A Neurotoxic Vegetable?

Driving back from Richmond, VA my wonderful husband had a great suggestion. He suggested that I make a chronological timeline of appointments, exams, treatments, medications & what each of the recommendations were from the various doctors so that I would be sure not to leave any information out for both my doctors & myself. What an excellent recommendation! It allowed me to present my case to my doctors in a systematic format that they could easily read & review without having to go through multiple doctors notes to summarize my care. The doctors reading it have appreciated my thoroughness & it enables them to get straight to the point regarding a plan of action, so thanks babe, great idea.

Here’s an excerpt from the last couple of doctors:

April 16-Dr Capello-podiatrist--very nice, read thru my timeline thus far, she does not like to step on anyone’s toes (other doctors/etc). She recommended that I do the 3 Phase Bone Scan as that is the gold standard for RSD.

1a) If it is negative she would be happy to aggressively treat me for plantar fasciitis (custom orthotics, night splints, etc) if it is RSD she would recommend I see Dr. Matsunaga or other pain specialist to manage my care.

1b) She also placed a temporary orthotic on it that needs to stay on until bone scan on 4/18-if it feels better than its probably plantar fasciitis, if it does not feel better it is probably RSD/CRPS- chronic regional pain syndrome

2) She also advises that I NOT go to Richmond to see Dr. Zimmer or Kathy. She said that if RSD is ruled out via Bone Scan than she could treat Plantar fasciitis & Kathy’s treatment of Raynauds would be a low dose propranolol which anyone could give me. (although I believe Dr Merritt said Kathy has some kind of long-term treatment for Raynauds)

April 16- Dr. Ring- Chiropractor that also incorporates Applied Kinesiology-referral from Dr. Finucan in upstate NY via the website icakusa.com.

Dr. Ring advises getting 3 phase bone scan for RSD. He did muscle testing on me and found 2 major things:

1. I have a pinched nerve @ L4. That nerve goes down my right leg into my foot. He did not say that I do NOT have RSD but does say that he can fix my leg pain & it might help with my foot as well.

2. I am allergic to CORN. He tested me for milk, wheat, soy & corn allergies through muscle testing. I was positive for a corn allergy. Now Dr. Ring was not overly enthusiastic in his presentation, it was simply the facts. He suggested that I stop eating corn or corn derivatives. His secretary would give me a food list when I left.

He did say that corn as an allergy is a neurotoxin, meaning it is attacking the central nervous system.

It didn’t take long for me to come to the conclusion that eliminating corn from my diet could possibly improve my health dramatically. My contact dermatitis-a central nervous system disorder, my Raynauds-a central nervous system disease, my migraines-a central nervous system disorder, and if I did in fact have Reflexive Sympathetic Dystrophy in my foot-it was also a central nervous system disorder. I thought about it & realized that I eat corn or one of its derivatives at nearly every meal &/or snack! When I got home & began googling “Corn Allergy” I got over 6 pages of corn products; from make-up, lipstick, gum, toothpaste, lotions, soap, adhesives, envelopes to most sauces, soups, washes on meat, even coverings on many vitamins!

Funny cause if I had gone to Dr. Ring without being in a state of desperation I would not have given up my French Vanilla Creamer just to be healthy (I tend to eat what I want & do an extra exercise video to maintain a certain size/weight) But I am turning into my mother, who oddly enough is allergic to both corn & wheat. So farm fresh fruits & veggies at every meal, here I come! Organic isn’t always corn free either. Some organic meats have an ethanol preservative (ethanol is derived from corn). I am not sure how far I am going to go with this corn allergy as it really is a drastic change in our lifestyle but I will do my best to avoid the obvious corn & see if I notice a difference.

Dr. Ring did say that I should continue to see the pain specialist & have my 3 Phase Bone Scan, etc. Eliminating corn from my diet could take weeks to see a marked improvement as it has been building up in my system for years. He was not suggesting that the corn allergy would take away my foot pain but it was a natural solution that I could at least try for a month or so & see how it goes. My pinched nerve would require multiple adjustments in my back for a few weeks but should alleviate my leg pain. So that was a profitable visit.

April 18- I had my 3 Phase Bone Scan & awaiting the results from that. I should hear something in the next few days either way.

My mom is coming this weekend to help me buy foods & cook meals with my new allergy. I am grateful that she can give me advice & help with the boys. Oh and for those who bring us meals, don’t worry about “catering” to me, the men in the house love all food & will devour the meal in no time.

And next week April 25-Pain Center @ Hopkins (8:50am) where I will get to see an RSD specialist in our area.

Here are some sites on Corn Allergies/Symptoms/products if you are interested:

http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/a/cornallergy.htm

http://no-corn.blogspot.com/

http://www.allergicchild.com/corn_allergies.htm

Next week I will write more about foster care & adoption…

Updates

So it has been a little while since I last updated on the lives of the Jordan Crew. We are doing just fine. No extra kids staying with us, Trey’s surgery to re-remove his adenoids went well & he’s breathing well, DJ’s studies are coming along nicely & I am learning more about my physical condition.

I have been to numerous doctors & it has been frustrating to be “dismissed” by multiple doctors that don’t treat RSD & then refer me to other doctors that also don’t treat RSD. This past week DJ & I travelled to Richmond, VA to see a specialist there. Dr. Merritt far exceeded our expectations - he sat & discussed treatment options, medications & tests that he wanted to confirm Reflexive Sympathetic Dystrophy. I am scheduled for a 3 Phase Bone Scan which is considered the gold standard to diagnose RSD. Thankfully I was able to get that test scheduled here in MD & not have to travel to Richmond for that. He started me on some medications to help my central nervous system stop throwing the fit that it’s been throwing & my pain has lessened considerably for which I am grateful.

I learned that Raynauds Syndrome, a condition that I’ve had since I was a teenager, where my fingers & toes get very white & numb when exposed to cold weather is NOT a circulatory problem which I had previously been told but rather a nervous system problem where the nerves on my blood vessels constrict causing the poor blood flow to my extremities. Dr. Merritt hypothesized that I have always had some central nervous system issues but have managed them prior to this event. Having Raynauds does make me more susceptible to RSD as both conditions are caused by a hyperactive central nervous system. Low doses of anti-seizure medications have helped to decrease the response of my central nervous system to the point of injury.

I am thankful for Dr. Merritt’s medical opinion & analysis of my condition. He helped DJ & I recognize many of the other minor health concerns I have had might have been either caused by or exacerbated by an overactive central nervous system. This led me to start looking for an alternative medicine doctor. As a critical care RN, I have great respect for critical care medicine & medications that can save one’s life. I also value preventative care to keep one from needing critical, emergent care in the first place! Preventative care might mean taking synthetic drugs but it can also mean altering ones diet & lifestyle. I have seen Applied Kinesiology work very well, in conjunction with natural supplements, in maintaining good health. Obviously there is a time & place for both approaches to health & well-being. I am taking steroids, anti-epileptic drugs in attempt to get things under control for the “critical state” that my foot & leg are in but hope to maintain good central nervous system health through more natural long-term treatments. So that’s the plan & I will let you know how it works.

The child that we are hoping to adopt is still lost in a bureaucratic system of chaotic paperwork & social workers but I think it may just be God’s way of giving us time to get my foot under control before adding another special member to our family. DJ has been wonderful in encouraging me to persevere through the discouraging times & this challenge has strengthened us both individually & as a couple. Thank you all for your continued support & love.