My health journey started when I was 18 years old.
Seemingly out of nowhere, I started having extreme dirrhea (40+ times a day), terrible energy (I’d often sleep 14 to 15 hours a day), and a myriad of other symptoms (including quickly losing 25 pounds).
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and put on medication after medication. I started having hospital stays that lasted over a month. The only thing that saved me from death was high dose prednisone.
I started alternative medicine (like the specific carbohydrate diet and a variety of supplements), but that too, failed. After two years of endless failed attempts at both conventional and alternative medicine, I removed my colon in order to survive. I was 93 pounds.
I followed a Paleo diet combined with a ton of autoimmune supplements and – with my colon removed – I started becoming truly healthy for the first time in my life.
Then came a botched surgery. I almost died. The surgeon accidentally cut my liver and I looked like I was pregnant from all of the blood in my stomach.
I recovered, by the grace of God. The doctor literally said he thought I’d die.
Then, they pulled a the drain in my abdomen that was removing the blood. Pulling the tube created an embolism and full blockage. I had an emergency surgery to save my life. I’ll never forget being wheeled away from my parents thinking this may be the last time I see them.
Since that surgery, the exact same health protocol didn’t work. I was in horrible health (you could literally always hear my stomach growling, covered in acne, exhausted, severely depressed, etc).
I was diagnosed with PTSD and after a year of following my previous successful health protocol with no success, gave up on life for a period of time. Nothing gave me any joy and I starting drinking and/or taking drugs. Definitely a low point but I was hopeless.
In a last ditch effort, I discovered functional medicine. I went to a team of doctors in Atlanta and they dramatically improved my health.
But, just when I finally started feeling comfortable, I developed bladder issues. I started getting endless urinary tract infections (nearly unheard of in a man) and had bladder pain that was worse than even the most severe Crohns.
Additionally, these infections triggered my disease so that I was constantly having surgery.
There was one positive that came from this though. I started the carnivore diet and the medication hipprex (antiseptic) as a preventative for UTIS. Those two things put me in the best state of health I’d ever achieved both physically and mentally. I even was able to work out and put on a ton of muscle.
But I was still in severe pain. And eventually the UTI’s pushed past the Hipprex, so that I started having them on a regular basis again.
I fought to survive. Thanks to a Gofundme, I employed the top doctor in treating chronic UTIs. For years, I tried medication infused into my bladder… but even that failed.
I then went to Tibilisi Georgia for phage therapy. This literally saved my life. It eliminated the bladder biofilm that had developed after years of chronic infection. Then, when an infection came back that was immune to all antibiotics (including IV), I treated it with a phage. Otherwise, the sepsis would have taken my life.
After I treated the aforementioned infection, I started having physical bladder symptoms. I hate to be vulgar, but gas and even stool came out of my genitals.
So, the underlining issue causing these UTIS the whole time was a small fistula that countless invasive bladder tests (which were supposed to diagnose this condition) missed.
The fistula was attached to my J pouch. The J pouch is an artificial colon that allows you to go to the bathroom normally. Unfortunately, removing this fistula meant that I’m now stuck with a permanent ostomy bag.
Removing the J pouch is a very difficult surgery requiring over a year of recovery time. It also seemed to flair up my Crohns as about a year ago, I developed the worst flair I’d had in 8 years.
As of the current day, I’ve finally broken the cycle of endless hospital stays (one year, I averaged going to the hospital every month). More importantly, I finally got rid of the UTis.
I am currently attempting to reduce the severe pain from all those past surgeries (I’m attempting to get rid of the pain meds entirely), and rebuild my gut after literally 4 years of constant antibiotic use I required in order to stay alive.
I’m currently in the best state of health I’ve been in over 5 years. I’m inching forward by using the principles I will discuss on this website. I call it my limbo period. It’s taking longer than I’d want it to but there’s truly hope I can make it past these series of unfortunate events.
I am truly thankful to be alive. And I’m hoping I will continue to get better and better from here. If all this sounds insane, it’s because it is. I don’t think it’s arrogant to say I’ve gone through an insanely, uniquely complex medical journey.
I am fighting each day and your support means a lot. I want to get better so I can show what’s possible. It’s my dream to create the best alternative website on the Internet.
If you’re actually read that, I’m really appreciative that you’ve heard me out. Much love.
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