Healing Update – Part I

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healingupdate1
Disclaimer: I’m sharing my experience here in hopes that it will inspire some of you. Be warned this is not me dishing medical advice—I am not a doc. Please talk to your doctor before making any medication, supplement, or dietary changes.

Its been awhile since I have updated the blog with where I am at in my personal health journey (almost a year, in fact). It was one thing sharing when my audience was small… but over the last few months my readership has grown a lot and I find it harder to put myself out there. I know a lot of you really resonate with my story and experiences, and it encourages you to hear about how I am doing, so here it is!

Last time we left off I had received the results from my Metametrix GI Effects panel (which you can order for yourself here) and found out I had H. pylori as well as a parasite. I was treated for both successfully under the care of my Naturopath here in Seattle—I did the pharmaceutical treatment for the parasite and a natural one for the H. pylori (mastic gum). If you feel you are suffering from an undiagnosed gut infection, I recommend getting tested and treated by a knowledgeable practitioner instead of wading this territory yourself.

In the few months leading up to the test, I had been feeling really in the groove with the Autoimmune Protocol—I had been doing it pretty strictly for about a year, and had only added nuts and seeds back into my diet. Still, I knew something wasn’t right with my gut, and I asked my naturopath for the Metametrix test just to rule some things out before I considered more restrictions. I’m really happy I did, because with gut infections like these no amount of dietary restriction is going to fix the issue.

Around the same time, I had genetic testing done through 23andme, and I found out that I was compound heterozygous (one mutation for each) for two key MTHFR enzyme mutations. I read up about them on Dr. Lynch’s website and learned that I was on the right track with eating a diet free from processed foods and folic acid. I had a consult with Sterling Hill (who is also well-versed in clotting mutations, for those of you who have them—I’ve got Factor V Leiden). She confirmed what I had learned on my own, and also offered some information about my clotting mutation and which tests to get to properly stay on top of that.

After being treated for the parasite and H. pylori, which took 3 months, I felt AMAZING! I went into the fall feeling super energetic, inspired, and happy to be alive. Food-wise, I started to be able to tolerate eggs occasionally, and since I got treated for the pathogens my tolerance for starches like sweet potatoes and plantains went up. This was great timing for me, since I had just made the decision to transition out of cooking for my clients and take on the project of self-publishing my book full-time.

Lest you think this is a happily ever after… I have had an unraveling of sorts in the last few months. I’ll be sharing what went wrong in my post later this week, along with how I fixed it. Stay tuned!

About Mickey Trescott

Mickey Trescott is a co-founder here at Autoimmune Wellness and a co-teacher of AIP Certified Coach. After recovering from her own struggle with both Celiac and Hashimoto’s disease, adrenal fatigue, and multiple vitamin deficiencies, Mickey started to write about her experience to share with others and help them realize they are not alone in their struggles. She has a Master's degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Nutrition, and is the author of three best-selling books--The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook, and The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen. You can watch her AIP cooking demos by following her on Instagram.

39 comments

  • Mark Fabish says

    When you knew something wasn’t “right with your guy” were you having specific GI issues or are you just referring to leaky guy giving you more systemic issues? I am very early in AIP for moderate to severe psoriasis and its very hard for me to gauge success with my diet because the effects of food aren’t quickly seen on my skin. I have no issues with constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, pain or anything….but I don’t want to have a parasite usurping my efforts either! Thanks, your cookbook is in the mail! Can’t wait!

    • Mark Fabish says

      oops, meant GUT, not guy. I hope your guy is just fine….

      • Mickey says

        Mark–haha! I was having some digestive distress, but it was mild, mostly I wasn’t seeing the progress I had been hoping for being on the elimination diet long-term. I think a comprehensive stool test is a great way to rule things out if you aren’t seeing improvement. That being said, skin takes a notoriously long time to heal, some people don’t start seeing improvements for months since it is a low-priority organ for the body (I heard this from Sarah Ballantyne who has a skin AI). Good luck!

  • Christine says

    Thanks for the update. My doctor recently suggested checking for an infection and I have decided to pursue it. Your increased tolerance for sweet potato and plantains gives me hope. Weight gain is difficult when limiting starches due to brain fog and intestinal trouble! Your cookbook just arrived…thank you for this beautifully comprehensive resource!

    • Mickey says

      Good luck Christine! I definitely recommend checking things out, especially if your doc is behind the idea!

  • Hi Mickey,
    I’d love to read more about how you self published your cookbook – the process, struggles, what you’d do different in your next cookbook and why. I had no idea it was self published, it’s as professional as they get! I’ve ordered another AIP cookbook and am happy that I was able to support the author, but it was terrible – what I imagine all self published cookbooks to be.
    I’m almost a year and a half into my AIP/ Paleo journey and have never felt so amazing in all my thirty three years of life. Thank you for putting the word out there and keeping the world inspired.

    Big love beams to you,
    Stephanie

    • Mickey says

      Thank you Stephanie! I am planning a post at some point about my experience. I raised money for the production on Indiegogo, hired my own contractors, and went for it using google as my guide. It was not difficult but did take starting a legit business, borrowing money, and making a plan (all of which I had never done before). I’d say the hardest part was coughing up the cash for the first and second print runs. I’m so happy for your progress on AIP, that is amazing! xo

      Mickey

  • Jacob says

    This is super interesting to read. I suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis, and despite having seen a Naturopath/Dietitian (and a host of doctors) on and off for years now, I was not able to make significant progress until very recently when I had a similarly complex stool analysis done.
    It revealed serious overgrowths of species of Enterococcus and Klebsiella, as well as extremely low quantities of beneficial bacteria, despite having routinely taken over the counter probiotics for years. I underwent a pretty intense regimen of antibiotics followed by very strong probiotics, and a large number of my symptoms vanished almost immediately. This was particularly interesting to me, seeing as most doctors I’d been treated by, including my Rheumatologist, were pretty skeptical I’d see any results.
    Unfortunately I’m still afflicted. I’m sure I have a leaky gut, and that diet plays an instrumental role in my disease. Despite knowing that, I’ve never been able to stick with strict dietary changes for longer than a month or two at best (never long enough to see any improvement), but I’m hopeful now that I’ll see more progress after having addressed these underlying issues.
    Eagerly awaiting Part II…

    • Mickey says

      Thanks for sharing your story Jacob! I do not doubt that taking care of those infections helped you. It is true, that beyond them we still have autoimmunity, which takes a sort of lifetime management (even if it is not strict AIP–we will never be able to eat anything and not engage in self-care). Wishing you luck!

  • Kate says

    Fantastic! Love hearing your updates. Thanks for sharing your story!

  • Christine says

    Love the update. Thank you!

  • Ariel says

    I am a part of your new readership, so I am very glad that you keep us posted on your personal progress. It’s encouraging to see positive results in yourself and to know that sticking with it has such a wonderful chance for improvement.

    I started following your website shortly before I spent time being homeless. While it was almost impossible to eat a “healthy” diet with no place to prepare food, you gave me the tools to survive it without getting too terribly sick. I’m grateful for the effort and energy you put into your posts, and because of you I’ve started to turn the key in order to unlock the door of my future wellness. No longer homeless, I’m going strong on AIP and seeing steady improvements.

    • Mickey says

      Ariel,
      Thanks for being here, and I am sorry to hear of your living situation, that sounds incredibly stressful on top of even having autoimmune disease. I’m happy you have a kitchen are you are able to try the Autoimmune Protocol now! I wish you continued success.

      Mickey

  • valerie says

    A journey similar to mine. Good for you for discovering your healing path sooner than I did. Better late than never! Question, how can you eat cauliflower and like veggies without having them effect your thyroid function?

    • Mickey says

      Valerie,
      I eat goitrogens daily as a part of my diet and have no problem tolerating them. I don’t do anything silly like juice cabbage or anything that would concentrate them though–I eat kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage in my regular rotation. I wrote an article about it here: https://autoimmune-paleo.com/goitrogens-why-you-dont-need-to-avoid-them/

      Hope it helps!

      Mickey

      • valerie says

        Thanks for the reply! Wow, good for you. Yes, I read the article, but I still don’t think they’re for me. I was working on some cauliflower recipes (cooked not raw) a few months ago, all the taste testing really got me down, tired, bloated, hair loss, yikes! Guess we’re all different under this great umbrella of autoimmune disease.

        • Mickey says

          Valerie–also it is important to note that you could be reacting to something other than the goitrogens in those foods. I’d be curious if you react to non-cruciferous goitrogens like sweet potato. We are all so different! 🙂

          Mickey

  • Carla says

    Hello

    I very much enjoy your blog. I recently discovered I have Hashimoto’s (January 2014) and it has been an interesting ride. I had a lot of neurological symptoms to begin with. My antibody # was 278. Since then, eliminated gluten and sugar, and started to feel somewhat better but not really well. Then I found your site and decided to follow it. I bought your cookbook and am enjoying the receipes very much. What I like about them is that they are basic, good tasting food. No fancy, hard to find ingredients.
    Bit by bit I am starting to feel more energetic. My head has lost its fogginess and dizziness. I still have a long way to go but I am optimistic. Thank you for your inspiration. Bye the way, I am also an avid sock knitter! It is what keeps me sane. During the worst of it all, I really couldn’t knit much and that was horrible. Take care. Carla

    • Mickey says

      Carla,
      I am so happy to hear your progress! Wishing you continued success, and so happy that you are able to knit socks again (I took a break too because of my joints!).

      Mickey

  • Melanie says

    Hi Mickey,

    I’ve been following an AIP lifestyle for nearly two years. Recently I decided to check on my thyroid, my naturopath said my readings were quite normal but suggested I might supplement with Thyroid Plus from CanPrev. I notice this supplement has ashwanganda, which is a nightshade. I wonder if I might be able to supplement with something else? It’s a shame I didn’t ask more questions about my results, because I don’t really know what I’m supplementing for, and what my results mean. . .I know this might be asking too much, but I’m wondering if you or someone in the community here might help me understand my readings and help me to supplement appropriately? I would be so grateful for any help!

    Free Triiodothyronine 3.5 pmol/L
    Thyrotropin (sensitive TSH) 1.41 mIU/L
    Free Thyroxine (free t4) 12 pmol/L
    Anti-TPO 10 kIU/L

    Maybe readings are different in the U.S than here in Canada, but if any of this makes sense, my gratitude goes out to you in abundance.

    Melanie

    • Mickey says

      Hi Melanie,
      I would recommend not supplementing with ashwaganda if you react to other nightshades or are avoiding them. Unfortunately I can’t advise on lab work since it would be illegal to do so–I am not a doctor. It is also hard to tell what your levels are since you did not post reference ranges. Stopthethyroidmadness.com has some information about interpreting your own lab work to see where your levels are at.

      Hope it helps!

      Mickey

  • Tina says

    Thanks for sharing your progress! I am trying to find a doc to help me rid H Pylori and a Parasite (DNA Unavailable) discovered from my stool test results. I am glad you feel so much better. I have been AIP (with some nuts, seeds, eggs) for 10 months and while I am feeling so much better, I still have some digestion issues that just are not resolving. I’m hoping once I get my infections under control, I too will feel wonderful.

    I absolutely love your cookbook! I use it daily. I hope you will put out another one in the near future.. you are one talented girl! :)tina

  • Nicole S. says

    Great to hear about your progress! I was surprised to read that you have Factor 5 Leiden; so do I! I was diagnosed during my second pregnancy over 3 years ago, and am wondering if you can point me in the right direction about information. It has never (to my knowledge) affected me negatively, and I am curious about it’s connection to folic acid. I clicked through to the links you have in your post already, but anything else you have to add would be great. Thank you, and love love love the cookbook!

    • Mickey says

      Nicole, I am definitely not an expert, but it runs in my family and my grandmother has had lots of complications from it. When my mom found out she had it all of my siblings and I got tested. I have been advised to run labs every year to make sure I am not clotting–a good doc will run things like protime, fibrinogen, and look at your platelets to assess clotting function. Many people go unaffected most of their lives and then have issues all of a sudden (the case with my grandmother) or by doing things that increase clotting risk (smoking, pregnancy, birth control, other medications). I think it is important to keep up on. 🙂

      Mickey

  • Nicole S. says

    The link for Dr. Lynch is not working…..

  • […] This is the second part of my healing update… you can find the first post here. […]

  • […] is the third part of my healing update… you can read part I here and part II […]

  • stephanie says

    Thank you for sharing. I have 5 AI diseases managed through medicine and overseen by a traditional doctor who actually put me on AIP. My brother has 5 AI diseases (much worse than mine.) We both have a history of clotting. Supposedly the genetic tests have always come back negative although I am not certain they have run factor V tests. After reading this, I think I need to talk to my Dr about some possible testing. Thanks again

    • Mickey says

      Stephanie, yes definitely something to keep up on. If your doc does not want to order the test, you can order through 23andme and use the raw data to find out if you have various clotting SNPs. It is a lot of work, but not a lot of doctors know about this stuff so DIY can be helpful. Good luck!

      Mickey

  • Darcy J says

    Hi, I see you are in the Seattle area – so am I, I’ve recently started AIP, about a week to be exact looking for something to help with my exhaustion, I feel much older than my years, insomnia, digestive troubles and some skin issues on my scalp that haven’t healed for a couple of years. I’ve been from doctor to doctor looking for someone to work with who can help figure out what is wrong with me. I’ve had hypothyroid issues for years and unable to get it to where it should be, that along with scalp issues for the past couple of years and then last year I was tested for MTHFR, I have the A1298C mutation. Do you have a suggestion for a doctor to help guide me though my healing journey? I struggle with finding one, and at $400 a visit it can become rather expensive, that plus the endless amounts of supplements I purchase from articles that I’ve read, but not sure if they are the right ones for me. I would appreciate any suggestions Thanks for the great blog and all the information you share!

    • Mickey says

      Darcy, unfortunately I don’t know a good doc in the area–I have been working with Dr. Stretch, a naturopath but she is retiring at the end of this year. There has been some discussion about doctors in our local PNW AIP group, maybe you could ask there?

      https://www.facebook.com/groups/461640397265313/

      Hope it helps, and I hope you find some relief soon!

      Mickey

  • FerrisWheel says

    Hi Mickey,

    Does your AIP cookbook take into consideration low fodmap alternatives?

    • Mickey says

      No, It is an autoimmune protocol cookbook not a low-FODMAP one, sorry.

      Mickey

  • the pan says

    Know if you have to eat sugar or starch for the parasites to show on the test? Cause my symptoms are bearable if not non existent as long as I don’t eat those things. Think I should still avoid those foods if/when I take medication to kill the parasites? Thanks

    • Mickey says

      Hi Pan,
      You will need to talk to your practitioner about this one. If you do a test like the Metametrix it should not matter what you are eating. Testing for SIBO is different though, and they actually have you specifically avoid FODMAP foods before the test. Your question about what to eat while being treated should also be answered by whoever is treating you, as there are different schools of thought and this is not my expertise. I do think, if you suspect a gut infection to get tested and treated right away.

      Hope it helps!

      Mickey

  • […] Now experts are beginning to turn to diet and lifestyle factors to reduce symptoms and manage these diseases. Dr. Loren Cordain first conceived the Autoimmune Protocol, a special elimination diet/lifestyle carefully designed to manage things that may be triggering disease in the body. Then Dr. Sarah Ballantyne wrote the nitty-gritty how-to with all the research to back it up. Click here for a cliff notes version of Dr. Ballantyne’s book. Thousands are having life-changing success with this protocol. You can read some inspiring, transformative stories from Angie Alt, Eileen Laird and Mickey Trescott. […]

  • […] is where ordering your own labs comes in. Many of you know that ordering labs directly has been a part of my healing journey — both a comprehensive stool test, as well as a […]

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