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Are You Toxic? By Heather Plude www.agoodhealthadvocate.c om

Are You Toxic?

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Are You Toxic? . By Heather Plude www.agoodhealthadvocate.com. What I’m going to talk about . My family Medical history Lyme treatment Heavy Metals Mold – our keystone to healing The toxins that are all around us How to test for mold in buildings and bodies How to detox the body. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Are You Toxic?

Are You Toxic?

By Heather Pludewww.agoodhealthadvocate.com

Page 2: Are You Toxic?

What I’m going to talk about

• My family • Medical history • Lyme treatment • Heavy Metals• Mold – our keystone to healing• The toxins that are all around us• How to test for mold in buildings and bodies• How to detox the body

Page 3: Are You Toxic?

My Family

This was one week before my son got sick. He looks fine doesn’t he? Look at me, I don’t look sick. I was 174 pounds in this picture.

I went on to gain another 20 pounds… even though I was throwing up every day. It took my son getting sick to help me figure out why I was sick.

What a blessing in disguise!

Page 4: Are You Toxic?

My Health History

• Always got sick eating sweets• 16 amalgams from a car accident @ 21 yrs old• Chronic reactive arthritis shortly after• My pain was extreme and all over, migrating• Hospitalized for throwing up blood• Could not work as an auto mechanic any more• Went back to school for Nutrition

Page 5: Are You Toxic?

I Wanted to Know Why I Was in Pain

• I was researching anything that might help with arthritis and inflammation• I tried several natural “cures.” • Tons of things didn’t work. Finally one thing worked for me. • Grape Seed Extract took my pain away if I took enough of it AND it was high

quality. • I could buy a CVS brand or a GNC and those would do nothing for me… but

over the years there have been 2 brands that worked for me. • The first was New Image International and they went out of business. • The 2nd was USANA Proflavanol (Grape Seed Extract)

took that for the next 15+ years• It didn’t always work for every one who had

pain from “arthritis” – but it always worked for my pain. Then again, I am sure my arthritis was never arthritis!

Usana ProflavanolGet it from a Usana

Distributor or on ebay!

Page 6: Are You Toxic?

In 2007, I got a new job and bought a house that needed renovations

• The new job was in a building that was old and had lots of water leaks.

• My “new” house was 100 years old and had lots of repairs needed• Both work and home were toxic… but I didn’t know it yet• I had a constant stabbing pain on the right side of my torso, near my

rib cage• I saw my doctor who said there was nothing wrong with me… it was

all in my head. • The pain got progressively worse• I started throwing up once or twice a day• I was gaining weight even though I was eating less and throwing up

every day

Page 7: Are You Toxic?

Back to the doctor

• The doctor wanted to know if I was upset about the weight I had gained lately.

• They asked if I would like to see someone to talk about my weight problem and discuss why I was throwing up

• Again, they were telling me it was all in my head.

• I left disappointed and still sick

Page 8: Are You Toxic?

ER - February 2008

• Liver Enzymes High and Kidney Function Low

• AST was at 131 - reference levels are (12-32) • ALT was at 152 - reference levels are (20-65)• My eGFR result was less than 60 f – which if it

stays that low for 3 months is considered chronic kidney disease

Page 9: Are You Toxic?

The next 2 years going to doctors and Hospitals with emergencies

• GI doctors, endocrinologist, internal medicine, gynecologist, several general practitioners…

• Emergency gallbladder surgery• Emergency ovarian cyst surgery• Admitted to the hospital for 3 days for being unable to

stop throwing up• Diagnosed with Sphincter of Oddi• Put on muscle relaxers, Anti-nausea meds, and pain

killers… I refused anti-depressants. • Life goes on.

Page 10: Are You Toxic?

July 2010• My 11 year old son gets what

seems to be the flu• Then he gets painful knees and ankles• He tests positive for Lyme Disease• Gets 28 days of Amoxicillin• Gets worse… no one explained the herx• I was told “that’s normal” but not WHY • He can’t eat, can’t sleep, moans in pain,

doesn’t want to move because of the pain

Page 11: Are You Toxic?

Grape Seed Extract

• I start giving him the Grape Seed Extract that helped me with my extreme pain

• It didn’t work for him the way it did for me• It didn’t seem to touch his pain… while it took

my pain away.

Why?

We are all differentNo ONE thing works for everyone

Page 12: Are You Toxic?

The Follow up with our doctor

• He no longer has Lyme• Lyme cannot survive 28 days of antibiotics• Liquid Prednisone was prescribed for pain and

swelling of the joints… I was told he should be fine after that.

• Alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen• Nothing to ease the pain…

Page 13: Are You Toxic?

Prednisone• The first 2 days on the Prednisone, we saw some

improvements in pain levels and I had hope. • 3 days into the prednisone, he started having

seizures, pain was intensified, neurological tics and he was falling down walking

• I called my insurance company for suggestions and a referral to another doctor.

• They called me back with a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

• Sounded great to me!

Page 14: Are You Toxic?

Pediatric Infectious Disease• She examined him for 10 minutes, asked some

general questions and before taking one vial of blood, she wanted to check my son into the hospital.

• NOT for an infectious disease• For mental problems• The doctor suggested he was faking it• Maybe he was depressed?• There was a special floor where they take care

of kids “like him”

Page 15: Are You Toxic?

I assured her that my son was SICK• I asked her if she even planned on checking his

blood and looking for infection?!!• She wrote a prescription for some lab work, told

us where the lab was and we left• We didn’t go to the lab in that hospital, we went

to an independent lab• The Lyme test came back CDC positive and this

ID doctor called me and told me she STILL thought my son had been treated adequately and needed no further treatment.

Page 16: Are You Toxic?

Munchausen’s By Proxy• This ID doctor haunted me for months• She thought my son was “at an end result” • She said it was all in his head and needed psychological

treatment• She thought his looking at me for answers when she

questioned him was me coaching him… really he was just sick and confused by her questions.

• She saw him for 10 minutes! • She said that if I did not follow her advice she may have to

prosecute me for Munchausen’s By Proxy• I lived in fear of getting prosecuted for seeking humane

treatment for my son

Page 17: Are You Toxic?

By this time I had found Lymenet

• You might know me as momlyme• I found Lymenet in the fall of 2010 and was an

active contributor and avid researcher while my son was sick.

• That’s how we found my son’s LL pediatrician• She would have done anything to get him well• She was new to treating Lyme and had never

seen a child as sick as my son

Page 18: Are You Toxic?

My Son’s LL Pediatrician (Dr. B)• Consulted with other Lyme doctors because my

son’s case was difficult• Tested for every co-infection under the sun• Prescribed multiple combo oral antibiotics • Called me nights and weekends• Wrote letters to the school excusing my son from

going to school [504 children with disabilities]• Wrote letters to the insurance company to get the

PICC line covered and extended antibiotic treatment at home

Page 19: Are You Toxic?

6 Months of Antibiotics• My son was only getting worse• His WBC was low• His Liver Enzymes were high (AST & ALT)• His blood was thick• He had dropped from 85 pounds to 70 pounds• He was throwing up every day• Miserably sick• Missing out on his childhood• He couldn’t read • He couldn’t play video games or watch T.V.• He would fall down walking• Neurological seizures, tics, catatonic stares• Alzheimer symptoms, forgetting what he was saying in mid sentence• He needed a wheelchair to go out• He couldn’t go to school• He couldn’t play with his friends• He was too sick to do anything… except sit and stare• He tried to do stuff and would wear out in no time

Page 20: Are You Toxic?

3 Days Before Christmas

• Pulled the PICC line• Watched a video about HPU by Dr. Klinghardt• http://planetthrive.com• Klinghardt says if you have white spots on your

fingernails you don’t even have to test for HPU – you have it!

• I knew my son had those white lines.• I looked at his fingers and couldn’t wait to call his doctor to tell her I had found the answer

Page 21: Are You Toxic?

I couldn’t find a doctor to treat my son

• Dr. B admittedly knew nothing about mercury other heavy metals. She asked me to try to find another doctor to treat him.

• We saw ½ dozen doctors that would not consider testing or treating my son for HPU or heavy metals

• I was told that you can only get heavy metal poisoning if you worked in a battery factory or a thermometer factory

• I was told that Dr. K was an unreliable source• I was told to stop researching on the Internet and make

my son go out and play

Page 22: Are You Toxic?

Heavy metals testing• In one of Dr. K’s HPU presentations he lists “Common

Lab Abnormalities” –Dr. B. tested him for the ones we could do in NYS

• High LDL, low HDL• Low normal alkaline phosphatase (Zn, Mag)• Low wbc (Zn)• Low Omega-6 fatty acids in red cell membrane test• Low taurine in aminoacid profile• High MCV (B6)• Doctor’s Data Hair Test –available through http://directlabs.com

Page 23: Are You Toxic?

I became “in charge” of the heavy metal detox

• I read everything I could get my hands on about mercury poisoning and HPU/KPU

• “Amalgam Illness” by Andrew Hall Cutler• Several PPT presentations by Dr. K• “Clear Body, Clear Mind” – detox protocol used

by the firefighters and other 9/11 survivors• http://www.iaomt.org• I had my own amalgams out so I could test

everything on myself before trying it on my son

Page 24: Are You Toxic?

Retested after 2 months

• Mercury levels were going down• No change in my son’s condition• He was still very sick• WBC level was still very low• We decided to keep doing the heavy metal detox• At least the testing gave us some positive change• We didn’t have any other ideas!

Page 25: Are You Toxic?

One Day Everybody was sick• I was supposed to be going to the doctor with my son because he

was having a really bad string of seizures. • The dog wouldn’t get up to eat. She cried when she tried to get

up. I was heading to the vet to drop her off on the way to my son’s appointment.

• My husband’s work called-he was being rushed to the hospital with chest pains

• Later, my daughter’s nose started bleeding while she was talking to me

• I was overwhelmed, unable to stop crying and exhausted. It seemed my world was falling apart.

• I couldn’t figure out what was going on!

Page 26: Are You Toxic?

I called the Department of Health

• I expected they would be interested in the fact that everybody, even the dog was sick

• They offered me no help or advice• They said the symptoms were seemingly unrelated and they

could not recommend a course of action• I was sure it was environmental, they were sure it was not• I have called them several times, during and after this ordeal. • I would like to see them help families that are being made sick

in their homes• They have told me that there is no such thing as toxic mold

and my story is anecdotal… among other dismissive remarks.

Page 27: Are You Toxic?

The thing that led me to the mold

• My daughter’s bloody nose was the reason I started looking at mold being the cause

• I found something on the Internet that said bloody noses could mean there is Stachybotrys in the home… one of the deadliest molds.

• I decided to order Dr. Shoemaker’s book, “Surviving Mold” which had just come out a few months before.

• I still remember the horror and relief while reading SM – knowing this was the cause of all our sickness – for years!

Page 28: Are You Toxic?

Sick Building Syndrome

• A Multifactorial Cumulative Threshold Effect– appears only when enough contributing genetic

and environmental factors are present.• Inflammation is almost universal• Target Organs Vary – Based On Occupant

Factors and genetics• People in the same household, work or school

could present with completely different symptoms… or none at all!

Page 29: Are You Toxic?

Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome• Episodes of inappropriate fatigue during day• Difficulty sleeping, waking un-refreshed• General feeling of weakness, with shortness of breath after brief

exertion, increased heart rate• Sinus problems, sore throats, light sensitivity, “floaters”• Vertigo, hearing loss, hearing sensitivities• Increased thirst, but “water runs straight through”, increased urination,

light urine color • Static Shocks – sign of low ADH• Body aches (FMS-like or not)• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss• Difficulty with short term memory, concentration, word finding, mood

swings, decreased assimilation• Difficulty regulating body temperature, sometimes with night sweats• Cough, headache, blurred vision, strange neurological symptoms:

vibration, sounds, tingling, numbness

Page 30: Are You Toxic?

Other Signs of Sick Building• Vague NEUROBEHAVIORAL symptoms in

children & adults may be the norm in some environmentally induced illnesses. This is a CLUE to search for an environmental cause

• Allergies and Asthma• Frequent Colds• Dyslexia• ADD or ADHD• Autism Spectrum Disorders – may be

intensified

Page 31: Are You Toxic?

More Symptoms SBS • NeuroToxic Effects• Severe Brain fog/dyslexia/bordering Alzheimer’s• Mucous Membrane Irritation/ Bloody noses• Respiratory/ Pneumonia/ Allergy/Asthma• Skin rashes/ oozing / look like hives or exema• Changes in sense of smell/increased or decreased• Hyper-Reactivity to chemicals• Gastrointestinal Symptoms• Cysts and/or cancer• Endocarditis or heart arrhythmia• Elevated Liver Enzymes (AST & ALT)• Low Kidney function• Low WBC …symptoms sometimes subside on leaving the building ; …very often people remain sick for months or years after they

have left the building

Page 32: Are You Toxic?

After Surviving Mold• I suspected mold was our problem… but I couldn’t see or

smell mold in our house• I knew one way to test the house because that was in the

book – the ERMI• I talked to my son’s doctor and she knew less about mold

than she did about heavy metals!• I sent her a copy of “Surviving Mold” with hopes that she

could help us with this. • There were tests that Dr. Shoemaker suggests and she

ordered what she could. The results showed he was having a reaction to mold

• The HLA-DR testing came back double 4-3-53 which is the worst of the worst gene for being able to detox mold

Page 33: Are You Toxic?

I tested the house for mold

• The test in Surviving Mold is the ERMI• Environmental Relative Moldiness Index

The scale goes from negative 10 to positive 20

Our House was a 20.3 – off the charts!

Page 34: Are You Toxic?

How to Leave a Moldy House• Treat everything that came from the house as if it could

kill you. Put it in a Ziploc bag if you have to take it with you

• Wash any clothes in 1-2 cups of ammoniaNO DETERGENT – put the clothes in new plastic bags that DID NOT COME FROM THE HOUSE!

• Shoes are not cleanable – flip flops are questionable• Pocketbooks, wallets, stuffed animals toys, computers,

cars, phones, hats, keys or supplements can all cross-contaminate… be extremely cautious

• Scrub hair well – use grapefruit seed extract in shampoo

Page 35: Are You Toxic?

Mycotoxins• Chemicals produced by certain fungi• Over 250 mycotoxins have been detected• Mycotoxins are the difference between allergic molds

and toxic molds• Mycotoxins, by-products of fungal metabolism, have been implicated as causative

agents of adverse health effects in humans and animals… Consequently, fungi that produce mycotoxins, as well as the mycotoxins themselves, are potential problems from both public health and economic perspectives.

• …During the 1970s and 1980s, the trichothecene mycotoxins gained some notoriety as putative biological warfare agents when they were implicated in “yellow rain” attacks in Southeast Asia.

• Understanding Fungal (Mold)Toxins (Mycotoxins) http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/archive/g1513/build/g1513.pdf

• TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXINS – Dept. of Defense: http://moldsupport.org/DODMyocotoxins.pdf

Page 36: Are You Toxic?

Dr. Shoemaker tests• http://www.survivingmold.com• The online VCS Test is a measure of one of the

neurologic functions of vision called contrast. • In order to take this test, your corrected visual

acuity must be better than 20:50. • The VCS Test - Visual Contrast Sensitivity– 1 Test: $15– 4 Tests: $40– 10 Tests: $75– 50 Tests: $250

Page 37: Are You Toxic?

Dr. Shoemaker Tests• HLA DR - Your Genes 24% of people are unable to detox mold on

their own! • C4a/ C3a• TGF Beta-1 - Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1• MSH - Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone• VIP - Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide• MMP-9• Leptin• ADH/Osmolality• ACTH/Cortisol• ACLA IgA/IgG/IgM• AGA IgA/IgG• VEGF

Page 38: Are You Toxic?

Shoemaker Tests- are they necessary?

• We had all these tests done… And never used them except for the initial diagnosis

• If you have a Shoemaker trained doctor, you may be able to monitor your progress and use the Shoemaker protocol to get well. I do not know anyone who has gotten well using this protocol.

• That doesn’t mean they aren’t out there! • Dr. Shoemaker stopped seeing patients in March 2013• Shoemaker Protocol Certification open to physicians

($1,500)• There are 3 newly trained doctors listed on

survivingmold.com

Page 39: Are You Toxic?

Getting back to Healthy

• I was lucky enough to have an appointment with a LL doctor that was scheduled for the day after we moved out of the mold

• He reviewed my medical records, my mold test results, and examined me… and started to guide me in getting well

• He tested me for Lyme, Bartonella & mycoplasma• I was truly blessed to have found this doctor and I owe

him a debt of gratitude • Although he did not see me through to 100%, without him, I didn’t know how to get started with the

detox on my own.

Page 40: Are You Toxic?

This is how I started treatment

• Follow the diet in the book “Clean” by Alejandro Junger for 13 weeks instead of 3 weeks

• Neti pot – ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp xylitol in 8 oz warm distilled or boiled & filtered water

• Cholestyramine – compounded, away from food• LiverLife by Bioray Natural – 12 months (very helpful)• Nystatin – 3 months –stopped because I was feeling

toxic from it• Diflucan – 1 month – this made me feel awful

Page 41: Are You Toxic?

“Clean”

• Juice organic vegetables – morning and night • Explains why certain foods are bad for you…

horomones, pesticides, GMOs, other poisons. • Elimination diet – eliminate most foods and

then slowly add them back in, see how you feel

• At least 12 hours of “fasting” at night

Page 42: Are You Toxic?

Xylitol

• Antifungal•Breaks up biofilms •acts as a lubricant, facilitating the natural mucus secretions that float pathogens away• infection-fighting capabilities• action against skin ulcerations in diabetics• Can be used topically, orally, or as a nasal wash, also comes in gum and toothpaste•Available at vitacost.com

Page 43: Are You Toxic?

Cholestyramine

• One comes with sugar• Another comes with Sucralose• I reacted badly to both of them • Wound up getting a compounded

cholestyramine that I did not react badly to

Page 44: Are You Toxic?

LiverLife by BioRay

• The instruction say start out with 12 drops, 2x a day. I started with a drop and it was too much

• I did ½ a drop 2x a day for a few days and then moved back up to a drop 2x a day

• I slowly ramped up until I could tolerate 3 droppers full 3x a day and then I stopped taking this supplement

• It blows other milk thistle supplements away!

Page 45: Are You Toxic?

Positive for Lyme, Bart & Myco

• On my 4 week follow up, I got the results of my testing and I was positive for Lyme, Bart & Mycoplasma pneumonia plus M. Fermentans

• Taking antibiotics when you are sick with mold is like adding fuel to the fire…

• Dr. W wanted me to start with Buhner herbs. • http://greendragonbotanicals.com• http://1stchineseherbs.com• Order of herbs: Japanese Knotweed, Cat’s Claw,

Eleutherococcus, Andrographis, Sarsaparilla

Page 46: Are You Toxic?

My son started getting better• Just by getting out of the house, juicing, and eating

organically, four days out of the house, my son started walking around…

• He asked if he could play badmitten and he played for a few minutes

• That was progress. • He started to be able to do more and more• He got to see Dr. W and did much of the same treatment

I did (no cholestyramine) • We started physical therapy• He didn’t like the physical therapy so we found some

things he did like

Page 47: Are You Toxic?

Exercise • Exercise is key… but not too much• It’s important to like what you do• We got a Total Gym• When we started working out,

it was 5-15 minutes at a time, every other day

• Our goal was to work out an hour, every other day with slow, non-aerobic weight training according to Dr Burrascano's Lyme treatment guidelines**

• My son got there in 4 months. It took me 18 months. Not only was he lifting weights every other day, he was running 1-2 miles a day.

• ** http://www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf

Page 48: Are You Toxic?

The Great Escape

• Exercise is anything that gets you moving. • We got season passes to Six Flags Great Escape

and we went for as long as he could tolerate it. • In the beginning it was ½ hour to an hour and

as the summer progressed, he was able to stay longer and do more things

• In the beginning we would bring his wheelchair. Then later, he didn’t need it anymore.

• My son had been sedentary for so long, his muscles had been wasting away.

• He had gone from 85 to 70 pounds in a year• He hadn’t done anything fun in a while

Page 49: Are You Toxic?

I became Hyper-sensitive • I was reacting to perfumes, lotions, shampoos, soaps, deodorants,

laundry detergents, cleaning products, gasoline, places that were moldy, people that came from moldy places, foods, drinks, etc.

• My doctor said I was at a tipping point • I was so toxic that the smallest

amount of toxins would put me over the edge. • Look up safety of everyday products

http://www.ewg.org/consumer-guides• http://www.avaandersonnontoxic.com• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCD-_47Maww

Page 50: Are You Toxic?

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity• I would never know when a chemical or a building would make me sick• I couldn’t go out to eat, to my parent’s house, to friends houses, to malls, to the

grocery store, pump gas or to my kid’s school functions. • My kids were fine at school, but if I went there, I got sick• I couldn’t function in society because people wear perfumes, buildings have

mold and mycotoxins, I was so sensitive, I would get physically sick when I was exposed to these things.

• After a “hit” I could get lost in my own town, forget left and right or not know red from green. I was scared I would get in an accident because of my condition

• Not only that, but I was breaking out from the products I used to use every day. Supplements, toothpastes, shampoos and other products were making me “burn” or that’s how it felt.

• There is no diagnosis and no known cure for MCS• I have found that detoxing eased the symptoms I was having

Page 51: Are You Toxic?

ORGANIC DUST TOXIC SYNDROME (ODTS)

• Can occur after ONE heavy exposure to dust contaminated with fungi and other agents –mycotoxins, endotoxins, glucans, bacteria

• INHALATION FEVER • FOG OF PARTICULATES OR THICK AIRBORNE

DUST – may be completely invisible• SYMPTOMS: Flu-like, ache, pain, headache,

lethargic feelings, vertigo

Page 52: Are You Toxic?

Sicker, Quicker• Hypersensitivity develops when the normal processes of

dealing with toxic substances fails• Either there is too much toxin for the body to excrete

and adjust, or the exposure goes on for such a long time that the ability of the body to adjust gets compromised

• The genetics of certain patients slow the excretion of toxins –these people get sick in low mold environments;

• When the extent and duration of a mold exposure is substantial, even those with healthy genetics have the potential to get sick.

Page 53: Are You Toxic?

What has to be done to get well?• Remove yourself from the exposure• Take nothing with you• Wash the clothes on your back and put on new clothes that did not

come from the home OR were washed in 1-2 cups of ammonia.• Find temporary housing that is toxin free

(Easier said than done)• Detox the body • Repair or build a permanent, toxin free home• Remove foods & products with toxins in them• Address any infections that are hindering recovery• Maintain health with avoidance (extreme, if needed) • Continued maintenance detoxing

Page 54: Are You Toxic?

Finding Temporary Housing

• This is what I am finding to be the biggest challenge for most people who are made ill by their environment

• Some estimates claim 50% of the buildings in the U.S. are moldy enough to make people sick… some estimates are closer to 85%

• Finding a place to stay that is completely mold, formaldehyde & VOC free is a challenge

Page 55: Are You Toxic?

Safe Housing• www.reshelter.org• Refurbishing a trailer – “Airstream”• Tiny Houses• Camping in a tent or a teepee• MCS safe housing (not always mold free) • EcoVillages – http://www.earthaven.org

• Craigslist search housing for fragrance, chemical (will come up in chemical sensitivity or just in chemical free products), scent , and as a last resort, allergy or sometimes eco-friendly

Page 56: Are You Toxic?

Propolis Diffuser

• “The propolis vaporizor is a strategy to make the house mold free. An Italian study showed that if you vaporize propolis at 82.3 C, it creates a monoatomic vapour of propolis in the house that kills every single living microbe in the air, making homes safe”~Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt M.D., LIA Conference 2008

Page 57: Are You Toxic?

Diffusing Propolis

• Model A3, Propolis Vaporizer with Ionizer & Fan

• http://www.beehealthyfarms.com• http://www.stakich.com/propolis-chunks.html• I refill my capsules and it keeps the cost down• I bought a pound of propolis 2 years ago and still

have plenty left• I run my propolis diffuser 24/7 and take it with

me when I travel

Page 58: Are You Toxic?

HEPA Filter

• Removes 99.97% of particles that have a size of 0.3 micrometres

• I bought an Austin Air first thing, ran it in motel rooms• I have an Austin Air and a Purifan in my home and will

be replacing the Austin Air with another Purifan eventually. I really like my Purifan

Page 59: Are You Toxic?

Purifan

• http://purifan.com• Attach to existing ceiling fan motor (or buy theirs)• I immediately saw a decrease in dust• Some MCS sensitive people react to the filters• I get replacement filters here:

– http://www.smartlivingproductsusa.com/purifan-replacement-filters/

– HEPA Filter PAF-HEP

Page 60: Are You Toxic?

18 months after leaving the house• I was still hypersensitive to most foods, many places, chemicals,

molds, gasoline, and more• Fatigue was overwhelming• Brain-fog was severe• pH was Low• Body temperature was low• Arthritis was still an issue• I was taking handfuls of supplements and Buhner herbs to

maintain a low level of health• My doctor went on a leave of absence because of an

investigation by the OPMC

Page 61: Are You Toxic?

Cleansing and Replenishing

• A friend saw how sick I was and asked me to try a nutritional cleanse that works on a cellular level

• I had been trying whey protein drinks because of an article on Mercola.com

• One of the components of the cleanse is a whey protein drink – there are other products too

• There is a money back guarantee• I decided to give the 30 day system a try

Page 62: Are You Toxic?

I stopped taking all my supplements• I wanted to have a base line of where I was with no

supplements or Buhner herbs• I went a week without taking any supplements and

continuing to eat healthy, organic, no gluten, sugar or dairy

• I was still very sick, sensitive, no energy, brain-fogged• I started the nutritional cleanse and started to

improve within 5 days. • I did 2 full 30 day cleanses before testing my new

found health with a weekend away with my husband

Page 63: Are You Toxic?

Our First Vacation in Years

• We stayed at a Hotel• Went Out to Eat Every Meal• Went Golfing• Was surprised at my new found health• Had plenty of energy• Never had a GI pain • Stayed healthy

Page 64: Are You Toxic?

How I Maintain My Health

• I find that when I get toxic exposures, eat certain foods, or go too long without a cleanse, my health declines

• I have an ND who helps me monitor my health• I have tested HLA-DR and MTHFR gene mutations

that make it difficult to detox• I do nutritional cleanses regularly and I don’t

allow myself to backslide to where my health was previously

Page 65: Are You Toxic?

Finding a Doctor to treat Mold Illness

• Dr. Shoemaker, my son’s original LL Pediatrician and the doctor we started to see after we found the mold are being investigated by the OPMC(Office of Professional Medical Conduct)

• I have become an advocate for people who are sick with mold and have yet to find a doctor in our area (upstate NY) who will treat/test or take mold seriously

• I have accompanied several people to dozens of doctors. – I have a long list of doctors who will not treat mold. – And a short list of doctors who will treat mold

Page 66: Are You Toxic?

On The Shortlist

• The doctors who are on the short list do not take insurance

• Many people have spent $10,000 - $40,000 on treatment and are still sick

• I don’t have a doctor that I will recommend yet because I don’t know anyone (besides myself, my family and some of the people I coach) who are well.

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Things that helped the most

• LiverLife – BioRay Natural• Neti pot rinse• Xlear nasal spray• 30 Day Cleanse and Replenish• Exercise• Propolis Diffuser• Purifan• Eliminating bad foods, eating organically

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More Info• Dr Dr Give Me the Truth

http://www.isagenix.com/us/en/drdrtruthvideo.dhtml• Are You Toxic?

http://www.isagenix.com/us/en/areyoutoxic-promo.dhtml• David Asprey-Mycotoxins http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=RjxKByeL18E• Home Air Check – Air test for VOC’s, Formaldehyde, & Mold

http://homeaircheck.com• EMSL Labs – for ERMI

www.emsl.com• A Good Health Advocate (my blog)

www.agoodhealthadvocate.com

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Mold Support Groups• I found several online mold support groups on FB

– This was where I learned what was working and what was not. – Unfortunately, the search feature in these fb groups does not go

back indefinitely. Facebook gets rid of old posts intermittently. – Friend me on facebook if you are interested in the support groups –

PM me if you want the “secret” groups (Heather Plude)• The “sickbuildings” group on yahoo – with my brain fog, and

the yahoo group format, I couldn’t find/follow posts on this group

• www.moldsupport.org/forumNewly formed forum for mold support – created by me… for people who are sick from mold

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Credits

• “Ways to reduce toxin exposure” Amy Derksen, ND • “Medicine 2011: new symptoms, new causes,

new treatments Innovative Protocols” Dietrich Klinghardt MD, PhD San Diego, February 2011

• “Building Related Health Problems” Albert F. Robbis, D.O., Occupational/Environmental Medicine

• “Surviving Mold” Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D.• "Understanding Mold Related Illnesses" Stevan Cordas

DO MPH Occupational, Allergic and Environmental Medicine