Wisdom Quest Arts and Coaching

During my initial health quest to resolve symptoms including bloating and stomach distension, excessive gas, sporadic abdominal pains, a fuzzy memory, and sleeping challenges, I underwent many medical exams. I had a pelvic ultrasound done to rule out ovarian cancer and a colonoscopy to make sure it wasn’t colon cancer. These two cancers exhibit similar symptoms to what I had. I later learned about another illness which can cause the same maladies, Hepatitis C. I think it is important to first make sure that what you’re suffering from is not anything more serious.

Fortunately, the tests came back negative. A floodgate of emotional relief opened for me, yet the physical symptoms were still there. I felt helpless. I’d begun wearing looser fitting clothes so I could get them on. The strangest thing was I had a flat stomach in the morning and a huge, pregnant-looking one by nightfall. The pain from having it extend as far as it possibly could until I thought if I put a pin in it; it just may pop, kept me awake often. With all of the grogginess, I could barely function.

Later I had a one-hour consultation with a new primary physician, Dr. Humiston, with The Center for Health and Well-Being. We discussed my health history including how often I had taken antibiotics throughout my life, if I swam much in chlorine pools in childhood and to-date, along with my overall physical activity and diet. I shared that I spent practically entire summers as a child in the overly-chlorinated community pool. I also took an excessive amount of antibiotics due to chronic ear infections when young; and then later in life heavily pre-medicated with them prior to any dental work due to an alleged heart murmur (mitrovalve prolapse) . Exercising consistently at six to seven days per week was definitely in my favor, and he found my diet to be relatively healthy except for some processed foods.

Toward the end of our time together Dr. Humiston suggested I may have overgrowth of Candida, especially given the exposure to so much chlorine and antibiotics. He ordered blood work for me to see if anything seemed awry. When I returned a couple of weeks later to review the results, he shared concern over the Liver Function test which checks the two main liver enzymes AST and ALT. Mine registered on the high side, one point away from being abnormal. My white cell counts were low indicating I had a weakened immune system. Finally my thyroid function was low suggesting adrenal fatigue. Although there is not a definitive test yet to confirm overgrowth of Candida, he thought these findings were proof enough. After months of seeking the source of my misery, I had some resolution.

This is part 2 of a 5 part series based on my healing overgrowth of Candida several years ago. I will post Part 3 next week.