if mold is indeed part of her picture, then she needs to prioritize avoidance of mold. Meaning, getting a mold inspector and then taking proper actions to remediate or move out. It becomes very difficult to heal as long as a person is living in a moldy environment. It’s like trying to fill a sink with the drain open… they will feel a little better, but real progress will only be made once you’re out of the environment that is making you sick. Makes sense?

ok, please keep us posted. And the GI map shows elastase which is a marker pointing to pancreatic health, not the appendix.

If it is truly his appendix that is inflamed, the same recommendations provided during the case study review will still apply.

A little about the appendix…

Conventional medicine often views the appendix as perhaps being a “superfluous” or unnecessary gland. I think this philosophy  is one of the reasons why it is so often removed without regard to downstream circumstances (the same is true of the gallbladder and the tonsils, by the way).  Research is starting to show that perhaps the appendix provides a “safe house” where our endemic beneficial bacterial balance can “hide out” when we take a course of antibiotics, in order to allow more effective and restorative re-population after the antibiotic wipes out both the good and the potentially harmful bacteria.  It is also well understood that the appendix is a lymphoid vessel that houses large numbers of white blood cells which help us to fight infection in the gut (the same as the tonsils, by the way).  This may be of interest to you: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/your-appendix-could-save-your-life/.
Of course, when tissue is inflamed, it means there is a localized, inflammatory process at play. It is also more likely to happen when a body part is over-worked but is doing its job.

If it is caught early enough, it may be possible to recover from appendicitis through the use of antibiotics paired with antifungals, enemas, fasting from solid food (to give the gut a break), high intake of bone broth, and use of gut-healing supplements (ex. Designs for Health “G.I. Revive” and probiotics).
Other colleagues of mine have had success with their clients using Dr. Schulze’s Colon Cleanse and then Liver/Gallbladder cleanse (each, a five-day intense regimen, also involving fasting (fresh veggie juice only) and intense detoxification support).

In terms of potential, natural healing, I think you will find this physician video to be inspiring and informative (it’s Pt. 1 – which will roll over to Pt.2 which is another ~3 min.). Politics aside, this covers many key concepts that both of these people used to allow full healing.
There are many things we do routinely in modern society that cause inflammation in the GI tract. I think any and all of these could easily be at play in eventually causing any type of GI disease, especially with many of them at play at once over a long period of time – in the appendix and otherwise:
• Constipation causes tissue in the GI tract to be in contact with a wide array of toxins for extended periods of time.
• Eating conventional (vs. organic) food that is produced with a variety of toxic herbicides, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.
• Using artificial sweeteners, especially sucralose (which presents a tiny dose of chlorine with every use). Witness that pretty much every brand of regular, sweetened chewing gum now also includes one or more artificial sweeteners in order to give their product an “over the top” level of sweetness.
• High intake of sugars and refined carbohydrates which feed specific types of microbes preferentially – especially when paired with low intake of vegetables fibers/starches which feed others.
• Ongoing use of various drugs that imbalance gut microbes and can also damage the protective mucosal lining throughout the GI tract (e.g. ibuprofen, aspirin, OCP, SSRIs, hormones, alcohol)
• Absorption of heavy metal toxins such as mercury that can impair the immune system (e.g. silver amalgam fillings, contaminated fish, vaccines, high fructose corn syrup).

To avoid future GI issues, ongoing lifestyle change is necessary! Daily use of probiotics and a few months of gut healing as described above (ex. GI Revive) is beneficial. Check Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and RBC Zinc to gauge sufficiency for immune system strength if not done already.

 I typically recommend my clients start with the doses recommended on the bottle as directed, and increase the Biotoxin binder as needed if they are experiencing die-off symptoms.

 bless your soul! Here’s my practitioner code: 7SWpI1xR

 if her immune system is flagging dairy as a threat, even a little bit of dairy here and there will trigger an immune response. I would strongly encourage you to try a 100% dairy elimination for a minimum of 30 days (ideally 3-4 months) to be able to assess if this is contributing to her enlarged adenoids (it is often the case) and sinus congestion.

What did the ENT say is causing the blockage? Deviated septum? I’m currently reading the book “Breath” by James Nestor and it is very eye opening. It is possible to train your daughter to breathe from her nose, and open up those passageways. Is her sleep affected by any chance as a result?

In terms of her ear congestion – you would really need to get it assessed by a doctor to know what is at play before I can offer any guidance. 

However, if you suspect it might be swimmer’s ear from the pool, here are my go-to remedies for that:

-Freeze thin wet socks in the freezer – hang them straight or lie them flat. Meanwhile soak legs in something hot; hot tub, deep bin for 3 minutes. Put on the frozen thin wet socks, then put warm socks over. Prolonged cold will send blood flow to the legs and away from head to relieve congestion from head and ears.  Sleep with them on.
-To dry the ears and remove ear wax, there’s a product called Debrox https://www.debrox.com/ It’s thick earwax removal. Squirt into ear, put cotton ball soaked in warm water and leave it there for 1 hour. Then take filtered water and suction it out. 

-To help dry ears after swimming, use isopropyl alcohol.

Hi  – does your daughter consume dairy? Enlarged adenoids and ear infections/congestion are often associated with dairy sensitivities. Have you ever tried an elimination challenge of removing dairy 100% for at least a month? Butter, ghee, milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, kefir, buttermilk.

Have you been to see a doctor to assess her ear? What is causing the blockage in her nose? Does she breathe from her mouth or her nose?

Just a few questions to get the conversation started…

Hi  – I’d also like to add to Daniel’s comment that certain mycotoxins have been shown to inhibit heme synthesis. Is she still in a moldy environment? If mold is at play, then you can expect parasites to be in the picture along with the yeast/fungal overgrowth – they are “frenemies”. Parasites love to eat iron!

I discuss many other risk factors for iron deficiency in the video Daniel shared as well. Copper for instance is an essential mineral for iron absorption. Have her copper, zinc, and ceruloplasmin levels been checked?

Let’s keep the conversation going and please ask your friend to join us here so we can help guide her better.

 finally some answers! It’s interesting that in some people with appendicitis, especially children, the other classic symptoms of pain, fever and abdominal swelling don’t typically appear and can go amiss!

Before I chime in with some thoughts about appendicitis, what is the doctor suggesting for treatment? Have they confirmed this diagnosis to be the cause of his nausea and loss of appetite?

 ugh – I’m so sorry. Stand strong. We all support your decision here and understand the frustrations that come with this type of coercion.

Hello ,

First, I’m really sorry that you are being coerced into a medical decision you’re not comfortable with. Is this still happening in the US or I guess certain states? Perhaps other members might be able to chime in as well…

Regarding possible side effects, the data on pregnant women is unfortunately still very limited. However, I do want to share a few resources that discuss the possible risks since you asked:

This is the most recent research I could find on the possible risk of miscarriage (or what they call spontaneous abortion) at various stages of pregnancy. If you read in the discussion notes, there are a lot of variables and flaws that make it really difficult to say if these numbers are accurate or not.

Here is an article written in 2021 (so not the most recent) but they do share some interesting resources that can be used as a starting point for you to question and look into, like what are the most recent VAERS numbers of reported miscarriages? Unfortunately, the VAERS (Vax adverse event reporting system) is not integrated into the medical system fully so adverse events are severely underreported.

Unfortunately, there is no way to detox the mRNA V, as they do not use adjuvants like traditional jabs do.

Please let me know if you have any other questions regarding the resources I’ve shared above.

Hope they help bring some clarity and the ability to make a more informed decision.

no worries

First, I’m really sorry that you are being coerced into a medical decision you’re not comfortable with. Is this still happening in the US or I guess certain states?

Regarding possible side effects, the data on pregnant women is unfortunately still very limited. However, I do want to share a few resources that discuss the possible risks since you asked:

This is the most recent research I could find on the possible risk of miscarriage (or what they call spontaneous abortion) at various stages of pregnancy. If you read in the discussion notes, there are a lot of variables and flaws that make it really difficult to say if these numbers are accurate or not.

Here is an article written in 2021 (so not the most recent) but they do share some interesting resources that can be used as a starting point for you to question and look into, like what are the most recent VAERS numbers of reported miscarriages? These are severely underreported as the VAERS system is not integrated into the medical system fully. It’s “optional”.

Unfortunately, there is no way to detox the mRNA V, as they do not used adjuvants like traditional jabs do.

Please let me know if you have any other questions regarding the resources I’ve shared.

Hope they help bring some clarity and the ability to make a more informed decision.

 ensure he’s going to the bathroom regularly first or in conjunction with the cleanse if symptoms are extreme and he can’t wait that long. You don’t want to be doing a cleanse if there’s constipation. Magnesium citrate powder can also be taken in the evenings as rapid relief to help stimulate the bowels the next day.  A typical adult dose is ~400mg/day.

Regarding child dosing, here is Clark’s Rule: for children aged 2-17. Take the child’s weight in pounds and divide by 150 pounds. Multiply the fractional result by the adult dose to find the equivalent child dosage. For example, if an adult dose of tincture calls for 30 drops and the child weighs 30 pounds, divide the child’s weight by 150 (30/150) to get 1/5. Multiply 1/5 times 30 drops to get 6 drops. This method can also be used for elders and cats.

Parasites can enter our system orally or through the skin. If your other child isn’t exhibiting any symptoms, there’s no need.

Hope this helps!

 ok so in functional medicine, and as you go through the material and spend more time here in the membership, you will soon realize that EVERYTHING is interconnected.

And with that 1 additional piece of information you’ve shared, this has opened up a whole new series of questions…

As a general rule of thumb for eczema, here is my checklist of  what needs to be optimized:
• Vitamin D, A and RBC zinc (have you checked your levels?)
• Remove gluten & dairy, and very often grains too. (it can’t be a little here and there, it has to be 100% elimination for 6 months+ while address gut dysfunctions. Have you watched the Gut Health Masterclass yet?)
• Ensure detox pathways are open (is constipation an issue?)
• Heal intestinal lining (Gut Health Masterclass has a section on gut healing with many recommendations)
• Healthy fatty acid balance (omega-3 to omega-6 ratio). And realize that gallbladder health plays a role here too since we need bile to absorb our fats! If you haven’t yet watched the Fatty Acid Balance course or Gut Health Masterclass, please make time for those. It’s critical for cell membrane integrity and skin health.
• Remove any other food sensitivities. Need to calm the immune system. (if finance allows, consider a food sensitivity test)

You can see that much of it goes back to the gut and immunity. What is your diet like? What have you tried with regards to optimizing digestion and gut health so I can help you troubleshoot? Have you done any comprehensive functional stool tests?

You can also read through the Eczema fact sheet in the Symptom Dictionary if you haven’t seen that yet.

With regards to your question about iron, it’s not always a matter of supplementing with iron. You also need to figure out the root cause of your low ferritin. For that I encourage you to watch the section on iron in the newly released Mineral Balance course which shares risk factors to consider, signs & symptoms, test markers and optimal ranges, and how to correct it. Supplementation is not always warranted.

Please make the time to review these resources that I’ve shared with you here, in addition to the additional suggested labwork, and I look forward to being able to continue guiding you.

Hi  – thanks for sharing some background info and data. Were you sick or fighting an infection when these labs were drawn? I’m suspicious of an active or chronic simmering infection (viral or bacterial) that is skewing your white blood cell differentials.

To answer your question about high cholesterol and LDL, there can be many possible reasons which I will highlight below, and so it will help if you can share additional info to be able to better guide you.

1. Possible hypothyroid function (either primary or secondary to pituitary dysfunction). Since your serum calcium is also clinically high, I’m really curious to see thyroid markers which include TSH, Total T4, Total T3, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and the antibodies anti-TPO & anti-TG. Has this been investigated? Has your doctor said anything about investigating the parathyroid given the high serum calcium, and measuring the parathyroid hormone PTH? Are you taking any medications/supplements?

2. What is the status of your adrenals? How is your stress level (mental/emotional, physical, physiological)? Stress alone can increase cholesterol. Have you ever measured cortisol and the electrolytes sodium, chloride, potassium, and bicarbonate?

3. Liver/gallbladder dysfunction. Fatty liver, liver congestion, and/or biliary stasis can all increase cholesterol levels. Have you every run a liver panel? These are ALT, AST, ALK, GGT, Total and direct bilirubin, Total protein, Albumin.

4. Blood sugar dysregulation. Your doctor recommended cutting out carbs because, rightfully so, a diet high in refined carbs and sugar can lead to elevated blood lipids. Elevated cholesterol and other lipids often accompany the elevated glucose levels that are seen in insulin resistance. So were blood sugar levels measured? These are fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1C as a starting point.

If you haven’t explored these possible reasons, please get some additional data to check these.

In the meantime, I encourage you to read Daniel’s post about cholesterol. His article will help you better understand how the lipids functions in the body.

Hope this helps. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Hi  – Parasites and worms rarely show up in stool tests so if you’re visibly seeing them in their stool (small white worms wiggling around) and your kids have an itchy bottom (especially at night and early morning), then you don’t need a stool test to confirm it. This is common in kids and nothing to be overly concerned about.

I have successfully given Cedar Bear Intestinal Cleanse to my kids. I mix it in a bit of freshly squeezed orange juice (1/2 to 1 full orange depending how much juice it gives) to mask the taste.

Very important though is to make sure your kids are pooping well daily (1 to 3 times per day, type 3-4 on the Bristol stool chart) before doing any cleanse. I knew that my daughter needed bile support (she was sometimes constipated and her GI map showed high elastase – fatty stool), so in addition to Cedar Bear, I gave her liquid d-limonene for biliary tract support. You can learn more about liver/gallbladder support in that section towards the end of the Gut Health Masterclass if you need more support.

Some children with severe cases, might also need a binder which I share several brands in the Gut Health Masterclass as well.

When my daughter recently had a bout of pinworms, all she needed was Cedar Bear. I did not need to give her additional liver/gallbladder support or binders. And she felt the difference right away – within 2 days, the itching stopped. I carried on for a full 7 days just to be sure they were gone. I followed the dosage on the bottle.

Hope this helps!