About

Hi, I’m just setting up. This page will be updated soon.

From 2016-2018 my health rapidly declined. I developed multiple health issues: debilitating fatigue, joint pain, body aches, muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, chronic pleurisy, skin rashes, severe GI bloating, food sensitivities, memory issues, word recall issues, executive functioning difficulties, poor stress tolerance, tail bone pain… My doctors ran $$$ in tests. My gallbladder had quite working so it was removed, but the problems persisted. A rheumatologist diagnosed me with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD), although nothing showed up in my bloodwork, except inflammation. UCTD is a cousin to Lupus. The lupus meds helped with the pleurisy and joint pain, but I didn’t get better otherwise.

I ran across an article on gas stoves and lung function. Carbon monoxide was mentioned as a problem. So I called the gas company to check our home for CO. The gas stove and hot water heater were both flagged for removal due to low level chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. Our carbon monoxide detectors NEVER went off. Why?? Because in the United States home CO detectors are ONLY designed to prevent death, not poisoning. Everyone assumes ANY CO issue will be picked up by your home CO detector, almost nobody knows about low level poisoning. Not even doctors. So there I was bedridden at times and could only be upright for minutes at a time, and I was on my own to figure out what kind of care I needed to get better.

So I dove into the research, and I’m still delving, (with no medical training, so know that) to try to understand how my body was damaged and how I can get my life back. I didn’t pay attention in biology class, so I muddle through, trying to grasp the research the best I can. My doctors have been open to any research I find. This is new territory for them too. Along the way I have met others on the same journey and learned from them as well.

Years before (2007), my son, then a toddler, lost acquired skills and came down with autism. He had GI issues since birth. They became worse when the autism showed up. I tried a diet for severe GI issues, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), and his autism symptoms dramatically improved along with his GI issues. I became fascinated with the microbiome. I have an older blog called Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes. I have since remarried. I also want to add a focus on ME/CFS and awareness for low level carbon monoxide poisoning. Hence, this new blog.

Please check back as I add more information, and recipes. I am currently working on a cookbook for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.