PORTRAIT OF AN ALLERGY SUFFERER: MY STORY
My own allergy story, like most others, began in childhood. I was dogged by skin rashes and a perennially stuffy nose that deteriorated into three to four severe month long head colds every year. I can still vividly remember going to school with various coloured creams on my lace and being teased by the other kids.
I also suffered from a nervous squint which turned to rapid blinking when I was under stress, such as facing a fast ball at cricket or facing the teacher over some misdemeanour. I suffered from periodic attacks of anxiety that left me depressed. Because I considered this to be normal I never mentioned it to anyone.
By the time I reached high school I'd added severe acne to the rashes that came and went from my face, chest, back and arms. Antibiotics and various creams were prescribed (or the acne. The antibiotics always made me feel off colour and after some time on them I began to suffer from an anal itch, that I was more nervous than before and that I had trouble concentrating in class and remembering what I had studied. My stuffy nose was still a problem and my acne wasn't that much better.
By the age of eighteen I was fed up. My skin and nose were no better and I seemed to spend all my time studying to achieve the same marks my mates were getting with half the effort. My acne had given me an inferiority complex and I couldn't talk to girls without the nervous blinking. My doctor told me I had a periodic allergy and prescribed antihistamines to be taken whenever my skin flared up or my nose became unbearably stuffy. I was told that my allergies were something that I just had to live with.
*3/18/9*
IT COULD BE ALLERGY AND IT CAN BE CURED: JUSTIN’S STORY
Justin suffering from severe conjunctivitis leading to blindness. Allergic to barley, lamb, airborne moulds, house dust, dust mites and grasses.
Justin's story has been included at the request of his mother who is determined that no other mother should experience the heartache and anguish of the possibility of losing a child to blindness. Because Justin's story was still unfolding it was not written until the day before the 1988 edition of this book went to print.
It was after one of my many public seminars on how to cure allergies that I first met Justin. After question time, while I was packing up to leave, Robyn approached me with a little boy who was wearing dark glasses. At first glance I thought she was going to ask me about her swollen red eyes that looked allergic. As she got closer I could see she had been crying and when she spoke there was great anguish in her voice.
They say my little boy will be blind in twelve months and I can't accept that,' she said. 'After listening to your talk tonight I can see that I was right all along. You don't have to learn to live with allergies and surrender to dangerous drugs.'
Robyn took Justin's sunglasses off to reveal the worst case of conjunctivitis I'd ever seen. He looked as though he'd been beaten up. His eyes were black and blue with streaks of red where he had been scratching. They were so swollen they were almost closed. Only the narrowest of slits still remained and they were partly covered with the goo that was oozing out of his inflamed eyes.
Robyn went on to tell me that the eyes had become suddenly inflamed three years ago and that the doctor had diagnosed Justin as being severely allergic. Many drugs had been tried in a vain effort to reduce the allergic inflammation of Justin's eyes. As a last resort the doctor prescribed the cortisone drugs Maxidex and Predsol claiming they were to be administered as drops into Justin's eyes each day. The doctor was quite concerned about the side effects of the drugs (prolonged use of them causes cataracts and eventually blindness). Despite this he insisted that cortisone was the only treatment medical science had that would reduce the inflammation enough for Justin to be able to open his eyes and that he and Robyn had no choice but to accept the inevitability of Justin's eventual blindness. So concerned was the doctor over Justin's prospects that he referred him to a professor in Sydney in the hope that more could be done for him. The professor was taken aback by the severity of Justin's condition and would always have colleagues and students there to observe Justin at each visit. To use Robyn's expression, 'the professor would beat around the bush and not give me any straight answers.' He told her to continue with the cortisone drugs and was very vague when questioned about their side effects. He just didn't want to talk about them.
Justin began making regular trips down to Sydney to see the professor and each time he would chastise Robyn for taking Justin to homeopaths, herbalists and nutritionists. Robyn, for her part, refused to give in and wasted no time telling the professor she was going to try everything before she accepted the fate of Justin's blindness. Deep down she knew there was an answer.
Not long after, while sweeping out her laundry, she noticed, by chance, an advertisement for one of my free public seminars on 'Your allergies can be cured'. She saw it on the sheet of newspaper she was using to wrap up the sweepings from the laundry floor.
Grasping at straws but determined not to accept defeat she made it to the seminar to hear what she described as 'common-sense on this subject for the first time'. She told me later that on hearing of the effects dietary change could have on curing allergies she realised Justin was going to be OK and that the sense of relief was so overwhelming she had trouble containing her emotions.
Robyn brought Justin to see me within a day or two of the talk. He was tested and showed up to be allergic to barley, lamb, malt and airborne moulds, which meant he had to go off all mould- and yeast-containing foods (see 'Food tables' at the back of the book). He was also allergic to house dust, dust mites, and grasses, particularly rye grass, which meant he couldn't eat rye bread or Ryvita. Because Robyn had a history of vaginal thrush while carrying Justin and because he had oral thrush as a baby he was treated for Candida albicans yeast infection as well.
On the combined Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program and Nystatin, Lactobacillus acidophilus capsules and a complete multivitamin and mineral formula supplement containing the six essential minerals—calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and manganese—to build up his damaged eye tissue he made a remarkable recovery. Within a week of being on the program he was off the cortisone as his eyes were 50 per cent better. He is now 70-80 per cent better depending on how tired he is and whether or not there is a strong, dry westerly wind blowing the rye grass in from the grazing lands. He has not used the cortisone since being on the program and hardly ever needs to rub his eyes. Justin is a good example of how changes in diet can reduce one's sensitivity to airborne and inhalant allergies as he's able to play on newly mown grass and in the
bush without any flare-ups of his condition.
Justin is still waiting on delivery of the dust mite cover for his pillow and mattress.
This will improve his condition further as at present the dust mites that live in his pillow by day and come out to feed on his skin at night are gaining entry to his eyes and perpetuating the inflammation there.
The damage the cortisone has done to Justin's eyes is also contributing to the present plateau in his rate of improvement. It will take some time to replace the collagen, elastin and delicate eye tissues destroyed by the cortisone. Fortunately, the vitamin and mineral formula will speed up this process of tissue regrowth.
On last contact with Robyn she remarked how much stronger and healthier his eyes are becoming with each passing month. Whether Justin becomes 100 per cent symptom free is hard to say as it's difficult to accurately assess how much damage the cortisone has done to the delicate eye tissue. Even if he never progresses beyond 80 per cent improvement, he's as good as cured as his eyes no longer hold him back and he's now functioning on all levels without the use of drugs. He is now able to plan a future without the limitations of blindness and has the opportunity and freedom to be whatever he wants to be.
The thing that impresses me most about Justin is that he's as dedicated to the program as Robyn. He exhibits great self-discipline for one so young and will not break the program for anything. He refuses' all junk food, stays away from the school canteen, doesn't swap lunches with the other kids and takes his own special food to birthday parties. He doesn't succumb to the pressure of well-meaning adults who offer him foods that are contrary to his program. The words, 'Oh, come on. Surely a little bit won't hurt you,' leave him unmoved. Fie and Robyn cope brilliantly with the whingers and knockers who 'pooh-pooh' the program despite the dramatic improvement they see in Justin's condition. It seems to me that Justin's potential tragedy is building great strength of character that will stand him in good stead in adulthood.
Although Justin is not completely out of the woods yet he is well on the way. He still gets the odd headache, stuffy nose and itchy eyes, usually when he's hungry and fighting with his sister. Such emotional upheaval causes neurokinin to be released into the skin and mucous membranes of his eyes, head and nose and this inflames the delicate tissues there (see section on acne in Chapter 6 for more information on neurokinin).
POSTSCRIPT—1990
Justin made a 100 per cent recovery. The cortisone-damaged tissues completely repaired themselves and he was free of all his symptoms. He stayed on all his supplements during the food reintroduction process. Happily he had lost his sensitivity to all the foods he was previously allergic to. Now that he was back on the Metabolism-Balancing Program (with no more than 5 per cent junk food) I asked him to stay on the supplements. I explained to him that I was worried his resistance may drop if he went off them and he agreed to co-operate.
For fifteen months everything was fine. Justin was eating what he liked and there was no sign of his symptoms returning. It was about this time that he rebelled against taking the supplements. Without warning he put his foot down and refused to take any more. Slowly but surely his symptoms began to return though not to their previous degree of intensity. As distressed as she is Robyn can't get through to him and this is the way it'll be for a little while. Justin has reached that pre-pubescent stage that many boys go through when the male sex hormone testosterone hits the bloodstream for the first time. They lose their niceness and if they don't have an adult male around to keep them in line can become stroppy and rebellious.
All that can be done now is to wait for him to settle down. I've learned that pushing kids who are in this life phase is the wrong way to go. They've got to come around in their own time. Justin knows what has to be done to regain his health and when he's sick of being sick he'll do it. Only this time it will be his idea and his decision. Right now he's preoccupied with the important task of developing and advertising his individuality. When the novelty wears off he'll go back onto the Metabolism-Balancing Program and supplements. I've seen this happen many times and have no doubt it will happen in Justin's case too.
UPDATE—1995
Justin's eyes, for the main part, are good. Since 1990, he put himself back on the supplements for a while and his eyes cleared up completely. Now that he's left school, his old routine has been broken by his new work environment, friends and freedoms. As a result, he's forgetting to take his supplements. For the main part he's OK, but
if he binges on junk food, his eyes flare up, though not as badly as before. Only time will tell how Justin's saga ends, though for my part I'm confident the ending will be a happy one.
*2/18/9*
IT COULD BE ALLERGY AND IT CAN BE CURED: PAULA’S STORY
'Even your body knows its heritage and its rightful needs and will not be deceived. And your body is the harp of your soul, And it is yours to bring forth sweet music from it or confused sounds.'
Kahlil Gibran.
The Prophet
As a 23-year-old woman living in the 80s, I have, like many other people, tried to eat well and get some exercise. The media had made me very body conscious, and if I didn't keep my weight down, I became depressed, felt unattractive and my self-esteem plummeted. In order to keep it down, I had to eat very small amounts. I became convinced that I had a fat-storing metabolism and to keep my weight down I had to eat very little.
Like many women, I have agonised over my body, spending literally hundreds of dollars on cellulite treatments, and there have been many years of not a morsel passing my lips without a calorie count. Looking
back on it, it was an awfully stressful, anti-social way to be treating food. You could say I was at war with my body.
At 60 kg in July 1987, I decided to go on one of my severe diets, which consisted of cereal and skim milk for breakfast, Ryvita, salmon and salad for lunch and steamed vegetables for dinner. By November I had lost 6.5 kg. I experienced weakness and hunger pains, but the psychological high I was on overrode feelings of drowsiness and lethargy.
At this time, I was studying part-time and had taken over the job of Section Head in a nursery caring for children under three years of age. Wanting to achieve recognition from my colleagues, I set myself the task of getting the nursery into good working order. Basically, I put my needs last and burnt the candle at both ends. I began a downhill run and by March 1988 I had deteriorated physically and mentally and needed a week off work for what the doctor diagnosed as stress. The week off work helped alleviate the severe headaches and back pain, but on returning to work I still did not feel 100 per cent better.
I spent the Easter weekend at my parents' property on the outskirts of Bathurst, and all Mum's lovely cooking went down very well. So well, in fact, that within three weeks I had gained the 6.5
kg I had lost and kept off over a nine month period. I was unable to start dieting again; I was tired of it all. Depression set in severely.
I was also extremely sensitive and emotional. I would snap at people without meaning to. Regarding the poor concentration and loss of memory, I can tell you, when you're twenty-three and find it impossible to recall one bit of conversation you had ten minutes earlier, it's very scary.
At the time I consulted Phil Alexander in May 1988, I was beginning to doubt my professional capabilities. Talking to Phil was very encouraging. Yes, he told me, I would recover, my symptoms would be alleviated; but I must rest, as I was suffering from stress as well. He told me that my sinusitis and resultant bad breath was of physiological, not psychological, origin and gave me a referral to an allergy clinic for tests.
Although I wasn't allergic to any foods, I was allergic to moulds, house dust mites, grasses and pollens. Phil placed me on the Anti-Candida Program, with the prescribed drug Nystatin to kill off the Candida yeast over-growth in my body, and a vitamin supplement to help balance my out-of-kilter metabolism, unbalanced by my many years of crash/semi-starvation diets. To think that for years I thought I was doing the right thing by my body. How wrong I was!
The meals set out for me were incredibly substantial and I thought I would put on weight. Not so at all. Although the first week of my Anti-Candida Program was unpleasant, with headaches, sinusitis and stomach pain (all Candida yeast withdrawal symptoms), I lost 2.25 kg of fluid in five days, as I had more of a fluid problem than a fat problem. After a fortnight I felt 100 per cent better and had lost another 1.5 kg. I was sitting down to beautiful meals each night and I was very hungry in between meals. There was
no bloating associated with eating and my metabolism was speeding up considerably. As well as sticking to the program religiously, I kept my house free of mould and dust and made sure I got plenty of rest.
By the time I went back to see Phil, after four weeks on my program, I was so excited I literally bounded into his office so eager to tell him how wonderful I was feeling, how
much energy I had. I had lost 4.5 kg altogether, and the high I was experiencing was indescribable, very different from the highs I had experienced when I had lost weight before.
Phil was pleased for me and instructed me to carry on as I was. During the second month my appetite decreased a little and I no longer needed rice wafers in between meals. It was at this time that I came down with inflamed back muscles, due to heavy lifting. As rotten as I was feeling physically, I still felt mentally well and made sure I didn't spend my days off work feeling sorry for myself. I kept busy with sewing and recovered rapidly without the aid of prescribed drugs from my doctor. I wondered if 1 would have recovered as well two months earlier, before my program.
To sum it all up, after being at war with my body for four years, I am discovering what it is like to have energy, not feel over-stressed, feel restored after a good night's sleep and be happy. When people ask me if the program is working for me, I tell them that I am an entirely different person from what I was two and a
half months ago. That is the absolute truth too! I feel attractive, confident; my self-esteem is riding high and I am learning not to compare myself to other women, to love me and my body for what it is.
I am discovering new, tasty nutritious meals and there are no guilt feelings attached to sitting down
and eating a beautiful veal
and veggie casserole. Farewell to calorie counting forever!
What is so exciting for me is that I am still in the healing process. I have some way to go, but I am already reaping the benefits. People are commenting on how well I look -my skin, my hair, my eyes. My parents are thrilled and relieved to see that, at last, the answer to my problem has been found. My boyfriend tells me how attractive I have been looking lately and I know my state of physical, and mental/ emotional health will improve more. Like my newly found love of cooking and eating, I am exercising more because I have the energy and really want to. I don't feel I have to -there is now a challenge to be the healthiest person I can. My current exercise is martial arts and I love it more now that I am on my anti-allergy program. I feel better than I did when I lost weight on
a
diet
at the ladies' gym
and
was doing four aerobic classes a week, as well as weights.
I shudder to think what would have happened to my health if I had not investigated further the real cause of my complaints. I'm sure I would have crash dieted more, and in doing so deteriorated more, perhaps irreparably. I stick with this program and take it seriously, and so 1 should. This is my life and my body, the only one I have been given. I will not break this program.
Realising how biochemically different I am I would never again pick a diet that doesn't have the research and experience of a practising physician backing it. Never again would I skip a meal. When I see young women skipping meals and eating minuscule amounts, I now try to explain what they are doing to themselves. They don't listen, because they think they know
it all, and know their body's needs just like I thought I did.
Thanks to the expertise and knowledge of the author of this book, I am learning to love me, and
love
my
body
for
what
it
is. I am healthy, alive, vital, energetic and attractive. I am indebted to Phil Alexander for all his help in making what really is the 'new me'.
I hope readers will see me as a success story and an inspiration to overcome their complaints.
As I re-read my words, the excitement and challenge builds up in me more. I really believe in what I am doing. It all may be hard for you to comprehend, it is even hard for me sometimes, but if
you have success in overcoming your allergies, you will understand the message I am conveying.
Paula Jackson, 1988
POSTSCRIPT—1990
Paula is still fit and well though she's been through a rough patch that saw her health decline for a while. Like so many people who've regained their vitality, Paula began to embrace life with great enthusiasm. Too much enthusiasm in fact. She burnt herself out. Tiredness, aches and pains, fluid retention and confusion began to return. Not because of allergy and Candida infection this time, but because of fatigue. Paula, like so many others, believed her new found energy was boundless and in an effort to make up for lost time began doing all those things she was too tired to do before. Admittedly pre-wedding nerves and adjusting to married life played it's part but the major cause of her symptoms was overdoing it.
We human beings have a
very short memory of matters pertaining to our former ill health. We easily forget what it was like to be down and Paula fell into this trap. She now realises that although the spirit may be willing the flesh has limitations. She has now learned to
pace herself by recognising her particular early warning symptoms of stress and slowing down before these symptoms become full blown.
UPDATE—1995
Paula is now 30 and feeling better than she did at age 19. She's married, pregnant, works part time and has a healthy two-year-old boy who shows all the signs of being an advanced, even gifted, child. All this she attributes to her continued adherence to the Metabolism-Balancing Program and supplements. She maintains high energy levels, trouble-free pregnancies (no toxaemia) and optimal weight levels during and between pregnancies. The learning experience of overcoming her previous illness has put her in tune with her body and there has been no return of her Candida and allergy symptoms.
*1/18/9*
ALLERGIES: THE ALLERGIC REACTION
It's no coincidence that most allergies, especially adult onset allergies, start after a bout of glandular fever, flu, hepatitis, surgical operation or crash diet. All of these factors are stressors that leave the body tired and the immune system depressed. The exact mechanisms by which allergic reactions take place are enormously complex and, for the main part, poorly understood. What is clearly recognised and agreed upon though, is that an excess of histamine released from the basophils, blood platelets and mast cells causes an inflammation at the point of release, and that this inflammation gives rise to the definitive symptoms of an allergy.
The allergy takes its name from the tissue the inflammation takes place in. If the inflammation takes place in the windpipe, it's called asthma; in the nose, rhinitis, sinusitis or hayfever. Histamine inflammation in the joints gives rise to arthritis and in the eyes to conjunctivitis. Because histamine can be released into any tissue of the body, the symptoms of allergy are many and varied. Many people experience allergic reactions in more than one tissue at a time.
Because we're all so biochemically unique, we can manifest our allergies in slightly different ways. For instance, histamine inflammation in the brain can give rise to depression in some people, poor concentration in others and dizzy spells, drowsiness and fatigue in others. Histamine inflammation in the skin can manifest as eczema in some, psoriasis in others, hives in others and adult acne in many others.
The difference between a normally reacting immune system and an over-reacting immune system is that an over-reacting immune system wants to protect us against foreign bodies that are not normally life threatening. Pollens, grasses, dusts, dust mites, moulds and foods do not pose the threat to us that viruses, bacteria and internally growing fungi do.
What causes an immune system to become over-reactive? Stress of any sort will do it. The stresses of cold, trauma, over-work, over-exercise; over-socialising, overcommitment, significant loss and infection (bacterial, viral or fungal) can all do it. Especially if you've experienced two or more of them over a prolonged period of time. Prolonged stress makes us tired. When the body is tired, every one of its 60 trillion cells, including those of the immune system, is tired. When we're tired, we tend to be more sensitive than usual and over-react to things that wouldn't normally bother us. We become short tempered and intolerant. We perceive things negatively and flare up at imagined insults and react aggressively to imagined challenges. So it is with the cells of the immune system. When the body is stressed and tired, the immune system flares up at things that don't normally pose a threat to us and an excess of histamine is released. Not all tired immune systems react this way—there has to be a genetic predisposition to over-reaction before the allergic mechanism can be triggered.
Singularly, the greatest stress the cells of the immune system (and indeed the rest of the body) can experience, is the withholding from them of essential nutrients (oxygen, water, vitamins, minerals, protein, essential fatty acids, carbohydrate). In addition to making a cell tired, nutrient deficiencies create imbalances in its metabolism. An unbalanced metabolism gives rise to unbalanced behavior by the cell. This erratic behavior of the immune system cells that gives rise to allergic reactions is a good example of metabolic imbalances created by nutrient deficiency.
*8/18/9*
ALLERGIES: HISTAMINE
Histamine is a chemical that is released by the white blood cells (basophils), the blood platelets and the mast cells in that area of the body that a foreign substance is residing. Histamine's job is to dilate the blood vessels so that extra lymphocytes can arrive quickly on the scene, and speed up the metabolic rate of all the cells in the area, that they may have the energy to protect themselves from and, in the case of lymphocytes, defeat
the foreign body (virus, bacteria, fungus, etc.). In this way histamine acts as a normal part of the immune reaction and is vital if we are to survive invasion by infectious agents. Normal amounts of histamine dilate the blood vessels only as much as is needed to supply the required number of lymphocytes to do the
job. The arrival of the extra lymphocytes, the dilation of the blood vessels and the increased metabolic rate of the cells in the area, produces only a mild inflammation which, for the main part, goes unnoticed.
If too much histamine is released there is an excessive inflammatory reaction that leads to tissue damage. In these circumstances the immune mechanisms are protecting us at the cost of tissue damage and excessive inflammation (swelling, redness, pain).
Allergic reactions take place in those people whose immune systems habitually over-react to certain antigens. Any antigen that causes such an over-reaction of the immune system is known as an allergen. However individual and different allergic people may be, they all have one thing in common: an immune system that over-reacts to antigens/allergens, such as foods, grasses, pollens, moulds, dust mites, dust, that are normally not life threatening.
*7/18/9*
ALLERGIES: ALLERGIES AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
'Not only will men of science have to grapple with the sciences that deal with man, hut—and this is a Jar more difficult matter— they will have to persuade the world to listen to what they have discovered. If they cannot succeed in this difficult enterprise, man will destroy himself by his halfway cleverness.'
Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970
An allergy is an over-reaction of the body's immune system in its efforts to protect the body against what it (the immune system) perceives to be a threat. When resistance is down, sensitivities are up and allergies easily develop.
The immune system is the body's main line of defense against invading foreign substances that can damage it. It is made up of the white blood cells, known as lymphocytes. These are clumped together in lymphoid tissue, which is found in the spleen, the lining of the small and large intestines and the lymph nodes of the neck, armpits and groin. The lymph nodes are well evident during periods of infection when they swell up arid are frequently referred to as 'swollen glands'.
Collectively, these foreign substances are known as antigens and may come in many different shapes and forms—viruses, bacteria, fungi, toxic chemicals from polluted water and air, and the preservatives and colourings in artificial foods. Evidence suggests that the major toxin (acetaldehyde) released into the blood by the yeast Candida albicans is a potent antigen.
In rendering the antigen harmless to the body, the antibodies have given us an immunity to that antigen. Once sensitised by an antigen, the lymphocytes remember that antigen and, in some cases, are able to successfully produce antibodies against it for the rest of our lives. In this way we enjoy lifelong immune protection from that substance. The diseases measles and chicken pox are good examples. Once contracted in childhood, our resistance to them usually becomes so great that they seldom bother us again through life.
Unfortunately, not all immune systems function perfectly all of the time. Sometimes there are imbalances in the immune system (resulting from imbalances in the body's metabolism) that give rise to excesses in the immune reaction. These excesses cause side effects and these side effects are known as allergic reactions.
Allergic reactions occur when there is an excess of histamine released into the blood and tissues.
*6/18/9*
PORTRAIT OF AN ALLERGY SUFFERER: MY STORY. FINDING THE CURE
Naturopathy taught me how to treat the cause rather than the symptoms of a disease and that to treat allergies you must first have allergy tests, find out what you are allergic to and remove it from your food and environment. No one had ever said that to me before. I threw away my antihistamines and antibiotics, took the allergy tests and removed all allergenic foods from my diet. So effective was the program that my remaining acne, itchy skin, stuffy nose, nervousness, anxiety and depression disappeared completely within three months and I didn't need to take the oral desensitising vaccine for my inhalant allergies. There was no doubt in my mind that the metabolism-balancing effect of Adele Davis' vitamin and mineral regime, which had reduced the intensity of all my symptoms, enabled my body to respond as successfully as it did.
Reintroduction of my former allergy foods saw a return of all my symptoms only if I was under stress from over-work, late nights, too much sport, skipping meals or not faking my vitamins. Under stress, a glass of wine or a slice of bread would give me a few pimples, a slightly itchy skin and a reasonably stuffy nose. The only time my nervousness, anxiety or depression returned was when I was off my vitamins and minerals for a fortnight or more.
This was the pattern of my life for a number of years until I discovered I had a Candida albicans yeast infection in my intestines. By going on the Anti-Candida Program I eradicated the yeast and found that the anal itch I'd suffered since first taking antibiotics and the distended abdomen I'd never been able to diet or exercise away disappeared. All my symptoms disappeared and I'm happy to say they have never returned.
Since beating the Candida infection I find that smoke-filled restaurants don't stuff up my nose any more and I can eat and drink what I like, without any hint of my symptoms returning, even if I am stressed or it's late and I'm tired. Because I must religiously take my vitamins and minerals to achieve this, some would argue that I'm technically not cured of my allergies. Because taking extra food in pill form is no hassle to me (I've accepted that the metabolism of an allergic person requires more vitamins and minerals than the non-allergic person) and because I'm free to go where I like, eat and drink what I like, and have been for years, I feel as though I'm very much cured. To me, a cure is total freedom from debilitating symptoms and skin that is smooth, supple and free of acne scars.
Unraveling the mystery of my allergies has been a great adventure. I have learnt much and have matured in many ways because of it. I'm sure this book will help make the unraveling of your allergy mystery an adventure too!
*5/18/9*
PORTRAIT OF AN ALLERGY SUFFERER: MY STORY. SELF-HELP
I decided that this wasn't good enough and if my doctor couldn't help me then I'd help myself. On passing my entrance exam I enrolled in medicine at the university with the intention of becoming the sort of doctor who could do something about acne and allergies. Filled with crusading zeal and convinced I'd find all the answers I read every book I could find on those subjects.
My quest for knowledge took me from the medical school library to the public library where I read Let's Get Well by
Adele Davis. Her book described in detail how allergic people needed greater quantities of vitamins and minerals than non-allergic people to keep their metabolisms balanced and to strengthen the walls of their cells against the entry of allergenic substances. Impressed by the research evidence she submitted and the successful treatment she quoted I decided to give it a go.
I immediately changed my diet from the typical student fare of beer, salted peanuts and take-away foods to fresh fruit and vegetables and properly prepared, balanced meals. I added to my program supplements of full spectrum vitamins and minerals.
Within six weeks there was a noticeable improvement in my acne and nervousness. As the months rolled by my skin became steadily better as did my concentration, memory, self-confidence and energy levels. Although I was still getting my periodic skin rashes, especially when I drank beer, they weren't as itchy and for the first winter on record my stuffy nose didn't develop into a cold or 'flu.
Enthused by my new level of well-being, I began quoting Adele Davis to anyone who would listen. Disappointingly, my peers and lecturers weren't the least bit interested in what I had to say. Undaunted. I continued to preach the virtues of diet for the treatment of acne, allergies and flagging mental and physical vitality. Before long I was labeled a fanatic and when I remonstrated that nutrition should be taught at medical school, I was labeled a rabble-rouser and put on notice to behave.
This antipathy on the part of the establishment was beginning to take its toll and I was having trouble getting my enthusiasm up to study. I began sleeping in and missing lectures. I couldn't bring myself to open a pharmacology textbook, let alone read one. I was disillusioned and depressed. I was losing faith in modern science and what I was being taught and for the first time doubted I'd find the answers I was looking for.
The final straw was the conversation I had with a sixth year medical student at a party one night. This character boasted about how much money he was going to earn when he went into private practice. He was going to specialise in allergies, especially allergic skin conditions. 'Why?' I asked. 'Because your patients never die and they never get better. They
just keep on coming back
year after year spending money with you,' he replied.
His words both flabbergasted and depressed me. What did I have to look forward to? I hadn't even sat my intermediate exams. Clearly five years of more study wasn't going to teach me what I wanted to know.
I left university and after a couple of years working on building sites, digging graves in a cemetery and working on garbage trucks, I had enough money to put myself through naturopath college.
*4/18/9*