A Candida Epiphany on Epiphany Sunday

As promised yesterday, I did at least one of the things I said I would do.  The first thing I did this morning was fill up a clear glass of water.  I then proceeded to spit into the glass to see what would happen after 15 minutes and then a half an hour.

I had my husband do the same.  The differences were astounding.

I wanted to do a simple at-home test for candida (basically, an overgrowth of yeast in my gut) which can cause a whole slew of problems, including dystonia.  It can also cause migraines, inability to focus, confusion, irritability, drowsiness, acne, and a slew of other problems... some of which I have and some that I do not.  According to Dr. Oz, and several other sites, after spitting in a glass of water, if your saliva drops down to the bottom of the glass like a white web and/or is tentacle-like, you probably have candida (especially if you are experiencing other symptoms).

Ladies and gentleman, here are the results of my saliva test from right after spitting, to a half hour after spitting into the glass.

 Immediately after spitting in the water, some of my saliva dropped to the bottom, causing a "cobweb-like" appearance, with some white specs floating in the water (left).  After about 15 minutes, the saliva at the surface started to get whiter and drop down into the water (center).  After a half hour, several pieces of white saliva dropped further down, some breaking off and settling at the bottom of the glass.  This is not a 100% accurate test, but given I have many of the other symptoms of candida, a blood test would likely indicate a positive result for an overgrowth of fungus in my gut.  About 70% of Americans have this problem and do not even know it.  So I was certain my husband would have the same/similar results as me when he spat in his glass.

My husband's "spit-test" result:

Much to my surprise, especially since my husband and I eat generally the same diet, it came back "negative".  His saliva remained pretty much clear, and stayed floating at the top of the water, indicating that there is no evidence of fungus overgrowth in his gut.  While he has some of the same symptoms as me (especially fatigue), most of this can likely be chalked up to normal anxiety and fatigue due to working long hours at a stressful job.

Now, to reiterate, this at-home test is not the most reliable way to determine whether or not you have candida in your system.  There are various tests that can be ordered by medical professionals (i.e., blood and stool testing).  I plan to ask my doctor about it when  next see him.

So, now what?  I spent most of today researching Candida diets.  It's actually pretty depressing, but people do live with it and there are some recipes out there that have some obscure ingredients, but people swear they're tasty.  The bad news is I HAVE to stay away from foods I LOVE.  I love pasta, pizza, breads, baked goods, cakes, ice cram and other desserts.  Basically, my diet will need to be restricted to leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, organic poultry and certain types of fish.

I'm trying to see this as a good thing... a realization that I may have unlocked something for dystonia and ASD sufferers alike.  I'm considering working with a registered dietitian.  There is something to be said about the brain-gut connection, and I need to take control of my future.  Wish me luck!

R.A. Dickey, Ben Folds, and Candida

Today was the first truly wintery day in Buffalo, NY.  As my husband and I sat in Tim Horton's this morning, it hit us, "it's here".  He made a call up to Niagara University to make sure his staff was on top of the shoveling.  The snow hadn't made it up to Niagara Falls yet.

I had some things I wanted to accomplish this weekend, but didn't.  I didn't go to the gym or work on any arts or crafts, but I did some reading and some research, while continuing in a contest to win tickets to see Ben Folds in Toronto this coming May.

I started a book called Wherever I Wind Up, by Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, R.A. Dickey.  I did this while clicking through Ben Folds music and YouTube videos to get points for a a contest I'm taking part in.  Multitasking!  I whipped through two chapters of the book.  Chapter 2, outlining Dickey's horrific experience in 4th grade helped me put things into perspective in terms of things I went though as a kid.  It made me realize how we all face adversities in life.  I had to put the book down after that chapter... I'm eager to get back to it soon.

I did some research on candida imbalances and am going to spit in a glass of water tomorrow morning to see if I have too much yeast in me.  After reading about Candida and how bad yeast is for people, I realized it couldn't hurt to detox and completely change my diet.  Initially, I was just researching natural ways to treat dystonia, but found that many of the things that a Candida detox can achieve may help me out with ASD as well as other related disorders and/or symptoms.  I showed my husband a link from Dr. Oz, and he agreed he may be experiencing some symptoms of a candida imbalance as well.  I'll write about testing myself for candida tomorrow.

My legs are still very sore from two days of working out, but I am eager to get back to the gym, make a mason jar for a coworker who lost his mother-in-law, do some laundry and some grocery shopping.  I also need to get the movie Therese (2012) to my grandmother.  I preferred the '86 French version of my favorite little Saint, but it was $65 to buy the DVD on Amazon!  My grandma won't watch movies with subtitles anyway, so it's just as well.  I also need to continue the Ben Folds contest "sigh".  There will be 11 days left.  I have 33% of the raffle tickets.  I've come so far, it seems ridiculous to give up at this stage in the game.  Glad I still have off from Life Teen tomorrow!  This week has been just crazy.  Back to work on Monday.  I don't like Mondays...

Changing my life and my story today...

If I were to start writing my story today, what would I write?  What have I done with my life?  What will I do with my life? What should I be doing with it?

The past two years have been a roller coaster ride.  I decided on December 31, 2015, I was going to make a change.  Every day is going to be meaningful for me in some way, shape or form.

I will not be a competitive distance runner, though I can jog a bit right now.  I can no longer sprint or pivot. I am accepting this with grace. This is a decision.

I have chronic lower back pain.  I'm a physically disabled Aspie.  Being neurodiverse can be a gift and by sticking close to my faith, I will strive to be positive in the world; not for me, but for others.

Everyday is going to be a movement forward.  I may stumble or stagger, I may trip and fall, but every day I will do something, learn something, say something or create something positive regardless of the bad things in my life and in the world.  Some days I may literally not be able to walk, but it's how I handle my suffering that will help change who I am.  Every day will be a new day with a clean slate, and I have to always be able to roll with the punches.

Today I researched supplements and vitamins to help both dystonia and ASD.  I biked and did a 30 minute treadmill workout. I heated up some frozen homemade chicken soup for me and my husband.   I've done more today than I have in a while.  It's a physical and mental struggle.  Life isn't easy, but I cannot give up.

I intend to write every day, even if just a few sentences.  I need to live the life planned out for me and choose to be more positive.  I have a list of about 10 things I want to do to change myself and the world.  To change it with a message of love.

This won't be easy... but I need to try.