Author: Amy Buckley

My Story Update: May 2009 – July 2010

/ Amy Buckley

I left off the telling of my story in May 2009, where I had just found the bioresonance practicioner near my house in Wisconsin.  As I said, that's when the real road to recovery took place.  The machine produced such a dramatic improvement in my health that I will dedicate one or more entire entries to it.  For now, I'll leave you without the details on that and just say that it did not entirely solve my recurring issues.  The problems that kept coming back were dizziness, heart palpitations, green urine, circulation problems (including blue nail beds on my fingers), food sensitivity, environmental sensitivities, etc.  However, after a year following the bioresonce machine's recommendations those symptoms were often so slight I only knew there was a problem because I was still keeping daily notes.  One slight heart palpatation would happen and a few days later a slight dizzy feeling and then I would review my notes and see the pattern.  More on that and May 2009 – May 2010 update of my health later.

By the fall of 2009 I was pretty convinced that I wanted to become a Naturopathic Doctor myself.  I had been trying to figure out what career/job I would do once my time of staying home with the kids was over.  I liked a lot of areas and knew I was done working for a a big corporation, probably done doing Mechanical Engineering work, and didn't really want to work for any one else.  I started telling my thoughts about becoming an ND/NMD to my friends and extended family and everyone was very encouraging.  My husband thought that it was an outstanding idea.  Even though he seemed to be fighting against me with every alternative therapy I tried, he was ecstatic about the thought of me becoming an ND.

We decided that I needed to be a 'bridge' between western medicine and natural medicine.  So I wouldn't get my ND degree on-line or from a small school but I would get the same education as any Medical Doctor, MD.  To do that you have to go to an accredited naturopathic medical college.  There are currently 6 such colleges in North America.  I began investigating them on-line, contacted admissions counselors and started talking to current students.  I wanted to get a feel for how hard the schooling was, how long it would take, and what I needed to apply.  We knew it would be expensive, but you get student loans for that and pay it back as you make money in your practice. (For us, the $150,000 – $250,000 the medical school costs were a concern but not a stopping mechanism.  We were used to large numbers from working at GE. The amount is like owning a house, which we also had experience with).  Since I would be in school for at least four years and we would have to move our whole family to the city where the school was we decided we better visit the campuses early-on to make sure the whole thing would work for our family.  (Note that I already knew I would have to take at least 6 courses at a community college to fulfill the pre-requisite education requirements).  So, even before getting started on that we went to visit the schools.  (See my complete review of the schools under the Schools tab).

In May 2010 my husband and I went to visit Bastyr near Seattle, WA and NCNM (National College of Naturopathic Medicine) in Portland, OR.  We were extremely impressed by NCNM, it's on-site Medical Clinic, the Helfgott Research Institute (part of NCNM), and Portland iteself.  In fact, the city, and our future, took such hold of us that we decided to move ASAP.  We flew home on a Sunday and Monday had 5 yards of mulch delivered to our house in Wisconsin to start getting it ready to sell . . .  We had lived in Wisconsin for 12 years.  The housing market is the worst in decades.  We have three kids ages 7, 5, and 3 years.  Portland is over 2000 miles away from our house in Wisconsin.  Todd had one business associate and I had one former college friend that we knew in Oregon, that's it.  We cut down our belongings from taking up over 3,300 sq. feet of space to fitting into 1 POD – 128 sq. feet of space!  We rented a house from just viewing it's listing over the internet.  My husband, Todd,  had just started his own business in Oct. 2009 – his income was not steady nor assured.  And I had a three year on-going illness that needed constant attention and often rendered me physically useless and/or mentally fuzzy (I'm the main planner/organizer/detailed-oriented/experienced mover of the two of us).

DOES ANYONE THINK WE ARE CRAZY YET?!!  

 We are,         but,         we did it.

WE are now living in Portland, OR literally across the street from the Rock Creek, PCC (Portland Community College).  While our Wisconsin home, still for sale, got over two feet of snow and a low of -4F yesterday . . . we are in a place that doesn't often get below 45 degrees in the winter!  The house we rented on-line looks just like the photos, it's beautiful and full of light.  I made it through my first quarter at PCC where I took the same Chemistry class I had 21 years ago.  I also took Psychology of the Human Life Span (good one if you want to be a doctor) and passed both.  Somehow we have managed to keep up with all our bills.  Todd is loving Portland and it's great for his new business.  The kids have lots of new friends and love riding the bus.   In other words, life is really great right now.  :)    But the saga that is my illness continues, more on that later.


 

Bastyr vs NCNM and other Naturopathic Medical Schools

/ Amy Buckley / 20 Comments

May 2010 my husband, Todd Sattersten, and I visited Bastyr and NCNM to see which (if either) school and city we would like to move to.  We had narrowed it down to these two schools primairily based on geographic location.  Although, I had already talked to at least one admission counselor and 3 students from each of these two schools and from SCNM in Arizona.  I also talked to a student at  CCNM in Toronto, Canada and a person who had visited Univ. of Bridgeport in Connecticut.

One of the students I talked to had been told an interesting analogy of all the US schools;  Bastyr is like the oldest sibling in a family – straight A student, serious.  SCNM is like the hippy sister.  NCNM is the rebel.  And Univ. of Bridgeport is the baby, they were just getting started during this analogy.  The school outside of Chicago, NUHS, that is getting accreditation, was not at this time.  Neither my husband nor I felt the labels for NCNM and Bastyr were true but it’s a fun analogy none the less.

What I have pulled together about the different schools is the following, in order from North to south and west to east for North America:

Overall – every student and staff member emphasized that you MUST visit each school and see which one ‘resonantes’ with you.  I agree.  You have to put in the (comparably) small amount of money for a plane ticket, hotel, meals and rental car before you decide where to spend the next 4 or more years of your life and your $150K – $250K dollars!  Each school requires different pre-requisite classes, watch out for that.

BINM – Boucher in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.  It seems for a US license states will accept Canadian degrees just as readily as US degrees.  For both the Canadian schools there are lots of big questions to be answered; US taxes, Student Financial Aide, moving all your belongings out of the country and back again (taxes?, issues?), etc.  Plus the Canadian laws are different than US laws for Naturopaths – the CDN curriculums are adjusted for their Province and country/ethics laws.  For example, no surgery is allowed by Naturopaths in Canada so there isn’t any training – but in the US Naturopaths can perform minor surgery and are trained for it.  Plus they are very far north – I’ve lived in Wisconsin for 12 years, time to move south.

Bastyr:  Kenmore, WA.  The school took over a monastary and is basically located on a beautiful state park.  The school was founded by students from NCNM.  Secluded location, NOT in the city of Seattle.

    The positive:  Their website completely blows the others away.  Their cafeteria is outstanding both in food selection and taste.  They have on-site day care!  The students were extremely friendly and helpful.  The former chapel and their secluded/wooded location are beautiful.  They have an herb and meditiation garden, on-site new eco-friendly housing, and an impressive/small library.  Wall of windows in every classroom.

    The negative:  In a word – Attitude!  I found the staff to be friendly but short with you.  And the admissions counselors are short, terse, and not very talkative.  I called over 6 weeks in advance (flying in from Wisconsin), but it was nearly impossible to get an in-person appointment, when we did the counselor rushed us, was short with her replies, got defensive with common questions, and  was rude.  A student who choose another school said they always felt like a ‘number’ when they called the school.  The finance office didn’t want to really talk to you until you were at the school.  The doors and hallways to the classrooms reminded me of a prison – metal doors with small window, really heavy, hallways with white tile.  It was hard to find out about research projects.

    Conclusion/Notes:  I was given no compelling reason to attend the school.  Note 1:  Their reputation is that they are ‘more scientific’ (which would/should appeal to me being an engineer).  However, I sat in on two classes and heard completely un-scientific comments from both the teachers (more on that later).   I saw NO EVIDENCE of them being more ‘scientific’.  Note 2:  Odd observation;  Most students had medium length hair between bottom of ear and top of shoulder, no matter their gender.  50% of students had laptops in class.  Most students wore jeans and hoodies.  Note 3:  Heard their cadaver lab was old and gas masks/showers after each lab were common.  Asked a Bastyr student about it and they said, “You have to wear gas masks at any cadaver lab.”   (not true, see NCNM and SCNM).

NCNM:  Portland, OR.  The first Naturopathic Medical School in North America.  Main classrooms are in refurbished 1950’s Elementary school.  Other buildings are brand-new.  Located at intersecting highways in Downtown Portland.  Mountains 1.5 hours east, Ocean 1.5 hours west, River runs through the middle of this modern eco-friendly small city.

The Positive:  The Admissions and Financial Aide Counselors are the most knowledgable, friendly, organized, and genuine of any staff that I talked with.  This school has their act together.  The students are extremely friendly and helpful.  The New on-site Clinic building with medicinary and on-site laboratory.  Helfgott Research Institute on-site and about 25% of students participate in research projects.  Beautiful, original hard-wood floors and doors in Main class room building.  State-of-the-art cadaver lab, gas masks optional.  Cadaver lab is prossection (they cut the cadavers for you; all other schools you have to cut them).  Nice, modern library with a cozy/antique-feeling rare books room.  Wall of windows in every classroom (including the cadaver lab).  EVERYONE we talked to that used to live in Portland or does now – Loves it, no one had anything bad to say (except comments about the rain).

The Negative: Their website is adequate but lame compared to Bastyr and SCNM.  They are working on it but currently no on-site day-care.  (They do have the closed circuit TV option).  No on-site cafeteria (a ‘food-cart’ does set up shop in the parking lot).  Location – city noise, older windows in main class room buildings (drafty).  Portland has a reputation for being rainy (but average high in winter is 45F! And snow in the city is rare).  If you are into it, the lack of cadaver dissection could be a negative (Update: you can volunteer to do the cadaver dissections!)

Conclusions/Notes:  Ok, you might think us biased as we ‘resonated’ with this school and the Portland area.  But seriously, this is how you would expect the staff of a graduate college to be: professional, friendly, organized, and selling you on the school.  The first counselor I talked to actually asked me some unexpected questions (like if I would want to practice internationally – they have a program for it).  Also, every staff member I talked to was as enthusiastic and passionate about natural medicine as I am – amazing!  50% of students had laptops in class.  Note 1:  They appeared to me to be just as scientific as Bastyr.  And you have to take the same classes and pass the same Licensing exams in the end – how different could the schools be?  Note 2: Odd Observation; students had longer hair (than Bastyr) from shoulder length and longer.  Noticed some skirts.  Note 3:  Student body appeared way more diverse than Bastyr.  Different ages, ethnicities, clothing styles, hair styles, etc.

 

SCNM:  Tempe, AZ.  Brand-new facilities.  Started by a student from NCNM.

The Positive:  Students were extremely friendly and helpful on the phone.  The admission counselors were friendly, enthusiastic, (but see below) and sent paperwork the quickest.  Their website contains excellent video interviews.    An average of 350 days of sunshine per year!

The Negative:  You have to learn Acupuncture (obviously a positive for some) since it is part of the ND scope in the state of AZ.  Therefore, you have less time for electives.  Admission Counselor’s were disorganized and didn’t seem to know the school very well.

    Conclusion/Notes:  This would be our follow-up trip if neither NCNM/Portland or Bastyr/Seattle was right for us.   My husband and one of my children do not do well in the heat/sun.  Note1: Talked to a cadaver lab T.A. – she doesn’t wear a gas mask but most of the students do.  She went into extreme detail about the lab (helpful for me) let me know if you want a blog entry on that.

 

NUHS:  Lombard, IL.  Working on getting accreditation as a Naturopathic college.  Adding Naturopathic curriculum to a (100+ year old!) Chiropractic college.  With no current accreditation and being outside of Chicago (about a 40minute drive) this was not on our list of schools to visit, nor did I talk to anyone from this college.

CCNM: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  It seems for a US license states will accept Canadian degrees just as readily as US degrees.  For both the Canadian schools there are lots of big questions to be answered; US taxes, Student Financial Aide, moving all your belongings out of the country and back again (taxes?, issues?), etc.  Plus the Canadian laws are different than US laws for Naturopaths – the CDN curriculums are adjusted for their Province and country/ethics laws.  For example, no surgery is allowed by Naturopaths in Canada so there isn’t any training – but in the US Naturopaths can perform minor surgery and are trained for it.  Plus they are very far north – I’ve lived in Wisconsin for 12 years, time to move south.

Univ. of Bridgeport:  Bridgeport, CT.  I was told this school was in a bad part of town – don’t be fooled by it’s proximity to the ocean!  We did not want to live in CT so I did not investigate this school.

UPDATE:  As of August 2010, we moved to Portland, while taking pre-reqs. for admission to NCNM, I started volunteering at NCNM’s Helfgott Research Institute.  Sept. 2012, I started in the Dual ND – MSOM program.  Week 7 of the first semester I figured out that the ND degree was not the area of concentration I wanted.  I switched to MSOM (only) and started those classes in Jan. 2013.  By my 3rd quarter in Chinese Medicine/MSOM I fell in love with the curriculum!

Liver Gallbladder Cleanse

/ Amy Buckley

Last night and this morning I'm doing the Liver & Gallbladder Cleanse (I was given this file w/no author but found it was almost verbatum from Hulda Clark's book, The Cure for All Diseases, Pg. 555 – 558, I have added back a couple of items from Hulda Clark's version):  Download Liver-Gallbl Cleanse. 

I'm working on 'cleaning up' from my systemic yeast infection and other issues. I expected the cleanse to be a lot worse given it's description and instructions.  But I guess after eating the Candida Diet for 2 years, killing parasites for 1.5 years, exercising 3 or more times a week the whole time, doing a 3 week Kidney Cleanse only 14 days ago, and having on average three BMs a day previous to this cleanse – I suppose I might be the 'best case' scenario.  The worst case might be a person that the cleanse absolutely didn't work and he threw-up the whole concoction in the morning.  He was admittedly NOT in the 'great' shape I was previous to his cleanse.

Basically the cleanse cleans out your intestines and opens up your bile ducts via 2 doses of Epsom Salts the night before, then stimulates the bile ducts to release via the Olive Oil right before you go to sleep.  Over night lots (hopefully 100's to 1000's) of your gallstones, liver stones, and cholesterol crystals roll out of your open bile ducts into your intestines.  In the morning you clean our your intestines again with 2 more doses of Epsom Salts.

I would say I got out 100 – 150 stones and LOTS of 'Chaff' – cholesterol crystals.  Now for some further details on my experience:  The first two Epsom Salt drinks I waited for something to happen but it did not.  At 10pm I had a normal BM.  After drinking the olive oil mixture, and laying down perfectly still, I definitely felt the 'rolling marble' effect that Hulda Clark talked about.  I took 6 L-ornithine but still woke up at 2:30am to empty my very full bladder and tried to go back to sleep, felt a little nausea.  At 3am-ish I had a BM (of course mostly liquid now) and was able to sleep after that. (Note that when I've been sick 3 am seems to be when my bowels like to empty, so not making it through the night didn't surprise me).  In the morning there was no rush to go, but I went at 6am.  I drank the Epsom salts at 6am and 9:40am and followed that with the instructions of when and how to start eating.  I had another 6 visits to the bathroom between 7am and 10am.  And then another 7 BMs, from Noon to 9pm.  The next day I didn't have a BM at all – as I'm sure everything was solidifying.  And the 2nd day after the cleanse I got a few stones and some chaff with my normal BMs.  (One other note, as you may expect I was down 3 pounds the morning of the cleanse and that's got back to normal by the 4th day after the cleanse).

Now, 6 days after the cleanse, I would say my BMs are improved but it's still too early to note any other improvements . . . as with all things with your health – you just get to wait and see. 

My Story – The Longer Version

/ Amy Buckley

For the shortest version of My Story (that I could write) see My Story – Just the Facts.

For
this Longer Version, let me summarize by dates the last 2 years and 4
months.  I'll TRY to
keep it short…..and post it as-is for now and make improvements
later.  Also, later I will break up different parts of My Story to
expand on my thoughts and actions, explain my symptoms, and add more
information (charts, test results, etc.).

First of all I should tell you that 'I never get sick'.  Yes the
occasional cold or flu but nothing serious (just some ear infections
when I was a toddler).  My parents and my maternal grandparents don't
really get sick either.  Also, I love sports and have played them my
whole life and continue to exercise when I'm not playing on a team.  I
eat healthy compared to lots of people I know; including, I started
eating a big salad once a day (back in college) because I felt that
would be better for me/my health.  However, until this disaster I had
no real idea about any alternative medicines (since I don't get sick I
didn't really know about western medicine either!).  On with the story
. . .

– October 25, 2007  
    Give birth to my 3rd child.  Natural childbirth, no drugs. My recovery is the best of the 3, until . . .

– November 9, 2007    (2 weeks later)
   
VERTIGO/Dizzy – the room is spinning when I wake up and try to get out
of bed.  My O.B., an MD, prescribes Meclizine (found in BonineTM and
other products) over the phone.  12.5mg/4hours.  Call my regular MD if
it still exists in 2 weeks.  Side effect: it makes you very tired.

– November 13, 2007  (4 days later)
   
The Meclizine is not working.  My MD via her nurse on the phone
prescribes Meclizine 25mg/8hours.  Even in my weak state I can point
out that this is the same amount that isn't working!  Nurse is coarse
with me and barks that I will have to be seen for any more than that to
be 'prescribed'.  I try taking the larger dose at the broader intervals.
   
My family (parents who were here to help after the birth and my
husband) keeps trying to convince me that I just need to rest; that I'm
still recovering from being pregnant and waking up all night long with
the baby.  I spend about 18hours a day trying to rest and breastfeed
the new born baby.  It's not helping.  I'm getting fed-up with resting
that's not helping me feel rested!

– November 27, 2007  (2 weeks later)
    My help is gone and I now have responsibility for 3 kids under the age of 5 years – including the new born.
   
Now I have cold symptoms, flu symptoms, I have a 103 degree fever,
every time something moves in my intestines I get dizzy, I can't bend
over without getting dizzy, my blood pressure is off when I swoop down
low and then get up and lots of other crazy symptoms.  I'm in bad
shape.  I take pity on myself and call the doctor's office.  I'm able
to get in the same day with my MD.
She hears all the symptoms and
asks to look at my breasts to see if there is any redness, heat, or
lumps.  She guesses I have a bacteria infection – mastitis – and
prescribes anti-biotics. It helps except I'm still having all kinds of
digestive trouble (with foods I never had trouble with before).

– January 12, 2008  (10 weeks later)
   
The same crazy symptoms are coming back again.  My MD calls in the
anti-biotic for me (I only talk to her nurse).  The symptoms abate.

– February 6, 2008

   
I talk to my MD on the phone – I tell her my theory that every time I'm
fighting something off (flu, cold) my ear gets plugged up and I think
it plugs up into my inner ear and I get dizzy throughout the day.  She
prescribes Sudafed – 24hours a day/7 days a week.  Says it is fine to
take it indefinitely (many people do for other ear problems) and it's
fine for breast feeding the baby.     Side effect for me – it seriously
drys you out!  Drinking massive amounts of water doesn't help and after
about 6 weeks on it I start to get IBS symptoms (ie. constipation then
diaherrea alternating), an anal fissure (I found out several months
later this is what it was after flipping through a 1960's 'Medical
Encyclopedia' of all things!), and having a BM gets quite painfull. 
BUT I can't be off of it for more than 3 days without getting dizzy
again.

– March 2008
    Lots of digestive problems.  Many
nights of diarrhea at 3am.  Stomach often feels bad – nausea.  Still
getting up with the baby to breast feed at night.  And in the morning
taking care of the 3 toddlers.  But still exercising, because I always
feel better afterwards.
    I start searching for what could be
wrong with me.  I attend an Acupuncture talk on 'Allergies' at the YMCA
where I work out.  His presentation did not help to convince me but his
office is only 1 mile from my house.  I'll think about going after I
figure out what's wrong with me and after the baby is done
breastfeeding. . .
    From researching, it looks to me like I have
either candida or gluten intolerance.  The symptoms are similar.  AND
the symptoms seem all encompassing – my husband and to some degree I am
very skeptical about the two problems.  They do seem like catch-all
'diagnosis'.

– April 2008     ENOUGH!
    A family of
friends comes to visit from out of the country.  Of the 4 adults and 5
children I am the only one that gets massively ill – serious diaherrea
starting at 3am.  No one else gets sick at all, including the two
newborns.  I get no sleep.  Even after my friends arrive I'm still too
'excited' to go to sleep – as I learned later that's an adrenal problem.

   
I've had enough.  SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME!!  I'm not listening to my
husband's 'just wait, it will pass' any more!  I KNOW that going to
Acupuncture is the right thing to do.  If no one is going to help me
I'll do it myself!

– April 2008  First Acupuncture appointment.
   
I tell my Acupuncturist that I need to grow more white blood cells to
fight off germs (Acupuncture is proven to do this, I don't have the
reference for it though), I have digestive problems, and I'm physically
dizzy – which I think is coming from my inner ear.  He says he can help.

    Beginning this day I never have to take Sudafed or Bonine again.

    My acupuncture appointments are every other day for two weeks; then twice a day for

– May 12, 2008 
   
Visit to Nutritionist.  I go to try to get a handle on what I should
not be eating – having digestive issues (bloating, gas, loose stool)
after everything I eat!  And I notice the good effects from Acupuncture
are ruined by things I eat.  The Nutritionist uses two bio-resonance
machines (ASYRA and SCIO) and muscle testing to come up with a list of
foods to avoid and a list of vitamins/supplements I need.  I had never
heard of either methods but co-workers of my husband had gone to him
with good results for foods to avoid.
    NO foods come up as being
above his 'avoid' limit!  He says I need way more protein.  And
"Superfuel Plus" tests very well for me with muscle testing.  He
recommends Standard Process Zymex (for digestive trouble) and Standard
Process Catalyn (a multi-vitamin).  Via muscle testing he says I have
too many bacteria, parasites, and fungus (ie. like yeast).   But I'm ok
with viruses.  I'll scan-in the papers he gave me with the results at a
later time.  I follow his recommendations.
    I go home and research the two machines – the SCIO creator is in trouble with the US Government.  But the ASYRA
is an FDA Class II medical device and it blows my mind away!!  I
immediately see that the Nutritionist is only using 1% of the
capability of his machines!  Much more on this all over my blog . . .

– May 21, 2008  (14 weeks after the 2nd round of anti-biotics)

   
Here come all the symptoms again – dizzy, nose stuffy/cold symptoms,
fatigue, right side under my ribs is hurting, low blood pressure when I
stand-up from squatting, etc.  The symptoms are a little better this
time – due to the Acupuncture appointments.  I DO NOT want anti-biotics
this time and have researched that enough to know I had killed off good
bacteria too; so I find a pro-biotic to take and start replacing the
good bacteria.

    I first cut out all white/refined sugar
products.  I do experience some cravings and light headedness a few
days after starting this.  Could be due to the yeast or could just be
due to cutting out sugar.  

    Coincidentally, we installed a
Reverse Osmosis 'R/O' water filtration system in April.  So I know I've
minimized the amount of toxins/molds/etc. I'm drinking.  

Migraines

/ Amy Buckley

I've recently come across several ways to deal with Migraines and wanted to share them.  Here they are in no specific order:

1. Acupuncture – helps prevent migraines as well or better than medication (per a review of 22 studies).  Source: Prevention Magazine, Jan 2010, pg. 25.

2. Biofeedback – reduces frequency of migraines (per a review of 94 studies).  Source: Prevention Magazine, Jan 2010, pg. 25.

3. Potatoes – yes, a potato. Stops/lessens the migraine. Peel and cut one in half cover it all with water in a sealed container, let sit for 3 days in the refrigerator, remove potato and water can last up to two weeks stored in the refrigerator.  Drink the water at the earliest on-set of a migraine.    Source: A professor at my adult education class and supported by a student in the class.

4. Feverfew – friend of my Mother's was already doing acupuncture but insists after she started taking this herb daily her migraines have never come back. 

5. Butterbur – herb that can decrease the number of migraines.  Source: Prevention Magazine, Jan 2010, pg. 25.

6. Bioresonance – countless parasites, fungus, bacteria, etc. have side effects that include headaches.  Get rid of these by seeing a bioresonance practioner (improves your whole health at the same time!).  See this blog for some additional information on bioresonance.

Research these, see what might work for you, discuss with your doctor – and migraines be gone!

My Story – Just the Facts

/ Amy Buckley

Here is a super-quick summary of what has gone on with me the past 2.5 years.  For more details please see My Story – The Longer Version.

First of all I should tell you that I 'never get sick'.  Yes the occasional cold or flu but nothing serious (just some ear infections when I was a toddler).  My parents and my maternal grandparents don't really get sick either.  Also, I love sports and have played them my whole life and continue to exercise when I'm not playing on a team.  I eat healthy compared to lots of people I know; including I started eating a big salad once a day (back in college) because I felt that would be better for me/my health.  However, until this disaster I had no real idea about any alternative medicines (since I don't get sick I didn't really know about western medicine either!).  On with the story . . .

VERTIGO hits me two weeks after giving birth to my 3rd child; November 9, 2007.  2 different MD's have me cover it up with Meclizine (found in BonineTM and other products); doesn't really work and I develop lots of other symptoms so:

Round 1 of Anti-biotics works on lots of the symptoms for about 10 weeks.  Then my crazy symptoms all come back; every time something moves in my intestines I get dizzy, I can't bend
over without getting dizzy, my blood pressure is off when I swoop down
low and then get up and lots of other crazy symptoms (see Candida tab for more info. on that).

Round 2 of Anti-biotics works on most symptoms but the dizzy-ness keeps creeping in on me so:

I start Sudafed 24-7; stops the dizzy feeling but I start to get IBS symptoms (ie. constipation then diarrhea
alternating), an anal fissure, and having a BM gets quite pain full.  BUT I can't be off
the Sudafed for more than 3 days without getting dizzy again.

Round 3 of Crazy Symptoms returning but I don't want anti-biotics.  I've had it with my MD not addressing my crazy symptoms and everyone else blaming it on recovery from having a baby!  I start researching what's wrong with me; it looks to me like I have either candida or gluten intolerance.  And I know I need more blood cells to fight infections, since your count is lower after having a baby. 

April 2008 – I start Acupuncture and I am still going to this day. This is the start of getting better.

May 2008 -I visit a Nutritionist to try to get at my digestive troubles.  He has a Bio-resonance machine – I research it and am flabbergasted by what it does.  I'm 90% certain I have candida.  I start the strictest form of the Candida Diet and other diet restrictions (see Candida – What DO you eat?).  And then I try to start killing the Yeast with Grapefruit seed extract.

July 2008 – I find an NMD (Naturopathic Medical Doctor) – I have a rash on my chest and uppper back so bad it's scary (die-off effect from killing the yeast).  Especially scary while breast feeding my new born baby!  I do the Standard Process Cleanse and use Coconut Oil topically.  It works for the rash!

August 2008 – I visit 2 Chiropractors as it feels like something on the left side of my neck is blocking my Chi/blood flow at Acupuncture.  My top 2 vertebra are out of alignment.  It helps with Acupuncture.

March 2009 – I visit an Iridologist.  Worth it for the perspective it brings and the insight into my condition.

April 2009 – I find a new ND with a Bio-resonance Machine.  I start the REAL road to recovery.

January 2010 – I start this Blog.  I'm still seeing the ND with the Bio-resonance and I'm almost rid of the Candida.  You are all up to date.  Please read on in My Story for lots of important details.

Bio-resonance – History

/ Amy Buckley

One of the first 'Bio-resonance' machines was created in the 1950's by German Engineers who heard about what the Chinese were doing with Acupuncture points.  Acupuncture is based on stimulating or opening the body's energy points.  The smart German engineers said 'Where there is energy it can be measured'.  And they set about creating a machine to measure these supposed energy points on the body.  They were successful and found that acupuncture points have several times more electrical activity than a point on the skin only a fraction of an inch away.

Today the machines have evolved and many companies make their own versions for different purposes from stimulating the acupuncture points (electronic acupuncture) to using the device for overall health screenings (bio-resonance testing, electronic homeopathy).  It is the use of bio-resonance to improve a person's health that intrigues me.

Candida Diet

/ Amy Buckley

The question has come up again "What DO you eat?".  You can find lots of lists of Candida diets on the web and you will start to see repetition of the restricted food items.  One of the most comprehensive lists I found was in the book I HIGHLY recommend, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch.

My current diet is based on three things:

1. Candida Diet lists  

2. My Bio-resonance Nutritional Reading

3. My type from The Geno Type Diet  by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo  

4. The tingling on the back of my neck and the twitching in my left ear when I ate certain foods.  

If I could find someone who uses the Bio-resonance machine to it's full capacity (as I intend to do in my practice) then #2, 3, & 4 would have been totally unnecessary.  As it stands, if I strictly follow these four food markers there would literally be NOTHING I could eat. While eating nothing could work for a few days I decided it wasn't a good long term plan, especially since I was breast feeding my newborn baby!

So I tried to gets lots of protein (to sustain me and the baby) while taking my carbohydrate count as low as possible, to stop the yeast. 

Profile

/ Amy Buckley

                     AmyRedjkt150px                AMY M. BUCKLEY 

 

 PERSONALITY TYPE:  While no one measure can sum up a persons entire personality, this list will allow comparisons for those that have taken the tests. 

General Description –  I love diving into a topic and researching it to the point that I know the information well enough to summarize it in a logical manner and teach it to the next person. 

Analytical – Merrill-Reid Types; Analytical with lots of Driver, some Expressive, and a little Amiable; self-assessment 2010.

Individualization, Learner, Achiever, Relator, Input – Strengths Finder 2.0 Test; taken in 2009, my Top 5 Strengths are described in this note from the company.

ENTJ – Myers-Briggs TypeR Test; Extrovert, Intuition, Thinking, Judging; taken at work in approximately 1996.


PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

General Description – I also love diving into other cultures whether across the US or around the World.  I moved around the USA (including Hawaii) every 1.5 years from age 3 – 18yrs due to my father’s work.  Then I went backpacking across Europe by myself after college.  I lived in many US locations and traveled internationally through my work.  And most recently (2001) my husband and I took a year off from corporate America to travel extensively through 3 countries.  As soon as our 3 kids are a bit more travel-friendly we’ll be off around the world again; for now, the USA will do.

Traveling – Western Europe (France, Spain, England, Italy, etc.), Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, etc.), Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark), Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga.

Language – I was once fluent in Spanish, probably could be again.  I know lots of words in other languages so I could get along in my travels (including American Sign Language).  And I’ve had the excellent experience of traveling to other countries where no one spoke English.

Hobbies – Sports, Photography, Wood-working.


FORMAL EDUCATION:

Portland Community College – Portland, OR; 2010 – Current;  Pre-requisites required for entrance to the National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM), target start date September 2012.

Marquette University – Milwaukee, WI; 2001 – 2003; Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI; 1989 – 1994; Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering (BSEME).


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

GE Medical Systems, GE Lighting, GE Motors, GE Appliances – 1994 – 2005; Global Supply Chain Manger, Global Product Manager, Production Manager, Quality Manager, Six Sigma Black Belt, etc.  Worked with products such as: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Equipment (MRI), Advantage Windows Workstations (AW) which incorporates CT, PET, MRI, & Nuclear images, Fluorescent Lightbulbs, Large and Small Motors, and Refrigerators.  Responsibilities included; running a $250MM Global Supply Chain, managing over 120 employees on 3 shifts, saving over $1MM through Six Sigma Projects, etc.

Dow Chemical Company, Co-op, 1992 – 1994.  Commercial Plastic, STYROFOAMTM Production, and ZiplocTM Bag production.  Work semesters interspersed with school semesters while obtaining engineering degree.