Another Health Update

My acidic coughing is still there, but not as bad. My hr is going up, and my bp was high at the dr yesterday. My initial swollen lymph node under my chin on the right, turned into both parotid glands being swollen and sore yesterday and today. I have a low grade fever, (99-100, usually 96's for me pre-ovulation, 98 after), and my whole jaw aches along with my gums.
    I had my ENT order labs to check for autoimmune conditions, as i've read some that can be associated with LPR, and I have some autoimmunity in my family. He begrudgingly did it, and i'm sure he thinks I am a complaining woman wanting attention, but i'm in real pain. He said my swelling could be due to the supplements I am taking....which i've taken nearly 3 months. My pain and fatigue was worse today--thank God John was home. I slept nearly all day, except for the 2 hours I spent at a clinic to get tested for the flu. It was negative but the dr prescribed antiobiotics, because he thinks I have some kind of infection caused by the LPR coughing.
    Today after touching my teeth and gums, I realized the right side in back was more painful, and I know my dentist last year urged me to go to an oral surgeon to get my impacted wisdom teeth out before they get infected. I now believe that is what's happening. Of course it's the weekend, so I am going to call an oral surgeon monday and see how soon I can get them out. I remember the dentist saying I needed a CT scan because my wisdom teeth look like they are sitting right on the main nerve (?) then he wants the surgeon to remove all 4, and then he wants to get me fitted for invisalign braces to fix my bite (i have an overly deep bite, that exacerbates my TMJ). AND THEN, he will make me a night guard to stop my teeth grinding damage.
   I should've had my wisdom teeth out way earlier...like before I had kids. I'm scared to go under, but I can't wait to get these stupid wisdom teeth (ha an oxymoron) out of my already small mouth. I pray this can all be done quickly and safely so we can get back to dealing with my LPR. I feel like i'm going to die a lot earlier than I thought!

My Health

I'm writing this to keep a record of my health status throughout this year, as I try different approaches toward attaining maximum health.

October 2016- I went to a gastro dr because for years I've had these episodes of extreme nausea and flank pain, even before my kidney stones in 2010. She did an upper endo which showed minor gastritis. No H Pylori. Suspected gallbladder problems.

November 2016-I started going to the chiropractor for back pain, and was diagnosed with a form of scoliosis. My lumbar spine below has an 8 degree curve to my left, and my neck is pushed forward instead of curved back. I began a 12 wk treatment of adjustments and exercises.

I also came down with a cold, with a cough that intensified to the point where I would pee myself.

December 2016- the cold symptoms abated but my throat would sporadically hurt like it was being stabbed and my voice was gone. I went to an ENT and he scoped my throat and found I had callouses forming on my vocal cords from "silent reflux". I never have heartburn and had never heard of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) or silent reflux. The dr said I should look into acid/alkaline diet with ph strips, and took blood for food allergy testing.

January 2017- My results showed an autoimmune reaction to most of the foods in my diet:

The other test he did showed slight sensitivities to almonds, pistachios, shrimp, peanuts, bananas, avocados...I was pretty frustrated. He told me to cut all these out and I'll heal. 

I have cut my diet drastically, and my pH is usually 5.75 :( I tried alkaline water, greens first alkalinizing supplements, Apple cider vinegar with baking soda, a sinus rinse for post-nasal drip, greens suja juice, and I got worse. My throat was scorched in the morning, and I would wake up hacking trying to catch my breath, but my throat felt smaller and smaller. I developed asthma bad. My resting heart rate had been good at 59 and went up drastically :

My blood pressure went up as well. My chest was tight from walking upstairs. I had no energy to do homeschool lessons, which with my son (auditory processing disorder) and especially against the noise of 3 babies, requires a lot of loud speaking. I bought an expensive wedge pillow to sleep upright, and started drinking Gaviscon, this thick anise paste that helps keep acid down. 

I read all I could find on LPR (which isn't much) and mostly read forums full of people in the same boat, whose drs just throw omeprazole at them, which doesn't help. Even link surgery didn't prove to have lasting results. The more I read the more I wanted to fix this holistically. I remembered last year when Toni's pediatrician did a "new age-ish" test to see what foods I was eating that were causing her stomach to be upset or cause rashes, since I was breastfeeding at the time.  The test revealed more about my "leaky gut" than Toni's sensitivities; my body wasn't fully breaking down the food I was eating so it wasn't in an easily digestible form for baby in my milk. I forgot about this "leaky gut" diagnosis til I researched LPR causes. 

It goes around in circles so I can't tell what the root cause is ...food allergens cause damage to the stomach lining, which cause holes to develop between cilia, and allow undigested food particles to seep directly into my blood stream, which in turn causes an autoimmune reaction to those foods. This can cause low stomach acid, which ironically can cause reflux because the stomach acid level during digestion is what signals the LES to close and keep acid from refluxing into the esophagus and throat. 

Basically the more I read, the more important diet is becoming...which is hard for me since the kids have their own sensitivities and pickyness, and John's just like "I'm horngry!"

February 2017- I had my gallbladder scanned and it is working properly thank God; I really didn't want it to be removed. 

Today, I am feeling slightly better, but still have congestion, post nasal drip, and occasional coughing. My ph is still acidic at 5.75, but my resting heartrate has gone down :

I am against getting on an acid-reducing prescription, especially before knowing whether or not my stomach acid is low or not. So I'm trying my own treatment, using the dietary knowledge compiled from studies, other patients, friends and books. I hope to document more progress, so I can stay motivated to get healthy. 

Last night I bought a book by a Dr. Jamie Koufman called "Dropping Acid". She is a doctor in NYC that has a voice institute, and has had many patients with the constant coughing and wheezing that was actually undiagnosed LPR, which eventually leads to esophageal cancer. She explains that the damage is actually due to Pepsin (a digestive enzyme) rather than stomach acid (HCL). Pepsin starts digesting, when it neets acid. She says pepsin gets refluxed and clings to throat tissues, and is activated by not just acid being refluxed, but by the acid in foods/drinks we ingest. She asserts that because our diet's include many bottled and canned foods/drinks that are highly acidified (via the preservation process), it creates a vicious cycle that can lead to cancer. 

 The book is also a cookbook of low acid low fat foods that her patients have seen great results with. The first 2 weeks are a detox pepsin flushing diet, after its just maintaining. Thankfully my diet already doesn't include coffee, alcohol, or soda, and I don't eat much chocolate or citrus. I am contemplating fully devoting myself to her diet, (but avoiding eggs since the allergy test revealed a severe reaction) as I don't want to take acid reducers as doctors have advised. 

As of today, this is my regimen: 

*Only Fiji (neutral ph) water to drink

*AM:

3 greens first capsules

1 multi vitamin

1 zinc tablet

1 magnesium tablet

2 SP zypan (whole food)

2 SP beta food (whole food)

1 probiotics

3 vitamin d3 capsules 

*Orgain organic protein powder w/ almond milk, banana and pine nuts

*neilmed sinus rinse (saline)

And 10 ml Gaviscon at night before bed. 

Still trying to use wedge pillow(hard for side sleepers). 

At the risk of being a hypochondriac now,  I am going to document whatever I feel. Last night I was with Lucas at his church class and I turned to the left and just my shirt collar touching my jaw hurt. My submandibular gland is swollen and sore on my left. Not sure what that is about yet. 

That's all for now!  

Cute Stuff

Susan's bday visit!

We celebrated all the bdays in Janary together :)

Lucas & the Saints

Lucas typically doesn't like having to write a paragraph to tell about his reading assignments, and since he has trouble speaking comfortably, I gave him the option to prove his reading comprehension in video lessons. Half of his reading assignments are assigned by the Kolbe curriculum with questions that he doesn't mind doing. The other half can be any book of his choosing, with a paragraph. For these outside reading days, we use this Once Upon A Saint book, and he gets so into them. I love hearing him say, "mama this one's so amazing. Thank you for buying me this book". I don't even read them before so that he can totally give his summary in his own words. Here are the ones we have done so far:

Toni & Kinsley

Toni studies her 4 mo old cousin--who isn't much smaller than 1 yr old Toni!  Then Eusty (now 2 yrs) and Toni give forehead kisses :)

Merry Christmas 2016!!

The Boys' Language

Apparition Hill Flyer

Tickets and Showtimes - Apparition Hill

http://apparitionhill.org/screenings/

PLEASE COME!

Hi all,

   I have recently read a book about Medjugorje ("My Heart Will Triumph") that has inspired me to try to bring messages of grace to others. The book is an autobiographical account of one of the 6 children claiming to be visionaries beginning in the 1980's, when their small village (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) was under Communist control. These children and their families suffered major persecution for even believing in God, let alone, Jesus and Mary. Throughout the many wars and conflicts in the region, this village has been protected and is visited by millions from around the world, purporting to feel God's presence there to this day. The visionaries still live there and still get messages to this day. Many have been healed physically and spiritually. And although it is still in the process of being officially "approved" by the Church, they have encouraged pilgrimages to the village and the church there has installed 25 priests to offer confessions at all times. Pope Saint John Paul II called it the "Spiritual Heart of the World"--and he himself bravely battled against Communist forces trying to silence him up until and during his papacy. Reading some of the messages myself, I feel admonished for being judgmental at times, as I am warned that with that state of mind, my prayers will be "ineffective and even hypocritical". I believe in today's times we really need to start basing our decisions and actions on love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and teaching our children the same. 

    That said, I recently saw a trailer on Youtube for a documentary on Medjugorje, and how the filmmakers chose 7 people of varied backgrounds and beliefs to go on a pilgrimage together and document what they felt in Medjugorje. What a coincidence that I read this book about an event over 30 yrs ago, which has changed my heart, and now see that this movie is being screened. I have not seen the film but have read many rave reviews (the L.A. Times even reviewed it, which is rare for a faith-based film. It wasn't the best review, but...it's the L.A. Times haha) and have spoken to the film company (Little Flower Strategies). Since the film was only playing in a few select cities around the country, I decided to bring it to Denton for a one-night screening, which will be at:

GOLDEN TRIANGLE MALL- DENTON

2201 S Interstate 35E   Denton, TX 76205

at the Silver Cinemas inside the mall.

ON: THURSDAY DECEMBER 1ST, 2016 

THE FILM BEGINS AT 7P AND IS ABOUT 2 HOURS.

TICKETS ARE $10 EACH.

I have only reserved a 2 hr block so we will need to start the movie at 7pm sharp--I recommend getting there by 6:45pm. I am selling the tickets ONLINE and in person, so please feel free to contact me or click the link here: . The film is PG13. 

  The theater seats 240 so I have many tickets to sell, without a social media account...SOOOO..those that do, please promote this screening and post this link to purchase tickets:

https://red.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=f1ec114988c6c4aef5168b210edfa0cb

If you would like to read more about the film, go here: http://apparitionhill.org/

For a really touching account of a miraculous healing, view this video.

This is a video of who they selected to go on the trip (out of 160 submissions). 

After the cost of the theater/licensing is covered, the rest of the proceeds will go to the Loreto House in Denton, which is a non-profit center that helps men and women with unplanned pregnancies, get care, support, and items they may need during and after pregnancy.  

   Please help me spread the word and join me in watching the film!

   Thanks and God bless,

  Samantha Hodge 

email me at: samanthamaryhodge@gmail.com

Amazing

Toni is standing-9 mos

Selling our Savannah house!

http://www.ebby.com/property/54383406/1211-Sea-Pines-Drive-Savannah-TX-76227

Toni Loves Eusty

Gospel of Life w/ TNT!

Went to mass this AM at Teresa and Tim's church and did a balloon rosary prayer for the unborn. It was a hectic morning for us but we are glad we went and the kids all liked seeing the balloons float away :) Here are some pictures Teresa took--look at that amazing sunrise:

L & O will be going to their first tournament next month!

I love legos