Health Diary, my OACV ritual, and stuff.

[Guest guest]

I'm off to the health food store to get some Shark Liver Oil and a wheatgrass cocktail. I formulated my own homeopathic remedy and started taking it last week but got sicker and ended up with a migraine that sent me to the ER. Homeopathy is safe and subtle but powerful and I decided to seek an actual homeopathic doctor before I self medicate again. Very disappointing since I've had amazing success with it in the past. I also eat a lot of fresh pineapple hoping it will help. I am definitely going to continue learning about adrenal function though.The health diary is an excellent idea and has already been very helpful for making sure I ask smart questions, and all of them, before the doctor rushes away to his next patient. It started as just an excel spreadsheet listing symptoms and all the possible factors, much of it as a direct result of the information we share in this group. Then I

added a meds page since I took quite a few before EN. Now I have one for my mental health, my physical therapist, my gastroenterologist, and family doc. All of this is relevant but unlikely to get the attention of the m.d.'s. A chronological diary DOES catch their attention and gives me a lot of credibility that I'm informed and pro-active while holding them accountable for using their medical knowledge to help me. No more "huh" comments and pitiful looks and leaving me no better than before my visit. This week, I'm reworking the whole thing to provide a clear progression of my EN and all the associated medical tests over time. I'd be happy to share it with anyone if it might help.On the Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, I agree with Louise that it's a miracle cure. I use both the Bragg's and the Trader Joe's brands with equal effectiveness. The key is in the Organic since we are already sensitive enough

without adding unknown toxins, pesticides, or additives associated with non-organic products.My OAC compress ritual is a little more intense and I have to do more laundry more often to keep the vinegar smell somewhat in check. But it works better than anything else I've tried. First I fold two beach towels in half and place them on the bed to form a barrier. Then I fold another towel lengthwise and place it across the towel pad so that plenty of towel extends out beside my legs. I sit down, place my legs on top of the towels and apply the vinegar. When I had just a few spots I used Organic cotton facial pads, now that the surface of the nodule area is so much larger I've cut swatches from an organic cotton receiving blanket, the kind that are used to swaddle babies, and keep them soaking in a flat container in the fridge. Next I apply the

re-freezable ice "blankets" on top (backing up a bit - now that I have them on the back of my calves, I do the reverse by putting layering the ice then the OACV compress and then rest my calves on top.) OK, here's the final step: with the OACV and ice blankets in place, I rotate my leg out slightly and wrap the end of the towel over the top of my shin and tuck the ends of the towel under the inside of my calf (to secure the whole thing) and rotate my leg back inward to form a snug leg burrito (skin, oacv, ice, towel wrap) and I repeat on the other side. The only thing I haven't figured out is how to get appropriate elevation because I don't want to ruin my pillows so I lay my back flat now as a compromise. Earlier in my EN I didn't worry so much about elevation but now I'm in more pain and even more desperate for relief. I stay there until it's no longer cold. I thought one brand of

ice blanket was better than the other kind until I realized the heat of my worse leg is so intense it thaws that ice a lot faster. Being a mom I can only do this a couple times a day at most but if I had more time I'd do it twice as often. I also wonder know that the nodules are spreading to other areas of my body what I'll do about that, short of soaking my entire body in a vat of the stuff. peeeee-UUUUUU.I have done this also without the ice but find the compresses dry out pretty fast. To solve that I use a medicine dropper (the kind the pharmacist gives you to dose babies & kids) to reapply the OACV or filtered water so the compress stays moist and molded to my skin. I like the ice blankets for pain relief... or HEAT relief, but if you can't tolerate cold, the compresses alone will definitely provide some relief.Hope it helps! Now I just want to know WHY it helps. Seems like understanding why it

works would help understand the disease overall. Any theories? I 'd love to hear them.