Natasha and I are SOOOO happy to share with everyone that October 15th is the due date of our first ‘little one’!
Some of you may know the good news already if you have been following our social media accounts.
If you are just now finding my website and reading through the blogs, I want to share with you our story.
Mold, Epstein Barr Virus and Hashimoto’s Disease
It all started when Natasha was diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus about 6-years ago.
This was triggered due to living in a home with black mold in Laguna Beach, CA. The EBV caused Natasha’s immune system to attack her thyroid tissue, resulting in Hashimoto’s Disease.
During her numerous treatments, we thought she would never become healthy enough to conceive. Much less carry to full term.
We discussed harvesting her eggs, and even adoption.
All we have wanted was a family, so we began looking at Plan B and Plan C.
Fortunately, Plan A came to fruition!
As we are expecting Babe to arrive soon, I want to share with you some of what Natasha did to get to the point of conception. I hope her story can be in inspiration to you if you are in a similar position with your health.
Here We Go…
First, we got to the bottom of what triggered her EBV and Hashimoto’s Disease. Detoxifying mold from Natasha’s body took a lot longer than we expected due to being re-exposed after leaving California. Note: make sure to discuss mold testing with me if you suspect you have been exposed. We learned the hard way when testing and detoxifying mold.
Second, we did A LOT of testing. Specifically, we tested for the following:
1) Candida – this is commonly seen in mold patients
2) Lyme Disease – luckily she was negative for this
3) Genetic mutations – we all have them, and supporting her mutations was crucial
Third, we did a lot of detoxifying. Genetically, Natasha doesn’t detoxify very well. Specifically, she doesn’t detoxify mold well. I see this with a lot of patients. This is why a I didn’t get as sick as Natasha, even though we lived in the same house and were exposed to the same toxins.
Natasha doesn’t make glutathione very well. We learned this from her genetic testing as well. Being low on glutathione played a role in her inability to get rid of toxins from the mold.
Fourth, we supporting her methylation mutations that impacted her immune system. Autoimmune disease runs in Natasha’s family. Her mother and two sisters have Hashimoto’s Disease. Genetically, Natasha has mutations that impact how well her immune system functions. You may have heard of the methylation genes. Some doctors check for MTHFR mutations. However, those are only two out of thirteen methylation genes that can impact the immune system.
Fifth, we followed up on her thyroid markers, religiously. I know after working with many families through the years that miscarriages happen when thyroid hormones are low. In order to feel confident in beginning to try and have a family, I wanted to see Natasha’s thyroid hormones look perfect!
Sixth, I finally looked at iodine levels. I feel this was a huge piece of Natasha’s puzzle. Since testing her iodine, I have made it part of my routine blood panels for those with thyroid disorders. Like most Hashimoto’s patients, Natasha was really low on iodine.
We developed our own thyroid supplement when we found this out. The supplement has thyroid, pituitary, hypothalamus, and thymus glandulars, along with a small amount of iodine.
If one has Hashimoto’s Disease, you must be VERYcareful supplement with iodine. You can make yourself feel worse if iodine levels get too high.
I was taught to NEVER give a Hashimoto’s patient iodine. But, I am stubborn and hard-headed…I used my wife as a guinea pig. I will say this, I have great mentors and teachers, but sometimes even with the best people in your corner you need to think for yourself and challenge the traditional dogma.
Iodine was HUGE for Natasha and many of my patients since.
This process may sound easy, but it took almost 6-years.
Why Did it Take so Long?
We had to figure it out on our own.
We consulted with other specialists, but it all came down to use putting the pieces together over time.
Unfortunately, Natasha’s story is very common. I have other women share similar stories to me on a weekly basis.
The good news, now I can speed up the healing process for them after years of developing protocols based on what Natasha and I went through.
If you are struggling conceiving or having multiple miscarriages, reach out to me. Let’s chat about what may be missing. You are not in this battle alone!
