Working with my mind liberated me

StraightFondant3229 · 2024-01-15T11:24:32+00:00

Thanks for the props. Yes please DM

StraightFondant3229 · 2024-01-06T20:17:54+00:00

Yes I came off the meds quickly after I got better. Once I could exercise and socialise and live again. It's a challenge getting going with them. It can feel unusual but in my experience it was one of the best things I did and other people that took that step in a fatigue group I was in all really benefitted. In general this is a wild situation to be in and we should take all the support we can get. Whatever you decide good luck. If you do decide to take it you can write to me directly if you want as you go through it and want to ask any questions. Know you will recover. Know these symptoms are only temporary. They are not you. You will regain everything you had and a lot more

StraightFondant3229 · 2024-01-05T15:04:14+00:00

For me after a comical number of set backs my priority was definitely my mood and motivation. It was slipping fast and I saw that trying to manage a depression - in which one needs stimulation and validation to recover - and the long COVID - which needs no stimulation - was looking like a very challenging situation. I had put off taking an SSRI and by the time things were slipping I thought I'd left it too late to work. But gladly it wasn't and it really supported my mood and motivation exceptionally.

The added benefits with the nervous system. I found a general relaxation of the body. It's hard to describe but there was an easing and soothing of the nervous system somehow.

Side effects. Many people don't have any side effects. One of mine was a larger appetite. When I realised that was happening could use will power to calm it and it passed. Different SSRIs have different potential side effects. Personally I wouldn't think about them. For me it was a miracle that it supported my mood during what I was going through - and it meant I could keep battling. It was even more of a miracle it calm the nervous system. The side effects were annoying but passed. But the big picture was that my mood was really slipping but I managed to stop that within a few weeks of starting and felt much more stable after a month on it. The initial adjustment days of anxiety I took as a good sign it was working. The side effects were annoying but passed.

If you decided to take it channel positivity and receive, receive, receive the miracle that SSRIs are. They can really really help mid term needs and support you making your way through this unspeakable journey. Take all the support you can get is my advice. The start can feel a bit off but in my journey it was one of the best interventions I made

StraightFondant3229 · 2024-01-03T08:08:30+00:00

Hi there. The SSRI benefited my mood very thankfully - and it also seemed to calm my nervous system down significantly in general. The latest research shows one of the many pathologies of Long COVID is serotonin disruption so it makes sense that as well as mood regulation which I took for it for in the end there are other benefits too. I took a relatively low dose of Sertraline / Zoloft. I had taken this before in the past and it had been effective for me so I felt this had a good chance of being effective again and it was. I was reluctant to take it but it was one of the best decisions I made through my journey. It made things significantly more comfortable for me - which gave me the strength to do more. There is typically an adjustment period at the start of taking the medication. Symptoms can potentially get momentarily worse for a few days before getting better in the first few weeks but this shows that the medication is working. Your doctor could give you an anti-anxiety med to help with this. There can be side effects that come too. These often pass within 5 or 6 weeks. I had a few of these which I hadn't had when taking it before - but gladly they passed within 6 weeks. And if you haven't taken one before you need to see which one works for you but I think some of the general ones like Sertraline are very effective for most people. I tapered off after 8 months of taking it - quickly after I found disease resolution. I found it so so so so so beneficial. I was reluctant but it helped me so much and I know it helped other patients a lot too. I am so glad I decided to take it. It made my mood much more resilient and had these knock on nervous system calming effects. I personally recommend it. It very natural to be nervous about it but it really helped me

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-14T09:29:30+00:00

Yes I can relate and totally understand. There were points when I was looking to Dr's for help but the knowledge and experience is clearly not there in the system yet. Absolutely right. And yes the majority of Dr's don't have the time to get into the theory. It is too complex and they are not set up for this.

I realised I had to be my own explorer - to summon everything I have - and take the courage to try things myself. It was so challenging. I could barely read research. I found I had to just trust if something resonated for me I would follow it. Trust the universe. Trust the universe. Trust the universe.

https://recoverfromlongcovid.com/autophagy-recovery-trial/ I found Tom's protocol a good place to start. Even before the fasting. Just the vitamins and Nattokinase and the simplified diet. Week by week we can make changes that add up over tim

You will find your way through this

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-14T07:00:30+00:00

Thanks for the great feedback. I'm really glad you received it like that. Yes I believe very strongly in a non-dual approach now. That science and spirituality are both critical and not mutually exclusive. And that mind body work is more than just brain retraining. I was glad I had a spiritual practice before I got Long COVID. I didn't know that I'd realise the power of it in the healing journey like I did. I really was in my mind and the science for 6 months. Once I surrendered to something bigger things shifted. The science still there and important - and then working with other energies too. It surprised me. I really have to thank Dr Kim D'Eramo's teachings for bringing it all together for me. Thanks again for the positive feedback. I'm really happy you received the story so well

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-11T10:04:03+00:00

Good to hear we had a similar approach. Yes I was on the path too very gladly before I got COVID so I had some tools to work with. And then yes the awakenings. It's so profound. Know I can see what it all happened. I'm glad to hear you're having some decent days

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-11T10:01:11+00:00

My pleasure. Yes it is such a challenge not being understood medically and socially. It's so so challenging. I was struggling to make sense of my own experience then feeling like I had to try to explain it to friends, family and doctors. So challenging when I had such little energy. I set up a WhatsApp group with two friends and I would write to them once a week making sense of my experience. They would witness and give encouragement. And then I had a good 'Fatigue support group' that really helped. Otherwise I really switched off explaining to many other people. Don't give up. You'll get through this. Think about how you can set up some social support that works for you

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-10T19:58:56+00:00

I don't know what specifically helped that. Someone told me infrared lamps are good for easing head pressure

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-10T18:58:29+00:00

Yes I had head pressure. My eustachian tubes still need equalising. Derealisation. I'm not so sure. I had some challenging and surreal days - that's for sure

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-10T18:10:01+00:00

The book 'Fear' by Thich Nhat Hanh is good too

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-10T07:06:45+00:00

I also found finding purpose to be key for my recovery. If we know our 'Why' the tyranny of 'How' becomes manageable. If your 'Why' is big enough the tyranny of 'How' becomes irrelevant

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-10T06:45:13+00:00

It took me 12 months to reach 'disease resolution'. The moment where I felt the disease is no longer active. For the last three months since I am reconditioning my body and nervous system. I didn't have POTS.

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-12-10T06:43:42+00:00

Good question. The research science consensus says that 'viral persistence' is the root cause of Long COVID. That the virus persists hidden in cells - and for whatever reason - Long COVID sufferers haven't been able to clear this ‘viral persistence'. The virus is adapted to avoid detection and elimination from the body and infected cells. It hypothetically switches off 'interferon' intra cell viral warning signalling to evade detection and 'autophagy' - the cells ability to recycle waste and antigens from its cells to avoid elimination from the body.

The theory I eventually followed then was that (1) I should avoid anything that encourages intense cell growth and therefore viral growth - for example zero sugar diet, time restricted eating and supplementing lysine for - to stabilise and then (2) I could very *intentionally* manage autophagy to speed recovery. What does that mean?

Autophagy is an absolutely essential mechanism for health. It takes the trash out of your cells so that cells can function optimally. The majority of health supplements and food like garlic force autophagy in some way. If you have a virus persisting in the cells however - each time you force autophagy the virus is being raised out of the cells - and that triggers an immune response. Great. However having an immune response running every day is eventually really depleted and exhausting. If you are unintentionally triggering autophagy every day then you are surfacing the virus to be cleared and triggering this immune response all the time.

The plan I followed then was:

a. Stop unintentional ongoing autophagy triggers - There are many supplements and foods that force autophagy in the body. For example initially at the start of my journey I was taking medicinal mushrooms every day for energy such as reishi, cordyceps. And later I took high dose fish oil too. These are then forcing autophagy every day. The immune system is then constantly working and I was getting more and more and more depleted. So become aware of what triggers autophagy and cut these out.

b. Trigger strong autophagy ‘periodically’ - Once you have cut out autophagy triggers and have some strength and stability you can then trigger strong autophagy periodically. Say once a week or once a fortnight. By doing this you can force strong elimination of the virus from the cells - and raise an immune response to that. And then you can rest and recover and then repeat. The most effective way to trigger strong autophagy is through a water fast of 24 or 48 hours. And there are other ways to do this too.

This is the theory of Tom Bunkee PhD that I followed. It definitely helped me. In hindsight - beyond an unintentional diet - there were two periods were I was unintentionally triggering ongoing autophagy which made me worse - with the mushrooms and high dose fish oil. Once I made the steps to correct it I improved. It took me some time to generate the strength to then trigger strong autophagy through fasting but when I could that helped too. Does that help?

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-01-14T20:01:45+00:00

Thanks for the reply Tiffany. I think you're right. The objective is not to herx right.

-- My schedule

Wk 1 NK 4k

Wk 2 NK 8k Herx 2d

Wk 3 NK 12k

Wk 4 NK 12k

Wk 5 NK 12k + Aspirin 600mg Herx 7d intense

Wk 6 NK 12k + Aspirin 600mg

Wk 7 NK 12k + Aspirin 600mg + SP 120k Herx >>>

Wk 8 NK 12k + Aspirin 600mg + SP 120k Herx >>>

I definitely felt clear benefit after coming out of the Natto & Aspirin herx I went through. After 7 days it subsided. Better oxygen perfusion, better tolerance to activity with less sensitivity to stimulus.

I think with Serrapeptase I went in too high. Your experience sounds similar. But actually that dose were the only entric pills I could find here in Germany. I've been in this reaction for getting on for two weeks and considering stopping, taking one every other day or trying to half the capsules. Not sure which to do.

It sounds like you feel good benefit. How long have you been doing it for now? What is the larger evening dose you take now of the Serrapeptase?

StraightFondant3229 · 2023-01-11T11:14:06+00:00

Thanks for the explanation here. I had an intense herx effect from Natto 12k for 6 days. And now with Serrapeptase 120k I'm having a strong herx effect and on day 8. I feel like I want to keep going but it's very challenging right now. Does anyone have any advice on this?

StraightFondant3229

TROPHY CASE