QUICK SUMMARY
2023 was one of those years where just when you thought things couldn't get much worse -- they did.
Four things set me back quite a bit:
A podiatrist misdiagnosed a small scar on my foot. As a result, it quintupled in size over a five-month period. This created excessive levels of pain, stress and sleepless nights, weakening me considerably in the process.
Then in August, I lost my long-term caregiver. Just when I needed more help, I had one-third of what I was used to. And some weeks none at all.
In mid-October, when things were starting to improve, half of an old tooth broke off and fell out just after I finished dinner. The other half remains in my mouth, making it difficult to eat.
And then two weeks ago, just as I was set to send out this update -- my lower back gave out. I could not bend forward more than a couple inches, couldn't sit for long, and could barely get out of bed or move around the apartment.
I was seriously worried I might become bedridden.
IN DEPTH:
Starting off on the wrong foot...
Shortly after last year's update, I discovered a tiny sore/scab on my left foot, something that can happen as a result of the venous insufficiency that I've had for 8 years now.
In hindsight, had it been treated properly, it would've been a minor issue, would've resolved in a month or two. Instead, the podiatrist I was referred to in March, treated it as they would a diabetic ulcer. He wrapped it, used antimicrobials, and advised me to keep it moist in order for it to heal properly.
The problem is, venous insufficiency is where the valves in the blood vessels of the leg tend to "leak", resulting in too much blood or bleeding in the foot. This the opposite of what happens in diabetes, where the circulation is poor, impairing the healing process.
I didn't find out until I consulted with a vascular surgeon in mid-August, that the correct way of addressing this is to let it air out and scab over -- the opposite of the advice I was given by the podiatrist. As it heals, the body pushes the scab outwards (which it is slowly doing). It eventually falls off when the lower layers of skin have formed a strong collagen matrix.
I'll attach some before and after pics below. Please note that the 'rusty' color is due to iron deposits leaking from the blood vessels. Also, some pics were taken at night, others during the day. As you can see, it started out very, very tiny...
So for five+ months, I couldn't walk much at all, so I wasn't able to keep walking to the 5th floor, or any floor. And every single night around 3AM it would sting and burn for about 30-40 minutes until it calmed down.
It soon became clear that all my "energy" was diverted to try to help the ulcer heal. As a result, I lost muscle and became a LOT weaker.
ESSY
In the middle of all this, my caregiver Essy took a month off so she could settle her father's estate in Africa But the caregiving agency is very short staffed, so while she was gone, I was left with only three hours of care a week.
She came back August 1st, but within a month, she was fired. Without going into detail, it turns out she'd been violating company policies, something she'd been warned about earlier. This left me with no care for several weeks, which made things even worse.
So at a time when I needed more help, I had a lot less. I was needing to stand a lot more, on feet that were a lot weaker, raising stress levels and draining my energy even more.
I finally got a new caregiver. She's nice, and tries hard, but refuses to do any personal care (for religious reasons), and there are things she's just not good at. At least not yet. But with the shortage of caregivers since Covid, I'm grateful I have someone who comes twice a week.
It made a difference. Very slowly, I started feeling a little stronger, so that I was gradually able to walk up the stairs to the 5th floor once a week in September, then started doing so twice a week in October -- after not being able to do so since March.
Finally, things were looking up. Until one night after dinner...
KLUNK.
...an old tooth broke off into two pieces, landing on the counter. While I'm so glad it didn't break off in the middle of the night, it was still very stressful. Half of it's still in my mouth, with a sharp edge that rubs against my tongue. I had to buy a food processor to grind up all my meals, and although it's calmed down a bit, I'll no doubt have to have it -- along with another tooth on the opposite side -- pulled and replaced.
And then just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...
Two weeks ago my back gave out. Seized up so bad that I could not even bend to reach the second shelf in my refrigerator, let alone change clothes, etc.. I couldn't take my socks off for six days.
Fortunately, it's about 75% better thanks to the kindness of a chiropractor who came to my apartment to do a gentle adjustment. (I tend to avoid chiros, but had a great experience with one when my back went out in 2004.)
Which brings us to...
2024's PLAN OF ACTION:
First, I'm restarting the protocol by Dr. Russell-Jones that helped me improve so much in late 2021- early 2022. I need to stabilize and get stronger before contacting a good dentist to help address the broken tooth. The protocol utilizes special high-dose methylated forms of folate and B12, along with riboflavin and some key trace minerals to support DNA repair and mitochondrial function.
Secondly, a friend of a friend recommended a naturopath she says is great at sorting out complex issues like mine. And he also actually makes house calls!
This would be so helpful as he could assess me in my environment, and thus -- just as one example -- help figure out why my sinuses are so clogged when I wake up in the morning. He could also see the building, the stairs I was climbind -- to help with pacing as I begin to increase my walking again.
I really, really need to expand my diet as well -- big time -- but haven't been very successful, so I'd like to get his opinions and feedback on how to proceed. I could also get his opinions on whether or not "this" supplement is really necessary, or "that" probiotic is harmful.
One issue that has not been resolved is my hypothyroidism. My TSH number is 'normal', but I'm still a lot colder than I should be, and my skin is still way too dry. Fixing this should help my digestion, my immune function, and most importantly, my wound healing.
I also need to have a new Organic Acids Test run. This is one of the tests that helps measure in detail how one's metabolic functions are improving or getting worse. It's THE test that basically saved my life when a second doc reviewed it in late 2020, and noticed the marker for c-difficile was "a little high" -- helping me end that 19-month c-diff infection in August 2020.
Then in about six months, I should get a new Nirvana Biome test, to see if my gut's microbial diversity is improving. It was terrible when tested in 2021. I meant to do it earlier this year, but was quickly distracted by the foot issue.
And lastly, I'll need to find a good, experienced dentist that can help pull this tooth, and fix another one on the opposite side of my mouth. But as mentioned, I'm hoping I can stabilize and get stronger before seeing one, say in 3-4 months. By that time, my foot ulcer should be healed, if not sooner (I hope!). I'm also hoping I can f ind one who will offer a discount, as we all know that good dental work is..."uncheap".
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