Researching Autoimmune Diseases:Part II-Leaky Gut and Food Intolerances

"What we find changes who we become." ~ Peter Morville, British author and president of Semantic Studios, an information architecture and findability consulting firm

     Autoimmune diseases (AI) all begin with a dysfunction of the gut mucosa. This is now a researched and documented fact that has become solidified in research and literature in the last year and a half. 

     What is the gut mucosa?  It is the largest and most dynamic immunological environment of the body which is a clue to why all AI disease begins in our guts. It's often the first point of pathogen exposure and many microbes use it as a beachhead into the rest of the body. 

     Our intestines have a top layer of mucosa with villi--these look like fat strands of fingers which increase surface area and regulate nutrient absorption. This layer is made up of a particular type of cell called epithelium. These are some of the fastest growing cells in our body which is why they are frequently targeted in cancer treatment--even if the cancer is not in our digestive tract. The chemo drugs cause our epithelium cells which also line our mouths, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine and rectum, to slough off and die, leaving us raw and unprotected literally from mouth to anus. Often cancer patients undergoing chemo will die not from cancer but from toxic cell overload. So many cells--most of them healthy--have died and the liver and kidneys cannot process the dead cell load which causes them to shut down. (Coffee enemas can stop this from occurring.) 

     This layer of intestine forms a barrier between itself and the layer underneath where there are clusters of cells with spaces in between called junctions. In a healthy digestive tract a tight junction is regulated. Interocytes (a particular type of cell) form space between the junctions. They allow electrolytes and minerals to pass through and keep larger molecules and pathogenic bacteria from escaping. More than sixty proteins regulate this space. A tight junction is regulated so that enzymes can capture nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and hormones) from our digestive tract and deliver them wherever they are needed by our bodies. This is the act of nutrition and this process provides the fuel our bodies need to function. This is actually why we have to eat and drink. If there is a breach in its integrity we have illness. Food may remain undigested for a variety of reasons, especially if there are pancreatic issues or a lack of digestive enzymes.

The Importance of Enzymes

     These amazing proteins do more than just help remove grass and blood stains from our clothes! Yep your biological laundry detergent is called that because it has enzymes in it. Enzymes are specific amino acid proteins that act as catalysts to living cells. Enzymes are required by our bodies for every single function we undertake--blinking our eye, smacking our lips, yawning, muscle contraction, breathing, and digestion to name a few. Digestion is the single most difficult process our bodies undertake!! Think about that, because we indiscriminately pop food and drink into our mouths all day long and give it little to no thought once we swallow it.

     Enzymes are the human body's life force. They exist in all living things so of course our food has enzymes in them as well. When we are cooking a meal, that lovely smell of meat roasting or coffee brewing is caused by the enzymes dying off from exposure to heat. Raw food and food heated to a very low temperature has living enzymes in it. The safe register of temperatures seems to be 117F/47C for liquids and 150F/65C for solids. This is why we go into a food related coma after indulging in loads of food as part of a celebration like Christmas. Most of that food has been cooked and no longer has any enzymes in it. We overload our digestive system and it must literally borrow enzymes from everywhere else in our bodies in order to deal with the process of digestion. This is also why when we are seriously ill, our food should be fresh, organic and as raw as possible. Our immune system has marshaled our enzymes to go into battle and it needs a massive amount of available enzymes to do that. Fresh squeezed juices are ideal because they will literally digest themselves without using enzymes from our body functions. This allows more enzyme availability to our immune system for healing. Two thirds of our immune system is in our gut for good reason: we take in pounds and pounds of food requiring being broken down and it all has bacteria on it--probiotic (good) and pathogenic (bad).

Gut Permeability (Leaky Gut) 

   Undigested food will rot in our guts and it will present itself under the cell layer between our digestive system and the rest of us--the gut mucosa. This absorptive mechanism is as big as a tennis court and one cell thick. Food proteins cross a compromised gut mucosa into the bloodstream. These proteins are attacked by our our immune system defenses and they settle into our joints. Look at your fingers. If you have developed hard knobs at the joints of your fingers you have a leaky gut. 

See the pronounced knobs at the first joint of my finger? Those are caused by leaky gut syndrome and inflammation. Our blood stream seeks to dump the garbage escaping from our guts that our liver and kidneys cannot process. The spaces in our joints are available space. Inflammation of our joints is the result.  

Arthritis is often a signal of this issue as our immune system creates an inflammatory response to food particles and gram negative bacteria escaping from our guts. Our joints become inflamed as a response.

     This is why it is crucial to avoid regular or prolonged use of all NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Paracetamol/Tylenol, Motrin, Aleve. These over the counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers cause leaky gut, destroying sections of your gut mucosa. For this same reason we need to avoid inflammatory foods in our diet and avoid foods that activate our immune systems. If gut permeability or leaky gut syndrome lasts long enough the epithelial cells cannot repair themselves  quickly enough or the repair cannot last before the cells are destroyed by the next onslaught of NSAIDS and inflammatory food and drink. 

     When this permanent breakdown occurs malabsorption results in malnutrition. We could eat loads of food all day but our guts can no longer access and deliver the nutrients in our food to our bodies where they are needed. Some of the signs of leaky gut and malnutrition are excessive shedding of hair, gas and bloating, intolerance to fats, transit times changes in bowel movements (BMs), undigested food and change of color in BMs, and fluctuating between diarrhea and constipation. All foods from first bite to BMs should move through our systems in 24 hours and they should not smell putrid. Gut permeability is one of the causes of gut dysbiosis which is a bacterial imbalance in out gut. We don't have enough or any pre and pro-biotic bacteria and we are overloaded with pathogenic (disease producing) bacteria. Proper digestion can no longer take place.

     Digestion begins in our mouths with Amylase which is a digestive enzyme in our saliva. It continues in our stomachs which are filled with very potent acid to kill off pathogenic bacteria, then continues in our small intestines. Our large intestine breaks down fermentable and starch resistant fiber and primarily removes the water from the digested and processed waste products and stores it for a short time until we void it.

Acid Reflux 

     One of the big issues for people with digestive upset is prescription drug use. Our stomachs are high in acid and low in PH, about 1.2, 1.5, to 1.7. Often those experiencing bloating and gas will take Nexium (Esomemprazole). This purple pill brings the PH in the human stomach up to 5--from the PH of battery acid to that of vinegar! We need the high acid PH to break down proteins and when our stomach acid is too weak we can experience issues with mood swings, muscle function, lack of energy and even a mild shift in stomach acid can result in the formation of auto-immune antibodies to protein, by a factor of 10, causing gut permeability. Most of us don't produce enough acid. Clues are an insufficiency of vitamin B12 production, fatigue, headache, odor intolerance, neuropathy (tingling hands, feet and legs), insufficient magnesium and potassium causing involuntary eyebrow twitches, calf and foot cramps, and muscle fatigue.
     Aging causes us to manufacture less hydrochloric acid in our stomach and yet this is the population that ingests the most acid reflux medications. Soda pop and sugar also inhibits our ability to make adequate stomach acid.

Inflammation
      Crohn's and Colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflammation contributes to a host of other AI diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto's disease, Asthma, and Psoriasis and others so it is a huge issue to address in seeking good health. There has been a 25% increase in inflammatory bowel disease world wide. The main cause of inflammation in the body is a reaction to things that cause inflammation to occur. Inflammation metabolically demands our bodies use all of the available vitamins and minerals to support the anti-inflammatory process. This process also uses all of the available amino acids taurine, glutathione and glycene and our bodies do not produce these essential amino acids. They must be replaced in our food or with supplements. Also our digestive tract cannot function without enough glutathione. It is key to healing from any kind of digestive tract surgery or illness. What kind of foods cause an inflammatory response? The answer to this can vary from person to person but first and foremost is gluten.

Gluten Intolerance
     Antibodies are a type of blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen (toxins or foreign substances which produce an immune response). Antibodies combine chemically with substances which the body recognizes as alien, such as bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances in the blood. Lectins and glutinen/gliadin found in gluten bind to human tissue and can cause inflammation to occur if our bodies mistake the bound human tissue for the food causing an allergic reaction. Antibodies form which attack and destroy tissue--intestines, brain, bone, thyroid, heart...
     We humans are not ruminants; we did not evolve as a species to digest grass grains such as wheat, rye and barley. The thing is, it is not a case of either you suffer from gluten intolerance (GI) or you don't. The majority of humans on our planet have a response to gluten/gliadin. Patients who have removed gluten from their diets for three months and then ingested gluten again often risk their lives. It is like a switch is flipped and a six fold increase in deaths with one ingestion of gluten can occur. 
     Genetics is behind most of this. We inherit or fail to inherit from our forebears the ability or inability to manufacture certain levels of the protein heptoglobin (Hp) which binds to excess hemoglobin (another protein responsible for transporting oxygen in our blood). There are two ways we can inherit this protein depending on whether or not it is present in the DNA we inherit from each of our parents at the moment of conception: Hp1 and  Hp2. which arose in human populations as a duplicate of Hp1. Three genotypes of Hp, therefore, are found in humans: Hp1-1, Hp2-1, and Hp2-2. (If you find this confusing think of what you learned in junior high school science classes about inheritance of blue and brown eyes). If you test for Hp and are found to have Hp1:1 you will be okay eating gluten. If you have 2:2 you must never eat anything with gluten in it--not one molecule. Those with Hp 1:2 are okay for about an hour before GI kicks in and they will suffer from gut permeability for up to three hours after ingesting gluten. Research shows that individuals with AI diseases manifesting in childhood such as Asthma and Diabetes type and have inherited either Hp 1:2 or 2:2. Those with Coeliac disease always have Hp 2:2. 
     There are also other genes involved which I won't go into. This inheritance is driven by cultural factors. Populations that experience difficulty digesting gluten are Japanese, Southern Chinese, Koreans, Africans from the Western Sahara, Northern India and the Punjab, Northern Italians, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Irish for whom wheat was not grown or eaten before the 18th century, Indigenous North, Central, and South Americans, and the Balkans.
     If you live in a country like America or Australia where all of the population except indigenous peoples are immigrants or come from immigrant populations then its important to know your genealogy. Research undertaken by the NHS indicates that one in every 100 Britons has Coeliac disease. Given that this is a northern climate and wheat farming came late to the Island, combined with the large immigrant population here I am not surprised. 
     In a patient survey done for FMS offices throughout North American, ninety percent of those who cut out gluten from their diets for one month felt better and had more energy. Now if you are not GI then simply being mindful of which products include gluten and cutting back on how much gluten you ingest can make a positive difference in your health because just as we did not evolve to eat red meat every day, we didn't evolve to eat, breath, and absorb gluten very often. It is a similar thing with soy. The Japanese eat soy in tofu and sauce but not every day. In the west soy has become ubiquitous. It is yet one more ingredient in everything and ingesting as much soy as we do is not healthy. Research shows high levels of soy can induce breast cancer.  
     The symptoms of Gluten Intolerance are bloating (all human bodies contain yeast. Think about what happens when yeast, wheat, and liquid come into contact with one another), diarrhea, constipation, smelly feces, abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, skin rashes, depression, unexplained weight loss, and your digestive tract shuts down.
     Wheat is in everything!! Besides the obvious items such as baked goods, it is in toothpaste, lipstick, body cream, shampoo,  spices, shredded cheese, sauces and condiments, soups, ready made meals, frozen seafood, chicken and other meats, vitamins, supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.
     One final note about the distinctions between Coeliac disease, gluten intolerance and diet fads. Coeliac disease is not simply an intolerance. It is a severe allergy to gluten and a total inability to tolerate or digest gluten. Brain damage and death can result from exposure to gluten as result. If you have a parent with Coeliac disease you have a one in then chance of developing it yourself. Some individuals are born with the disease active and some don't develop symptoms until shortly after birth or later in life. Their bodies cannot digest and synthesize any form of gluten and further, ingesting gluten can cause serious brain damage for them. So imagine for a moment you have given birth to a baby that has Coeliac disease and of course, you won't know this until months go by as your child fails to thrives, slowly starving and withering before your eyes.   
     Individuals like myself who have tolerated gluten from birth up until some point in life when an AI disease manifests with an inability to digest glutenare what is known as NCGI-Non-Coeliac Gluten Intolerant. But trust me when I tell you that the distinction for me is irrelevant. I am okay eating glutenized foods while chewing, swallowing, and my body is breaking it down in my stomach. The minute however the gluten leaves my stomach I am in a world of terrible pain--pain that makes labor pains seem by comparison, mild. My intestines and colon immediately begin swelling, feeling as though  someone has filled them with expanding foam insulation and it hurts like hell. the swelling is so sever that my liver, kidneys and ribs ache. There is no way to get comfortable or reduce the pain. I have to live with fifteen to thirty hours of excruciating pain as the glutenized food moves slowly and I do mean slowly through my intestines where a battle between the gluten and my immune system is being waged which makes digestion negligible. Peristalsis (the contraction of the intestine and colon to move food and waste products through the gut) often comes to a halt and life revolves around severe pain that radiates out in endless waves from my guts. I cannot sleep, eat, walk, sit, lay down or engage in any activities to try and take my mind off it...I am trapped in a cage of terrible pain that won't go away. For me Codeine is the only thing that removes the pain, but it has the side effect of making one constipated which can obviously cause further troubles. I will do anything not to experience this pain again--ever. I consider myself lucky that my digestive tract is not so damaged that a stoma is necessary. I can change my diet and control the disease.
     Diet fads come and go and currently going gluten free is the latest health fad with unfortunate consequences for Coeliacs and NCGI individuals who attempt to eat out in restaurants. The majority of food handlers and servers in public eating facilities don't understand the deadly consequences for people who ask for gluten free foods. Thinking of it as a fad, they don't realize that foods for Coeliacs and NCGI individuals must be prepared separate from foods with gluten in them and the prep area must be gluten free, and often food establishments will list an item on their menu as GF when it has been cross contaminated with gluten during the preparation. I experienced this first hand when I queried the owner of  Baked Onboard--the Pizza boat, I asked it he offered GF pizza. He replied cheerily "Nope but I do have a sourdough pizza and as long as you aren't Coeliac then you can eat it. NCGI people have tolerated it just fine." Well, actually no I can't and I suspect his customer that do were not NCGI but those trying out the newest diet fad for health reasons.     

Lactose Intolerance
 The inability to digest the sugar lactose in dairy products is also inherited and interestingly enough the map of intolerance by ethnicity is nearly the opposite of the map for gluten intolerance. Cultures in which lactose intolerance is common are those countries in the south: Central and south America, Africa--especially south Africa, Southern India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and all Indigenous peoples in most areas of the world. That's a lot of folks who cannot properly digest dairy and ignoring this issue can and does cause Leaky gut which can eventually lead to an AI disease. 
     The symptoms of lactose intolerance are abdominal bloating with pain and cramps,  diarrhea, gas, nausea, vomiting and borborygmi which is a loud on-going rumbling, gurgling sound from the stomach.

Vitamin D-the Vitamin Which is NOT a Vitamin!
    Finally, low amounts of Vitamin D puts us at risk for developing AI disease and cancer--it is just that important!! The prime level of Vitamin D is 30 nanograms or above. Vitamin D isn't actually a vitamin at all--it is a steroid hormone. If you plan to rely on absorption from the sun for your Vitamin D here is the scale of exposure: at least 15% of your body must be exposed. Fair skinned folks actually need forty minutes of exposure and that obviously cannot happen all in one go! Your exposure needs to occur over a period of days. If you are olive skinned you will need eighty minutes of exposure and if you are very dark skinned you will need an hour and twenty minutes of exposure. It should also be obvious to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that Sunscreen inhibits the absorption of Vitamin D. Finally do it when you are dirty! Human skin creates a layer of oil called sebum. Our bodies need sebum on the surface of our skin in order to metabolize sunshine and turn it into Vitamin D so don't go out after showering and expect to manufacture anything but a tan or a sunburn
     One way of getting more D in your diet is to eat more mushrooms, but first lay them out in the sunshine for twenty minutes. Mushrooms are just like humans in that they do not internally manufacture Vitamin D but if they sit in the sun for nearly half an hour they will make Vitamin D and store it, for our bodies to use when we eat them.

Sugar
     Processed sugar triggers the release of inflammatory messengers called cytokines. These cells are produced by our immune system so eating large amount of sugar causes our immune system to being a hunt for a culprit. It is i like the boy who cried wolf. Eat too much sugar too often and AI disease results as the immune system goes into overdrive and is never allowed to rest.
     How much sugar is too much? for a healthy person the maximum amount of sugar one should eat daily is 25 grams or 6 teaspoons. The average human in First world countries ingests at least 19.5 teaspoons of sugar daily. This includes sugar of any color, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and galactose. did you know that excessive amounts of sugar cane lead to early dementia? Sigh....so if you need a little sweetening in your life I suggest you keep it low and opt for glucose which is the only sugar our brains need to function. I learned from my local beekeeper that spring honey which is lighter and sets up quicker than summer or autumn honey which is darker and lot more fluid, that spring honey contains more glucose and the other two seasonal honeys contain more sucrose.
     Type 2 diabetes is in the process of being redefined from a metabolic disorder to an autoimmune disease. Immune cells cause inflammation if fatty tissue that protects our internal organs. As we gain more weight and develop more dense layers of fat around our organs  becoming a health threat. Our immune system kicks into overdrive and begins producing Killer T and B cells involved in antibody response, causing inflammation in the fatty tissue which over time inhibits the fat cells' ability to respond to Insulin, allowing fatty acids to leach in to the blood stream and diabetes results.
     Okay I will stop here for now and my next post will cover environmental toxins and AI disease. My fourth and final post on this subject will cover diet and supplements.

Researching Autoimmune Disease-What I've Learned So Far Part I: Treatment Modalities

"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. "  ~ Zora Neale Hurston, American author and anthropologist, 1891-1960.

     About four months back I promised in one of my blog posts that I would share what I found after researching Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Crohn's Disease. Needs must as they say, and my personal health requirements drove me to research as much as I could about this topic in order to have a better understanding of my own body, the illness with which I have been recently diagnosed and the treatments available through both modern and alternative medicine.
     Crohn's disease as standard modern medicine defines it, is an Auto Immune (AI) disease of the digestive tract in which the immune system for reasons unknown, attacks the small  and large intestines, causing scarring and a shut down of the digestive tract's ability to function in harvesting nutrients for our body and disposing of waste. It falls under the umbrella category of IBS, which also embraces a wide canvas including other symptoms such severe bloating, gas, and cramping, diarrhea and constipation that come and go over time and last days, weeks, or months, and Colitis which is inflammation of the rectum and the colon. Modern medicine has no answer for what causes IBS and its relatives Crohn's and Colitis. Sometimes diagnostic tests can pinpoint an infection of the bowel but most of the time there is no one thing that points to what caused the disease. All three conditions may also be accompanied by fever, fatigue and high white blood cell count. All three are chronic, progressive diseases for which there is no known cure.
     How does Crohn's Disease differ from Colitis? It affects the entire digestive tract which is inflamed and ulcerated, most commonly the Ileum which is the last part of the small intestine, and the large colon. The ulcerative areas are usually patchy with healthy gut in between. These ulcers may affect the surface of the bowel or be embedded deep in the bowel wall. The symptoms for Crohn's in addition to the ones listed above for IBS/Colitis are blood in one's stool, mouth sores, malnutrition, hair loss, secondary skin rashes, loss of appetite and weight loss, anal fistulas causing a great deal of pain and bleeding as the rectum is part of the colon and becomes ulcerated which causes fistulas to form.
     Other more serious health issues often accompany Crohn's such as skin problems, mouth ulcers, blisters and ulcers on the skin, and painful red swellings, usually on the legs; inflammation of the eyes, thinner and weaker bones, liver inflammation, blood clots (including deep vein thrombosis), and anemia (a reduced level of red blood cells). Around one in three people with IBD experience inflammation of the joints, usually their elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. More rarely, the joints in the spine and pelvis become inflamed – a condition called ankylosing spondylitis. This can cause stiffness and pain of the spine.
     Who develops Crohns? It is a disease primarily of urban, northern areas in developed nations. It is more likely to affect Caucasians of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe). It can begin at any age from 10-40 and Crohn's is on the rise in children and teenagers. It is more common in women than men, and in smokers. My only resemblance to any of the above groups is being a female living in a developed northern country.
     Modern medicine classes Crohn's as one of the 89 known AI diseases, for which there is no known reason why they occur. Treatment tends to be similar across the AI spectrum with pharmaceutical drugs used as a cocktail to shut down the immune system and decrease inflammation in order to bring about remission. Many of these drugs were originally designed to treat cancers. Once the condition is under control, your doctor will usually continue to prescribe drugs to maintain remission and prevent relapse – this is called maintenance treatment and it means an AI sufferer will be on those medications for the rest of their lived. In some cases, if medical treatment is not effective, then surgery may be required and a stoma may be needed. One last caveat; none of these drugs cure any AI disease and most do not actually slow the progression of the disease over time. All AI diseases are chronic and progressive. 

Modern Medical Treatment 
     For inflammation the following drugs are usually prescribed:  
     Corticosteroids such as prednisone and budesonide (Entocort EC): these drugs can help reduce inflammation in your body, but they don't work for everyone with Crohn's disease. Doctors generally use them only if you don't respond to other treatments. Corticosteroids may be used for short-term (three to four months) symptom improvement and to induce remission. Corticosteroids may also be used in combination with an immune system suppressor.
     Side effects of Corticosteroids are an increase in appetite, weight gain, insomnia, fluid retention, moodiness and irritability, anxiety, osteoporosis (weak bones), hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, increased vulnerability to infection, cataracts and glaucoma, thinning of the skin, bruising easily, and muscle weakness. In women corticosteroid use frequently causes extremely heavy, dark hair growth all over the face, requiring daily shaving as men do. Some patients find they gain a massive amount of weight on steroids which are a class or hormones, and some experience a locking of their joints and an inability to bend at the wrists, elbow and knees. In addition those undergoing corticosteroid use as is sometimes the case for some cancers, may develop what is termed "moon face" as Les did in the last months of his life, where the weight gain and fluid retention causes a distortion of the facial features.
     Oral 5-aminosalicylates: These drugs include sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), which contains sulfa, and mesalamine (Asacol HD, Delzicol, others). Oral 5-aminosalicylates have been widely used in the past but now are generally considered of limited benefit.
     Side effects of these drugs are headaches, rash, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. In small numbers of patients these drugs are linked to pancreas and kidney problems. In these drugs, salicylates are synthetic aspirin compounds. 
Immune system Supressors:
     Azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) and mercaptopurine (Purinethol, Purixan). These are the most widely used immuno-suppressants for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Taking them requires that you follow up closely with your doctor and have your blood checked regularly to look for side effects, such as a lowered resistance to infection and inflammation of the liver. They may also cause nausea and vomiting.

     Infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira) and certolizumab pegol (Cimzia). These drugs, called TNF inhibitors or biologics, work by neutralizing an immune system protein known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). There have also been rare reports of serious blood disorders with some of these drugs along with symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, paleness, pain, muscle weakness, numbness and blurred vision, blocked or runny nose, headache, dizziness, flushing, rash, abdominal pain or indigestion.

Methotrexate (Trexall): This is a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drug used in the treatment of  cancers of the breast, skin, head and neck, and lungs, along with some leukemias and lymphomas as well as many AI diseases. Methotrexate is a type of anti-metabolite which means it stops cells from making and repairing DNA--the instructions for the repair of every cell in your body.

     Side effects may include black tarry stools, blood in urine or stool, bloody vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, joint pain, reddening of the skin, sores on the mouth or lips, stomach pain, swelling of the feet and lower legs, hair loss, loss of appetite, and less common side effects are boils, red, itchy skin patches, back pain, blurred vision, confusion, seizures, dizziness, drowsiness, fevers and chills, headache, painful urination, shortness of breath, unusual bleeding or bruising, and severe jaundice (yellow eyes and skin). Methotrexate use can activate a virus that increases the risk of developing Lymphoma which is cancer of the immune system.

Natalizumab (Tysabri) and vedolizumab (Entyvio): These drugs work by stopping certain immune cell molecules — integrins — from binding to other cells in your intestinal lining.

     Side effects of these drugs are upper respiratory and urinary tract infections, headache, depression, diarrhea, stomach pain, rash, nausea, fatigue, fever, pain in hands and feet, joint pain. Natalizumab use raises the risk of a rare but potentially fatal brain infection called progressive multi-focal leukoencephalopathy. It can also cause allergic reactions and liver damage.

Ustekinumab (Stelara): Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced molecules engineered to serve as substitute antibodies that can restore, enhance or mimic the immune system's attack on cancer cells. They are designed to bind to antigens that are generally more numerous on the surface of cancer cells than healthy cells. Bear in mind that while monoclonal antibodies attack cancer cells they also affect healthy cells. Here is what they do:
     Some immune system cells depend on antibodies to locate the target of an attack. Cancer cells that are coated in monoclonal antibodies may be more easily detected and targeted for destruction. Some monoclonal antibodies can trigger an immune system response that can destroy the outer wall (membrane) of a cancer cell. Some monoclonal antibodies block the connection between a cancer cell and proteins that promote cell growth — an activity that is necessary for tumor growth and survival. In order for a cancerous tumor to grow and survive, it needs a blood supply. Some monoclonal antibody drugs block protein-cell interactions necessary for the development of new blood vessels. Certain proteins that bind to immune system cells are regulators that prevent over-activity of the system. Monoclonal antibodies that bind to these immune system cells give the cancer-fighting cells an opportunity to work with less inhibition, i.e. they suppress the immune system. Certain monoclonal antibodies may attack cells more directly, even though they were designed for another purpose. When some of these antibodies attach to a cell, a series of events inside the cell may cause it to self-destruct.

     Common side effects are allergic reactions such as hives and itching, flu-like signs and symptoms including chills, fatigue, fever, and muscle aches and pains; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, low blood pressure.

     Serious but rare side effects are severe allergic reactions which lead to death; low blood cell counts that are severe and persistent. If your red blood cell count is low your body becomes starved of oxygen due to anemia. Your heart has to work harder to compensate for the lack of oxygen and this can lead to an enlarged heart and heart failure.  If your white blood cells are low you can develop neutropenia which leads to infections like Sepsis. Certain monoclonal antibodies increase the risk of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and heart attacks. Some monoclonal antibodies are associated with a higher risk of inflammatory lung disease. Sores and rashes on your skin can lead to serious infections. Serious sores can also occur on the tissue that lines your cheeks and gums (mucosa). Monoclonal antibody drugs designed to stop cancer from forming new blood vessels have an increased risk of severe internal bleeding.

Antibiotics 

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and Metronidazole (Flagyl): Cipro is often used to treat bone, joint, intra-abdominal infections and Typhoid Fever. Flagyl is used to treat pelvic inflammatory disease, endocarditis, and bacterial vaginosis. It is effective for giardiasis, trichomoniasis, and amebiasis. It is an option for a first episode of mild-to-moderate Clostridium Difficile colitis  (Cdiff). Flagyl is particularly effective at treating parasitic infections of the digestive tract.

     Side effects of Cipro are diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, stomach upset, abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, blurred vision, nervousness, anxiety, agitation, insomnia and nightmares. Serious but less likely side effects are fainting, heart arrhythmia, sudden pain, snapping or popping sound, bruising, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, or loss of movement in any of your joints; contact your doctor immediately if you experience watery or bloody diarrhea; confusion, hallucinations, depression, unusual thoughts or behavior; seizure (convulsions); severe headache, ringing in your ears, pain behind your eyes; pale or yellow skin, dark colored urine, fever, weakness; urinating less than usual or not at all; easy bruising or bleeding; numbness, tingling, or unusual pain anywhere in your body; the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild; or severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

     Side effects of Flagyl are nausea, metallic taste, loss of appetite, headache, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, and fever.  Uncomfortable side effects which may become serious are pain with urination, tingling or pricking sensations that become permanent (neuropathy), seizures and brain disease.

Other Medications 

Anti-diarrheals: A fiber supplement, such as psyllium powder (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel), can help relieve mild to moderate diarrhea by adding bulk to your stool. For more severe diarrhea, loperamide (Imodium A-D) may be effective.
Pain relievers: For mild pain, your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) — but not other common pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve). These drugs are likely to make your symptoms worse, and can make your disease worse as well.
Iron supplements: If you have chronic intestinal bleeding, you may develop iron deficiency anemia and need to take iron supplements.
Vitamin B-12 shots: Crohn's disease can cause vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vitamin B-12 helps prevent anemia, promotes normal growth and development, and is essential for proper nerve function.
Calcium and vitamin D supplements: Crohn's disease and steroids used to treat it can increase your risk of osteoporosis, so you may need to take a calcium supplement with added vitamin D.

     Given that I am allergic to many of components of the prescription drugs used to treat Crohn's and the side effects of most of the drugs are too toxic for me to risk, I also researched alternative treatments and therapies and began to compare and contrast both methodologies. While researching this I came across Functional Medicine Specialists (FMS). These are individuals with either a degree as a Naturopathic Physician (ND) or a Medical Doctor (MD) both of whom specialize in holistic treatment of the entire person versus a particular disease in isolation from the rest of the patient and/or programs that support and encourage wellness rather than treatment only of disease or symptoms. FMS practitioners do not focus on addressing symptoms. Instead they ask Why? What is causing this illness?

     I found an on-line medical seminar addressing AI diseases. This seminar was free for the first nine days and was written and produced by respected FMS from around the world including Britain, engaged in serious, verifiable clinical research on AI diseases and the gut. I took copious notes and I found their research was checked and supported by universities and research papers published in the following: Frontiers in Immunology--one the world's top ten journals for the study, research and advancement of treatments for Immune diseases; the journal Science; Yale University; the journal Cellular and Molecular Immunology; the Oxford Academic Journal of Rheumatology; the University of Maryland School of Medicine; the journal of Gut Microbiota Research and Practice; the journal Naturopathic Doctor News & Reviews; the University of Colorado; the Journal for Integrative Practitioners; Scientific American magazine; and over fifty published research papers are available through PubMed Central which is an on-line data base of research papers on file with the National Institute of Health's U.S. National Library of Medicine.  

     All of these resources are hailing a new frontier in the treatment of AI diseases due to the recognition that all auto Immune diseases begin in our gut.  Now I am going to try and distill four months of research down for readers who are interested in this topic. This will take me more than one post!

     I could not find world wide statistics for AI diseases or for Britain but the stats for the U.S. are up from nine million in 2000 to 80 million today. In 1900 1 in every 10,000 members of the American public developed an AI disease; today it is 1 in every 250. As the majority of communicable maladies have decreased in spread, national and international public health organizations have focused their sites on non-communicable illnesses with a specific focus on AI diseases which are growing faster than any other disease in the modern era all over the world. This includes the U.S. National Center for Disease Control, The World Health Organization, and the European Parliament. Our world and all of us on it are facing a global epidemic of AI disease for which modern medicine researchers and practitioners say they have no clear idea of the cause of either AI diseases or the rise in them.  

     A lot of folks think AI diseases are peculiar, rare illnesses such as Evans Syndrome or Parry Romberg Syndrome.  Some folks are familiar with Lupus and Coeliac Disease, but a lot of people remain unaware that Diabetes Type 1 also known as Juvenile Diabetes is also an AI disease. (For a comprehensive list of AI diseases visit THIS web page.)

     The major diagnostic criteria for an AI disease is presence of auto antibodies (B cells in the blood stream). As a rise of B cells in patients linked to AI diseases occurred, medical researchers began asking questions. Is there something occurring that is convincing the human immune system that parts of the body are "other"? Is modern culture too healthy? Could it be the case that the immune system no longer has enough to do? Could AI diseases be caused by a rise in over-exposure to 20th and 21st century chemicals and toxins?

     In the last thirty years chemicals such as flame retardants, pesticides, herbicides, and PVCs (polyvinyl chlorides) have been used with such ubiquity that everyone on our planet is exposed to them and that includes babies in their mother's wombs even in poor third world countries and isolated cultures without the benefits of 21st century technology. Another correlation is that in 1900 the average life span was 49 years and now we live much longer. The Japanese live the longest at an average life span of 84 years with the life spans for Brits at 81 and for Americans it is 78. 

     150 million people world wide are diagnosed with AI disease every year. The latest research indicates five years before a firm diagnosis of an AI disease the  process begins to manifest itself in our bodies. Only once all clinical signs and symptoms are present and an antibody test has been done will an AI diagnosis be given. Research has found that five to ten years prior to clinical appearance there is a pro-dromal period in which the antibodies are present in a patient signaling an AI disease is developing. For modern medicine practitioners (MDs) nutrition is not taught in medical school and doctors fail to learn that food could have much to do with medicine. 

     Functional Medicine Specialists take a very long and detailed history of each patient going all the way back to birth. They look at diet, stress, exercise, work, addictions, daily habits, hours of sleep, hobbies, travel, every disease a patient has had, living conditions, family relationships, allergens, microbes, toxins, hormones, diet, and then the patient takes the antibody test. From the mined information received, an FMS will offer a medical diagnosis and begin to build a personalized therapy because we are all different. There can be 14 patients with 11 different factors inducing the same disease and FMS do not prescribe drugs to turn off symptoms or to delay or reduce them because this method of treating a disease seldom offers a cure or even a healthy reduction of disease. 

     It has been found that toxicity is the driver in the 21st century, specifically pesticides, hormones, synthetic chemicals, and artificial manure. There were 650,000 food related deaths in the U.S. last year. Functional Medicine Specialists recognize something standard medical practitioners have forgotten or are no longer taught: the secret of caring for the patient is caring for the patient. An FMS will spend an hour and half with a patient at their initial appointment and one hour each time they are seen after this. Their goal is to know each patient so thoroughly they can begin to help their patient with appropriate treatment that reduces immune over-activation rather than using pharmaceuticals to squash inflammation or totally shut off the immune system.

     One British Medical Journal study found that the three main causes of death in this country are heart disease, cancer and medical error--improper use of prescription medications. This is an indictment of the medical system which refuses to recognize doctors need to spend more time getting to know their patients, and the chronic over reliance on the idea of treat or cure the disease (not the patient) by relying on drugs. Too often these days patients are told only drugs and nothing else, can cure their disease. The United States health care system is ranked 37th worldwide for which its patients pay millions. Britain is ranked 18th and Canada 30th (France is number 1). Medicine is the only business that continues to grow despite failing its customers. No other business could continue under the same premise. The way in which a person processes drugs may do more harm than good and this is seldom taken into account. Patients are sold the big lie that "you are just getting old," and menopause is a good example of this. HRT is a pharmaceutical industry worth billions. Depression is another example of disease and dehumanization instead of looking at what a person is experiencing as part of the spectrum of normal human experience. I'll use myself as an example. My husband died 18 months ago and I am depressed. I don't need drugs to deal with my depression. It is situational and if I take the time to work through my grief my depression will lessen. This is part of the spectrum of life--not a disease for which I need to pop a pill. Now I can already hear the outraged voices indignantly calling, "I wouldn't do without with my HRT," or "I couldn't function without anti-depressives." I am not saying drugs should never be prescribed. I am saying they should not always be prescribed and this is an important distinction. 

     This over reliance on prescribing drugs to fix patients is taught in medical school. Diagnosis/prescription. An example of this is the use of chemo drugs to treat AI disease. The collateral damage to the patient is exponential as you may judge for yourself from the information I've provided previously,  as pharmaceutical companies feed off of and profit from mistreatment (and to be honest so do some doctors). I am willing to give most doctors the benefit of the doubt in saying they earnestly seek to lessen their patient's pain. Sadly too often the reverse is the outcome as one drug creates intolerable side effects so another drug is prescribed to address the side effects of the primary medication and it too has side effects for which yet another drug is prescribed and so on. I personally have known friends and family members on as many as nine different drugs, with four or five contra-indicated for one another! This is extremely common and actually shortens our life span as the dug companies rake in profits of over 100 billion annually but fail to lead patients to a healthful resolution of their medical issues. 

     Those of us who are diagnosed with an AI disease will live 26 years less than the average person because in the process of treating our symptoms, the drugs prescribed cause cancer. What limits does medicine, as it is currently practiced and we as customers of this system, fail to acknowledge? The goal of medicine should be to help us achieve a healthy life span versus longevity. Doctors should be on a journey with each of their patients and we as patients must be actively involved and responsible for doing our part. Health care practitioners are there to be "in service" to their patients. Modern medicine seems to have lost site of this.  

     Diet, lifestyle, our food supply, and how we treat our environment must change and those changes will be driven by us, not those who own the companies. Medicine is changing (not fast enough to suit me but then I am impatient when it comes to people's lives) because information is now in the hands of the people. Okay I will stop here and continue in a new post in a few days with more specific information specifically about AI disease, causes and treatment.        

Ground Control to Major Tom

"They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. Death cannot kill what never dies." ~William Penn, 1644-1718; English nobleman, writer, early Quaker, and founder of the English North American colony the Province of Pennsylvania.

     The 24th of August marked 18 months since Les died. Even if I forget for a moment that Les died on the 24th of January, it still registers deep in my subconscious on the 24th of every month. I find myself depressed and listless all day until I realize some internal marker is registering the moment Les died. Death is a date on the calendar, but grief is the calendar. 

     August has been a tough and grueling month. I applied for a job with a village Post Office. The owner contacted via email and asked if I was still interested and if so, what days/times would I be available to work? I replied immediately that I needed 25 hours ideally but 20 is my minimum and I would work as many hours over 25 as was needed, every day but Sunday because the bus doesn't run to the village on Sunday. Two days later the owner called me to schedule an interview. I was really excited because I could cruise right up to this village and moor up. And the position paid £8.50 which is a good wage for this country. We discussed my traveling by bus and he said I would need to look at the bus schedule and figure out the earliest I could arrive and the latest I could work in the evenings.  I replied that I had already done so and I could be there as early as 8:05 and work until 5:30 PM six days a week. He sounded duly impressed and made me think that barring any unforeseen issue which might pop up in my face-to-face interview which was scheduled for a Wednesday afternoon, the job was mine. Wednesday arrived and I was heading out the door for the bus when the phone rang. It was the owner of the village Post Office. After a long discussion with his wife they decided to cancel my interview because I relied on the bus. As far as she was concerned that me an unreliable employee. I was gutted! I have filled out and submitted thirty eight job applications since last November and I've heard back on two of them. I sat down and sobbed. Then I picked  myself up and kept on moving forward...

     I was offered the opportunity of receiving a free three month pass to the Nantwich Leisure Centre. I was looking forward to swimming in the outdoor brine pool several times a week. I grew up swimming in Alaskan lakes and I am very strong swimmer. I put my left shoulder out of place and I have been seeing a local osteopath. She agreed that swimming would be good to build up my muscle strength. I went swimming for the first time last Tuesday and sadly it will be my last time. Sarcoidosis has scarred my lungs, making them far more brittle than I realized. I could not get my breath while swimming laps, even slowly. It is a terrible feeling, struggling for a breath. All of my life I have had very strong lungs owing to seven years of choir participation in junior high and high school.  

     Last week I lost Les' boat keys. I use his keys as my duplicate set and I keep them clipped to the curtain rod by the back steps. But for some reason the day I went swimming I decided to bring them with me in my back pack.  My keys are on a blue carabiner clip and clipped to my back pack. I didn't even realize I had lost his keys until the entire week had passed that is how out of it I was. I was truly destroyed by the thought I had lost Les' keys and didn't even realize it. He died with those keys in his hands and they are precious to me. He carried them in his right trouser pocket everywhere--even to America. I spent all weekend trudging back through Nantwich to every place I had been, asking if anyone had found a set of keys on a purple carbiner clip. Nope. I wracked my brain trying to remember exactly the last time I saw Les' keys. It all seemed blurry to me because after two months of feeling better, the Crohns disease flared up again after I ate one gluten free brown rice and black sesame seed cracker with soy. Apparently the soy sauce used in the crackers was NOT gluten free and that is all it took to send me right back to dysfunctional colon and pain so intense I wanted to lie down and die. 

     Meanwhile between bouts of vomiting and sleeping, I tore the boat apart looking for Les' keys. He always said "Look in all the usual places and if you don't find what you are looking for then look everywhere else." So I did. The boat looked like a hurricane went through it. I looked in every pair of trousers, socks. coat and sweater pocket; every drawer, bag, box, and cupboard was emptied. I even looked in the fridge and freezer. Nothing. Between feeling ill enough to die, and depressed over losing Les' keys, I have been a basket case and I gave up and spent two days in bed. I also did a lot of looking back at my life for the past two years. I have been drowning in guilt at not saving Les' life. I felt as though I gave up on trying to save him once we were given the diagnosis of terminal bone sarcoma. I think if I hadn't been so overwhelmed and exhausted by fighting for his life for three years without a break, combined with recovering from one knee replacement surgery and going in to a second surgery and the meds required for the pain, which shut me off emotionally, I would have fought harder to keep Les alive. As I laid in our bed I realized that Les loved me totally, deeply, completely, and he would never have countenanced my feelings of guilt or inadequacy. He knew I loved him deeply, totally and completely too and I did the best I could at the time; I would have given my life for his in a heartbeat. All that guilt gilded mourning drained away and I was left with a sense of profound peace. 

     This morning I slowly put the boat back together. As I was looking through the wardrobe I found a large framed picture of Les that friends had given me at Les' memorial service. I decided to hang it on the wall at the end of our bed. After a cup of chamomile tea for breakfast I checked in with family on FaceBook and posted a remembrance to Valerie, whose birthday was yesterday. I grew cold this evening and I decided to get a bag of coal down off the roof. I haven't done that since March. I always wear the same gloves and Les' grey zip front sweatshirt cardigan when dealing with coal bags as they are dirty. I dug into the very back of the coat cupboard by the front door for Les' cardigan and removed it from its hook...and inside one of the pockets I had already checked, were his keys. 

     All this time I have been waiting for a sign from Les; a sound, a song, a symbol, a dream, but I got nothing. The lack of a sign from Les has tested my personal belief system deeply. I have known since I was a small child that there is more on either side of our lives on earth because I have memories from before I was born and my own mother confirmed this for me much to her own shock. I am the weird one in the family who hears the voices of the deceased at the moment they pass, or I meet them in my dreams and then learn when I wake that they have died. I have had my own close meetings with death in this life so for there to be silence from Les' soul has been yet another trial to endure as I relentlessly questioned everything I believe, my past experiences surrounding death, and the depth of Les' love for me.

     I realize now that the profound intensity of my grief formed a wall between his soul and mine. Yes, I still grieve for him and I always will, but now I can remember him with joy. I can talk to him and say his name and not feel like someone is cutting out my heart without anesthetic. Now, our relationship is similar to that which we had before Les died. I know without doubt that this is what we have both been waiting for.

Master Herbalist Available for Consultations

"Most allopathic doctors think practitioners of alternative medicine are all quacks. They 're not. Often they are sharp people who think differently about disease." ~Mehmet Oz, MD, FACS; Turkish -American cardiothoracic surgeon, Columbia University professor, attending physician at NY Columbia Presbyterian medical center, television personality and author. 

     I began training with a master herbalist in Spokane, Washington in 1990. I studied under her tutelage for nine years and one day as is traditional for a Green Witch--one whose allies and familiars are plants and who is gifted with a drive and ability to help others heal. Since before I could read and write I have had a deep affinity for plants which told me their names. They have always communicated with me and I often knew as a very small child, which berries and plants I could eat and which should be avoided by simply holding a leaf or stem in my hand and listening for its message. I saw nothing remarkable in this for it is as natural to me as breathing. I stepped out onto this path for several reasons: I was fortunate to have been brought to the attention of a very gifted and knowledgeable elder in the Craft who was a master herbalist and upon meeting me, she was willing to accept me as a personal tutor, fitting my training into her already overburdened life for which I will always be grateful. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly I practiced side by side with her, learning as her apprentice how to identify healing plants, how to gather them from the wild or grow them in my garden. I memorized the dozens and dozens of general healing properties of plants, how to create teas, decoctions, capsules, pills, tinctures, poultices, and infusions. I also learned the magical properties of plants and their uses.
     The link between Witches and herbal healing is ancient. The village wise woman and midwife had an intrinsic understanding of herbal lore and the energies of the natural world. (If you wish to know more about this history then please follow this link.) I even learned the reason that Witches knew so much about poisonous plants and grew them in their gardens. It was not to use them on their neighbors or enemies; it was as a means to end their life during the four centuries of persecution by the Christian church which actively pursued mainly women for the crime of witchcraft. If one was taken prisoner there would be three degrees of "questioning" which involved ever greater degrees of inhumane torture. Therefore those persecuted for witchcraft would make use of the poisonous plants to end their own or a loved one's suffering.
     Before we go any further in this discussion--for yes I think of my blog posts as discussions: I write my ideas and thoughts and readers respond likewise--It is crucial we all share an understanding and definition of what witchcraft actually is. There are many different branches and sects of the Craft just as there are in any religion. For me it is a spiritual path that recognizes my deep ties to the earth and all nature. We evolved within its system and, try though mankind may to divorce ourselves from nature and seek dominion over it, we are all of a part and as ill or well as the whole. Witches recognize everything in nature has energy, and just as Einstein so elegantly phrased it, we too understand that energy never dies--it only changes form. Witches are often born gifted in working with nature energy although it takes training to bring this under a discipline that allows one to use this energy wisely and ethically. We have no dogma except this: An' it harm none, do what ye will, for whatever thee send out to the world will return to thee threefold."  Those who practice unethical twisted magic are called followers of the left hand path. There is no such thing as white and black witches. There is only energy and how it is used and to what end, bearing in mind the Wiccan Rede, above.
     Out of my studies and practice I realized I could keep myself and my children healthy and out of the doctor's office which was essential. I was a full time student at Eastern Washington University and I had no medical insurance. I was thirty three years old and I would not have medical insurance for myself until I was thirty eight and working for Spokane Public Radio. I still could not afford insurance coverage for my children. I was grateful they were finally eligible for coverage by the State of Washington for minors living in poverty which my $16,000.00 a year job classified us, as working class poor. In America we don't have social class distinctions as they exist in Britain. Our class system is economic: Indigent or poverty stricken (no income and no means of support), working class poor ($6,000.00 to $26,000.00 per annum), working class ($26,000.00-$34,000.00 per annum), lower middle class ($35,000.00-$75,000.00 per annum), upper middle class ($100,000-$350,000.00 per annum), and wealthy. Herbal medicine and other alternative complementary medicines allowed me to keep my children healthy in a manner I could afford, and which I believe is better for all of us in the long run. It also placed the empowerment and responsibility for good health in our hands. My youngest daughter broke her arm on a local playground about a month after we moved to Eastern Washington. It was Independence Day weekend. The break was sufficient to require surgery twice and three ambulance rides between three different hospitals for the closed site surgery, angiogram, and open site surgery with hospital recovery time of ten days. In 1989 that cost me $10,000.00 and it took me years of making payments as I fell behind and eventually had to go through bankruptcy courts because interest on the unpaid debt carried it to a total of over $20,000.00. That said I do want to underscore that while medical care in America is expensive, we at least know how much everything costs, we know nothing is free, and while a physician may set himself up in private practice, when a doctor takes on a patient he works for that patient which I believe more often than not produces much better outcomes now than doctors working for a large corporation be it private or government funded. Americans go into the doctor's office armed with knowledge and eyes wide open and we expect to develop a doctor/patient relationship for our benefit. I am not saying American medicine is perfect because no system created by humans ever is and I want to underscore this idea. Studying Marxism at University taught me that one may develop some really elegant theories but the minute they are put into practice there must be a recognition that the wild card in any theoretical system is always the human beings involved in it and we humans have a gift for f*****g up anything we touch!
     My studies began and were underpinned by my studies of the Craft of the Wise as it is known in some circles. I don't call it Wicca because that is a New Age label and what we practiced was very "old age," if you grasp my meaning. If others need to pin a label on what I am and how I practice then I am most comfortable with Hedge Witch, or Green Witch. I seek nature first and foremost in all I do in order to find answers, healing, and direction in life. This does not mean I scorn allopathic medicine. It means I recognize it has limits like everything else and in the 21st century too often modern medicine practitioners prescribe chemical pharmaceuticals to treat symptoms without taking time to really know and treat their patients and their actual illness. Allopathic medicine is brilliant at diagnostics and surgery. I believe modern medicine lost its way when it climbed into bed with the whore that is now Big Pharma. I've had friends and colleagues who were on as many as nine different drugs, with most of them counter indicative to one another, creating a perfect storm of illness that placed these individuals in hospital, required surgery for symptoms, and I've seen many loved ones mis-diagnosed and mis-treated and a fair few have died because of pharmaceutical drugs and their very potent side effects. As those of you who have followed this blog for years know, my lovely husband Les died not of Colo-rectal cancer from which his body was slowly healing; he died from a second line bone carcinoma which developed in his lower spine as a result of radiotherapy he was forced to undergo in order to have the cancer surgery he needed. I recognize these issues also occur with unscrupulous so called "snake oil salesmen", however allopathic medicine is the mainstream even going so far as to demonize alternative medicine and therefore it has a much larger responsibility for which to answer.
     It is important to understand one of the key distinctions between allopathic and natural or alternative medicine: herbalists recognize that nature/God/Goddess--call it what you will--in its wisdom allowed plants to evolve in every continent of this planet (save Antarctica in its present icy state) which heal a multitude of illnesses with which animals may heal themselves and yes, we humans are animals and a part of the chain of animals in nature.
     The healing efficacy of certain plants was recognized by apothecaries. Modern pharmaceuticals began in the mid 19th century when apothecaries moved into wholesale production of drugs such as morphine, quinine, and strychnine, and dye and chemical companies that established research labs and discovered medical applications for their products. Pharmaceutical labs find a promising medical use for a plant and it is taken into the lab to break down its components to identify the main active ingredient which is then developed into a drug, undergoing field tests in order to allow drug companies to manufacture the formula for profit. In doing so the pharmaceutical and chemical companies are attempting to create a miracle cure marketed as a magic bullet. Aspirin is a perfect example of this system in operation.
     Plants with analgesic power to reduce fever, pain, and inflammation have been recognized for many thousands of years. The Egyptians and Greeks used White Willow bark tea to treat their patients. By the 19th century chemists were tinkering with the active ingredient in Meadowsweet (Filipendula Ulmaria), a lovely honey scented plant growing everywhere along river banks and known for the same properties as White Willow Bark. In 1853 a chemist by the name of Gerhardt teased out the active ingredient and named it acetylsalicylic acid. In 1899 chemists working for the German drug and dye company Bayer developed a chemical means of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid and Bayer named their synthetic chemical Aspirin. 
     Herbalists on the other hand recognize the healing power of the whole plant. We understand that all the constituents of a plant's chemistry work synergistically to produce healing. With the magic bullet Aspirin also comes the side effects of acid stomach and prolonged use causes leaky gut syndrome as the gut mucosa is destroyed by this acidic compound leading to other diseases such as IBS. Meadowsweet capsules or White Willow Bark tea on the other hand, having all parts of the plant included do not produce the same side effects so in my estimation as a master herbalist its healing power is much greater than synthetic Aspirin. To put it short and sweet all the chemicals in a plant are in there for a reason and all of them act upon one another to effect safe, effective healing. With herbal treatments time is the other piece of the antidote to healing. Herbs take longer to effect many cures because the entire plant is far more complex than an isolated active ingredient (magic bullet) and time is necessary for the human body to experience the full healing process without nasty side effects. Nature in its great wisdom understands that time is also a healer and natural bodies require time for healing to have a lasting effect. 
     Seventy four percent of all pharmaceuticals are derived from plants; eighteen percent from fungi, five percent from bacteria and three percent from vertebrate species like snakes and frogs (eye of newt and toe of frog; and they call us Witches!!)
     Okay that is the theory behind all of my knowledge and experience. Onward then...it is crucial to recognize that I am not a physician. I do not diagnose illness or prescribe medications. If someone comes to me for a consultation and they have not seen a doctor, I can only point them in certain directions based on their symptoms but it is always best if folks go to see their GP and seek a professional medical diagnosis. It turns out that a lot of the time I am correct in my directions, but still, a formal diagnosis by a doctor is essential and I like to think the information I provide to my clients helps them have an intelligent and measured conversation with their physician which will hopefully move the diagnostic process forward.
     For those who decide for whatever reason, to pursue natural medicine alternatives as a means of addressing a disease or illness, and who ask me to consult for them, I first require the diagnosis and any suggestions or recommendations of their GP. Then I spend hours and hours, usually several days, researching alternative treatments backed up by nearly thirty years of experience as a university researcher and I also do a guided meditation on that person, asking for assistance in finding the most effective remedies for them. Each human being and their 30 trillion cells are as individual as a snow flake or a leaf, and what works for one person may not work for someone else. I write up my recommendations with links for places where any of the needed herbs or other items may be purchased. I also include straight forward directions on how to use everything I recommend and for how long. I always ask that clients let me know how they are doing and check back in with me.
     In the past I have always provided consultations for free as a part of service to my community as a priestess of The Goddess. Now what you may ask does that mean?  A Witch is always a Witch at his or her own altar; a Witch called to serve the community is a priest/priestess who offers themselves in service others. I was consecrated as a priestess called to serve my community in 1995 and I have designed and partaken in small group and large community rituals in my community. I gave my practice of herbalism to my community for free as a token of thanks to the Goddess for embracing me and showing me my path though this life. There is a saying in the Craft: Witches heal. But one must first heal one's self before truly being able to heal others. I did so when I researched and undertook a two and a half year alternative treatment for ovarian cancer. That was in 2009 and I am still cancer free. When I provide a consultation I never bring my spiritual background or beliefs into it. I have chosen to illustrate my beliefs in this post so that others may know how I came to be a master herbalist, why I chose to do so, and what informs my practice. Healing and herbal medicine as well as working with plants are part and parcel of the Craft. Not all who practice medicinal herbalism come to their practice in this way 'nor do they need to, but I did.
     Now that I am widowed and no longer have Les' support and loving care I find the need to develop a means of supporting myself. After a long and agonizing meditation about this, and with the support of dear friends like Marilyn McDonald on NB Waka Huia, who wrote an honest recommendation on my services under the comments in my last blog post,  herbalist Kit Alcott on NB Mudlark, and others who have suggested I undertake to use my knowledge to support myself. So my shingle is hanging out now and I am open for business. Please contact me for specifics as to fees and with any questions you may have. I wish you all good health, great love, deep joy, and peace.

"Medicine’s a funny business. After all, dispensing chemicals is considered mainstream and diet and nutrition is considered alternative.” ~Charles F. Glassman MD, FACP, American Internal Medicine specialist, author, and MC coach 

A Les and Jaq Mooring Spot

"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, 103-1882. American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

     This is a bits and bobs post. Lots of disparate moments strung together in order to bring readers up to speed on life aboard NB Valerie. I've been moored up near the bottom of Audlem locks for a couple of weeks on fourteen day moorings. I spent a three day patch in Overwater marina week before last in order to give my batteries a good charge and use the dedicated water point on the jetty to wash the curtains, and the inside and out of the boat, as I mentioned in a previous post. Audlem is a sweet village without any of the canal pretentiousness and preciousness of other popular canal villages like Stoke Bruerne. Of course that is merely my humble opinion and since this is my blog I am allowed to say it. Les felt the same way about Stoke Bruerne especially once the mooring times changed from one week to 48 hours. As CC'rs we need three days somewhere maximum. One day to arrive, moor up, and catch up the chores aboard the boat. One day to catch a bus or walk in for groceries and pick up post restante mail, and ideally one more day to spend money in the area: eat out, check out local museums, have a walk around the village or town. With the shortened mooring times at Stoke Bruerne there was no reason for us to stop. Anyway, I digress...

Local crew of Greylag geese visiting the winding hole at the bottom of Audlem locks.

A Moor Hen gathering rushes across from my Audlem mooring. 

     Audlem is twee and doesn't take itself too seriously. There is just enough services for a boater like myself and the people both in the village and on the canal are down to earth friendly. There is only one snag. With cuts to the bus routes throughout Cheshire county, there is only one bus traveling through Audlem now: the D&G number 73. It travels from Whitchurch, Shropshire which is two miles east of the Welsh border, through a host of small villages on its way through Audlem, more small villages and finally into Nantwich. It only makes its route every two hours and it digresses in two spots for school days but the actual schedule makes no sense when one is trying to suss out which particular time the bus might do this.
     Audlem is right near the boundaries between two counties: Cheshire and Shropshire. Good luck to 'ya getting from Audlem to anywhere in Shropshire without a great deal of forbearance if you don't drive or own a car. 

Here is a perfect example:
Audlem and Market Drayton are both located on the Shropshire Union Canal. Audlem is located in Cheshire County. Market Drayton is located in Shropshire County. There is seven miles between them. One can drive from Audlem to M.D. in fourteen minutes or walk along the canal in two hours. Getting there by bus??? Phwaooarr!!! It will take three hours and forty minutes, a train and two buses: the 73 into Whitchurch where one gets the Arriva Train to Shrewsbury where one gets off, walks into the town to the bus station and waits for the Arriva number 64 to Market Drayton! Since April 2018 Cheshire East Council has axed 13 bus routes and diminished another 13 to MWF, or early morning and afternoon school run times.
     I want to give a shout out to Angie and Steve on their share boat NB Streamlines. Angie reads the blog and was kind enough to wave me down on their way through Audlem to say hello. Also a shout out to Allan/Alan??? whose boat name escapes me; I do remember it is a Celtic name. He introduced himself to me at the counter in Overwater Marina and told me he has read our blog for years. Many thanks to all of you for stopping to chat with me and let me know you follow the blog.
     When I left Overwater Marina on the 14th, I came out and moored up again near the bottom of Audlem locks as I had not used up my fourteen days however, the 2018 Transport Festival was scheduled for July 28/29th and I knew it would soon be rammed so I wanted to be well clear of Audlem before mid week. Monday last I turned at the winding hole and cruised back up the cut a half mile and into Overwater marina again!! Sudden repairs were required and I was grateful there was someone at Overwater Marine services who could do the work for me at an affordable rate. I had an engine belt squealing. It had started about a week previously and was intermittent. I didn't hear it when starting the engine. It waited until everything was warmed up and I was cruising along the cut before wailing like a bean sidhe which, besides being extremely worrying is also incredibly embarrassing. I had no idea what was causing it or how to fix it. I also lost a port hole window to the cut. Actually the window had been broken by Les back in 2011 when we were gathering wood on the cut. He was hoiking logs up on the roof, tossing them from the towpath and he miscalculated with one log. Instead of landing on the roof it went through the back cabin porthole window. It didn't take out the entire window, only the hopper at the top which opens. Instead of getting it replaced my sweet hubby found a piece of Perspex, cut it to fit the half moon of the upper window and glued it in place with gray plumber's mastic. The extremely high temperatures we've been exposed to this summer melted the plumber's mastic and the Perspex fell out into the cut. I managed to secure a piece of Saran wrap over the window opening, using what was left of the mastic and some masking tape for the short term, so back in to Overwater Marina I went. I spent one night there while measurements were taken and given to a glass cutter off the premises somewhere. The old drive belt was removed and it was then I was informed that it and the other two new belt Les had left for me didn't actually fit my alternator, which had been replaced at some point before Les and I met because the Vetus engine and all its parts are painted a bright Vetus yellow; the alternator is unpainted metal alloy. It was suggested that the smaller belts Les had picked up probably fit the old alternator. So a new drive belt of the proper size was ordered.

NB Valerie moored up in Overwater Marina. The local Greylag Geese gang swim into the marina, and glide underneath the dock to waddle up the bank to the lane.

It is quite a long queue! NB Sonoma moored behind them is a one of the new Finesse narrow boats. I had a chat with the owner who had her made just over a year ago. A Finesse boat comes with a 14 month guarantee. If anything should break or if the owner should be unhappy with anything the company comes out and sorts out the issues for no charge. A crew from Finesse was there earlier in the day to sort out several items for owners Gordon and Dawn Scott. 

After queuing up, gliding under the dock and crossing the puddle on the other side, the ducks waddle up the bank, linger along the lane and then waddle off to plop into the canal which is bordered by the hedge in this picture. Why they don't simply fly up and over it all to reach the cut is beyond me. It underscores that old saying "they don't have the sense god gave a goose." Never mind, I think Greylag geese are pretty even if they aren't geniuses.

     In the meantime I stopped in to The Cafe at Bridge 80 where I discovered they serve gluten free items. I ordered two gluten free cheese scones and a cheese quiche to take back to the boat and all of it was delicious!! What an amazing place to find food I could eat and good gluten free food at that. The next morning the drive belt was replaced as was my window and I went up to the office to pay. Many thanks to Carol and David in the office, and Simon and Ralph in the service shed for your kindness and assistance. As I left the office it began to rain!! WOOT!!! I rushed back to the boat, unwound my mooring lines and cruised off in the rain, happy as Larry, as they say over here. For the first time in more than two months I was cool and comfortable.
     While the rain lasted for over an hour and pelted down, soaking me to the skin, I knew the forecast for the rest of this week was dire. We were told to expect the highest temperatures yet this year with Amber heat warnings for today and tomorrow and then heavy rains on Saturday. I had just the perfect spot in mind to moor up and wait out the weather--a Les and Jaq spot. About a mile and a quarter from the marina is a bijou section between a canal bridge and an old railroad bridge hole where the actual structure has been removed. The canal dips into a cutting just there with adequate shrubbery and trees on both sides of the cut to provide shade for all but the hottest parts of the day. It is cool and green with just enough room for two boats to moor on metal siding and no Shroppie shelf! No one else ever moors there. Everyone continues through the bridge and moors up on the long, open stretch with no shade and a lousy view across a farmer's rubble strewn field or continues on towards Audlem to moor up.

The views from the bow looking at the old railroad bridge footings at the top, and from the stern to the bridge. these two features form a small cutting past a cluster of farm houses in Cool Pilate. Through the bridge hole the towpath leads out to a ramp up to the lane and the bridge.

The view of my Les and Jaq spot from the top of the bridge.

Looking back at the bridge hole. NB Valerie is moored on the other side. The ramp leads up to the lane which ends on the right in a gate to a farm field. There is a lovely wild cherry tree at the top of the ramp with tiny red cherries. 

View from the top: the gate, the ramp, the bridge and the cherry tree. 

The end of the road. 

Standing at the gate looking to the left the road disappears from view, intersecting with Cool Pilate Lane. This is a great spot to have a grocery delivery. Just use the address of the house with instructions that you are on a narrow boat moored just through the bridge. 

The uninspiring view through the bridge of a long slice of canal where most boats moor in the unrelenting sun. 

A spectacular sunset looking back to the bridge hole from NB Valerie. 
     The other sweet thing about this little slice of paradise which is about 120 feet long max is that boats must slow down when passing because they have just come through a narrow bridge hole and will be traveling through the very narrow bridge footings in the opposite direction. Finally, just through the bridge is a ramp up to the lane which is a perfect place to have a grocery order delivered--which I did at 6:30 AM Wednesday morning. With a full tank of water and all my laundry caught up, groceries delivered for two weeks, required health supplements for another month on board, rubbish and loo emptied I was sorted. I was in for a lovely surprise on Friday when NB Holderness cruised up with Tony and Helen hailing me. I saw them last when Les was still alive. It was such a joy to sit for a bit and catch up with them both. They were headed on up the Shroppie towards Authorley Junction. As we were saying goodbye NB Forget Me Knot hoved into view, AKA Baked on Board Pizza!

Two genuinely lovely people: Tony and Helen Porter and their boat NB Holderness. 

NB Forget Me Knot aka Baked On Board Pizza on their way to Audlem for the Transport Festival.

A close up of the wood oven pizza installed in the bow of NB Forget Me Knot. 

     I walked into Audlem yesterday for a Saturday paper: four miles round trip, but the towpath is even and fairly smooth all the way so I simply took my time. It took me an hour and thirty minutes to walk there and back with about twenty minutes in town to chat with a few known locals.
The Transport Festival was on this weekend and Audlem was rammed with old working boats and replicas. I stopped in at The Borders Cheese Carrying Company boat and bought a truckle of lovely Welsh Caws Cenarth Cheese Company's Caws Cryf.
     I stopped to say hello to Ruth Chamberlain, half of the Chamberlain Carrying Company. She and her husband Richard deliver fuels and goods to boats on the Llangollen on their boats Mountbatten and Jellicoe. Ruth also paints roses and castles on an array of goods for sale and she has beautiful style. I saw furl boat NB Halsall moored up on the offside but didn't have a chance to say hello to Lee and Roberta. In town I ran in to Samantha and John, two boaters whose acquaintance I made on the bus from Crewe back in March. They live on a replica working boat on Stoke Manor permanent moorings. They are both retired archaeologists and it is always a pleasure to stop for a chin wag with Sam and John.
     I was all in when I reached home. I preheated to the oven and started a chicken crown with baby carrots and potatoes to roast for dinner and gathered two cups of fresh blackberries from just outside the boat. I had a fresh batch on the go of Easiyo Greek yogurt with honey--my favorite flavor. When it was ready I refrigerated it for an hour while I cleaned the berries, drained them, placed the brambles in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon of water and four Tablespoons of Maple syrup. I grated the zest of one lemon over them with an half teaspoon of lemon juice and let the berries simmer on low.when they reached a low bubble I added in some corn starch to thicken the purple juices and turned the heat off to allow the berries to cool down. Then I stirred them into my fresh yogurt for the most delicious Blackberry yogurt I've ever eaten. I had a small bowl for dessert after dinner with a gluten free McVities Hob Nob. I napped while the chicken cooked; I fall asleep easily in the afternoons these days and at night now as well although I never sleep more than five hours a night.
     I am still researching Auto Immune (AI) diseases and Crohn's in particular for which I will write a long, detailed post regarding my findings. At this point I will only say that AI diseases while having some similar symptoms from person to person, have a lot of individual issues specific to one person. this is because AI diseases are systemic and so it is not just affecting me, it is also affecting the trillions of cells that make up my body. After meeting with the colorectal surgeon to go over my diagnostic results I have heard nothing more. I feel as though I have been cut lose to deal with this on my own. I have not received a referral to a gastroenterologist as I was told would happen. I have heard nothing from my GP and I am in the process of finding a new GP. Trial and error combined with unrelenting research have yielded a protocol that is working for now. Failure to follow this protocol means my digestive system shuts down and stops working.

The supplements that allow me to digest food and heal from a Crohn's flare up. 

I've never been able to grow fingernails. Mine have always been brittle and paper thin. With all the supplements, nutrients, vitamins and minerals I am ingesting my nails are hard as concrete and have to be filed down twice a week!

     I eat as much homemade yogurt throughout the day as I desire, with gluten free cornflakes and lactose free milk for breakfast, accompanied by a probiotic capsule and a mega multi-vitamin. Cups of green tea throughout the day help keep me hydrated with large glasses of water to help swallow the huge Omega 3 wild fish oil capsules required to fight and heal the inflammation in my gut. I take two capsules daily of seven digestive enzymes: one about fifteen minutes before lunch and again just before dinner otherwise I don't digest most of my food. I have two Whey protein Isolate shakes every day. The Gluathione in the whey is essential for healing any digestive issue and we stop making it as we age. If I stop the whey shakes I find after about four days I can no longer digest any food. Before bed I take two Wild Oregano oil capsules to kill the pathogenic bacteria load in my guts. The process of healing from a Crohn's flare up can take as long as three years. During that time if one consumes gluten it sets the clock back to zero; AI disease shortens the average person's life by 26 years. Life without sugar, alcohol, or fried foods is not too difficult but no coffee, tea, or red meat is a hardship. I will miss my coffee every day of my life. I didn't eat a lot of red meat but I do love it and I am sick of chicken and cod. Sea bass is off the menu because of extremely high levels of mercury in it. I try to eat salmon but I only really like King Salmon and it isn't readily available over here.

Our beloved Easiyo yogurt maker full of freshly made Greek yogurt with honey, top; freshly picked blackberries transform this yogurt into a berry delicious dessert. 

     Gluten gives breads and baked goods that toothsome chewiness that we take for granted. Gluten free foods don't hold together well without Xanthan gum and even then they will never have the texture or rich flavor of wheat products. Once you begin to chew a gluten free item and saliva wets it down, it dissolves into either a mushy goo or a grainy, sand-like texture. These products are also VERY expensive. It is £1.05 for a 500 gram box of regular Corn Flakes. Gluten free Corn flakes cost £2.20 for the same amount and the only difference is the regular cereal is sprayed with barley syrup and the gluten free flakes are not. Six regular par-baked rolls cost £1.60 and gluten free pettit pain cost £2.40 for six.This price increase holds true for everything gluten and lactose free.The other issue with Crohn's is that gluten is in bloody everything! Lipstick, shampoo, medicines, skin care lotions, and all foods across the spectrum from frozen food to soy sauce.
     I find I run out of energy quickly and need to rest. I have no passion for life in general and I have to force myself out of bed in the morning, and make a list, then force myself to start on things. I am utterly drained and working diligently to keep moving forward, with one foot in front of the other. I thought it was grief that made me feel this way and it no doubt was for a long while. But I know now and the colorectal surgeon confirmed it for me, that this emotionless exhaustion is a hallmark of AI disease.
     I'll leave you now with a view of the moon from this sweet spot...

The waxing moon...