This just makes me SICK....

Okay....  So, let me get this straight....

Before I had my Mirena inserted after my daughter's birth, the Mirena was ONLY to be marketed to women in a monogamous relationship who have had at least one child (for a lower risk of the uterus being unable to handle it/keep it from expelling or perforating the uterus).

THEN I find out that--when the Mirena was first marketed, the doctors were told that it was NOT supposed to be used in nursing mothers because nursing causes the uterus to contract and therefore increase the risk of perforation/damage to the body.  I find this interesting considering that it was given to me BECAUSE I was nursing and it was a "safer option" for my baby.  Whoopsies, doc.....

THEN I find out, by the time Mirena #2 came into the picture (only 2 1/2 years later) that it went from being marketed to only women who have had at least one children FOR SAFETY REASONS...to now being given to any women who simply wants a lighter period.  Hmmmmmmmm.....apparently, the safety issue didn't matter anymore.  Convenient....

THEN I find out that the Mirena uses the exact same ingredient for its contraception as THE MORNING AFTER PILL.  Something that a woman can take as a one-time "oops" that is strong enough to kill off impending pregnancy is what is consistently dripping into our systems every single day for five years straight?  Wow....I'm shocked that this isn't working out well for our health.  Oh...hey doc....you forgot to tell me that, too.

THEN I get this article in my inbox (click below):

Mirena--Now for teenage birth control

WHA-WHA-WHAAAAAAAT??????  Something that, only three years ago, was stated as only safe for women in a monogamous relationship who have had at least one child, has then gone to, "Oh, wait....you can have one if you just want your period to be lighter....and now we are at, "Hey...if your teenage girl is having sex, and you think she may not be able to remember to take a pill, put a Mirena in her."

You have GOT to be kidding me.

I remember being a teenage girl.  Your hormones are already ALL OVER THE PLACE.  I can't even imagine going through the hell that I went through two years ago when I was a teenager.

I read the announcement that it was now to be marketed to teenagers, and--I'm not going to lie--it made me cry.

So great....let's get a bunch of young girls on a birth control that will now make them NOT use any sort of protection that protects against STDs, AND let's put something in them that is making women so sick that they commit suicide or feel like they are going insane.  Great....yeah....let's shove one of those in a fifteen-year-old girl.  How could that possibly go wrong?

All about the almighty dollar....

What is WRONG with people?????

You're doing great....

On September 2nd, I hit my two year anniversary from the day that I had my Mirena removed and starting fighting to get my life back.  

It gets better ladies....KEEP GOING.....  

Just a reminder....

You've got this, ladies.

Keep fighting.  You're doing great.

Irony....

I have to say that I have a bit of a chuckle going on.  Gotta find humor in a humorless situation sometimes....

Does anyone else find it ironic that we got the Mirena to avoid taking ONE pill a day, and now I have to take 8,434,154,950 pills a day to counteract what it did?

Well, THAT seems a bit pointless now.

Just one day...

So, I am very happy to say that, lately, I have actually been feeling really good.  Detoxing again was a really good thing, and it seems to have re-set my system again.  I'm hoping--ultimately--that it was the final necessary detox for me, but--if not--that it will give me even more time before my systems start short-circuiting again.  As of now...I feel great.  I feel as normal as I think I will probably be.  What I mean by that is that the only symptoms that I still have to deal with right now are the vision loss and the joint/back pain.  I have just come to accept that those two things just may be permanent damage.  If so, I have to accept that...and I will.  I can at least function with that.  Luckily, all of the other symptoms seem to currently be gone.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be able to say that.  There was a day once when I didn't know if I ever would.

I wanted to show you something, though....

I still have to actively work for my health.  My body is not at a point where it is naturally strong or working the way that it normally would.  I have to feed my body supplementation for it to run at a level that most can do without it.  For 20 months now, I have to fuel my body with extra supplementation every day.  It's a pain....yes....but I do it because it makes a big difference for me.  Eventually, my systems should rebuild themselves and be able to run correctly without them, but for now, I do what I need to do to feel good.  I thought maybe you would like to see what that is.

This is one day of supplements for me.  Yep....one day:

It's surprising that I don't sound like a change purse when I walk, huh?  :-)

I'm not posting this to discourage anyone.  Some seem to get better without all of this, and some need even more interventions than I do.  You just never know.  I'm thankful that I haven't needed any surgeries or anything--many have.  So for now....I will happily take these and be so grateful that I have the opportunity and ability to do it for myself.  I'm just posting this to further get the word out that this is something that the Mirena can do to you.  Almost two years after removal, I have to do this--every day--just to have my body work normally.  When I take them, I feel great....when I don't, I slip fast.  At least these are all natural, whole-foods supplements that feed my body in a healthy way.  No more synthetic poisons for this girl if at all possible.  One day, I'm convinced that I won't need all of this.  I'm already celebrating that day.  For now, this is part of my daily fight back.

Thanks, Mirena.  Keep fighting, ladies.  I'm right there with you.

What a difference a detox makes!

Wow.....Let me say that again.....What a difference a detox makes!

As you all know, I just completed my third detox since having my Mirena removed.  I had one about four months after removal, another one about six months after that, and this one was about a year since my last one.  I knew that it was time because I was getting a resurgence of symptoms that had been gone for awhile.  I was frustrated, but I am happy that it seems like I am given a longer and longer period of time before I have to detox again.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I feel so much better now.  I completed my detox about a week ago.  It made a big difference.  The month before I detoxed (last month), I struggled through almost every transition of my cycle.....dizziness, problems thinking, weak hands, issues with my breathing (that was starting to get really bad again).  I detoxed for the three weeks again, and I can honestly say that my entire last cycle just came and went, and I hardly even noticed it.   I was traveling for a family wedding, finishing up my most recent grad school course, potty trained my little boy, and I felt strong through all of it.  Thank you, God.

Talking with Dr. J., I think I am going to be a bit more proactive on the detoxing for this next year.  Instead of waiting until I am symptomatic, I am going to do a detox every 3-4 months or so for the next year just to REALLY keep my blood and organs clean instead of waiting for all of the toxins to build back up. It's a better choice for me because when I start becoming symptomatic again, I go downhill FAST.  I've learned that the past two times I've had to detox.  I start getting one symptom, then two more, etc., until--by the time the box of the detox reaches my front door--I am practically sprinting to the door to get it because I feel so sick.  Maybe if I do a few detoxes while my system is still strong, that will be it.  One can always hope.

One thing that I have definitely learned through this is that, as much as I wish it was, this sickness that the Mirena throws some of us in is not one that you can always knock out in one detox and then you are done.  Now, you just never know.....I know women who were back to feeling great within just a couple of months after the first detox.  I also know far too many ladies who are three years after removal and still struggling consistently.  I am currently at 20 months post removal.  I have good days.  I have bad days.  I've learned that the detoxes really help me.  Unfortunately, it isn't a "one and done" scenario for me.  It may not be for you either.  I keep my chin up and remind myself that--with each detox--I am getting more and more of the poison out of my tissues, and that is a good thing.    It's not cheap.  I wish it was.  I'm 35 years old, and I have to have help from my parents to be able to do these detoxes because I can't afford them on my own.  It's humbling and embarrassing....but at this point, there is nothing else that I can do.  I'm just so thankful to have people in my life who are fighting this with me.  I don't like to even think about where I would be without them.

I am also starting, this week, on some new supplements that I've never taken before.  I'm hoping that it might be that "magic cocktail" that I need to finally get rid of these last stupid symptoms that seem to want to stick around.  Pray for me?

As always, I will keep you updated.  But for today....I feel GOOD--and I have for a few weeks now.  And for that I am so thankful.

As all of you women know all too well now....each good day is such a gift and one you should grab with both hands.  More and more are coming for all of us.  Keep fighting.  Love you all.

How I met "Dr. J."

I've had some people ask me how I came to meet Dr. Jennings....once they heard that I live in Arizona and he lives in Kansas.  I'll explain....but let me first ask, do you believe in "God things"?  I sure do.  I think it was a "God thing" that we crossed paths--especially considering that no other doctor was giving me the time of day when I was dying more and more by the day.  Anyway......

When I first had my Mirena taken out, I crashed HARD about a week later...then again two months after that.  I had awful insomnia, debilitating anxiety attacks, adrenal attacks, problems breathing, couldn't think, constantly dizzy, my hands wouldn't work sometimes, you name it.  It was around this time that I forced my General Practitioner to run the silicone blood test.  As I'm sure you remember from my previous posts, he thought I was crazy for asking, told me that it was pointless...yada yada yada....I forced him anyway, got the results back, and YEP....elevated silicone in my blood.  You know that whole story.

When I hung up from that phone call with those results, I was in shambles because I was told, basically, that there is nothing that you can do for that.  "Silicone is a permanent synthetic, and you will have to go elsewhere for any sort of treatment because I (GP) don't even know where to start with that."

I felt so alone...and scared to death.  I was getting sicker by the day, and I now have proof of blood poisoning with nobody willing (or now. in my mind, even ABLE) to help me get better.

Of course, I then do what many do, and I called my mom bawling my eyes out.  Yes....even in my mid-thirties, I just need my momma sometimes.  :-)

(This is where I should explain that I live in Arizona now--after I married my husband--but I lived in Kansas up to that point, and my family still lives there.)

After telling my mother the results, she told me that she used to teach with a woman who, if she remembered correctly, had a son who was a doctor who dealt with "naturopathic healing".  She had no idea if he was in the area, but she would check and get back with me.

Hardly any time passed when she called me back and said,  "He's here....just ten minutes away.  He said that he really thinks he can help you."

I lost it.    Hope.   Thank you, GOD.  I had been praying SO HARD.....

This is where the "God thing" just blows me away.  My mother used to work with his mother years ago, and even though my mom is now retired, she was able to track him down.  That's not it....it gets cooler, so hang with me....

Every other year, we fly to Kansas to my family's house for Thanksgiving.  When I received my blood test results, I was only a couple of weeks from flying there for the holiday.  My husband had to work until right before Thanksgiving, but I was going to take my kids and leave ten days earlier to be able to spend some additional time with my family.  I was going to be there for three weeks total.

When my mom called Dr. J and learned about how he thought he could help me, he brought up the detox.

My mom let him know that I coming here in just a matter of days, and she wanted to get me in right away to see him.  She asked how long it would take for this detox.

His answer:  A 21-day detox.  That's right....three weeks exactly.  The exact amount of time that I was going to be right there, in that state, right by his office.  Hello?  God thing???  Come on, that is just pretty amazing.

I guess you would say that the rest is history.  I walked in his office, he told me that I was right about what was wrong with me (first time I heard that from a doctor), he told me that he could help me get the silicone out (first time I heard that from a doctor),  and I'm sure that was followed by me crying like an idiot.  Honestly, I was so sick at that point, I don't really remember a lot.  I just remember him saying, "If they can get the poison in, I can get the poison out."  Hearing that, and finally hearing a doctor say that he believed me, I had hope again....something to hold on to.  He told me that it would take some time because a detox helps your own heal body heal itself from the inside out.  It's not like a synthetic pill that will just numb your symptoms 20 minutes later.   I told him, "I'll wrap my head in a cow uterus and stand on my head for four days straight if you tell me it will make me better."  Luckily, I learned that Dr. J had a sense of humor, too, so he just laughed and told me that it wasn't going to be quite that bad.  :-)

I still just shake my head at the whole thing.  I can't believe it.  I told my mom that God might have had a reason for putting her in that little school where she taught with this other woman....and it could very well have been because, twenty years later, this woman's son was going to help save her daughter.

Since then, Dr. Jennings has not only continued to help me, but he has since continued to learn more about what has happened to us and now reaches out to so many other women who have also been poisoned by this terrible device.  He was an answer to prayer.  We need more doctors like him.

I was talking to him once about how frustrated I was that so many women were getting destroyed by this thing, and it seemed like I was barely making a difference with my piddly little blog here.  More and more were getting sick--and far faster than I could reach them. For every one woman who read it, there were probably 200 who had a Mirena inserted that same day.   He asked me if I had heard the poem about the starfish.  I hadn't.  I've since looked it up, and here it is:

Once upon a time there was a wise man

who used to go to the ocean

to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking

on the beach

before he began his work.

One day he was walking along

the shore.

As he looked down the beach,

he saw a human

figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think

of someone who would

dance to the day.

So he began to walk faster

to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw

that it was a young man

and the young man wasn't dancing,

but instead he was reaching

down to the shore,

picking up something

and very gently throwing it

into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,

"Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused,

looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked,

why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.

And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that

there are miles and miles of beach

and starfish all along it.

You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.

Then bent down, picked up another starfish

and threw it into the sea,

past the breaking waves and said-

"It made a difference for that one."

His point to me was that, even though it seems like I can't really make a difference compared to how many of us are getting so sick from the Mirena, it could mean a huge difference to that one woman who was possibly reached in time to get her life back.  It was a nice reminder.

Thank you, "Dr. J", for that kind reminder....but even more so, for throwing me back in the ocean.  It made a difference for this one.

Beautiful, and sadly true, art....

Through this experience, I have met (mainly virtually) many other women who have also suffered at the hands of the Mirena IUD.  One of these fellow victims is a beautiful woman named Robin.  Robin is a truly talented artist, and she continues to fight to regain her health as well as the rest of us.  She uses art as a form of therapy and created this:

Keep fighting, Robin.  Thank you for sharing your gift.

So frustrated....

It's been a interesting past few days.....  I don't know what to call it--It's not a full-on "crash", but my body is definitely dealing with some symptoms that have decided to revisit me.  :-(

I'm having a lot of issues with "air hunger" lately.  It's like I just can't get in enough air when I breathe, so I have to constantly huff in these huge gasps of air just to catch up or I start to get dizzy and have to sit down to regroup.  I also tried to work on some grad school last night, and my mind was a jumbled mess, I couldn't process anything to save my life, and my hands were weak.  I finally had to give up because typing was just too frustrating.  My fingers were tripping all over themselves, and it just seemed like the brain/hand connection wasn't happening like it should.  I had to finally stop because it was starting to upset me and make me worried.

UGH....I just want to live like a normal 35 year old.  We have earned it.  19 months post removal, and I still have these stupid relapses.

I'm actually on day 11 of my third detox (I did my last one a year ago), so I'm hoping that it is because toxins are dumping out of my system.  However, I don't remember having problems hallway through the detox before.  I just don't remember.  Trying to keep my chin up, but I also wanted to let you all know that it's not over for me either.  It is a roller coaster from hell that's for sure.  Pretty sad that we can't even get excited about feeling good or symptom free because who knows how we will do tomorrow.

Sorry for the negative post....I know that I'm normally trying to play the "cheerleader" role, but I get knocked down, too, and I have to be honest about it.

My thoughts and prayers are with all of us.

So true....

Stay strong, ladies.  You've got this.

Here we go!

My "Box-O-Detox" has arrived!  Here is what I am taking for the next three weeks:

It is a three-week detox.  Here are my dosages....

Week one: 
                   SP Cleanse--7 pills/3 times a day
                   Gastro Fiber--3 pills/3 times a day
                   SP Complete--2 to 3 shakes a day with 2 scoops in each shake
                   Folic Acid B12--3 pills a day
Weeks two and three:
                   Everything stays the same except I stop taking the SP Cleanse and start taking the SP Green      Food in its place...3 pills/3 times a day.

Wish me luck that the third time is a charm to get these last symptoms to hit the road!

Thought this was funny.....

....and don't we all know we could use a little humor during these times....

For all of us who now have gone into Autoimmune response (our bodies attacking themselves) because of the Mirena:

Roar.

Third time's a charm??? Hopefully.....

Well.... Let's hope that the third time is a charm....because it is that time again.  I have to detox again.

Trying to stay positive here and look at the PROS instead of just the CONS.

CONS:

• I still have some lingering issues that won't seem to go away.  My vision never improved (to be honest, I don't think it ever will), and I still have a resurgence of some issues around ovulation and before my cycle begins (increased brain fogginess, disorientation, joint/muscle pain, trouble getting in enough air when I breathe, etc.).
• I can always tell when it is time to detox again.  I go from only having 2-3 bad days (as far as symptoms) a month to having them occur more often and becoming more troublesome.  Once I get to the point where I'm feeling like I have two good weeks/two bad weeks, I know that my body has found some more toxin in various places, and it's starting to attack itself again.  That's where I'm at now.  Once my hands start to tingle, I know that I need to move fast because, once I start to regain the symptoms, it goes downhill quickly.  I've played this game before.
• Like any autoimmune issue, mine is also one that has periods of remission and relapse.  I have to just focus on getting back into remission by getting more toxins out and giving my organs and tissues a period of relief.

PROS:

• It seems like, each time I detox, I have a longer period of time before I start becoming symptomatic again and have to detox again.  The first time, it was four months.  The next one was seven months later.  This one is eleven months later.  I made it almost a year.  I have to think that, eventually, the toxins will be gone...or at least low enough that it doesn't break me down anymore.
• I know that I will feel so much better in just a matter of weeks again.  I have to focus on that.  With my condition, my body finds these silicone micro globules and whatever else (lingering synthetic hormone?), and it starts to attack them.  Unfortunately, there is some confusion with autoimmune response, and it attacks everything where it is located....so it attacks the healthy tissue that is there as well.  That is when I start feeling so awful.  My body is tagging areas for destruction and attacking it.  Sooooooo.....I just have to keep detoxing when needed to pull out those toxins (which I know happens because I proved it with silicon blood test results pre and post detox) as they emerge so that my body won't have anything to "tag" for destruction.  No silicone or toxin to be found = no body turning on itself.  Knowing that is coming for me again gives me something to look forward to.  Symptom free days again.....ahhhhhhhh....
• Here's hoping that this one is IT.....and, if not, maybe this one will give me 15 months...or two years....who knows.  Pray for that, please?  I believe in the power of prayer, I would greatly appreciate yours if you would be willing to toss one up for me.
• Along with the detox, Dr. J. is sending a few more supplements that I've never taken before (to deal with certain symptoms, cell renewal, etc.), so that gives me hope that--God willing--this will be the "magic cocktail" that will make this struggle finally go away.  As always, I invite you to walk through this with me.

My love to you all.  I'm going to beat this.  So are you.

Keep fighting,

Kristi

Dr. J.--Video on Silicone Toxicity

Another huge thank you to Dr. J.!

He has a video out to try to explain silicone toxicity, and I'm sure he does it FAR better than my feeble attempt in my last post to you all.  Here it is!  I hope it helps you to gain understanding:

Question and Answer Time....

Hi everyone....

As you know, I have an email address that is connected to this blog (lifeaftermirena@yahoo.com) for women who want to write to me privately.  I am amazed at the amount of emails that I have received from literally ALL OVER the world.  Reading through them again recently, I have noticed that I have gotten several questions multiple times, and I thought that maybe I should just answer them here since I seem to be typing these particular answers over and over.  :-)  So here you go.....just in case you are interested....

QUESTION #1:  "I see you on Curezone.com as 'ProudMomma', what is your real name?"

Answer:  Well....considering all we have been through "together", I believe that we should be on a first name basis...ha ha.  My name is Kristi.  Nice to "meet" you all!  :-)  One day, I may just write up an entry about myself.  I might as well....it's not like I'm hiding or ashamed of all of this.  It's part of my journey...parts of it are ugly, but I'm going to be honest about it.  Stay tuned.  I'm nothing spectacular...just a woman, wife, and mommy like most of you who got really sick and is still fighting to get all better.  I just have a really big mouth when necessary and the ability put my words into print (English teacher).  I'm just trying to use both of those to reach as many of you as possible.  :-)

QUESTION #2:  "Can you please send me Dr. J.'s contact information so that I can get more information on the detox/have it shipped to me?"

Answer:  Biggest question that I get!  Yep....sure can!  You can reach him at 620-792-6854 or at DrJNutrition@gmail.com

QUESTION #3:  "I've heard that silicone and silicon are two different things.  So, does the test that you had run that showed that you had elevated levels of silicon in your blood (see earlier post) really show evidence of siliconE poisoning?  I'm confused."

Answer:  Yes.  And I see how you are confused.  I heard the same thing, and it confused me.  I wanted to know for sure because I wanted to take down my blog post claiming to have detoxed my own blood of silicone poisoning if that wasn't true....however, I found that--after talking with my doctor about it--that yes, the test I had done IS an indirect way to show silicone poisoning.  Let me try to explain...

Do you remember the article that I posted in an earlier post about silicone poisoning?  It was dealing mainly with women with breast implants, but there was a great section in it that explains silicone and what it does to the body....since we know that we were dealing with it as well, I wanted to post it.  Here it is again if you missed it.

  CLICK HERE

If you did not read the above article/study before, PLEASE read it now....it is an important one.

So here we go--In the article, it explains that silicone breaks down into silicon via your white blood cells.  The article states,  "Silicone degrades into silica...then fragments and subdivides into millions of micro droplets capable of migrating throughout the body.  Silica in the body is a toxic, carcinogenic substance, damaging the immune system, killing cells, and producing silicosis."  I went even further to ask if silica was the same as silicon...since my test showed elevated silicON levels, and I found out that, yes, it is the same thing....Silica is SiO2...silicon is just Si.  So silicon is just silica broken down even further.  So, according to my doc, the silicon test is an indirect test for silicone since most doctors are not aware of the one test for silicone antibodies (see below for that).  Remember, my first test showed elevated silicon, and my second test--the exact same one--showed NONE after I detoxed.  The same test tubes were used (for those who wonder if it could have detected silicone from the test tube itself....no....they have to use a special acid-washed tube for this test).  Plus, silicone tubes etc., don't magically break down their silicone into solution.  The silicon on my test did not come from the test tube--it couldn't.  #1, like I said, they use a special acid-washed tube for that test (that is why I couldn't do it at my docs....I had to go to a special lab), and #2, even  a regular tube has nothing in there to break it down into silicon....your/my body did that trying to get rid of the silicone.

As of now, there are currently two medical tests for silicone in the body:

1.  Silicone Antibodies
     --  UNILAB Test #8099 Cpt 86318
   Regular 4 ml Serum at room temperature
   = Analytic time 7-10 days

2.  Silicon Levels
    --  UNILAB Test # 9025 CPT84285
   Minimum 2ml to 4 ml Serum Analytic time 7-10 days

These tests are available through your personal physician.  You may have to call your local medical laboratory and ask for the code numbers and take them with you to your physician.  The tests are relatively new.  They were developed by a rheumatologist at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Remember, silicone produces a CLASSIFIABLE new disease marked by autoimmune symptoms.  Nobody can say you are making it up anymore.  It is now as classified and "official" as Multiple Sclerosis or Lupus.  It is just an autoimmune disease that we were forced into instead of naturally developing it.  As the article states, a variety of names for silicone-induced autoimmune disease have been proposed:  silicosis, undifferentiated or atypical connective tissue disease, silicone related disease, silicone reactive disorder, silicone disease syndrome, etc.  See my earlier post on the symptoms of Silicone Immune Toxicity Syndrome.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is what I'm dealing with.  It is a Kristi description to a T.  Those matching symptoms--almost every single one, on top of having the blood test that showed elevated silicon levels in my blood, made that clear to me many moons ago....

I really hope that makes sense.  I'm an English teacher....not a doctor, so medical explanations are not my forte.  I did the best I could, but please let me know in the comments section below if you need any further clarification, and I will adjust as needed.

QUESTION #4:  "I'm having a lot of suicidal thoughts, and I can't stop them.  I just need this torture to stop.  Were you suicidal when you were at your worst?"

Answer:  I know that this is such a sensitive subject, and that is why most of you "talk" to me about it privately.  I will never put anyone's personal story on this blog unless I specifically ask them and they give me permission.  However, this is asked of me a lot, so I wanted to give you all an answer.

No, I never contemplated suicide.  BUT LET ME BE CLEAR ON ONE THING....it is NOT because I was stronger than any one of you out there who are/were.  Even though I never let my mind go there, trust me when I say that I was very much still at that point of knowing that I couldn't live like that much longer.  For me, I knew that I was on borrowed time to fight with everything I had because I knew that I simply could not even fathom living the rest of my life in that nightmare.  I personally reacted in a way of looking at my husband, my 2 year old daughter and my brand new baby boy and getting PISSED at what was happening.  Yes, I was terrified, and I crumbled multiple times, but I made a promise to myself that if I was going down, I was going down fighting because I wasn't going to let my two babies lose their mother to a two-inch piece of plastic.  I hit a rock bottom before I found Dr. J. when I couldn't seem to get a doctor to believe or help me.  I just had anxiety pills thrown my way along with a "That sure doesn't sound like the Mirena."  After awhile, I was desperate.  I would sit in my doctor's office, bawling, and BEG him to help me.  I felt myself dying a little more every day.  When I was at that rock bottom--when I was at the place where I knew that I couldn't continue living like that much longer--that was when I started demanding tests like the silicone, etc., and found out about the elevated levels.  When that happened, although I was still so sick, it gave me something to hold on to...something that was an ANSWER that I could use to fight with.  Soon after that was when I found Dr. J., and he joined in on my fight.  I cannot say that I wasn't broken down to the state of needing it all to end.....I did desperately want/need it to end....I just decided that, if it was possible to beat this thing, that is how I was going to end it--or I was going to die trying.  I took that fear and turned it into fuel to find a way out.  To me, there was no other choice.

Please know that, when I say that, I am not at ALL saying that those with suicidal thoughts are weaker than I am.  NO WAY.  I COMPLETELY understand how women are getting to that point.  I hate to even think about where my mind would have gone if I wouldn't have gotten those test results, found a doctor who would help me fight, etc....  It makes me sick to think about how desperate I probably would have become if I would have ever gotten to the point where I sincerely believed that "this is it....this is how my life is going to be for the rest of my life."  To me, that wasn't an option.  I knew that I couldn't live like that....period.  I think that so many of the women who are getting to the suicidal attempts are at that point and still don't find help or any answers to hold on to.  For me, what was so maddening at my rock bottom was not only the physical pain that my body was in, but even more the mental torture that I couldn't make go away.  Like I said in an earlier post, I felt like my brain was going a million miles a second, 24 hours a day, and I couldn't slow it down...not even at night...and that is why I couldn't sleep for days on end.  I remember sitting on my couch sometimes just holding my head in my hands trying to get my mind to STOP going so fast.    I don't know of many people who can handle that for too long.  I remember how much I felt like I needed for it to just STOP.  I definitely understand how women are getting to that desperate measure of making it stop themselves, and my heart breaks for them.  I was so lucky to have my periodic blessings of getting the silicone results, finding my doctor, etc. sprinkled throughout my fight, and each one of them gave me a shot in the arm to start fighting hard again.  It made me unable to give up and gave me more strength to find even more answers.

That being said, those desperate days are behind me, and they will be for you, too.  PLEASE do not lose hope or do anything to harm yourself.  Just keep fighting...contact me if you need to.  I've literally talked another Mirena victim down from suicide over the phone...do whatever you need to do to keep going.  It will get better for you, I promise.  Just hold on.

QUESTION #4:  Can you explain what you mean by "adrenal attacks"?  What were those like for you?

Answer:  Sure.  When they would hit me, it felt just like that...like I suddenly had so much adrenaline in my body that I couldn't contain it.  Sometimes, I would be physically unable to stay seated, and I would have to get up and pace around my house for over an hour until my body would let me be still again.  Sometimes, it would surge so much that I would just start shaking and sweating until I would vomit.

QUESTION #5:  How did your friends react when you were at your worst?

Answer:  To be honest, they didn't really have the opportunity to react to me.  Ask any of them, and they would say that I just disappeared....which is true.  I literally dropped off the face of the earth for about a year because it was too difficult for me to go out and do things.  I just felt like I couldn't handle it or I felt to sick.  If I did go somewhere, I had to get my acting skills out because it was all about how well I could fake being okay.  It is a very sad time to think about.  As you read in earlier posts, I even tried to keep it from my own husband until I literally couldn't hide it anymore.  For so long, I didn't know what was wrong, and I was simply too embarrassed to admit that I was breaking down physically, mentally and emotionally "for no reason".  My advice now?  Don't do that.  Be open about what is happening to you to those you love...especially those you know will be a good support system for you.  When it became so clear how legitimately sick I was, and I turned to my loved ones for help, they were there.  I would have loved to have that sooner, but I was humiliated and scared.  I should have let them in on it right away.

QUESTION #6:  What are you the most angry about?  Out of everything?

Answer:  I'm the most angry about how it took me away from my family.  It still makes me tear up when I realize that I literally do not remember much of my son's first two years of life--and he had some special needs that really made that little boy need his momma even more. I remember so much more of my daughter's infancy, and she is almost three years older than he is.  I honestly hardly remember much at all (and I've tried!), and most of what I do remember was suffering and various stages of faking being okay.  My kids lost their mom for a long time.  I would lose my temper and snap at my daughter for stupid things, and there were far too many times that I had to leave the room to rock back and forth and cry in another while my kids sat downstairs in front of the television because I just couldn't "be okay".  I tried.  Oh Lord how I tried.....  It was just stronger than I was for a very long time.  During that time, and I don't know what it is in the Mirena that does it to you, but it was literally impossible to feel joy.  I couldn't do it.  I could not be happy....  If you knew me personally, you would know how polar opposite that is of my natural personality.  I spent so much time either in the middle of an anxiety attack or worried about when the next one was going to hit, and my body hurt SO much, almost all the time.  It wasn't living....it was just surviving to the end of each time--at least that is what it felt like.  No matter what happens with the Mirena in future, they will never be able to give that precious time of my son's first two years of life back to me.  I know that I shouldn't feel guilty about it...that it isn't my fault....but I do--every day.  I'm having a difficult time feeling like I'm ever going to be able to forgive them for that.


QUESTION #7:  I just don't understand.  Why me?  Some women are fine.  Why did it have to be MY life that was destroyed?

Answer:  I don't know the medical details.  By what Dr. J. explains, it is due to how far into the "autoimmune cascades" our body goes (see his video on "Mirena and Autoimmunity" in a previous post).  Some women just get more damaged than others.  As far as how I emotionally handle that question, I am personally a Christian.  I don't believe in a God who wants me to suffer.  I thought a lot about the verse from Jeremiah 29:11--"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  I'm not trying to turn this into a church service, but it is something that I personally focused on.  I've asked the "Why me" question more times than I can count, but I truly believe that I know the answer to that:  YOU.  If this blog helps women who would have otherwise never found an answer...or never found hope...or never found someone who understood, then I understand why I had to go through it first.  I would obviously not be writing this blog had I not gone through that nightmare myself.  The day I talked a victim down out of hanging herself was the day that I "got it"....there was a reason for my suffering and a purpose for my pain.   When I was in the middle of my fight and couldn't find anyone to help me--or at least just tell me what to expect, I made a promise to be that person for others if I could be.  A year and a half later, I'm still here, I'm still writing through my journey, and I have no intention of leaving you.  Do I still get angry?  Do I still jump, full-force, onto the "pity party bandwagon" on the days that I still struggle?  You betcha.  However, I don't ask why anymore.  If you do, ask yourself how you can use this for a positive purpose.  At the end of your darkest suffering--and I promise, ladies, it will come for you--will your family be stronger?  Will you help other women make a decision against the Mirena that can ultimately save the destruction of her health?  Will you embrace life in a new way?  I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that we all need to do the best we can to turn a horribly negative and unfair situation into a positive outcome as best you can.  It is all any one of us can do.  Being angry for the rest of our lives over what happened isn't going to take away that it did, in fact, happen.  What we can do is choose to make it steal as little of our joy in this life as possible.  I still have hard days, but I choose to do whatever I can to say, "No way....this day is MINE."

Don't forget how strong you are.

Don't lose hope because feeling better IS coming.  I know it's hard.

***  Spoiler Alert  ***

You win.

:-)

Much love to you, ladies.  You've got this.

Sincerely,

Kristi

Sound familiar???

The Signs and Symptoms of Silicone Immune Toxicity Syndrome:

Peripheral Neuropathy (weakness, tingling, numbness in extremities, etc.)
Central Neurotoxic Neuropathy (cognitive difficulties, memory problems, fogged thinking)
Anxiety
Cervical and axillary enlarged or painful lymph nodes
Fibromyalgia (multiple tender areas)
Myositis (painful inflamed muscles)
Fatigue
Night sweats
Hair loss
Abdominal pain
Pulmonary hypersensitivity (shortness of breath, etc.)
Emotional instability
Joint and tendon pain
Possible Chemical Sensitivities and/or Food and inhalant sensitivities
Other autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, etc.

In silicone immune toxicity syndrome, the body produces antibodies against the complex that forms when silicon attaches to protein molecules in various organs, resulting in an autoimmune response.

There you go.  I know this is one of the wonderful things that has happened to me because I tested positive for elevated silicon a full five months AFTER the Mirena was removed (I can't even imagine what the levels were when it was still in my body or soon after removal).  I also have almost all of these symptoms at various times...and that is 17 months after removal.

I have heard from a woman in Quebec who had her silicon level checked, and they called her in to redo it because they thought that something must have gone wrong with the test (because the number was so high).  The number should be between 0-10 to be in the normal range.  Hers--and yes she took the blood test again only to confirm it-- was 110.4!

Sad, sad, sad.  It's worth checking out, ladies.

Ignorance...

So, I respect doctors.  I really do.  I have some who have helped me tremendously in my life.  I have also, especially during this Mirena experience, dealt with a couple who pretty much said that it was all in my head and then tried to just push a bunch of prescriptions for anxiety my way.  It was so frustrating because I was literally sitting in one of my doctor's offices BAWLING my head off because I was scared to death.  I actually said to him, "I can tell that I'm dying....I can feel it happening....and I need you to stop it.  Please help me."  At that point, I could feel system after system slowly shutting down, and--at the time--I didn't even know exactly what was physically happening--I just knew that the Mirena was the cause because everything happened at the same time.  He waved his hand at me, told me that "it sure didn't sound like the Mirena", and moved on with the conversation.

I also remember telling him, "I have been your patient for almost seven years, and I've been here, what, maybe two times?  Once for an ear infection and once because I sliced open the back of my foot and you had to glue it closed.  Now, suddenly, I'm here every week in tears with some new symptom that is keeping me from functioning correctly.  Obviously, I am not some hypochondriac who wants to be here for attention.  I NEVER go to the doctor.  I ALWAYS try to let my body heal on its own.  I need you to believe me.  This thing has done something.  Trust that I know my body."  Again....a silent nod and nothing.  Ugh.  This was the same doctor that told me that there was no way that I had silicone poisoning in my blood, and that--if I did--it is impossible to get out.  Whoopies, doc....you were wrong on both counts.

Women, trust your bodies.....  Even if your doctor doesn't believe you.   Keep searching until you find one who does.  That's what I did (Thanks, Dr. J.).

*I* was the one who figured out it was the Mirena by many a night of online searches and contacting others to match symptoms....and I was right.

*I* was the one who matched symptoms up to believe that I had silicone poisoning...and forced my doctor to run the test...and I was right.

Almost everything that was diagnosed for me was done because *I* figured it out, and then I went to the doctors to run the tests to prove it....and I was proven right each time.

I am not saying this to brag or pat myself on the back.  I'm telling you this to remind you that, just because you don't have a degree in medicine, you do know your bodies, ladies.  You know your minds, your emotions, your strength...all of it.  Nobody knows that like you do.  Doctors (not all of them) can be ignorant, too.  If you find one who is--and who is unwilling to listen--FIND ANOTHER ONE.

I felt the need to write this post because I just heard from another fellow Mirena sufferer who just left her doctor because he was ignorant....and he was pompous.  He told her that it was all in her head, and actually said, "You can go to the website for Tide detergent and probably find these symptoms."

WHAT??????!!!!!!

I don't know who you are, doc....but I kind of want to smack you around a little bit.  What happened to you?  When did you become unwilling to listen to someone who is clearly sick and suffering and open your mind to possible reasons why that could be....ESPECIALLY when she is holding hundreds of stories from other women who all have the EXACT same symptoms and ALL have the Mirena?  Since when is that not worth your time to consider that as a possibility when this woman started shutting down within days to weeks of having that thing put in her body?  Let me tell you something, "doctor", one day, all of this information is going to come to light--just like the Norplant did--and you are going to realize that you were insensitive and, more importantly, WRONG.  When that happens, I hope that you rethink how you treat patients who enter your office with something that might just be (GASP) unfamiliar to you.  Just because you haven't encountered it doesn't mean it isn't true.

The first day I met Dr. J., he said, "One thing I have learned is that I trust what women say about their bodies.  I don't know what it is about you, but almost every woman that I treat is correct about what is going on with them.  You have that intuition that blows my mind.  I have learned to really listen to that and move from there."  When he said that, the tears came.  I finally found someone who was going to fight for me.  Someone who believed me.  That made all the difference in the world.

Ladies, you are not crazy.  You are sick.  Your bodies have been damaged.  But you can fight to get your life back.  I hope you find a doctor to be in your corner as you do.  But, no matter what, do NOT let anyone tell you that what you KNOW isn't what is happening.  You know better.

Tide detergent.....seriously, doc?  Maybe if I ATE a gallon of it....and I would still feel better than I did when I was at my worst.  Tide detergent.....wow.

Doctors are smart.  Doctors can help.  But some doctors can be ignorant, too.  At the end of the day, they are not YOU.  Don't forget that, and don't let some giant degree on an office wall make you feel like you don't know anything about you.

Keep fighting for your health, ladies.  You'll get there.

Come ON, already!

Sorry....but today is a super frustrating day, and I just have to vent about it since pretty much everything else hurts to do.

17 months post removal.  And yes, I am SOOOOOOO much better, but man--ovulating is still so hard on me!  And this is coming from a woman who used to never even know when it was happening.  Luckily, I am at the point where I know that it will pass in one to two days once my body finally ovulates, but still....sheesh....those two days, today being one of them, is beyond frustrating.

I'm not sure why, but my body still has to work so hard to ovulate each month that it is like every other system in my body has to shut down a bit in order to make it happen.  My body hurts something fierce, my thinking is all jumbled, and I'm exhausted to the point of wishing I could just sit and stare at the wall for the whole day.  Everything seems just so much harder to do!  And yesterday?  Yesterday was just fine....Blech.

You should have seen me trying to make a pot of coffee today--pitiful.  This is something that I do every single day and could do with my eyes closed.  Today, it took me FOREVER to fill the carafe up to the correct numbered line and to count out the scoops of coffee...  If either of the kids said something to me, I would forget what I was doing and have to start over.  What is so maddening is that I KNOW I should be able to do it...which just ticks me off even more.

My daughter needed a bath this morning, and you should have seen me....I was DREADING the fact that I had to do it.  I knew that just walking up the stairs to get to her bathroom was going to hurt my legs and my hips, and then I was going to have to get her cleaned, dried, dressed, hair fixed--all while hurting and in a complete brain haze.... Man, for something that I normally do without even thinking about it, doing it during this window is like asking me to compete in a marathon with my feet in cement shoes.

Yes, I know that I am going to feel just great again in a day or so.  I get it.  I appreciate it--I really do.  I once didn't know if that was ever going to happen, and that was what was so scary.  So no, I'm not scared....but I'm angry today.  This isn't fair.  For these two days each month, this isn't okay that my body and my mind just can't seem to work like I know they are supposed to.

I'll keep fighting through it because I have to train myself to be able to function successfully through it (just in case this becomes a long term thing...I will eventually be back at work, and I won't have the option to "opt out"...so as much as I want to, I have to learn how to function through this.  I hope that this will someday be a thing of the past just like everything else has become.  I need it to be.

Sorry for the negative post today.  I'll feel better again in no time.  I just want you all to know that I DO still know--far too well--what this stupid thing has done to us.

I just keep focusing on how lucky I am to finally be at the point here I only have a couple of affected days per month now instead of every minute of every day.  I'm lucky....but I'm not done yet.  I am still working on how to ovulate successfully now without my body needing to shut down everything else.  I'll figure it out....I'm far too stubborn not to.  Focus on what I know today, folks....it gets better as time passes.  One day, God willing, this will all just be a bad dream.

All my love.  Keep fighting.  I'm right there with you.

My update on Pseudo-Tumor Cerebri

I thought that I would give an update on my journey toward investigating if I have Pseudo Tumor Cerebri.

Quick back story....I was one of the lucky ones who, after having the Mirena inserted, I lost most of my vision in my right eye (within the first couple of months). I went from great vision to legally blind in that eye (20/80 vision) virtually overnight. Anyway, after seeing the connection between Mirena and Pseudo Tumor Cerebri (click to learn more), I thought that I'd better make sure that wasn't something that I was dealing with (since it can back you end up permanently blind if not treated).

After researching it, it seemed like I needed to see a specialist called a Neuro-Opthamologist to accurately diagnose it. I also read that it was diagnosed via MRI and spinal tap results (Quick description: Pseudo Tumor Cerebri is when there is too much cerebral spinal fluid in your head, and it can crush the optic nerve from behind, causing blindness). I wasn't looking forward to a lumbar puncture, but I was willing to do it to find out.

After contacting a Neuro-Opthamologist, I learned that I had to have my Opthamologist send my information to him to be "accepted". I set up an appointment with her so that I could explain what I was trying to do.

At my Opthamology appointment, I was told that she firmly believed that I would be wasting my time getting checked for this...for two reasons: Number one, I was showing no signs of Optic Neuritis (a swelling or damage of the optic nerve--again, click for further detail), and I was showing no signs of Papilledema.  She said that, if a person has PTC, they almost always show signs in one of those two areas.


That is as far as I got. In her opinion, I don't show any signs of having it, and she says that, with the extent of vision loss that I experienced, I more than likely would if that is what caused it.

So.....I guess I am at the point where I just have to accept the blindness in that eye and move on with my life.  It is time to make the adjustments necessary to live with it. I'm sick of the glasses--mainly because every time I take them off, I literally become nauseous due to the extreme difference between both eyes (they start fighting one another), and it makes me dizzy and sick to my stomach. I don't have the money for Lasik surgery (nor do I know if I even qualify for it.  I haven't checked because I don't see the point in doing to the consultation to see if I qualify when I know that I can't even pay for it right now. So, next week, I am going to be fitted for contact lenses so that I have something in my eyes all day to keep my eyes "equal". Hopefully, that will help....and I'm hoping that--one day--I will be able to do the Lasik surgery on that right eye so that I can see again from it. Fingers crossed....tightly.

As frustrating as this is, I am at 17 months post removal, and--overall--I am doing so much better that I am beyond grateful. I think about where I was a year ago, and it still makes me cringe. I remember praying that it wasn't going to be my last Christmas with my family and wondering how I was going to have that conversation with my husband....what we were going to do to plan for the worst-case scenario of mom no longer being in the picture (because I would either be physically gone or so "mentally gone" that I couldn't function). Remembering that, I will accept the blindness in that eye as something frustrating and unfair, but something as as "hiccup" in my otherwise healthier and happier life than this time last year. What else can you do, right? Dust yourself off and move forward....we know that all too well, don't we?

I hope that explains my latest process clearly enough. I am still praying for all of you, and keep fighting.....I can tell you that I still feel myself getting better and better as each month passes. It's been hard (I've never taken so many supplements in my life! Ha ha), and it has been frustrating, but it is moving in the right direction.  What I'm doing is working....and I choose to focus on that.

My love to you all.

Interesting information on SILICONE POISONING

Hey all--

I received this article from Dr. J. regarding silicone poisoning and how it leads to autoimmune illness.  You will see that this article is discussing silicone breast implants, but it is the same silicone as in the Mirena implant.  It is interesting to see that, just like in our instances with the Mirena, these women are still so sick even after their implants were removed...and they are linking into the silicone casing (bag) of the implant that was in them...even after it was removed.  The silicone attacks the body in such a severe way....it is no wonder why we all have symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

I'm still not sure what is going on with the silicone.  I am hearing from some that the test that I had taken was not a correct test because it tested for SILICON--not SILICONE.  Silcon, according to these sources is natural, whereas siliconE is not.  It is the siliconE that is making us all sick (well, ONE of the things).  Unfortunately there is not a specific siliconE blood test out there that I can find.  They can do a test for heavy metal poisoning, and that may detect it.  I'm not sure.  So....after hearing that, I'm not even as excited about my blood test because I'm not even sure now if it is the right one.  UGH.

Anyway, this is a very interesting article that makes a lot of sense regarding our reactions/sickness.  Hope you are able to learn from it.

SILICONE POISONING/AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE ARTICLE

Blessings and keep fighting.

How sick is this?

So....I wanted to post this article that I had sent to me from a research journal because we are so under-informed about what the Mirena is capable of.

Before you read the article, I want to explain something.....

Most of you probably remember the Norplant birth control.  You probably remember that it was quite popular for some time, and then many women started getting horribly ill (sound familiar?) and it was suddenly removed from the market.

Well......

Not sure how many of you are aware of this, but the Mirena pretty much IS the Norplant.  All they did was basically change the name of it and change the location of the body in which it was inserted (Norplant was inserted in the arm; the Mirena was placed in the uterus).  The silicone is the same, the synthetic hormone, Levonogestrel, is the same...all of it.....

That is why I wanted to post this article.  Notice the symptoms that are discussed in it.  These companies KNOW EXACTLY what it is doing to women, and yet it was just re-marketed into a different product--although it has all of the exact same devastating ingredients as something that was already taken off the market due to destroying women all over the world.  How many of us would have made the decision to have that put in our bodies if we knew that it was basically the same thing as the Norplant?  Not many, I'd bet.....

I was also very interested in this article because it really discusses the damage that was done to women's vision and what was proven to be found in many of them.  For me, the extreme loss of vision (primarily in my right eye--went from fine to legally blind almost immediately) is the one symptom that has never improved for me.  Both the Norplant and the Mirena have been connected to something called a "pseudo-tumor" that is in the brain.  What is happening is that this tumor grows in there and begins to crush the optic nerve...obviously causing extensive sight damage or blindness.  I have been in to both an Optometrist and an Ophthalmologist, and my actual physical eyes are fine.  Knowing that--and knowing that my vision is HORRIBLE now--makes me concerned.  Is this something that I should have checked?  Maybe I should get an MRI to see if that is what happened?  I'm not sure.....I'm going to talk to my Ophthalmologist about it when I see her next.

Anyway, Please read this.  When you do, you might as well replace the word NORPLANT with MIRENA.....It's sickening.

Here you go.  Just click below:

NORPLANT ARTICLE/STUDY

Keep educating yourselves and others, ladies.  Blessings.

VERY important video to watch!!!!

Hey everyone,  Dr. J. has posted another video regarding the Mirena that is AMAZING.  It explains the connection between the Mirena and our autoimmune response.  Most of us all had awful symptoms that mimicked autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, etc....and this video explains why that is.

One thing that I want to also highlight in this video is the acknowledgement of how LONG it takes for a woman's body--EVEN WITH SUPPLEMENTATION--to rebound from this kind of damage.  I know, ladies, it is so hard to deal with these symptoms...and I know how desperately you want it all to be over RIGHT NOW...but, unfortunately, that usually isn't the case with this type of damage.  Dr. J. does a good job here explaining that.  I just want to stress that because I see so many women out there who are so frustrated that they are taking so long to get better, or they start some supplements, take them for a couple of weeks, and if they don't feel better by then, they give up and stop taking them.  Ladies, that DOESN'T WORK.  Your body needs these supplements to draw upon to give your systems a chance to fight on its own behalf.  But, it isn't something that happens overnight.

I am at almost 16 months post removal, and I can honestly say that I am finally out of this nightmare, I have a "bobble" here and there that is very minor, and I haven't regained the vision that I lost, but other than that, I finally have my life back.  But notice, that is 16 months after the day I had the Mirena removed...and I have been taking supplements every day for the last 13 months.  Is it fun?  NO.  Is it cheap?  NO (although, it is much cheaper than the MRIs, tests, and constant Dr. visits, etc).  Is it frustrating?  YEP.  But you know what?  It is worth it.  Why?  Because today I can say that my nightmare is pretty much over, and unlike so many others out there, I am not taking a single prescription, heart medication, anxiety or depression medication....NOTHING.  My symptoms are gone, and it was because I chose to dig in my heels and be patient as I fed my body the needed (and natural) detox and cellular rebuilding supplements as my body used them to heal itself from the inside out.  Yes, I could have taken anxiety meds, and painkillers, and Lord knows what else in order for me to feel better immediately....but, I wouldn't have been better...I would have just been numb--covering up my symptoms while I just added more synthetic poisons to my already over-toxic system.  Had I gone that route, I would probably still be on those meds, and my body would still be completely overwhelmed.

Yes, the route that I took makes you have to deal with crashes as they hit (which, Praise God, are done for me now--knock on wood), and it made me have to find patience as my body SLOWLY returned to normal.   But I am so proud of myself for doing that....and for finally being on the other side of this nightmare completely medication free.  It was so worth it.  SO worth it.

Ladies, DO NOT GIVE UP.  Your bodies will heal.  I promise.  You just need to get the Mirena out, do the "turbo detox" (see previous post) to get your liver to get the toxins out, and then you need to take certain supplements for your body to use during this time that it has been depleted from its own natural reserves and while it figures out how to start working properly again.   For some women, they bounce back right away, but for many--like me--it takes a long time.  I know it is frustrating, and I know that you want your life back right now--I did too--but the day is coming.  Don't lose patience.

I will address all of this more in a future post, but for now, I wanted to get Dr. J.'s video out there for you to see.  Remember, if you can't find someone near you, you can call Dr. J. and speak with him.  He has shipped supplements to women all over the country (the world for that matter) since I have worked with him.  He has spent countless hours learning as much as he can about what the Mirena did to us, and he is more than willing to help you.  What he is finding, though, is that many women start with him, take the supplements for a week or so, and then they quit and wonder why they aren't any better.  That is why he made this video....to try to explain what has happened, and why it takes a long time to recover (and why women are healing at different rates).

So here you go.  I hope that you learn as much as I did.  If you have any questions, please post it in the comments section below.  Dr. J. or I can respond to you.    Keep fighting for your health, and you will continue to heal.  Don't give up.  Your day is coming.  Promise.

Silicone CAN be removed! Here is PROOF!

Hey everyone, I wanted to get this entry out there because I keep hearing so many women posting a comment about how their doctor has informed them that, if they do have silicone poisoning, there is unfortunately no way that silicone can be removed from their body/blood because it is a permanent synthetic.  THAT IS NOT TRUE.

As you probably read in a previous blog post here, I was told the same thing by my doctor.  However, when I went to Dr. J., he told me that it wasn't true.  His comment was, "If they can get the poison in, we can get the poison out."

I have no idea why doctors are saying that.  Maybe because THEY don't' have a way to do it with the synthetic medications, etc....but there is a way to NATURALLY do it.  I did the detox from Standard Process that Dr. J. set up for me.  It was a three week "turbo detox", and it removed ALL the silicone from my blood.  For those who don't believe me, or for the doctors who say it isn't possible, I have documented medical proof.  So there.

Here is a copy of the silicon blood test that I had taken in October of 2010.  This was taken almost two months after I had the Mirena removed.  I'd hate to know how high the level was when that stupid thing was actually inside my body.

(Now, I know that you can't see the dates on these reports.  I had to crop it out because it was right by name, patient ID, personal information, etc., and I thought that it wouldn't be too smart to have that on the internet.  If anyone would like more proof to see that the dates are as I say they are, let me know.  I can just "white out" that personal information and re-take a pic that also shows the dates.).

There you go.....ELEVATED silicone.

Now, after my detox, three months later (in January), I made my doctor run the exact same blood test.  Here are the results:

Boom.....NONE DETECTED.  Not, "Hey, your silicone is now in the 'normal' range."  Nope.  It was COMPLETELY GONE.

Can't get silicone out of the blood, huh?  I beg to differ.....  And this was after just the first detox.  It was after this test that I finally heard my doctor say that I "had a compelling case".   Suddenly, I wasn't just a nut job/hypochondriac because a piece of paper from a laboratory told him exactly what I had been saying for months.....but I digress..... :-)

Don't believe them when they tell you that, ladies.  You can get it out.  It IS possible.

14 months post removal

Hey everyone. I still consistently get on the CureZone.com "Mirena Side Effects" forum, and I saw a woman's post that said that she was finally symptom free, but it took until she was three years post removal before she could say that. I wrote her the below email because, as I am sure as you all know, it is so hard to find anyone on the Internet who sticks around long enough to ever post that they are all better. I see some say that they get up to about 90% at a year post (I am not one of those, unfortunately...but I am much better. I would say that, if I stay on my supplements, etc., I am at about 80%), and I also see posts from women who still struggle four years later. I am obviously hoping that it won't take me that long to recover, but this women's symptoms were similar to my own, and I thought that she might be able to give me some insight on what to continue to expect. I decided to post my email here because I thought that it would give you my update as well as a chance to see if any of you see any similarities with your situation. Here it is:
__________________

Hello, ********, I go by the tag "ProudMomma" here on Curezone. I saw your most recent response that, finally at the 3-year mark, you are completely symptom free. I am currently at 14 month post removal, and although I am much better than a year ago, I still have some issues that I was I interested in seeing if you still had them at after one year post removal and if you can honestly say that they are completely gone now:

-- I notice that I still struggle more around my period (right before and right after...but actually feel pretty good during it) and right before ovulation. I get really foggy-headed, very lethargic, sometimes dizzy, and just an overall uneasy feeling. During this time, my breathing, vision, and joint inflammation also worsens. During this time, there is also an overall feeling like I'm not fully present in the room or in the conversation I'm having.  I have to concentrate really hard to just be clearly "there" because I'm in such a haze.  I know that sounds weird, but that is what it feels like...like I'm half there.   As soon as my period starts or ovulation happens, it is like I snap back in to feeling good again.

--I also still have breathing issues that I can't seem to track down to a certain time. It is sporadic and random, but it is really bothersome. I constantly have to "huff" in a big gasp of air because I feel like I can get in enough air/oxygen when I breathe). This is not attached to any anxiety whatsoever. I just can't breathe very well on some days, and it bothers me that it doesn't seem to get any better.

--I still have days where I have zero energy...no matter what I do. Again, much worse around my period and ovulation.

--I lost a significant amount of vision in only my right eye (that was one symptom that made them concerned about a possible MS diagnosis at one point--the fact that I had quickly deteriorating vision in only one eye on top of losing the feeling in my hands). I never got officially tested because it seemed like so many of us did and got negative results. That vision has gotten to the point where I am legally blind in that eye. I'm wondering if,now that I am over a year post, if I should just give up on the thought that I will ever get that vision back. Did you ever have this symptom? If do, did it get better, and at what point?

--Lastly, I have days where my joints (and even my bones) feel like they hurt so much that I can't even get up my staircase without needing to sit down because my legs are just throbbing. This is even worse if it is on a "bad-breathing" day because, after walking up only 15 stairs, I am sitting down with my joints on fire and literally almost gasping for air.  Again, these are worse during ovulation and before and immediately after my period.

I just wanted to get your response because I see everything from some women feeling so much better after one year, and some still struggling four years later. Your past experience sounds very much like mine, and I'm having a day where I just really want to hang on to something....know what to expect....and what to accept.

Again, I am so much better than a year ago. The debilitating anxiety is gone, etc., and I am so thankful for that. Many other symptoms have also resolved. These are what I have left, but considering that two years have passed since my symptoms began (and it's been over a year since it was removed), I am still holding on to the possibility that these last issues may still resolve themselves.  And if not....so be it.  I just want to know.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and hopefully respond to this. It means so much.
________________________

Well....there is the letter that I sent her.  I'll let you know what (and if) I hear back.

I'm not really sure why I still try to figure this out so much.  On my good days, I honestly don't think about it much--and I spend the day doing as much as I possibly can because I know that these days are fleeting and random.  Since I know that tomorrow could be a rough one, I spend my good ones being as productive as possible.  However, I am still nervous about the "what if" questions regarding a complete recovery.  I think it is is mainly because I am a high school teacher.  I am taking time off right now to be with my small children, but I will be returning in just a couple more years.  Currently, on my bad days, my brain still just doesn't work right.  It's so foggy and disoriented, and I find myself aimlessly walking around the grocery store because I forgot why I was there or where an item is located....and that makes no sense because it is a store that I am at every other day and I know like the back of my hand. It's frustrating as well because I know that I SHOULD know it, etc.   However, on those days, I find that I am more disoriented.  I have to try so much harder to make my brain clear, remember things, etc...  I'm assuming that it is tied to the hormonal damage since it seems to based on my cycle when it worsens.   It is mainly worrisome to me because that HAS to be a thing of the past when I return to teaching.  There is no way that I can pull off being a good teacher 98% of the time, but then I have to fake it through a few days each month because I can't follow the lesson plan properly or remember what I was saying.  If my vision never returns, fine....I can teach with one eye that doesn't work.  But, there is no way to fake it with a room of 30 eighteen year olds when your brain starts working in slow motion.  It is when I think about that possible future that I get nervous about whether or not I will get past that issue.  I am in a phase of my life now, as a stay-at-home mother, where I have the opportunity to adjust my day based on when I am more symptomatic.  I can choose to not attend that function or choose not to go the store that day.  I won't have that opportunity to "opt out" of certain days when I am a teacher.  I need to be on point each day, and it is concerning when I think about that unknown.  I am hoping that, when I step back into the classroom, this whole thing will be just a bad nightmare.  I need to hold on to that sometimes....so I continue to ask questions, try to find others, and continue to do everything I can to work on my own recovery.  As always, what I find, I will send out to all of you.  Keep those chins up.  We'll get there.

*************UPDATE*************************

I received a response from the woman.  Here it is.  Yes, it seems like two years is a long time to wait, but I'm already at almost 15 months post removal.....  Also, it means so much to FINALLY hear from someone that--even though it took a long time---she is okay now.  Anyway.....here is her response:

Hi, How are you? So sorry that I have not gotten back to you sooner ,I so feel your pain.  At my 14th month post removal, I still had a lot of symptoms--all the ones you described and more, but I'm happy to say that I'm pretty much back to my old self.  It has been a long lonely horrible ride. If it wasnt for all you lovely ladies, I don't think I would have made it !!! All my symptoms were a lot worse before my period and around ovulation--especially around ovulation for some reason.  I will give u a list of all the symptoms I had:

Dizziness
blackouts
pins and needles arms and legs
arms falling a sleep at night
eyesight was fuzzy and my eyes wouldnt adjust from light to dark properly
twitching muscles
anxiety
panic attacks
breathing issues EXACTLY how you described it
weird patches of goosebumps
muscle weakness in arms and legs
balance issues

There the ones that I can think of off the top of my head.  I had all these symptoms right up until about 2 years post removal, and then things started settling down after that.  I know 2 years is a long time--I don't know why it's taken so long whereas some people recover quickly.  The only thing I really think helped me was diet and exercise (when I felt well enough to start exercising again).   I wasn't going to take anything after the Mirena.  I will never take my health for granted ever again, but I promise you that things will get better.  For some reason,  it just takes some of us a lot longer.   It sucks, but you will get there.  

Love to you, and I will be here if you want to talk. 

*******************************

(Now....after I got her response, I wrote her this email....again, I will let you know what I hear back):

Dear ******,


Thank you so much for responding to me! It really means so much!

So, you can say that your vision returned back to normal as well after the two year mark? The main reason that I ask is because my right eye tanked so much (and they are both blurrier than before) that I've actually thought about seeing if I qualify for Lasix surgery. But....if I still have a chance for my vision to improve on its own, I don't want to waste the money on the surgery and then have my vision change again.

Yes, two years seems like a long time, but I'm almost at 15 months, and it just feels great to read that there is still hope that the rest of these symptoms may not be permanent.

You really have no idea how much you have given me by your response. Thank you, thank you, thank you.....


*************
(Again....I'll let you know if/what I hear back)--Blessings!