten- I had calculated our due date with that baby.  I didn't think I had because the date wasn't etched in my mind as it was with the first baby and miscarriage.

Our due date was May 22nd- today.

And so I write in honor and memory of our little one that is now dancing in the presence of Jesus.  I still can't believe I forgot our due date.  I had remembered it was in May because I was so relieved that it was a different month, a new month, as our due date with our first loss was June 2nd of the previous year.  I remember being so excited about the timing because it meant my husband could still go on our mission trip to Russia in July and I could stay home with our baby.

And here I sit today- thinking about how vastly different our life might have been had that pregnancy stuck.  We'd be holding a newborn or preparing for labor right now to meet our Sweet Pea.  I also can't help but think about the fact we would have had an almost 1-year old now if the first pregnancy with Squirt had stuck.

And yet our life is so different from what might have been.  We're both preparing for a mission trip to Russia in July- no doubt a trip of a lifetime that we get to experience together, and yet, a part of me is sad for the two lives that ended much too quickly.  I'm still hopeful God will bring life to my womb again and life that will result in us meeting our next child face to face on earth.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Food Sensitivity Test Results- Help!

I just got my test results back from the food sensitivity test I did two weeks ago. 96 areas were tested, and while I'm waiting for my doctor to mail me all of the exact results, he did say I had no foods with high levels of IgE (immediate allergic reaction), but I did have several foods with high levels of IgG (delayed reaction).  Those foods are milk and all dairy products tested (including goat milk, casein, whey, cheese, cow's milk, yogurt), chicken eggs, almonds, and wheat. I also had moderate levels of reaction to peanuts and sugar cane.

Help me out, dear friends.  What does all this mean??  Could the food sensitivities be the cause of my fatigue?  Infertility?  Miscarriages?

My doctor suggests eliminating all of these from my diet for a few weeks and seeing how I feel.  I also have PCOS (but am not insulin-resistant), which means I try to stay away from foods high on the glycemic index.  Am I going to be able to eat anything besides vegetables and meat?  Is wheat the same thing as gluten?  I'm also having a celiac panel test done tomorrow, so we'll see if I'm gluten-sensitive.

Blog Neglect and Praise Flower Pots

I'm so sorry, dear Readers, that I've neglected my blog so!  I was in Atlanta for 8 days last week visiting our 15 month-old goddaughter and her family (mom, dad, 4 year-old).  I had a great week and a very bittersweet Mother's Day spent with them. 

Now I'm back to work with the beginning of intensive summer classes.  Life is hectic.  I will blog about my trip when I get the chance to, and if you've sent me an email recently, thank you!  I will respond as soon as I can.

I'll leave you with something that makes me smile.  While in Atlanta, I picked up these solar-powered praise flower to put in my car and at home.  My friend had one in her car, and it just makes me smile. 

Here's the one I put in my car.  It says "peace" and has Isaiah 26:3 on it.  The leaves move up and down and the flower moves back and forth- almost like it's dancing or offering praises.

I got another one for our home and put it in our kitchen window.  This one says "love" and has 1 Corinthians 13:13 on it.

Aren't they the cutest?  They also had other pots that said pray, hope, and friend.  I bought a bunch to give away as gifts, and the best part is they were only $5.  If you have a Family Christian bookstore near you, check them out!  ***Update- Good news!  You can also buy them online.  Go here to order.

May 15th marked another memory verse for the Scripture Challenge I'm doing this year.  I choose this one:  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name.   Hebrews 13:15

It goes along with my praise flower pots and I love the idea of a "sacrifice of praise."  Because of what Jesus has done for me, I should praise Him daily, but because of my sinful nature (my desires, wants, attitudes, judgements, my hurts, etc.), I sometimes don't feel like offering praise- especially going through infertility!  Sometimes it is hard to offer praise, and that's where the sacrifice comes in- I sacrifice my sinful human nature give praise to God for what He has done in sending His Son.

A Quick Update

Hey ladies,

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers on my last post. I feel so much better right now because I have a plan. My doctor called me Thursday night to discuss all of my concerns. It was 7:30pm and he was still in the clinic.  I love his dedication!  First of all, the food sensitivity testing kit had arrived, so I was able to drive down to his lab yesterday and get all of that blood work done.  I fedexed my blood and am looking forward to the results!  Yesterday was my one free day where I was able to make the 3-hour round-trip drive and it happened to be my husband's day off.  Thank you, Lord!  Otherwise, I would have had to wait until June 20th or take time off of work.

He's also agreed to let me do more testing once I'm weaned off of the T3 and Cortisol. I'm going to order some tests myself from Canary Club.  I can't wait to order my own tests!  I'm for sure getting the Cortisol saliva one and there may be a few others- thyroid antibodies, C-reactive protein, etc.  I've asked him about all of these tests before, but he hasn't  really deemed them necessary as he says it wouldn't change his treatment plan.  At least he's willing to look at the results when they arrive and knows I want to have them done.  Any other tests you think I should order?

I also had a good talk with dh in the car.  We talked about how I want to have the tests done to rule problems out and to get a big picture of what's going on in my body.  We talked about the costs and we seem to be on the same page now.  Previously, he wasn't too supportive with all of these exploratory type tests, but he sees how much they mean to me.

I'm heading to Atlanta tonight to visit our goddaughter along with her brother and parents.  I'm excited to see them, but dreading church and activities tomorrow.  I'm praying for strength to make it through and praying for many of you that will struggle in church tomorrow as well. I just realized that if our 2nd pregnancy had stuck, my due date would be quickly approaching.

I'm gone for a week and looking forward to the rest of the time with them, however. I finished our spring term yesterday and don't start summer classes until May 16th, so the break is welcome.  DH is staying home, so it will be hard to be away from him for that long, but he has a ton of reading that he needs to do for his graduate work, so I told him to keep busy with that!

Finally, a shout out of thanks to my prayer buddy Philippians 4:6 who prayed for me during Lent.  She sent me the most perfect gift, a Willow Tree praying angel, and I received it on a day where I was so down.  It brought such a smile to my face.  I love Willow Tree figurines and have collected a few for special events- our wedding, in remembrance of the first baby we lost, and my dh gifts me with a new nativity figurine each Christmas.  We only needed the angel and angel stand to complete the nativity, and Philippians got me the angel!  How perfect!  Like, I seriously wondered if she could read my mind because that's how perfect her gift was.  Thank you again, Philippians!

Adrenals and Thyroid and Hormones- oh my!

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever.  I have so many different post ideas swirling around in my head, and yet, I lack the motivation to put the ideas and words down on the computer.  I think my health is really weighing me down and I dislike that in so many ways.  So, I'm going to blog about my health (ie. vent my frustrations) with the hopes that getting it out well inspire me to continue on blogging about the other things I'm passionate about.

I've been on T3 since the end of February.  I thought it was going to be the miracle drug for me.  In addition to PCOS, infertility, and miscarriages, I suffer from extreme fatigue, cold hands and feet, and low body temps.  All my thyroid tests have come back within range, but my Reverse T3 ratio was off, so I started the Napro T3 regime with my local Napro doc.  I had made my way up to 22.5 mcg in the morning and 15 mcg in the evening.  I was feeling better and more alert, but still not where I envision "normal" people are with their energy and alertness level.  While I was feeling better, my cycles were getting crazier.  They've always been crazy due to my PCOS, but on the T3 they seemed to get extra crazy. I had 7 days of mid-cycle spotting one cycle and then the next cycle I had brown bleeding every single day of my menses.  I've had a few days of spotting mid-cycle before (2-3 cycles in the last 2 years) and a few days of B bleeding during my menses, but not every single day.  It seemed like the hormone problems I have were magnified on the T3.

It was about that same time that I ran across something Sew said about adrenals running the thyroid and the thyroid running hormones.  I began to wonder if we were attacking the wrong part of the equation....was working on the "middle" part throwing off my hormones?  I began to ask (persistently) my Napro doctor about the adrenals.  I'd asked him about it before it and got me a morning Cortisol blood test and 5mg of Cortisol, but I was even more pushy this time.  Were we going about my fatigue the wrong way?  Should we get the adrenals in line before messing with the T3?

He seemed to agree, or at least wanted me to stop pestering him, and now I'm weaning off of the T3 completely.  He wanted to just increase my Cortisol dose to 10 mg, but I'm getting tired off the trial and error method, which is what I feel like we're doing right now.  I want more tests because I want proof of what is really going on.

So I've convinced him to let me wean off the Cortisol, so I can get some tests done.  I'm planning to do the 4 saliva Cortisol test from the Canary Club.  Anyone know how long I should be off of the Cortisol before I do the spit test?  I'm frustrated because I feel like I'm taking 10 steps backwards here.  Why didn't my doctor do these tests before he started me on the meds?  I really feel like Napro is lacking in the adrenal/thyroid area.  Anyone else feel the same way?  I realize my doctor is not an adrenal expert, but who is?  Barbie gave me the recommendation of a thyroid doc 150 miles away from me, but I don't know if I want to start all over with a new doc.

I hate how persistent I feel like I'm having to be with my Napro doc, but I'm also growing impatient.  I turn 33 this summer and am wondering if we're ever going to bring a baby home.  When I first started Napro 2+ years ago, I was really willing to go slowly, wait, and be patient to determine what was wrong.  I'm growing impatient! I also struggle with how much of my health I should take into my hands versus trusting in God to provide answers, work things out, etc.  Should I be patient and rely more on Him? I keep telling myself, however, that I'm seeking answers for my long-term, overall health, which is true.

I would love to hear your advice, experiences, and encouragement because I feel so alone in this battle to discover what (else) is wrong with my body.  I realize none of us are doctors, but I feel like I learn so much from your experiences with Napro and non-Napro doctors.  I'm convinced that once we get to the bottom of the problems, we'll be able to fix them and then (Lord willing) have a healthy full-term pregnancy and an alert lifestyle. Oh....how I long for the day when I'm not tired!

An Update and the Latest Memory Verse

Life has been busy! Have you noticed by my lack of posting?  I'm in final exam week of the term and so ready to be done.  I'm just feeling so tired and worn out in so many different areas- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I have next week off and then summer classes start May 16th already.  Summer classes are short and intense and then I'll have the rest of the summer off, but I'm really wishing I had a longer break now to recharge  on.

I'm spending my week off in Atlanta visiting a dear friend and her family.  We are godparents to her daughter who is now 15 months old and we last saw her at 6 weeks old.  It is definitely time for a visit!  I know the week will be good and it's always so fun to spend time with her as they really live their faith as a family every day of the week.  I always come back with so many ideas on how I want to raise our family in Christ.

May 1st marked another memory verse selection for me and the verse I chose for the next 2 weeks was Deuteronomy 31: 8- The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

I love the image of God going before me- He's already in my tomorrow and yet He's also with me today.  He is the God of my future and the God of my today.  And I like the end about not being discouraged as I've felt really discouraged lately about my health (more details on that coming soon).  I feel like I'm going backwards with my doctor, treatment plan, etc. and I'm turning 33 this summer.  Yikes!  My faith in God growing our family is definitely filled with discouragement and fear, so this verse is a much needed reminder for me at the moment that God is here and God is there already.  There's no need to fear.