>Did you have the full shoemaker labs done (HLA, C4a, MSH, VIP, MMP-9, etc)? What were your results on those (high or low)?
I had some of them done, a while after I moved out of the moldy house and then a year or so later. HLA DR: one mold susceptible gene, one "Low MSH" gene
Low MSH. Elevated MMP9. There were abnormalities on the other tests as well. But I didn't have VIP done (Shoemaker wasn't testing that at the time), and they messed up the C4a test both times.
>What were your cholesterol levels before you started cholestyramine?
I can't remember that. The only thing I remember ever being abnormal with regard to standard tests was that the triglycerides were somewhat high once. They never appeared to be problematic when on CSM.
>How are you feeling now? What is your activity level like?
Recovery from this disease is not the way that you'd think. It's not a straight line. For me, in the first stage, I felt quite a bit better but still sick in a variety of ways. Then I felt pretty normally energetic (including hiking, swimming, etc.), but brain function still quite impaired and reactivity really high. Then I managed to detox a lot of crap out of my brain, leading to my brain functioning returning to pre-illness, but my gut got messed up (including parasite issues) as a result of the toxin going through. Now I am working all day every day on things requiring cognitive ability, and my reactivity is not a big issue any more, but working on this parasite problem is physically tiring. Maybe eventually I will feel 100% better, with my gut totally fixed and no regular fatigue. But since those are my only real issues at this point.....I'll take it.
I was very very sick though. People who are not that sick would not have as hard of a time recovering.
>What has been the biggest help for you (besides removal from an infected place)?
Avoidance in general -- including avoidance of contaminated outside air, problematic buildings and contaminated possessions. Leaving the bad house was just a start.
From my mini-essay on this new website page: "Other things that have helped me: promoting detox (especially coffee enemas and cholestyramine); a quality all-organic diet; fermented foods; treating parasites; Vitamin C IV's; neural therapy; homeopathy. But what has mattered most is good, fresh, clean air."
>Have you ever tried hyperbaric oxygen?
Yes. At one point a couple of years ago, I had an eye infection and almost lost my eye. I think I would have, if I'd not had hyberbaric. Then when my eye got re-injured again, I tried hyberbaric again and found it equally helpful. I think it felt healing for my body in general. Maybe especially my brain. It is expensive and a good bit of trouble, but if I had access to it, I definitely would use it more. I was doing avoidance when using it though. I'm not convinced it would be a good idea for someone not doing avoidance and getting a lot of oxidative stress. It might actually even be counterproductive.
>Did you have the staph infection in the sinuses?
I didn't get that test done. But I wouldn't be surprised. I've not heard great results from people who have treated that infection though. I'm not a real big believer in treating the infections in this disease with drugs. The infections just come back. I more am a believer in focusing on removing toxins from the body and supporting the body with good nutrition, so that it can repair itself and take care of the infections on its own. But that unfortunately takes time.
