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["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

Bev; Have you thought of easing your way into 'alternatives'? Is there 
anyone in your area that practices Chinese medicine? Your case is very 
complicated, so I'm not sure that even I would play around without 
professional guidance. There are several natural herbal antibiotics,  immune 
stimulants, blood/organ cleansers, etc. that, as far as I know, have no 
harmful side effects. They work gradually, so could possibly be used with 
Western medication, improving your health in the background, while the 
Western medicines keep you functional.

One of the cheapest and most potent antibiotic/antivirals is garlic.As far 
as I know, there are no bad effects (except chasing away loved ones). When I 
feel something coming on, I eat 3 or 4 cloves raw (I chop them up fine and 
swallow them with honey). My book (Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Buhner) 
says that in severe cases, several bulbs (the whole plant) a day can be 
eated. You have to work up to it gradually, because it can cause stomach 
upset. I can't take it at night because it keeps me awake. The honey helps 
protect the stomach and is a natural antibiotic itself.

Lynn Wigglesworth
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 2:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Homestead] out of the blue


> Thanks to all who have expressed concern for me, both on list and off.
> It means a lot, more than you can ever know.
> I am going to write about my allopathic experience to show how the road
> to hell is paved with good intentions.
> You all know I have severe RA and take Enbrel, which destroys the immune
> system, increases the odds of lymphoma by 40%, and other nasty outcomes.
>  I have taken this medication for more than four years, and it
> literally saved my life.  I had no quality of life beforehand.  I could
> not wipe myself or brush my hair or shower or even get out of bed
> without help.  I was ready for a lead slug, literally.  I had been on
> methotrexate, a chemotherapy drug, and that had messed up my liver so
> they took me off of it.  I still have liver damage from that.  During
> the 4 months that I was unmedicated except for anti-inflammatories, the
> disease ravaged me.  Then came the Enbrel, and I saw a change overnight.
>  The inflammation subsided and I was able to move again and within a
> week, I was well on the way to being Bev again.
> So, I have continued to take this 'miracle' injection every week, unless
> I am sick with an infection, like now.  In that case, I can't take it as
> to allow my body to try to fight infection on it's own.
> Fast forward...
> In the last six months, I have had two 'spider bites' and a 'boil'.  I
> have another 'boil" starting up now...Last night they confirmed I have
> MRSA ...the original superbug.  I probably got it from the first spider
> bite last summer, and since I have practically a zero immune system, it
> has become systemic and every little potential infection becomes
> nastier. I've obviously developed it in the last few months, as my white
> count is close to nil.(that happens with long term infections) At it's
> simplest, MRSA is like a staph infection, a boil, for example.  Highly
> contagious nasty stuff with an open wound.  At it's most complex, (no
> open wounds or signs of the disease) untreated, it causes organ failure.
>  I had been taking Keflex for the spider bite, but MRSA is resistant to
> that. I did not know that. I stopped taking it early the last time
> because I broke out in hives.   The bite eventually healed over, and I
> gave it no more thought.  However, this MRSA superbacteria can travel
> throughout the body releasing toxins in various organ systems and that
> is apparently what is going on now. Last night, I saw the beginnings of
> another boil, and since I did not want to deal with a boil at Christmas,
> I took the Keflex again.  The first thing that happened was that I broke
> out in hives, as I have done before.  I should have known that I was
> becoming allergic to the stuff. Then, I had trouble breathing, and then
> the kidney pain began..it felt like someone was kicking me..very unlike
> any other pain I have felt, although I would say it is far from the
> worst pain I've felt, it was very, very uncomfortable and I couldn't
> stand or walk, only writhe in the bed.  I'm thinking now that treating
> MRSA with Keflex was like poking a stick at a rattlesnake, and I know
> now, that I have a kidney infection...still peeing red<g>, and some
> liver problems, some of which was caused by the methotrexate, some of
> which was probably slow deterioration from the Enbrel, and some recent
> issues that I believe have resulted in my jaundice, and therefore
> probably MRSA related as well.  So I have this huge circle of activity
> going on here,,,,slow degradation from the RA drugs, a side effect of
> which lowers the immune system and allows superbugs like MRSA to take
> hold in the body at every opportunity.
> I'm once again on steroids and this time Septra DS.  They say sulfa
> drugs will help the MRSA and the kidney infection.  It's funny that
> several people have mentioned lately that I don't look well, but I never
> the jaundice myself until today.  I took off those rose glasses and
> said, wow, I really am yellow!
> I feel like if I could ever get well, I could stay well.  I do have
> pretty good eating habits, and I am developing more good habits
> everyday.  Lisa, ironically, I love cranberry juice.  I have some in  my
> refrigerator now-been craving the stuff for a couple of months.
> Cranberries are on my list of fruits to grow here, not that I could ever
> grow enough to make all the juice I drink, but I love cranberry juice,
> and cranapple, and cran-anything.  Perhaps I crave it because I needed
> it?  I could make a case for that.
>
> Some of you know that I went to med school for a while.  I dropped out,
> one of the 1% or less of students that do that.  I won't go into all of
> that here, but suffice it to say that I am well entrenched in western
> medicine.  Until I met you guys, I was never exposed to any other
> way-thought all chiropractics were quacks..you know the type of person I
> used to be.  However, I am very spiritual, and I believe in body
> energies and metaphysical healing and I believe that western medicine,
> while it has it's good points, overlooks a whole lot of potential
> treatments and remedies simply because they cannot be proven 100% of the
> time.  I also see the similarities between good medicine and good
> government..is there such a thing, or has greed overtaken everything?
> One of the reasons I left medical school was because I was sabotaged in
> my lab research, and I looked around and thought--"these greedy, self
> centered sons of bitches are the docs of my generation-no interest in
> real humane care, just in it for the money"  Perhaps even then, I saw
> something that I did not deal with and explore properly.  So now, I feel
> like I have my foot in both worlds...I want so badly to be in the James
> and Lynn camp, yet, I for the most part, remain in the Bob camp.<g>  I
> still believe in technology, but I also know that there are plenty of
> alternatives out there to traditional American medicine. No offense to
> any of you, as I think it all has merit taken as a whole.  Each person
> has to do what keeps them alive, both spiritually and emotionally, and I
> know James disagrees with this, but some people do simply have more
> issues because of genetics.  (that's not a crutch) But my determination
> to become healthy and live to see my grandbaby grow up has driven me to
> make changes in my life and in my thinking.  I can clearly see, now, how
> my decisions over the past 7 years have directly influenced my health
> today.  I don't know that it would be better had I taken a more
> non-traditional path originally, but I am now, in the midst of a life
> changing decision-a mid life crisis of sorts-where I am considering
> changing up and walking the road less traveled.  I still have questions,
> and I am not sure how to make the transition with the health issues I
> currently have, but I just feel/know that if I could get well, I could
> stay well, but how do I get well without the meds?  I did some reading
> this afternoon when I got up about phage therapy, and synchronistically,
> James makes a post about Georgia and my BIL is coming in from the
> Republic of Georgia on Christmas. (There has been a ton of synchronicity
> in my life in the past few months, and I will not ignore it.) RoG is the
> one of the few places that uses phage therapy for bacterial infections.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phage_therapy
> This is not something that is taught in American medical
> schools,,,,perhaps our mindset of experimentation is different or
> perhaps we are too fearful of lawsuits, but to learn that that Soviets
> have been doing this for the better part of century is amazing.
> I've had some offlist conversations with some people here about their
> non-traditional RA therapies/"cures".  I intend to really explore this
> further in the near future.  I feel like I have to get off the
> Enbrel...I have come to believe that I am slowly killing myself with
> this seemingly miraculous drug that I have been so in love with for the
> past several years.  It is working for me, but perhaps I could find
> something else that works that has less side effects like immune system
> depletion or cancer risks or liver toxicities.  I tell myself that there
> is always more than one way to skin a cat, right? Also, my need for
> prescription meds keep Ron tied to a job that has enslaved him.  It
> would be so wonderful if I were healthy and did not need all this
> medicine. He could woodwork and build boats from home..it would be
> freedom-for both of us.  When he added me back to his insurance after I
> quit my job recently, my pharmacy costs jumped from about 300/mo to
> almost $500/mon for total meds. This is insanity.  I want off the ride,
> because I don't think I am getting better, even though I am making good
> life changes like quitting smoking and exercising more and eating good
> food.  I feel like my health is being hi-jacked by a drug. I feel like
> if I don't make changes, I will end at the gates of hell.  I'm all
> messed up in the head right now, but just know that I am on a path of
> change.  It may not be an overnight change, but I am walking ever faster
> down the road.  Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks to everyone
> for their support and kindness...you guys occupy my thoughts more than
> you know.  As I was in the ER this morning, I was wishing I had James
> 401Cow jar..lol...just to pay for the ambulance<G>, serves me right for
> spending all my money at Barnes and Noble, right?  As a caveat, you all
> should know that maybe in the political area that people don't change
> their opinions, but perhaps they can in the medical arena..  Change is 
> good.
>
> Bev
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Robert Walton wrote:
> > Bev,
> >
> > Feel better, and I'm thinking of you. Get to the bottom of this.
> >
> > Rob - Va _______________________________________________ Homestead
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> --
> The true significance of Sacajawea's involvement in the Lewis & Clark
> expedition is that it was the first documented trip in history where men
> asked a woman for directions and followed them, allowing them to arrive
> at their destination.
>
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