So, an update : I am 80% better than 3 months ago when I basic | Mikhaila Peterson

So, an update : I am 80% better than 3 months ago when I basically died from living in multiple places with mold in HVACs. I knew “mold was bad and could cause illness" but that was it. The specialists I spoke to prior to this didn't understand the extent that mold can damage some people's immune systems, pretty much permanently without treatment.

It really looks like my family's food intolerances, environmental allergies, chemical sensitivities, psychiatric illnesses, autoimmune conditions, etc. are from a genetic predisposition causing an immune system that cannot properly identify biotoxins (mold and certain bacteria) after exposure, and eliminate them, causing a permanent inflammatory response.

@theliondiet helped this an unbelievable amount. I would've died without it. Same with my family (my mom and dad both have genes for this). It looked like the diet cured me - until I lived in places that made me unbelievably sick. First Nashville, then Miami. It was pretty scary until I figured out what was going on. After the diet, I have no treatment options. I can't tolerate medications, diet is my lifeline to not living in pain. And then I got sick again, on the diet that “cured” me after almost 7 years in remission. Terrifying.

The condition is called CIRS - chronic inflammatory response syndrome. If someone has told me I had a chronic inflammatory response syndrome I would've said - “well yeah, duh." But this seems to be it. Diagnosed and everything. It's nasty. But it's fixable (a total miracle).

After I found mold in the house I was in, we moved out that day. I started treatment with a prescription binder called cholestyramine and somehow not only was that tolerable/didn't cause an immune response (after starting very slowly) it actually helped.

I can't take almost any medication without severe adverse reactions (benzodiazepines give me severe anxiety/insomnia, psych drugs - same thing, over the counter pain medication causes pain all over my body, anti- histamines give me crawling sensations all over my body and anxiety and insomnia, I'm allergic to a ton of antibiotics (but not all - keflex and doxycycline seem okay), I'm allergic to shampoo/conditioner, soap, scented products give me pain and brain fog, VOCs cause leg numbness. Just forget about being around anything cute and furry, I can't even go into houses that have animals without touching them, I still get symptoms.

It's like being in a bad TV show. If it wasn't happening to me it would be hard to believe. It has been happening to me for decades and it's still hard to believe. I have an immune system that reacts to everything that most people can tolerate, at least in small doses. Not that any of the things I listed are good people. It. Is. Wild. That's why I talk about the role of diet and avoiding toxic products. I feel their impacts more than a normal person but they impact other people too. It's not just me, I'm just like a live wire for these things.

Anyway!! CIRS treatment, (at least the initial binder) plus being very very mindful of my environment plus @theliondiet has resolved 80% of my symptoms in a fairly short period of time (2 months) I should be back to podcasting in another month! My parents are going to start treatment after their tour. They're doing well because of the diet but still aren't 100%. Compared to pre- diet, different people. But they could be better. Luckily they haven't been living where I have. We'll see what happens.