My short list to healing

Note: This is not meant to be medical advice. It is simply a summary of what worked for me. Everyone’s illness can be a little different because there are so many things that can positively or negatively affect us when we are afflicted with these kinds of diseases. Also note that I am talking about RA in the post, but I believe that if I had a different disease, like MS, Crohn’s, IBS, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, etc., I would be giving the exact same account of my treatment. Also note that if you are working on a tight budget, my minimal short list is shown at the bottom of this page.

I’m so happy to report that I am ‘slowly’ doing better with each passing week and month as I continue on my healing journey from RA. But, it has been a long, long ride. It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been simple. And, for me (Not having a short list myself) it hasn’t been cheap. I’ve tried a lot of different supplements. Some helped, and some didn’t. And, it wasn’t always easy to tell between the two. But, unfortunately, since the allopathic medical system is so clueless and broken, you simply have to use a trial and error kind of approach to figure out what works and what is hype.

So, in this post I am aiming to help those of you who are desperate to find some kind of answer, with the goal of giving you the benefit of my experience. I hope that you find this helpful. I also hope to eventually see some comments from those that have benefitted from this information.

Good, bad and the ugly

Nothing can quite prepare you for an illness that can affect every part of your body, including your mental wellness and overall cognitive abilities. It doesn’t matter how amazing you think your diet is or how often you exercise. I have read articles written by people that actually ‘teach’ extreme healthy diets, that can’t recover from these diseases. RA, MS, FMS, CFS, Lupus and the many other ‘Autoimmune’ diseases are insidious, stealthy and way more complicated in their pathology than you could ever imagine. In fact, they are downright scary.

With that said, I no longer believe that the body is simply going haywire and attacking itself. That is ludicrous. I also no longer believe that these types of illnesses are incurable. And lastly, I now believe that pharmaceutical approaches are more harmful than helpful. And, most doctors, even the so called amazing rheumatologists, are simply clueless about ‘healthy’ approaches to healing. The biggest takeaway that I have found is that ‘Things are not always as they seem’. So, moving forward, I beg you to keep an open mind.

Most people will not understand your struggle

I did not understand illness and disability before my RA. I had compassion, but not as much empathy. And, like everyone else, I believed that natural treatments were mostly hype. When I got sick, and limped everywhere I went, people looked at me differently. It was almost as if I they thought I was simply trying to get attention. Although I was really sick and failing more each day, I still looked athletic and fairly healthy. And, when people think of disease, they think of people that look visibly sick. These diseases are special in the fact that you can look pretty good on the outside, but be broken as hell on the inside. Just accept now that ‘most’ people will not understand what you are going through.

Not just your body

I would have never imagined that an illness like this could have such an immense effect on my mental wellbeing and stability. When I began to have brain fog, trouble concentrating, trouble making a ‘plan’, depression and anger, it really opened my eyes to the possibility that illness can cause psychological issues that can become pretty problematic. I immediately began to think about those suffering from autism, bipolar, depression and other psychological dysfunction and how they may also be ‘illness’ driven.

For me, depression, anxiety, brain fog and lack of concentration have been a huge player in the course of my disease. In fact, I would say that these symptoms have been the most difficult to deal with because they can even affect your ability to help yourself and make good treatment choices.

Treatment is complex, but you can start simple

It’s very easy to overwhelm someone that is new to natural treatments. We are well trained by the medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies to believe that the only way to treat an ‘incurable’ illness is to go to the doctor and get a pharmaceutical drug. We are also trained to believe that pharmaceutical companies have our best interest at heart. So, it goes against our grain and we resist (I did) anything that doesn’t come from a prescription bottle.

So, what I’m trying to say is that this can be overwhelming, especially when you are living with one of these diseases that makes it hard to think clearly. So, here is the short list of how I would approach healing from one of these diseases if I had to start today.

Medical Marijuana

Personally, I believe that medical marijuana (Cannabis) is one of the most important treatment options that a person can try. Cannabis has been proven, in lab tests, to be antibacterial and antiviral. It has also proven to be anti inflammatory, anti-cancer and a good counter attack against depression, stress and anxiety. And, I find that cannabis heals gently. It is not the only answer. But, if you have the ability to benefit from this amazing plant, I highly suggest that you give it a shot.

There are many different strains, that come in many different forms and can be taken in many different ways. The bottom line, though, is to just get as much into your ailing body as you (reasonably) can. When asked which strains to use, I would say just mix it up. I recommend using a mixture of strains. But, personally, I have found Strong Indicas to help me the best (Indicas are sedating, pain relieving and relaxing). However, again, mix it up. Each different strain can literally have a different beneficial effect and can help more or less with different issues. I do, however, highly recommend that you obtain (or make yourself) the concentrated full extract cannabis oil or ‘Rick Simpson’ type of oil that you take by mouth, as this is the most powerful, and healing method that I have found. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t vape flower or vapable oils, or take cannabis infused coconut oil, because these are helpful as well. But, the extract seems to be a really heavy hitter when it comes to healing.

What should I expect when I start using cannabis for healing?

There is no overnight cure or single substance that you can take that will make you better overnight. Cannabis is the same way. The first thing you might notice when you start taking cannabis oil is the wonderful sleep that it brings with it. This, in itself, is necessary to healing. When I first started taking the oil, I would sometimes sleep as late as 9am, not waking a single time during the night.

As far as healing, you won’t notice any real change overnight. Even though this is powerful medicine, you have a serious illness that progressed over months or years and things are not going to change in an instant. So, be patient and diligent and you should begin to notice some subtle changes in inflammation and pain, as your treatment continues.

Although I don’t recommend smoking cannabis, vaping can alleviate fatigue and stress and can bring an overall feeling of wellbeing. So, experiment with different strains and methods and, if you are like me and many others that have written testimonies on the use of cannabis for healing, you should begin to (slowly but surely) begin to feel a little better.

Note: Your mileage may vary. What works for one person might not work as well for another. Also, please don’t consider this as treatment advice. I am simply listing what I found to be helpful and healing to me. And, because I was so desperate for that healing, I often ‘shotgunned’ it, trying several things at once. So, I can’t definitively say that one thing worked better than another. I honestly think that the totality of everything I tried, played some part in my recovery. So please use this as a resource, but do your own research as well. Also note that my research has indicated that the following treatments are not only effective against RA, but also most other autoimmune diseases like MS, CFS, FMS, GWI, Crohns, IBS, etc.

Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoals

There are many, many things that help eradicate the kinds of infections that can cause these kinds of serious illness. Some are better than others. The key is to start slowly and work your way up. The reason that you have to start slowly is because once the germ killing begins, you might have some healing crisis or Herxheimer. What does that mean? It means that you might (will) feel a little worse before you feel better. This is likely due to the fact that the dead and dying bacteria leave you with more toxins that your body has to address and remove. Expect it. And, when it happens, just know that it means that you are making a dent and headed in the right direction. So, again. Start slowly.

NOTE: I currently take all three of the supplement listed below

• Samento (Nutramedix)– Samento is a form of Cat’s claw that is an all natural antibacterial. Start with only 2 drops (yes 2 drops) twice a day and slowly move it up to the recommended dose of 30 drops, or more, each day.
• Banderol (Nutramedix)– Banderol is also a butt kicker (to the bacteria) and might even have the ability to disrupt the deep colonization (Biofilm) that these infections can establish to conceal and protect themselves from the immune system. Again, start with just a couple of drops a couple of times a day, and move up slowly. Trust me on this one.
• Takuna (Also Nutramedix)– This one, as far as I can tell, is more directed at viral invaders as I have found that there is never just a single infection, and often times, some of those infections are viral like Varicella Zoster (Chickenpox and Shingles) and Epstein Barr (Mono). I believe that these infections can hang out for years without causing any real symptoms. But, they can add to the overall depth of the illness once the immune system becomes compromised.
• Olive Leaf extract. 1-3 capsules 3 times a day. Nature’s way Olive Leaf Extract, Seagate brand Olive Leaf Extract (More expensive) Olive Leaf extract is a natural antibiotic with Antibacterial, antiviral and immune building qualities. Olive leaf extract benefits

• Cat’s Claw. Recommended brand Raintree Cat’s Claw. I also recommend these Cat’s claw drops as well. Prima Una De Gato I take both kinds, switching between the two often. Cat’s Claw is anti inflammatory, antibacterial , antiviral and is used for many different gut issues, like IBS and Crohn’s as well. Cat’s claw benefits
• ‘Myco’ (Heavy hitter) supplement. 3 pills twice a day (start with 1 pill twice a day for a week)  ‘Myco’ supplement by Raintree This is an antibacterial supplement that was created with Mycoplasma in mind. This is a powerful antibacterial, antibiotic. Please be sure to take a probiotic with this as i think it has the ability to affect good gut bacteria as well as bad bacteria.
• Oregano oil. 1-3 pills, 1 – 3 times daily. Now Brand Oil Of Oregano.  Oregano Oil benefits Oregano oil is Antibacterial, antiviral and antiinflammatory.
• Lauricidin. Lauricidin. Lauricidin is made from coconut oil and is a highly concentrated version of monolaurin, which is the active ingredient in coconut oil. Lauricidin is said to be immune system building as well as antibacterial and antiviral. Lauricidin information.
• Borax water. For this, it is recommended that you add 1/8th to 1/4th teaspoon of borax to a liter of water and sip it throughout the day. To me it doesn’t taste great, but it doesn’t taste horrible either. Borax is said to have the toxicity of table salt. Some have reported taking this every day for extended periods of time with no real side effects. Borax water is supposed to have good antibacterial qualities.

Something for Biofilms

Scientists are starting to believe that most serious illnesses comes, almost entirely, from bacteria and viruses that have established protective (Biofilm) communities. These communities can be responsible for the failure of antibiotics and can make the immune system almost useless in defeating the infections due to the protection that they provide against, well, almost everything. So, we have to make it difficult on these infections by taking away their ability to thrive in protected communities. One thing I have learned is that I do believe that Biofilms are very important in chronic disease. And not all biofilm are susceptible to the same substances. So, because scientists are still learning about these communities, information on how to counteract them can be difficult to find.

• (RECOMMENDED) Bio Fibrin – Bio fibrin, was, I feel a game changer for me. I’ve listed some of the supplements below that are known to be able to destroy biofilms and Bio Fibrin contains most of them in one supplement. I highly recommend that you use this supplement as your biofilm buster. The recommended dose is 5 per day (which I currently take). Make  sure you take this on an empty stomach or it will simply help you digest your food and won’t hit the Biofilms. I take mine first thing and then wait 30-40 min before eating.
• (RECOMMENDED) Lactoferrin– Lactoferrin is said to be an excellent biofilm buster as well as just an overall pathogen buster. This supplement is iron related, but does not supply iron. What it does do, as I understand it, is this: Bacteria are known to sequester iron, or…steal it from you, to use for their own growth (Anemia anyone?) Lactoferrin is said to take that iron back and put it where it was supposed to go in the first place. So, you give your body the iron it needs AND take fight pathogens and biofilm at the same time. I am told this is especially effective for people with recurrent UTI infections as well (for the same reasons). If you have any history of any type of urinary or uterine issues, this might b a good fit for you. Otherwise, it’s possible that it may help anyone with RA or other autoimmune disease, not sure, but it has ft well into my regimen. I take 1 per day, with food.
• Serrapeptase– Serrapeptase is said to have the ability to help dissolve biofilm formations. It also allegedly helps remove scar tissue and fibroids. It has many positive health benefits and I remember feeling a little better after I started taking it.
• Quercetin with Bromelain– These heavy hitters have many positive health effects, including antiinflammatory effects. The reason that I take it, however, is that it is said to have the ability to disrupt biofilm communities so that they have a much more difficult time protecting the infectious agents. Again, when I started taking this I did feel a positive difference. In fact, this is one of those supplements that I would recommend for almost anyone because of its wide reaching healthful effects.
• NAC– NAC is also said to be helpful in controlling and destroying Biofilm communities.

Other helpful supplements

There are several other supplements that I have taken that I feel have had a positive impact on my illness. But, if you are not in a financial position to take them all, just do what you can. I’ll summarize at the end of this blog article.

• (RECOMMENDED) Foundation (Multivitamin) by Inspired Nutrition. This has a wide spectrum of great stuff in it and have has some probiotics built in.
• (RECOMMENDED) Ultimate Monolaurin– The praise for monolaurin (comes from coconuts) never ends. It is said to kill a wide variety of pathogens and simply be a super healthy supplement at the same time. I currently use this.
• (RECOMMENDED Bioastin (Astaxanthin)– This is a super powered antioxidant that is also supposed to help vision, skin tone and is supposedly a natural sunblock as it builds in your system. This is the same stuff that make salmon, lobster, shrimp and flamingos pink. I feel that when I started taking this it knocked out my chronic fatigue.
• Vitamin C– When you’re sick, your body can handle a lot of vitamin C. I highly recommend taking it for not only the obvious health reasons, but for its powerful antioxidant abilities. I typically take as much as 3-6 grams daily.
• Magnesium– Magnesium is necessary for several essential bodily processes and if you’re sick, you are probably deficient in magnesium.
• Probiotic/prebiotic– Probiotics help to replace the good bacteria that the bad bacteria (and antibiotics, even natural ones) have killed. This is VERY important and I recommend taking at least 3 per day (with meals and especially right before bed) to help recover the functionality of your good gut bacteria.
• Fish oil– Fish oil helps repair the body and provides omega 3’s. I currently take 2-4 of these a day.
• Vitamin D3 with K2– I guarantee that if you have a serious illness, you are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D helps our immune function. You can also get vitamin D directly from the sun (15 minutes of mid-day sun without sunscreen will help).
• Turmeric– Turmeric is said to be a super food and supposedly helps with everything from depression to inflammation.
• Borax water– For this, it is recommended that you add 1/8th to 1/4th teaspoon of borax to a liter of water and sip it throughout the day. To me it doesn’t taste great, but it doesn’t taste horrible either. Borax is said to have the toxicity of table salt. Some have reported taking this every day for extended periods of time with no real side effects. I can attest that Borax water is very helpful in clearing infections. And…it’s really cheap. You can buy a box that will last forever at most grocery stores for under $5.00. NOTE: Borax water might give you loose stools initially as it begins to cleanup your gut biome. Hang in there and it will stop in time.
• (RECOMMENDED) Apple Cider Vinegar– Apple Cider vinegar is a time-tested superfood that has positive effects throughout the body. And, it’s very cheap and very simple to take. ACV is said to affect how nutrients are absorbed, be good for the gut biome, help you maintain a healthy weight and much, much more. Simply put 2 teaspoons in a short glass of water or sugar-free juice and drink it 2-3 times a day, preferably before your meals, but anytime is fine. NOTE: Should be organic, with the ‘mother’.

Healthy diet and exercise

And of course, a healthy diet can help a lot as well. I mention this last because many will tell you that if you were just eating healthy, you wouldn’t be sick, which is a big bunch of crap. Will it help? Yes. Will it have the ability to do what all of the stuff I’ve listed does? Highly, highly doubtful. These are very, very serious illnesses that require more than just a paleo, vegan or other supposedly ‘super healthy’ diet. I believe that a super healthy diet can mask or temporarily alleviate symptoms. But, eradication of the illness itself is another issue altogether. However, there are some really basic things that you can do that I believe may help.

• Reduce refined sugar- Sugar feeds bacteria and yeast and cancer. Even if you take good supplements, too much sugar could counteract your progress.
• Reduce dairy- I did not stop consuming all dairy. But, I did switch from Milk to Almond milk for cereal, drinking and cooking. Personally, I think this is a great move. I do still eat cheese. But, I don’t miss milk at all, at this point.
• Fresh fruit and veggies- Eat more fresh (Organic if possible) fruit and vegetables. This goes without saying.
• Gluten free?- Some might kick me for saying this. But, I believe that the reason going gluten-free helps so much is because of dysfunction caused by illness. In other words, I believe that if you take care of the illness, other things like Gluten intolerance, might be alleviated as well. But, it might help in the short-term to reduce your gluten. If so, go for it. I was actually found to have the Celiac marker in my initial blood tests. However, I have found that as I have recovered, this has not been any kind of remarkable issue.
• Exercise You might laugh when you read this, thinking to yourself that you can barely walk, much less exercise. Do what you can , when you can, just don’t hurt yourself. Exercise is very important for healing and can help rid the body of toxins created when the bacteria die off. If you can jog, then jog. If you can work out with weights, do it. If all you can do is take a slow walk down the road, do it. Anything and everything you are able to do to be active, should be done.

Short List Summary

So, here it is. If you are working on a budget, this is the minimum that I recommend you take to help yourself heal. Again though, I cannot overstress the effectiveness of cannabis in the treatment of these diseases as well.

• Borax water, 3 times a day
• Apple Cider Vinegar, 2-3 times a day
• Samento, 3 times a day, 2 drops each to start.
• Bio Fibrin, 5 caps on an empty stomach once daily

That is my absolute minimal budget list. This doesn’t really address all possible infection types, but it is a great start. If you are able to get and take more of the things I have listed, do it. Otherwise, take and do what you can afford, knowing that it might just take longer to experience defined healing.

And remember, this a war, not a battle. It takes time, patience and persistence. And, it doesn’t happen overnight. Hang in there, though! Knowing the truth about these illnesses and the things that ‘Really’ help to clear them up, is the first step in getting back to a more normal you.

Good luck, God Bless and if this helps you, leave me a comment below.